Roman Wilson could play an immediate role for a Pittsburgh Steelers team that needs wide receiver help. Wilson was one of several “late round” rookies deemed instant impact players by Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker, though the idea that the 84th overall selection of the draft is “late round” feels like a stretch.
“The Steelers got terrific value by picking Wilson 84th overall, a full 42 slots below his PFF big board ranking,” Locker said of his value. “Wilson’s surehandedness makes him particularly appealing: his 2% drop rate tied for 11th-lowest among FBS receivers with 65 or more targets. He’s also a tenacious blocker in the run game.”
Wilson fell further than expected and could’ve gone higher with the New York Jets having him as their backup plan if they were unable to land Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley. Pittsburgh could’ve reasonably selected him at No. 51 overall but grabbed him at No. 84 after fortifying their offensive line with Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier in the first and second rounds.
As Locker notes, Wilson has a reliable pair of hands. While he doesn’t have an especially large frame or huge catch radius, he makes every grab thrown near his body with the ability to track and adjust to the ball mid-flight. As we noted in a recent video breakdown, Wilson is smooth and fluid without the need to slow down at the catch point or afterward.
Given the team’s lack of top-end talent at receiver, Wilson should make a Day One impact. But it remains to be seen if his rookie numbers will be gaudy. He’s still primarily a slot receiver in a run-heavy and big-personnel offense under new OC Arthur Smith. George Pickens will dominate receptions on the outside, while TE Pat Freiermuth should see plenty of love over the middle.
Wilson didn’t put up big catch numbers in a similar style of offense last season for Michigan, finishing with 48 receptions for 789 yards despite being the team’s top passing game target. His 12 touchdowns were impressive but he won’t replicate that in Pittsburgh, especially knowing how Smith loves spreading the ball around in the red zone. In his five years as coordinator or head coach, only two players have had more than five receiving scores in a season. WR A.J. Brown did it twice, while TE Jonnu Smith did so once.
A reasonable stat line for Roman Wilson could look like 35 receptions for 400 yards and two touchdowns. That would make for a fine rookie year, but probably not as impressive as other rookie wideouts in the league.
Other rookies who make up Locker’s list include New York Giants CB Andru Phillips, Seattle Seahawks LB Tyrice Knight, and Los Angeles Chargers WR Cornelius Johnson.
