It was very clear that the Steelers were interested in adding to their wide receiver room during the 2024 NFL Draft. They talked to several of the receivers projected to go over the first two days of the event, and they certainly had a need opposite George Pickens. They opted to beef up their offensive line over the first two rounds, but selected Michigan WR Roman Wilson in the third round.
The only issue is, he isn’t a natural fit for what they need right now, which is a No. 2 wide receiver opposite George Pickens. His experience in college came primarily in the slot, and he worked in a run-heavy offense that didn’t expose him to the full route tree he will need at the NFL level as a No. 2.
Brian Batko voiced his concerns about the readiness of the rookie receiver after observing him at rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp over the last month.
“I try not to overreact to football in shorts, but it’s still worth evaluating what you see to some extent, otherwise they wouldn’t do it,” Batko wrote in his weekly Steelers chat via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Frankly, Roman Wilson didn’t look quite as ready to contribute as I expected. Maybe that’s just a good reminder he’s a rookie and most of them have growing pains.
“Doesn’t mean he can’t and won’t get better in training camp now that he’s seen the speed of the NFL game a little bit, gotten some hard coaching and perhaps some humbling experiences.”
At 5106, 185 pounds coming out of the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, Wilson has a very similar build to former Steelers WR Diontae Johnson. Players of that size certainly can assume a starting role on the outside, but they must be adept route runners who can separate and generate yards after the catch.
Last week, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo said that Wilson appeared thinner than expected at OTAs and might need time to fill out his frame. Some of that may be true, but his technique and route running will be far more important than adding a few extra pounds to his frame. He is never going to be a large receiver.
This isn’t overly surprising given the type of offense he played in at Michigan and the type of receiver he needs to be at the NFL level with his frame. He is going to have to make the most of his limited snaps to start out his career. From the sounds of it, Van Jefferson or Calvin Austin III have the inside track over Wilson at the moment to compete for the WR2 job. There is also the possibility that the whole dynamic of the room could change if the Steelers end up executing a trade later in the offseason.
