With the addition of CB Cam Sutton earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers solidified their starting defense both in base and subpackage personnel. There is really just one more glaring hole on the entire roster at this point, and that is at wide receiver. George Pickens has a chance to do great things, but without a good option on the outside opposite him, it could bring extra attention his way and neutralize some of his impact at times. The Steelers have added a bunch of names to the room this offseason, but are any of them going to be able to step into the WR2 role?
The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly published a piece with 11 takeaways from the Steelers’ offseason training activities that just wrapped up on Thursday, and asked himself the question: Who is the WR2?
“Right now, I’d say Van Jefferson, but to be honest, you can throw [Quez] Watkins, [Cordarrelle] Patterson, Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller, Marquez Callaway and Denzel Mims in there as well,” Kaboly wrote. “Yeah, it’s not a good situation, and the Steelers know that. It would show a lack of awareness and urgency if they don’t add a legit No. 2 before the season starts. And I think they will.”
The reality of the Steelers’ current situation is that their top two quarterbacks are under contract for just the 2024 season. And Russell Wilson will turn 36 this season. If they hope to revive his career and perhaps even get a couple extra years out of him beyond 2024, then they cannot afford to derail the offense because of a lack of firepower at the receiver position. Wilson has always been surrounded by adequate weapons at receiver for his 12-season career. Even when he struggled in Denver, he had Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy.
In the event that Pickens misses even one game with injury, the Steelers could find themselves in a world of trouble. Then you would be talking about a bunch of WR3-type players starting on the outside. We know the Steelers are going to run the ball heavily in 2024, but balance is always key to making things operate smoothly.
Kaboly’s take is just one perspective, which is important to keep in mind. Post-Gazette’s Dulac said that the room has nice potential. And even if they want to add to the room, it is much easier said than done. Courtland Sutton appears to be trending in the direction of working things out in Denver. Brandon Aiyuk wants way more money than the Steelers are probably willing to offer. Could Deebo Samuel now be the top possibility? Even his cap hit for this season is very sizable, and he is due for a new contract next offseason, which could be pricey.
