The Pittsburgh Steelers made more additions to their roster than usual this offseason. They completely overhauled their quarterback room, upgraded at linebacker and revamped their offensive line. One part of their roster that they added to but didn’t necessarily upgrade is wide receiver. There are a handful of new names in that room, but no defined No. 2 receiver. With George Pickens as the only known commodity, someone will need to step up. NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks seems to believe that player could be rookie Roman Wilson.
On his podcast Move the Sticks that he co-hosts with former scout and fellow analyst Daniel Jeremiah, Brooks selected Wilson as the new player on the Steelers to watch. Wilson was drafted in the third round out of the University of Michigan, and while draft picks in that range usually aren’t considered instant impact contributors, Brooks seems to believe the Steelers’ history of receivers drafted outside the first round indicates Wilson will be a great player.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers have routinely knocked it out the park drafting wide receivers outside of the first round,” Brooks said. “Roman Wilson appears to have a lot of those traits that they look for: the toughness, the route running, just the willingness to kind of check his ego at the door. Those guys have typically worked for the Steelers. I think he’s another in a long line of great receivers that have come through the draft for them.”
Wilson didn’t have a ton of production at Michigan because the offense was more run-first, but he was productive when called upon. He may have only had 48 catches during his last year, but he had almost 800 yards and 12 touchdowns. Also, the Steelers will probably be run-heavy like Michigan, so Wilson doesn’t need to be Randy Moss. He’s an effective and willing blocker, and he makes plays when needed. That’s all the Steelers need from their No. 2 receiver.
However, he is a rookie, and the competition in the NFL is going to be leagues above what he faced in college. It might take a minute for Wilson to get used to the difference in skill. While the Steelers have been excellent at drafting receivers outside of the first round, that doesn’t guarantee a player is going to be successful.
Chase Claypool, drafted in the second round, had a fantastic rookie season, but quickly flamed out. JuJu Smith-Schuster’s story is similar, except injuries really derailed his career. The point is that development isn’t linear. Wilson may be look like a stud this year, but that doesn’t guarantee anything. Just as well, if he doesn’t immediately win the No. 2 receiver job, it doesn’t mean he won’t be a great player.
Wilson is a tough player and a good route runner. In Pittsburgh, those two things mean so much for receivers. Wilson not having much of an ego will help too, especially if recent reports about Pickens are to be believed. The comparison Brooks may be hinting at with Wilson could be Hines Ward, a receiver drafted by the Steelers in the third round in 1998. Ward was known for being incredibly physical and working perfectly in the Steelers run-first offense. Wilson may not be the level of player Ward was, but if he can fill a similar role, then Brooks’ prediction will be right on the money.
