The Pittsburgh Steelers have a need at wide receiver behind George Pickens; that much is clear.
While veterans like Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, Scotty Miller, Calvin Austin III, and rookie Roman Wilson are all intriguing in their own right, none of them profile as true complementary pieces for Pickens as the WR1 in Pittsburgh.
For the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, during an appearance on 102.5 WDVE’s Morning Show Tuesday, the Steelers want more than a veteran presence added to the wide receiver room should they make a move.
Dulac says they want a “big-time, veteran presence” that is at least a No. 2 receiver. That need could be heightened after Wilson suffered a lower-body injury Tuesday during Seven Shots on the first day of padded practices and had to be carted off.
“Well, I’m not gonna sit here and tell you it’s set, and they want more than a veteran presence. They want a big time veteran presence,” Dulac said to DVE’s morning show Tuesday, prior to Wilson’s injury. Somebody who could..is certainly at minimum a number two receiver. I think they would like to get another guy. I think Van Jefferson’s a nice receiver. I think he’s Allen Robinson, maybe a step above Allen Robinson in terms of potential. They have high hopes for Roman Wilson, but he’s a rookie and Calvin Austin I still think could be a big play guy. Not a Pro bowler but a more-than-capable receiver.
“But yeah, I think they would love to get a number two guy. But it just depends — a big-time number two guy — but it just depends at what cost.”
The cost is the largest hold-up, both from an acquisition standpoint regarding draft capital and potential players, as well as a financial hold-up.
To the Steelers’ credit, they have been poking around looking to add a receiver and have been connected to plenty of names this offseason, including San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk, Seattle’s DK Metcalf, and even Denver’s Courtland Sutton.
Obviously, nothing has materialized, though, and some of those names could be classified as true No. 1 WRs.
But though the Steelers have been checking around the market in hopes of upgrading the WR position, nothing has materialized. While GM Omar Khan has stated time and time again that he believes in the WR room currently and has high hopes for them, those hopes can only go so far.
Jefferson is a nice depth piece to have, but he currently projects as WR2 for the Steelers and hasn’t been productive since the 2021 season. That’s a real concern. Scotty Miller is a good slot receiver option to have and has had some nice moments in big games, but he doesn’t have Tom Brady throwing him the football.
Quez Watkins and Calvin Austin III bring great speed, but they seem like the same player overall and not one that can be counted on — yet — in an elevated role. Then, there’s Wilson, who could be the WR2 for the Steelers, but the injury Tuesday raises some concerns, depending on the severity.
The Steelers need help at receiver, but the market is a buyer’s market, and teams will have to overpay either in draft and player capital or financially with new deals. It’s a tough place to be for a team in need.
We’ll see if Khan and the Steelers can do anything at the receiver position before the start of the regular season. Dulac made clear what the Steelers reportedly want, but getting it is a whole different story.
