Despite having an outstanding 1-2 punch at running back in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, and a talented tight end in Pat Freiermuth who fits well into new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense, the lack of depth and overall talent at the receiver position behind George Pickens is a glaring problem that many just can’t seem to look past.
That includes ESPN’s Bill Barnwell.
In a piece Wednesday morning for ESPN.com ranking teams by their playmaker groups, the Steelers were near the bottom of the league due to that hole at receiver behind Pickens. In Barnwell’s rankings, receivers are weighed more heavily than running backs, which is how the league views things, and he’s only going off the top five contributors offensively, based on his criteria.
Barnwell went on to call it a “Pickens-or-bust” passing offense in his reasoning.
“I’m still optimistic about Pickens — even amid the real-life specter of coordinator Arthur Smith deciding to build the offense around Cordarrelle Patterson and MyCole Pruitt — but I’m wondering how he will evolve,” Barnwell writes regarding Pickens and the Steeles’ playmakers. “We know he can run away from defensive backs, but is his game going to continue to revolve around low-probability contested catches on the sideline? Can his route-running command more than 10 targets in a game, something he failed to do in Year 2?
“With Roman Wilson and Van Jefferson as the primary wideouts behind him and Pat Freiermuth topping 50 yards in a game just once last season, it sure looks and feels like Pickens-or-bust for the Pittsburgh passing game.”
Yes, depth behind Pickens is a real concern. On paper, at least. Some combination of Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, Calvin Austin III and rookie Roman Wilson, at least right now, isn’t all that comforting.
But in Smith’s offense, which is run-heavy and loves to utilize the tight end in the passing game, the need for a true WR2 isn’t all that great, especially when looking back on his time as an offensive coordinator in Tennessee and then as a head coach in Atlanta.
There is some concern that not having that WR2 could make things very difficult for Pickens from a coverage aspect, but Smith has had success in the past scheming guys open and allowing big, physical receivers to thrive in his offense.
The need for a true WR2 seems a bit overblown when it comes to NFL passing offenses.
Is that concern at receiver enough to drop the Steelers from 13th last summer in Barnwell’s ranking all the way to No. 27? That seems like a real stretch.
Jefferson is an experienced veteran receiver who was a solid No. 2 when the Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl in 2021, hauling in 50 passes for 802 yards and five touchdowns. He’s had some injury issues since, but also hasn’t had the true opportunity to really get back to that level of play.
Scotty Miller was really solid in Tampa Bay during his time with Tom Brady, becoming a go-to target for Brady in big spots, producing consistently. Roman Wilson carries a great pedigree coming out of college and is a tough-as-nails receiver who really seems to fit the mold that the Steelers have had success with in the past.
Outside of the receiver group, putting the Steelers near the bottom of the league with that type of talent they have at running back, and how deep they are at tight end seems a bit of a reach from Barnwell.
Chances are high that the Steelers’ playmakers make the No. 27 ranking in the NFL from Barnwell look even sillier during the season than it does now.
