If Pittsburgh Steelers WR Roman Wilson is going to make his NFL debut on Sunday, he took a step in the right direction on Thursday. After practicing in a limited capacity the day before, he practiced in full yesterday. If he practices fully today he will put himself in the running for a helmet in the Steelers’ home opener.
Whether he plays or not, whether he practices or not, Wilson isn’t wasting time. Having missed extended time since injuring his ankle early in training camp, he talked about the work he does away from the practice field, which includes plenty of study.
“I watch a lot of film by myself. I watch a lot of film with Coach [Zach Azzanni]”, Wilson said, via the Steelers’ website. “Trying to get better with my handwork, get a little more crafty. Just watch receivers and try to emulate their game. Go home, watch film, try to emulate in my head, and whenever I get the opportunity bring it out to the practice field”.
Curiously enough, Roman Wilson named Mike Evans as one of the receivers he likes to watch and try to emulate. Evans is more than half a foot taller and has 45 pounds on him. They don’t have similar body types at all—but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to learn.
The Steelers don’t even have a Mike Evans-type receiver on the roster, their biggest body being George Pickens. Pickens is a slim 6-3, weighing just 200 pounds. Van Jefferson is 6-1 and also 200 pounds, but the rest of the room is small. Calvin Austin III weighs less than me and we’re the same height. Scotty Miller isn’t much bigger, nor is Wilson.
After trading Diontae Johnson this offseason, the Steelers drafted Roman Wilson in the third round. He impressed in the early days of camp before injuring his ankle. Had that injury not occurred, he would probably be starting by now, but here we are.
Wilson practiced fully last Thursday before regressing to limited the following day. He can’t afford to slide back yet again—or at least he can’t while expecting to play. As a rookie who missed crucial portions of the offseason, he needs all the reps he can get.
The Steelers need production out of the wide receiver position, and they aren’t getting it except from Pickens. Jefferson and Austin aren’t putting up much in the way of numbers, though they also have had few opportunities. But perhaps if a player like Roman Wilson was available, the Steelers would, you know, start targeting him. That’s just a working hypothesis as I think out loud though.
