While Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson made his NFL debut on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, he only played five snaps. Wilson suffered an ankle injury in training camp and had been inactive the first five weeks of the season but got on the field Sunday, and he said that he’s working on all facets of his game to try to earn a bigger role.
“Just everything. Route running, blocking, knowing all the positions, knowing the play. Just a little bit of everything,” Wilson said when asked about what he’s working on via Aaron Becker of Yardbarker on Twitter.
Wilson said he feels like he’s improving each week.
“Every week, I look back at it and I can confidently say that I’m getting better,” he added via Becker.
Mike Tomlin explained in his weekly press conference that it’s a longer process getting Wilson onto the field because he’s a rookie without the background of NFL experience and he’s joining a new team and a new system. The Steelers are usually somewhat cautious with their rookies regardless and given that Wilson missed most of training camp and all of the preseason, it makes sense that the team is bringing him along slowly.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Wilson’s role expand later this season, potentially after the bye week, and with Pittsburgh’s lack of receiver depth, the hope is that Wilson can make an impact down the stretch. As a rookie, his focus just needs to be on getting better each day and coming in and improving little by little, and it sounds as if that’s what he’s doing.
Pittsburgh could wind up adding a receiver before the trade deadline, which could impact how much Wilson sees the field. But as things stand right now, he’s someone the Steelers could need at some point this year. Obviously, if not for the injury, Wilson likely would’ve been a contributor earlier this season, but he needs to prove he’s back in pre-injury form and comfortable with the offense before the Steelers put more on his plate.
It would be a major plus for Pittsburgh’s offense if Wilson continues to develop and can contribute in a bigger role this season, especially with the schedule getting more difficult in the second half of the season. The offense is going to have to take a step forward this year and show it can sustain drives and move the ball consistently.
Having a reliable slot receiver like Roman Wilson could help make that happen.
