Through the first quarter of the 2024 season, there is one glaring need that the Pittsburgh Steelers need to address — and fast.
Of course, that would be the wide receiver position, a position that has been a point of emphasis for the Steelers throughout the offseason. After the Steelers traded away Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers to acquire cornerback Donte Jackson, the Steelers were in the trade market for the likes of Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Courtland Sutton throughout the offseason.
Now, in-season, the Steelers are reportedly involved in the Davante Adams sweepstakes as they continue to look to upgrade the position, one that has struggled to produce consistently outside of George Pickens.
It remains to be seen if the Steelers can land Adams, but in they are not able to swing a trade for the All-Pro receiver, the 2025 NFL Draft looks promising for the Steelers to potentially address the position, particularly in the first round.
In the latest 2025 NFL Mock Drafts from both The Athletic and Pro Football Focus, the Steelers landed Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, thanks to the mocks from Nick Baumgardner and Trevor Sikkema.
In Baumgardner’s mock draft for The Athletic, the Steelers landed Egbuka at No. 25 overall, filling a major need.
“Justin Fields didn’t play with Egbuka at Ohio State. Give them a week of practice together, though, and Fields will feel like he did,” Baumgardner writes of the mock draft selection of Egbuka for the Steelers. “The quintessential Buckeyes receiver, Egbuka’s greatest strength is that he doesn’t do anything wrong. He’s always on time and always reliable.”
Egbuka is listed at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds and is as steady as they come in the 2025 NFL Draft class. He realistically could have declared for the 2024 NFL Draft and could have been a late first-round pick, but decided to return to school after an injury-filled 2023 season hindered him.
Steelers Depot’s Jonathan Heitritter did a Summer Scouting Series looking at the receivers in the 2025 class and previously highlighted Egbuka, writing, “Egbuka is a well-rounded receiver who has good size, speed, athleticism, and craftiness as a route runner to be utilized outside as well as in the slot. He has a thick build that makes him a problem after the catch for defenses, but he can also attack secondaries down the field with his speed.”
Adding a guy that can create yards after catch and brings that size, speed and athleticism to the position would be a great addition opposite George Pickens for at least the 2025 season, depending on what the future holds for Pickens in the Steel City.
Then, in PFF’s mock draft, Sikkema paired Egbuka with the Steelers at No. 28 overall.
“Egbuka recorded over 1,000 receiving yards as a true sophomore in 2022 but missed a significant portion of last season due to an ankle injury that required mid-year surgery. When he returned, it was clear he wasn’t at 100%,” Sikkema writes of Egbuka’s selection for the Steelers in the mock draft. “Despite that, he remains one of the top route runners in the 2025 class and could be an immediate WR2 in the Steelers’ passing attack.”
Route running is key, and Egbuka is great at it. He’s so smooth, wastes very little movement and creates adequate separation.
The Steelers need that opposite Pickens after losing Johnson and not replacing him properly for this season. With Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller on one-year deals and Calvin Austin III entering the final year of his contract as well, the Steelers are going to be in the WR market in the draft.
It would be wise to address that position in the first round, too, giving the Steelers’ offense a bonafide playmaker there to work with opposite Pickens, regardless of what the situation is at quarterback moving forward.
