Russell Wilson is never short on praise for his teammates, and the same holds true for the latest addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wilson has a new target in the passing game in WR Mike Williams after the Steelers traded for him with the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick at the trade deadline.
“Mike [Williams] has done a great job so far coming in. He’s been great in the meetings. He’s been great on the field. Just a lot of attention to detail. You can tell he’s a pro,” Russell Wilson said in a video posted by 93.7 The Fan on X. “I’ve been able to play against him several years. He’s a dominant receiver. He can make some great plays and the good thing is we’ve got a lot of great players.”
This is Williams’ eighth NFL season as a former No. 7 overall draft pick by the Los Angeles Chargers. He is physically imposing at nearly 6-4 and 218 pounds. While he isn’t the dominant receiver that he was from 2018-2021 when he amassed 216 receptions for 3,567 yards and 26 touchdowns, he has still shown the ability to win in contested-catch situations.
I broke this down in a film room earlier in the week, and his first catch of the season for the Jets was a Randy Moss type of play with a catch over and around the defender’s helmet in front of him. He is still very capable of using his size and hands to win down the field.
“I think when you look out there and you realize a guy is 6-5 and can run the way, you can jump up and catch the ball and run past people, and he’s physical,” Wilson said in a transcript provided by the team. “Even in the short game, he can catch a slant, catch a hitch, catch a post route. He can run every route.”
Wilson has worked with a few receivers in that mold over the years. Sidney Rice was a great example early in Wilson’s career with the Seattle Seahawks. Then he had DK Metcalf later in his Seahawks tenure. He also worked with Courtland Sutton in Denver for two years. It fits Wilson’s strengths perfectly where he can throw passes with plenty of hangtime deep downfield and allow his big receivers to adjust to the ball and win. Good luck to the 5-11 or 6-0 corners who are tasked with winning in those scenarios.
Williams only has 12 receptions for 166 yards this season working with Aaron Rodgers, so there are obviously some reasons to temper expectations, but the Jets have been pretty dysfunctional in general. It is reasonable to expect the Steelers and Wilson to be able to get more out of Williams in a more stable environment with better coaching.
If he can even flash the dominance that Wilson is speaking of, the Steelers’ offense should be better off for it.
