The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2024 season without an adequate group of receiving weapons, and it really showed. Especially when George Pickens was injured, they didn’t have enough firepower to keep up. With Pickens entering the final year of his rookie contract, the Steelers need to bolster the position in a hurry. The Senior Bowl always has good receiving talent, and this year will be no different. Last year, they dipped into the talent pool and drafted Roman Wilson. They will hopefully see that decision start to pay off in 2025, but they need more.
There are 18 accepted invites from wide receivers so far for the Senior Bowl, so I have narrowed down that list down to guys I could see the Steelers having interest in.
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WIDE RECEIVER ACCEPTED INVITES
Pat Bryant — Illinois
Age: 22.1
Year: 4
Height/Weight: 6-3, 200 pounds
PFF Position Rank: 17th (126th overall)
Bryant spent all four seasons at Illinois and racked up conference and team accolades in his final season, including serving as a team captain in 2024. The wide receiver group in Mobile this year will be very tall, and Bryant is no exception. His 6-3 frame helps him play physical with a nice catch radius.
In four years, Bryant caught 137 receptions for 2,095 yards and 19 TDs. He got better every season and finished strong in 2024 with 10 TDs and nearly 1,000 receiving yards.
Jayden Higgins — Iowa State
Age: N/A
Year: 4
Height/Weight: 6-4, 215 pounds
PFF Position Rank: 8th (56th overall)
Higgins spent two years at Eastern Kentucky before transferring to Iowa State. He averaged over 1,000 yards in his two seasons at Iowa State and his touchdown total increased year over year. Higgins has great size and pairs it with better route running than you’d expect for a player his size. He isn’t going to blow anyone away with long speed, but his football IQ, catch radius, and route running paired with his size should make him a coveted prospect.
In four seasons, he caught 227 receptions for 3,317 yards and 28 TDs.
Jaylin Noel — Iowa State
Age: 22.4
Year: 4
Height/Weight: 5-11, 200 pounds
PFF Position Rank: 15th (112th overall)
Noel was with Iowa State for all four seasons and was a two-time team captain. He received several conference accolades over his final two seasons both on and off the field. He is a twitched up, explosive receiver who can run every route and provide inside and outside versatility for an NFL team.
In four seasons, Noel had 245 receptions for 2,855 yards and 18 TDs. He also returned both kicks and punts, so he can provide some special teams value. His punt return average in 2024 was a solid 15.3 yards.
Xavier Restrepo — Miami (Fla.)
Age: 22.8
Year: 5
Height/Weight: 5-10, 198 pounds
PFF Position Rank: 7th (51st overall)
Restrepo was a consensus All-American this year and had back-to-back seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. He is a crafty route runner who has excellent body control and hands and displays great vision to create yards after the catch. He is a willing and capable blocker despite his smaller stature.
In five seasons at Miami, Restrepo caught 200 passes for 2,844 yards and 21 TDs.
Tez Johnson — Oregon
Age: 22.7
Year: 5
Height/Weight: 5-10, 165 pounds
PFF Position Rank: 12th (87th overall)
Johnson spent three seasons at Troy before transferring to Oregon. He set a single-season Oregon record for receptions with 86 in 2023 and nearly matched that in 2024. Johnson is a twitchy athlete who can win off the line of scrimmage with his release package. He is elusive in the open field and can create YAC. He also served as a punt returner. The Steelers already have multiple small receivers, so they likely won’t be after a guy like Johnson.
In five seasons, Johnson caught 310 passes for 3,889 yards and 28 TDs. He had back-to-back seasons with 10 TDs for Oregon. He also pitched in a touchdown on punt return.
Elic Ayomanor — Stanford
Age: N/A
Year: 3
Height/Weight: 6-2, 210 pounds
PFF Position Rank: 5th (34th overall)
Ayomanor figures to be one of the top receivers in this draft class. I couldn’t find his birthday, but he should be one of the youngest receivers at the Senior Bowl, which is always a big positive for a player’s draft stock. He earned several accolades in 2023 and 2024 both on and off the field. He has a great blend of power and agility. He has both short-area burst and long speed.
In two seasons, Ayomanor had 125 receptions, 1,844 yards and 12 TDs.
Savion Williams — TCU
Age: N/A
Year: 5
Height/Weight: 6-5, 225 pounds
PFF Position Rank: 6th (50th overall)
Williams is another receiver who should be taken in the first two rounds. He wasn’t very productive as a pure receiver, but he was used creatively on the ground as well and accounted for 12 total touchdowns in 2024, including six rushing. He is very versatile with excellent short-area quickness. He also has a knack for creating big plays, but he is a little raw as a route runner and will need a creative offensive mind to get the most out of him.
In four seasons, Williams had 137 receptions for 1,655 yards and 14 TDs. He also had 62 rushing attempts for 384 yards and six TDs. Almost 1,000 of those yards came in his final season.
Jalen Royals — Utah State
Age: 21.9
Year: 4
Height/Weight: 6-0, 205 pounds
PFF Position Rank: 10th (73rd overall)
Royals spent his first season at Georgia Military College (JUCO) before transferring to Utah State for three seasons. He has great stop-start ability and is relatively refined in his route running. He is a big yards-after-the-catch guy and is a weapon with the ball in his hands.
In three seasons, he caught 126 receptions for 1,914 yards and 21 TDs.
Jack Bech — TCU
Age: 22.1
Year: 4
Height/Weight: 6-2, 215 pounds
PFF Position Rank: 9th (58th overall)
Bech began his time in college with LSU for two seasons before transferring to TCU for the final two. He is a physical, gritty, all-around player who looks like he’ll stick around in the NFL for a long time. He uses every bit of his 6-2, 215-pound frame and possesses great hands to outmuscle defensive backs in 50-50 situations.
In four seasons, Bech caught 133 passes for 1,869 yards and 13 TDs. He finished strong in 2024 with nine touchdowns and over 1,000 receiving yards.
