The Pittsburgh Steelers are most of the way through the first part of the offseason leading to the draft. Before we get there, we’re going to take stock of how the roster has evolved over the past several weeks. Position by position, we’ll break down who’s coming and going and what’s next, for those rookies and those already here.
Position: Wide Receiver
Total Positional Figure: 8
Offseason Additions: 2
Offseason Deletions: 2
Players Retained:
George Pickens: With the DK Metcalf trade, George Pickens’ time as the Steelers’ No. 1 WR is perhaps at an end. They intend to keep both, for now, but could still decide to trade Pickens if the right offer presents itself. Otherwise, he has a lot to live up to in a contract year. He has yet to put up Pro Bowl numbers, and if he wants to cash in during free agency, he’ll have to look the part in 2024. A motivated George Pickens isn’t a bad thing.
Calvin Austin III: Austin had a nice little season, catching 36 passes for 548 yards and four touchdowns for the Steelers. Given the state of their passing game, that’s not bad for their third receiver. He also returned a punt for a touchdown.
Roman Wilson: A third-round pick in 2024, Roman Wilson had a lost season for the Steelers. He spent most of it on the Reserve/Injured List, dressing just once and playing five snaps. Injuries plagued him during his rookie year, but he could emerge as the No. 3 WR in his second season.
Ben Skowronek: After carving out a role on special teams, the Steelers re-signed Skowronek on a two-year deal with a nice little pay raise. While his role will remain focused on special teams, he will also serve as wide receiver depth.
Scotty Miller: Perhaps somewhat of a surprise, the Steelers did re-sign Scotty Miller on a one-year contract. Last season, he caught five passes on nine targets for 69 yards. Currently, he is likely on the outside looking in for the 53-man roster.
Brandon Johnson: Johnson has some NFL experience, including four touchdowns in 2023. Last season with the Steelers, he played in three games, catching one pass for nine yards. However, he spent most of the year on the practice squad and re-signed as a Futures player in January.
Players Added:
DK Metcalf: In a blockbuster trade, the Steelers sent the Seahawks their second-round pick for Metcalf. Then they gave him a five-year, $150 million contract with the first two years fully guaranteed. Clearly, they view him as their No. 1 WR of the future, but they plan to have George Pickens co-exist with him this year.
Lance McCutcheon: After briefly spending time on the practice squad, McCutcheon signed with the Steelers after the season as a Futures player. He last played in an NFL game in 2022 and has never touched the ball, playing more on special teams.
Players Deleted:
Van Jefferson: After serving as the Steelers’ No. 2 WR most of last season, Van Jefferson found a very modest pay raise with the Titans in free agency. We thank him for his two touchdown passes and wish him the best for the future.
Mike Williams: Acquired via trade for the Steelers’ 2025 fifth-round pick, Williams delivered one game-winning touchdown and little else. After the season, he personally described the 2024 season as bad for him. He still managed to find himself a decent little contract in free agency, given his current position.
Notes And Draft Outlook:
Despite the DK Metcalf trade, we can’t take wide receiver off the Steelers’ board for the first round. With George Pickens likely in his last season with the team, they need to build for the future. Emeka Egbuka is a name that we talked about a lot, and he probably solidified his first-round status recently.
If they don’t land a starter, I’m not sure wide receiver is a high draft priority. Without a second-round pick, their likely available options in the third round and later probably don’t represent great value relative to their current roster versus needs at other positions against the available draft talent.
