The Pittsburgh Steelers made a big splash ahead of the NFL’s legal tampering period beginning on Monday when they traded a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for WR DK Metcalf. After years of trying to acquire a top wide receiver, the Steelers finally accomplished that goal with Metcalf, and former Steelers OT Max Starks thinks Metcalf is just what Pittsburgh needs.
“You needed somebody that was a strong personality, kind of offset George Pickens, but also have an alpha receiver in the room. I’m thinking about the days when I played with Hines Ward and having those type of veteran presence,’ Starks said on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday. “I think DK comes in, he gives you the alpha motivation, he gives you the resume, and he gives you the pedigree, no doubt, to really round out that receiving room. DK Metcalf presents a problem for NFL defensive backs. He’s the boogeyman for a lot of DBs.”
Metcalf is certainly an alpha presence in the room, and how that will click with Pickens is a legitimate question. But he’s the top-flight receiver that the Steelers have needed for years, and he brings a pedigree of three 1,000-plus yard seasons and two seasons where he finished with over 900 yards. He’s never had less than 900 yards in a season, and that total was from his rookie year.
He’s also one of the most physical receivers in the league, and Starks believes that his toughness and physicality will help with the identity that Arthur Smith wants to create offensively in Pittsburgh. Between him and Pickens, the Steelers will have two of the more physical receivers in the league, and the only question now is who will be throwing them the ball. But adding DK Metcalf immediately makes Pittsburgh’s wide receiver room better and gives the Steelers a true leader in the room.
Pickens was their top receiver, and while we don’t know what goes on behind closed doors, his actions on the field and during press conferences never gave the impression he was really leading the receiver room. Metcalf is someone who can come in and do that and help take the room to a next level. He’ll command an instant level of respect among his peers, and the reaction of Steelers players to his acquisition goes to show the excitement that the locker room has for Metcalf in the Black and Gold.
The Steelers need his production in Seattle to carry over to Pittsburgh, but given how DK Metcalf plays, it’s hard not to see him being a good fit for this offense and helping make the receiver room much better.
