Player: WR Scotty Miller
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: With the Steelers trading George Pickens, WR Scotty Miller at least has a chance of making the team’s 53-man roster. If they kept him, Miller pretty clearly looked to be outside the roster bubble. While he may still not make the team, there is a pretty clear path in the wake of the trade. And with Pickens gone, the Steelers could use more speed, which he can provide.
By the end of last season, the Steelers were already using Scotty Miller like a yo-yo. They released him, then they signed him to the practice squad, then didn’t re-sign him until March after the season. But they did bring him back, and as long as he is on the roster, he has a chance.
His chances improved considerably when the Steelers traded George Pickens. Prior to that move, they had Pickens, DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek, and Robert Woods ahead of him. That’s six wide receivers on a team that might not even keep six wide receivers.
With Pickens gone, the Steelers’ wide receiver room looks a lot worse. But it also looks like it might include Scotty Miller, if they don’t add somebody. And he did actually play last season, so at least that’s something.
The Steelers signed Miller as a free agent last year, in part due to his prior experience with Arthur Smith. He dressed for 13 games, logging 210 snaps, and caught five passes on nine targets for 69 yards.
Back in 2020, Miller did have a 500-yard season on 33 catches with three touchdowns. He has 90 career catches since 2019 for 1,154 yards and six touchdowns in total. The Steelers barely used him on special teams, but he has some experience there. While he hasn’t done almost any returning in the NFL, he did return kicks at Bowling Green.
Offensively, Scotty Miller would provide the Steelers with a deep threat as well as a willing blocker. That doesn’t mean he would particularly thrive in either function. Indeed, if he were their sixth receiver, he probably wouldn’t dress most weeks.
With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract.
There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
