Before the 2024 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers had a lack of depth at wide receiver, similar to now. They’d hoped third-round rookie Roman Wilson could help fill that void. Unfortunately, injuries sidelined him for essentially his entire rookie year. Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema doesn’t think Pittsburgh can afford to have that happen again.
“I understand he was going through injuries, but like, damn man, we gotta get him to bounce back to what we saw with him that last year at Michigan,” Sikkema said while speaking with Dalton Wasserman on a live stream uploaded to PFF’s YouTube channel on Monday. “Because straight up, the Steelers need him. He has to be WR2 on that team, behind DK Metcalf now. So, you need a bounce-back, breakout, whatever you want to call it performance from Roman Wilson, I was a little disappointed we didn’t see more from him last season.”
It’s obviously not Wilson’s fault he got injured. Still, it’s hard to deny that his inability to play hurt the Steelers. Calvin Austin III did step up somewhat. Aside from him, though, the Steelers tried to patch several below-average receivers together to fill that void, and it just didn’t work.
After the Steelers traded for DK Metcalf in early March, it felt like Wilson was in a good spot. Having both Metcalf and George Pickens on the field would have opened up plenty of underneath space for Wilson, who’s a savvy route runner. With Pickens now gone, Wilson could be in a better position, with more targets. However, he’s also going to have less favorable matchups, and more pressure to succeed in general.
For what it’s worth, Roman Wilson has gotten some good reviews so far this offseason. Although it’s only been three days of OTAs so far, Wilson seems to be somebody the Steelers have a lot of faith in. But will he be able to live up to those expectations in 2025?
Unfortunately, that seems like something the Steelers are going to have to roll the dice on. Although there’s been speculation about them potentially adding a receiver, that hasn’t happened yet.
The tools are certainly there for Wilson. Sikkema mentions his final season at Michigan, and it was an impressive one. He caught 48 passes for 789 yards with 12 of his 20 collegiate receiving touchdowns.
Wilson’s 2025 season will be an interesting one to watch. Obviously, the main storyline will be whether he provides the production the Steelers desperately need at the position. If he doesn’t, it will be fascinating to see how the Steelers approach the 2026 draft.
It’s well-known that the Steelers seem to be targeting a QB in that draft. If Wilson, or Austin don’t pan out in 2025, though, does Pittsburgh think about taking a receiver with an early pick also? Metcalf is in town for the long haul, but aside from him, there wouldn’t be an exciting young option at the position if neither Wilson nor Austin impress. Roman Wilson’s sophomore season is important for him and the team in 2025. It could also shape the Steelers’ draft strategy next offseason.
