Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers had George Pickens as their WR1 and a lack of depth at the position. They still have the same lack of depth at receiver, but a different WR1 in DK Metcalf. With training camp on the horizon, NFL insider Dan Graziano isn’t expecting the Steelers to add another receiver.
“They’ve poked around on free agents,” Graziano said Thursday on ESPN’s NFL Live. “They had Gabe Davis in for a visit. There’s been some trade chatter. I mean, there are guys still available, potentially available in trades. But I don’t get the sense, talking to the Steelers, that they feel like they need to add a wide receiver.”
Graziano’s reporting here is similar to what we’ve also heard from Steelers beat writers. He mentions them bringing Gabe Davis in for a visit, which coincidentally happened to be the same day Aaron Rodgers decided to sign with Pittsburgh. Whether that had anything to do with Davis leaving the building without a contract or not, he remains a free agent. The Steelers have other options out there, including Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper, who could fit in Pittsburgh.
However, the Steelers seem to be happy with what they’ve got at receiver. One player they’re fond of is Calvin Austin III, according to Graziano.
“The coaching staff is high on Calvin Austin, for what it’s worth,” Graziano said.
It’s hard to blame them for being high on Austin. After a quiet rookie season in 2023, Austin looked much better in 2024 and had some huge catches. However, the Steelers may be asking a lot of the young receiver to step into the WR2 role this year, even though the coaching staff seems to be alluding to that.
Aside from Austin, Pittsburgh hopes to get their first real look at a healthy Roman Wilson this year. Wilson suffered an injury on the first day of padded practice last summer, keeping him out for essentially his entire rookie season. Wilson has the speed to stretch the field but is also an excellent route runner who’s able to change direction quickly. Those traits should give him a solid role with Aaron Rodgers, if the two can get on the same page.
Of course, Pittsburgh did pick up another pass-catching threat last week. Jonnu Smith was included alongside Jalen Ramsey in the Steelers’ return for Minkah Fitzpatrick. There’s been talk of Smith potentially capturing that WR2 role. Graziano thinks his presence could also keep the Steelers from adding to the offense.
“Jonnu Smith is kind of a wide receiver playing tight end,” Graziano said. “And again, they like the idea of him on the field as an explosive option along with DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin.”
The Steelers want to run the ball a lot. In play-action, they have Metcalf down the field, Austin and Wilson as underneath options, and two tight ends in Smith and Pat Freiermuth. According to Graziano, that may be enough to keep the Steelers from adding another receiver.
