The Steelers aren’t forgetting about WR Roman Wilson, according to Gerry Dulac, even with the pronouncement of Calvin Austin III. Even if Austin assumes the role of No. 2 WR, the veteran reporter anticipates plenty of work for Wilson this season. He reportedly looked good in the spring but now is when he really has to prove himself.
“The guy that you did not mention that they have extreme high hopes for is Roman Wilson”, Dulac said on 970 AM yesterday following the Steelers’ first training camp practice. “They liked this guy when they drafted him. They like what they’re seeing so far. They’ve got their fingers crossed, obviously, [that] he’ll stay healthy. But they really like this guy, and I think you’re gonna see him mix into that offense at that wide receiver position very high”.
According to Alex Kozora’s training camp report, the Steelers opened Thursday in 11 personnel with Roman Wilson. He also noted that it’s “pretty obvious” DK Metcalf, Austin, and Wilson are the top receivers, in that order. Perhaps the only real question is if, over the course of training camp, Wilson could push to reorder the group.
Selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Roman Wilson had a wasted rookie season. On the first day of padded practices, he suffered an injury that lingered into the regular season. He ultimately played in one game, logging five snaps, drawing no targets. Shortly after, he suffered a hamstring injury and found himself on IR.
As Wilson watched, though, Austin matured. Last season, he caught 36 passes for 548 yards and four touchdowns. With Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, the Steelers believe he can take on a larger role. It helps that they have multiple receiving tight ends, which spreads the burden around. They’re even using RB Kenneth Gainwell in receiver-esque contexts.
Even with Rodgers at quarterback, the Steelers still want to run the ball. While they added Robert Woods and also have Ben Skowronek as two blocking receivers, Roman Wilson also has a reputation for a willingness to stick his face in the fan. Coached under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, he learned the credo, “no block, no rock”.
The reality is fans haven’t exactly seen much at all of Wilson since the Steelers drafted him. His first preseason game, one hopes, should be revealing about where he stands. As a third-round pick, he is obviously someone the Steelers believed could contribute meaningfully.
This offseason, they appeared to show that when they traded George Pickens and did not draft a wide receiver. Although they acquired TE Jonnu Smith, every team also needs wide receiver depth. Going into the season with Austin and Wilson in such prominent roles speaks volumes about what the Steelers think of them. Hopefully a little more than what it says about their views of the secondary wide receiver roles.
