WIDE RECEIVER ROOM PREDICTIONS- George Pickens, Roman Wilson, Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, Scotty Miller
There is an interesting take surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver room. That take is that the Steelers are signing multiple “wide receiver threes” to combine them into a “wide receiver two.” Which means the Steelers are signing a bunch of decent wide receivers with plans to somehow turn those players into one above average receiver. Which is not the case at all. Actually, the Steelers plan at wide receiver is smart. At the beginning of the 2023 season, the Steelers had six receivers on the depth chart. The Steelers only kept two of those receivers heading into the 2024 OTAs.
The two receivers are George Pickens and Calvin Austin III. Both men are heading into their third year as a pro and will play huge roles in the offense. George Pickens led the team in receiving yards and is the true wide receiver one. Pickens has potential to become a Steelers’ legend, especially with the quarterback help of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Despite playing with one of the worst quarterback situations in the league, Pickens still put up over 1,100 yards. As for Calvin Austin, he might have as a defined role in the new offense as GP does. However, do not forget how fast the former Memphis receiver is. Austin ran an impressive 4.32 40-yard dash. With Austin’s unmatched speed, he can line-up anywhere on the field.
The Steelers signed the following players, Van Jefferson, Denzel Mims, Marquez Callaway, Quez Watkins, and Scotty Miller. While all these signings do not fit the standards of a wide receiver two. These players all have skills and abilities that make them good candidates for the 53-man roster. Marquez Callaway’s strength is his height. With his lengthy arms and high catch radius, Callaway could be an option at the red zone for the Steelers. Denzel Mims has been disappointing in the NFL. Mims performed well in college with impressive numbers but could never recreate that production as a pro. The Steelers kept him mostly on the practice squad in 2023 and that is where he will most likely stay going into the 2024 season.
Quez Watkins and Scotty Miller are similar in both their play style and situations. Miller has played with talented players like Mike Evans and Tom Brady. Despite never being a wide receiver one or two, he still contributed to the team with his deep threat skills. A very quick and shifty receiver who can make big plays. This resembles Quez Watkins in so many ways. Watkins has played with the likes of Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, and AJ Brown. It is fair to say that Watkins had a bigger role in Philly than Miller did in Atlanta and Tampa. However, both men were never big-time receiver for their respected teams. There is a huge chance that both men make the 53-man roster in August. Watkins more due to his potential, and Miller due to his experience with the Arthur Smith offense.
With the recent reports coming out of OTAs, it seems like former Ram and Falcon, Van Jefferson, has done much better than the coaches expected. Despite playing in Arthur Smith’s offense for 12 games in Atlanta, Jefferson appears to look comfortable with the surroundings. Jefferson has the most starting experience than any other receiver signed. But his age is a minor concern, being 28 years old while going into your fifth season is not ideal. Nonetheless, with the good signs coming out of OTAs, if anyone would make the 53-man roster spot, it would be Van Jefferson.
The only receiver that was added through the draft was the third-round pick, Roman Wilson. Coming out of Michigan, Wilson is a quick receiver with reliable hands. The Michigan man recorded a 2.0% drop rate in his final season in college which was better than first round picks such as Marvin Harrison, Brian Thomas Jr, Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze. Overall, Wilson is a well-rounded receiver who can fill the wide receiver two spot but will need help developing his route running skills.
The Steelers traded away their long-time receiver, Diontae Johnson, earlier this offseason. Which was confusing for some fans, however the reasoning behind it makes sense. Arthur Smith is the new offensive coordinator for the Steelers. And during his coaching career with the Titans and Falcons, Smith never really had a route runner in his offense. Looking back to his main receivers in Tennessee, AJ Brown and Corey Davis are not considered “route runners” to say the least. And even looking at Smith’s receivers with the Falcons. Drake London and Mack Hollins are more used for their size and reliable hands. And while Cavin Ridley did play for Athur Smith in 2021 and 2022, it would be unfair to judge due to the lack of playing time. The big picture is that Arthur Smith does not need someone with Diontae Johnson’s play style. A shifty route runner is not needed in his offense. While Roman Wilson’s play style is much more fitted for the offense. It is just fair to say that a deep threat is more valuable than a route runner in this offense.