NFL analyst ranks the Steelers’ skill group painfully low despite their offseason acquisitions of DK Metcalf and Jonnu Smith originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an offseason for the ages.
Part of that includes a fairly big remodel in their pass-catching unit.
According to Bill Barnwell of ESPN, however, that’s not good enough…
ESPN ranks Steelers’ skill group 21st in NFL
Are the Steelers different? Yes. Are they better? Maybe a tiny bit. DK Metcalf is certainly a more reliable option than the now-departed George Pickens as the lead receiver, but after Metcalf’s 1,303-yard season in 2020, he has averaged 1,030 yards per campaign and right above 2.0 yards per route run, producing at about the same rate as Michael Pittman Jr. and Amari Cooper. Those are good wideouts, but there’s a perception that Metcalf’s upside from 2020 looks more like a career outlier than a realistic expectation of what he’s likely to do going forward.
ESPN published this story on July 8th, more than a week after the Steelers traded for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith. I’m not sure what happened there, but when your big three consists of Metcalf, Muth, and now Jonnu Smith, I think it’s better than 21st in the league.
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And this is coming from someone who has pushed to still go and add another WR, which the team still might do. But let’s just say those three perform to Pro Bowl or close to Pro Bowl levels, which is more than reasonable given their resumes.
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If Calvin Austin III continues to improve, and if the team gets anything out of Roman Wilson, much less Robert Woods, I’m not sure how this inst a top 10 unit in the league by season’s end.
Wishful thinking? Maybe. But the Steelers have reason to believe that everything on offense will be better. A second year in Arthur Smith’s system, the best QB they have had since Big Ben, and the best group of weapons in years.
We’ll see if they can prove everyone wrong.
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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.