Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) catches a touchdown pass while being defended by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (39) during the first half of an NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
The Pittsburgh Steelers have stockpiled draft capital ahead of April’s 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held in the shadow of Acrisure Stadium. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks wondered on Thursday if Mike McCarthy’s team might cash some of those choices in for a proven receiver to stick alongside star wideout DK Metcalf.
“They need an explosive playmaker on the outside, too, to go with DK Metcalf,” Brooks said on the “Move the Sticks” podcast. “They need another viable weapon. I know George Pickens didn’t work there. A lot of that had little to do with on-the-field, had more to do with off-the-field and his interactions. I’ve gotta find someone who can give me that kinda juice, though, on the outside with DK.”
In 15 games this past season, Metcalf registered 59 receptions for 850 yards and six touchdowns. Behind him, tailback Kenneth Gainwell and tight end Pat Freiermuth both totaled 486 receiving yards.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf in a game against the Detroit Lions on Dec. 21, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
“They have the one, the two, the three third-round picks. That’s gonna be the sweet spot for them,” Jeremiah said. “And guess what, if A.J. Brown were to become available, if there’s other wide receivers that end up on the trade market — they’ve already done this once with DK — they could very easily parlay one of those third-round picks into trying to free another wide receiver from somewhere else, whether that’s D.J. Moore or whoever else might pop on the trade market. They have that luxury, as well, to be able to try to pull off a trade.”
Brown, who’s starred for the Philadelphia Eagles the past four seasons, voiced his displeasure with his role in Nick Sirianni’s offense throughout this past season. He finished with 1,003 receiving yards, a low for his time catching passes from Jalen Hurts. Brown was also college teammates with Metcalf at Ole Miss from 2016-18.
D.J. Moore spent the last three seasons with the Chicago Bears, who have younger targets for Caleb Williams in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden.
Mentioned In This Article: A.J. Brown D.J. Moore DK Metcalf Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers