Heading into the offseason, wide receiver made all the sense in the world for the Pittsburgh Steelers at the 21st overall pick. They had DK Metcalf and essentially no other proven talent at the position. With some high-end talent at receiver in the draft, it made a lot of sense in the first round.
Then, Pittsburgh opened the new league year trading for Michael Pittman Jr., and handed him a new three-year contract. While still a need, it quickly became less dire. But to Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly, the signs are still pointing towards receiver in the first round.
“As for the first round of the draft, I would love to say here, let’s continue to build out that offensive line or defensive line with those big fatties, right? I love those guys. But something tells me they’re going with wide receivers. It’s pointing all towards a wide receiver in the first round with that 21st overall pick. And I don’t think anybody’s gonna complain about that, because you got Pittman, Metcalf, then Roman Wilson, right? So, they need that. They need that, they need receiver pretty badly,” Kaboly said this week on The Larry & Big Man Show.
Kaboly is certainly correct the Steelers still need to add to the position. Metcalf and Pittman are a solid duo, but the Steelers declined to bring Calvin Austin III back, and while Roman Wilson had some nice moments last year, things were far too inconsistent. He also seemed to fall out of favor with Aaron Rodgers as the year went on. If Rodgers does come back, Wilson would have to make some strides in his connection with the veteran to have an impact in year three.
There are some talents that would be worth it for the Steelers in the first round. A few will come off the board before the Steelers go on the clock. But names like Denzel Boston, Omar Cooper Jr. and KC Concepcion are still probably worth taking at that pick.
However, the position is probably the deepest in the class. And the Steelers have five picks in the top-99. They don’t have to rush to take a receiver. And they shouldn’t feel the need to with Metcalf and Pittman already on the roster. Pittsburgh could go for another position of need in the first round, and still find a solid WR3 to complement those two in the second or third.
Either way, the position still needs some more talent. Whether the Steelers select that talent in the first round or later, they’ll have a good crop of receivers to choose from.