When the offseason began, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver room looked like this: DK Metcalf. Roman Wilson. Ben Skowronek. That’s it.

A position group that lacked quality depth in 2025 (and 2024, for that matter) proceeded to lose Calvin Austin III to the New York Giants and Adam Thielen to retirement. Meanwhile, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Scotty Miller remain unsigned.

If there was one obvious position of need, this was it.

Just ahead of free agency, the Steelers took a substantial step toward solidifying this group by trading for (and then extending) Michael Pittman Jr. With a legitimate WR2 on the roster, one who fits coach Mike McCarthy’s offense, the Steelers may not feel quite as much urgency to add, at least in the first round.

Still, Pittsburgh has done plenty of homework on the top players at this position. The team plans to come out of the draft with at least one new target, if not more. To break down this year’s class, let’s bring in The Athletic’s draft analyst Nick Baumgardner …

DeFabo: Let’s start at the top of the draft. Early in the draft process, most analysts identified three receivers in the top tier: Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson and USC’s Makai Lemon. Do you still feel like these are the three best players at their position, and how do you rank them?

Baumgardner: That’s my top three, yes, in order: Tate, Tyson and Lemon. I believe all three are true first-rounders and have pretty clearly been atop this year’s receiver class for a while now. That said, I’m not sure we can call any of them sure-fire NFL No. 1s just yet.

I wouldn’t rule it out with Tate or Tyson. Tate’s speed is limited, but I really don’t care. I love his size/burst/route nuance combination and the fact that he improved a ton last season. When Tyson’s healthy, he’s the most complete WR in this class by a good bit. He blocks, he’s great in the air, he understands route running and he’s dependable. Lemon is a bit smaller and will have to be near perfect with his route efficiency in the NFL, sort of like Amon-Ra St. Brown with the Detroit Lions. The good news there? In the right situation, with the right quarterback, I think Lemon is capable of pulling that off.

DeFabo: Tyson feels like a really good fit for the Steelers, and not just because he was coached by Hines Ward at Arizona State. McCarthy has said the team wants bigger-bodied targets who can move around and play all three positions. (We’ll get into that more later.) Tyson seems to check a lot of those boxes. There’s just one massive question mark: His health. How much should teams be concerned with his medical history, especially after Tyson chose to sit out of on-field drills and some testing at the combine and didn’t work out at Arizona State’s pro day? Could that cause him to fall into the Steelers’ range at No. 21 overall?

Baumgardner: It’s definitely a concern. His injury history isn’t as severe as Puka Nacua’s was when he came out of BYU, but it gives off a similar vibe as Tyson missed time with something every year he’s played. He blew out his knee (ACL, MCL, PCL) while playing for Colorado in 2022, and after transferring to Arizona State, he broke his collarbone in 2024 and had hamstring problems last season.

There’s an old saying that injuries are like magnets for more injuries. It’s not necessarily one thing on Tyson’s medical sheet that’s a concern, but more a question of general durability. I definitely think it’s possible he slips into Pittsburgh’s range. At the same time, he’s one of those players who is easy to fall in love with and it wouldn’t shock me to see him go in the top 15.

DeFabo: Right, it could work both ways. Maybe the injury concerns are what help Tyson fall into the Steelers’ range. Maybe they deter Pittsburgh from using a first-round pick … Speaking of the Steelers’ range, with 12 picks, they have a ton of draft capital if they want to move up the draft board. They also have a GM with a history of maneuvering. How much of a gap is there between the top three receivers and the next tier of first-round candidates? I’ll frame this more pointedly: If you were Omar Khan, would you use a third-round pick to land one of the top receivers or wait and see what’s available at No. 21?

Baumgardner: It’s a notable gap. I wouldn’t call it huge, but this isn’t the deepest WR class we’ve ever seen. It’s not bad either. Pittsburgh could really like both Washington receiver Denzel Boston and Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr., for example. Neither of those two is likely to be a true NFL No. 1, but they’ll be solid No. 2s and you won’t have to give up capital.

If there’s a WR you move up for in this draft, for me, it’s Tate. So, depending on what the board looks like for him on draft night, I’d definitely consider it. I believe he’s at least capable of becoming a lead guy. Otherwise, I’d just play the board out.

DeFabo: Let’s talk about the different playing styles. McCarthy has said on a number of instances that he’s looking for receivers capable of playing all three positions. He wants them to be versatile and interchangeable. Of the receivers in the first two rounds, which ones fit that mold best?

Baumgardner: Apart from the top three, I think Boston and Cooper are definitely capable of lining up pretty much wherever you want. Alabama receiver Germie Bernard is another guy who is very versatile. He’s quicker than fast, but he’s also very quick, quarterback-friendly, comes back to the ball and is good after the catch.

Louisville receiver Chris Bell would’ve had a near-consensus first-round grade had he not suffered an ACL injury late in the season. He’s really unique at 6-foot-2, 227 pounds and another guy who can play X, Z or some slot. I’d also throw in Georgia State burner Ted Hurst as a player with some versatility.

DeFabo: One player we haven’t discussed is Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, a receiver some believe could go in the first round. I’ve heard there are some mixed opinions about him in the Steelers’ building. On one hand, his ability to create quick separation and yards after the catch could fit a West Coast offense. On the other hand, Aaron Rodgers’ fastball isn’t the easiest to catch and Concepcion has drop concerns. I’d personally prefer other WRs in the first round, but how do you feel?

Baumgardner: Concepcion is also going to be a bit more limited with his role than others on the board, at least in terms of traditional scheme. He’s like a smaller Deebo Samuel in some ways and is certainly dangerous in open space and vertically. He can do more than your average 5-11, 195-pounder — but there are limitations.

And, yes, he had consistent drop issues at both NC State and Texas A&M. He dropped 19 passes in three seasons, but also got better with his contested-catch success last year. The hope with Concepcion is that he’ll be a much more consistent player if/when he gets to play with a good NFL quarterback.

DeFabo: We’ve already talked about versatility. YAC is another key part of the West Coast offense. In the first three rounds, which WRs can help the Steelers most in this area?

Baumgardner: Two of my favorites who should be there on Day 2, possibly Day 3, depending on how things shake out: Connecticut receiver Skyler Bell and Georgia’s Zachariah Branch. Branch might be gone sooner than later on Day 2, even if he’s a bit small. He was terrific last season at Georgia and provided a YAC (7.8 per catch) wrinkle that offense had been seriously lacking.

Bell is a super-productive Z/slot receiver who had more than 100 catches last year and averaged better than eight yards after each of them. He ran a 4.4 in Indianapolis with a 41-inch vertical jump. Bell was a Big Ten recruit (Wisconsin) who found his way out East and could be a steal for someone if he makes it to Day 3.

DeFabo: Last question: The Steelers double-dipped at DT last year. It wouldn’t surprise me if they take a similar approach at WR. Most teams carry up to six receivers on their 53-man roster, and Pittsburgh only has four right now. Who are some of your favorites in Day 2 and Day 3, especially guys who can produce YAC and provide versatility?

Baumgardner: Apart from Branch and Bell, I’ll throw in Ole Miss’ De’Zhaun Stribling, Clemson’s Antonio Williams, Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt, Mississippi State’s Brenen Thompson and Oklahoma’s Deion Burks as guys who could find a role in McCarthy’s offense pretty quickly.