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<\/a><\/p>\nLANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 25: George Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up before the game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on December 25, 2025 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n
Pickens is the highlight of the wide receiver class this year, and maybe all of free agency in general. The 24-year-old turned into a superstar in his first year in Dallas, putting up 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 93 receptions en route to a second-team All-Pro nod.<\/p>\n
With the Cowboys, Pickens was the maximized version of the upside he showed with the Steelers to start his career: unreal body control, incredible hands, and elite big play ability.<\/p>\n
Does any of this matter for Pittsburgh now? Not really. It looks like Pickens will stay in Dallas for at least another year on the franchise tag, according to ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter<\/a>. But even if he does hit the open market, the odds of him returning to the team that purposefully moved on from him last offseason is next to zero. However, he\u2019s going to get paid by someone as a true WR1.<\/p>\n INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – OCTOBER 26: Alec Pierce #14 of the Indianapolis Colts catches a pass against Darrell Baker Jr. #39 of the Tennessee Titans during the third quarter in the game at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 26, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n With Pickens off the board for Pittsburgh, and possibly the entire NFL, Pierce is the next biggest fish in the wide receiver market. He also enjoyed a breakout year in 2025 as the newfound focal point of the Colts\u2019 passing game, with 1,003 yards on just 47 catches (21.3-yard average) and six touchdowns.<\/p>\n Pierce is a size-speed freak (4.41-second 40-yard dash, 6\u20193, 211 pounds) with excellent contested catch ability. He\u2019s also just 25. While he\u2019s still not a completely polished player and doesn\u2019t have the most well-rounded route tree, his tools are WR1-worthy and he now has proven NFL production.<\/p>\n Pierce could be on the Steelers\u2019 radar, but he won\u2019t be cheap. There\u2019s also a chance the Colts decide to keep one of the biggest contributors to their breakout 2025 offense around long term. He reminds me of a \u201cwhat could\u2019ve been\u201d version of Chase Claypool.<\/p>\n SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JANUARY 25: Rashid Shaheed #22 of the Seattle Seahawks catches the ball during the first quarter of the NFC Championship NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n A midseason trade target in 2025 who many saw as a strong option for the Steelers, Shahid ended up going from the Saints to the Seahawks, where he provided an injection of speed on offense and special teams that helped push Seattle towards a Super Bowl victory.<\/p>\n Despite switching teams, Shaheed enjoyed the second-best year of his young career in 2025, logging 687 receiving yards on 59 receptions. He had two receiving touchdowns and another two as a return man.<\/p>\n Shaheed, 27, is on the smaller side at 6\u20190, 180 pounds, but he\u2019s a legitimate deep threat who developed into a solid all-around receiver while in New Orleans. He didn\u2019t break out in the Seattle offense, but he also joined the team late on a roster with several established pieces already (namely, Jaxon Smith-Njigba).<\/p>\n Shaheed\u2019s market is tricky. He appears to have what it takes to be a good WR2, but he doesn\u2019t have the high-end production of many of the other names on this list (his best season had 719 receiving yards). Still, he\u2019s young, and the special teams value can\u2019t be understated.<\/p>\n Like Pierce and Pickens, there\u2019s questions as to whether Shaheed will even hit the open market. Seattle moved fourth and fifth-round draft picks to acquire him last year \u2014 a decent investment \u2014 and Shaheed was a key contributor to the team\u2019s Super Bowl run.<\/p>\n TAMPA, FL – DECEMBER 11: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wide Receiver Mike Evans (13) makes a catch during the Regular Season game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 11, 2025 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n Now 32 years old and coming off an injury-plagued 2025 (hamstring, concussion, broken clavicle), Evans isn\u2019t the superstar wide receiver he used to be. But if he does hit the open market, he could still be a great player if he stays healthy and is given the right opportunities.<\/p>\n Even though he\u2019s now seen as a risky signing, Evans has been the model of consistency over his career, with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons through 2024. But even late in 2025, the long-striding receiver was still getting open and making plenty of plays, and his above-the-rim skill set shouldn\u2019t disappear anytime soon.<\/p>\n For the Steelers, who are likely looking for long-term pieces on offense, Evans doesn\u2019t make a ton of sense. But I\u2019m still incredibly bullish on his 2025 if he lands in a passing offense that just needs another piece. Evans is still a difference maker at his position, even if that might not be true much longer. He might be one of the more underrated names in this year\u2019s class.<\/p>\n CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 10: Romeo Doubs #87 of the Green Bay Packers runs the ball during the second half of an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Chicago Bears at Solider Field on January 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n In a crowded Packers wide receiver room, it looks highly possible that Doubs will hit the free agent market despite looking like the best of the group for stretches of his career. The 6\u20192, 204-pound pass catcher is 25 and coming off a 55-catch, 724-yard, six-touchdown season in 2025.<\/p>\n Doubs has steadily improved over his NFL career and developed into a competent starter. Easily recognizable in his yellow guardian cap, Doubs is a competent all-rounder, succeeding as an X receiver with the Packers but with the quickness to excel as a Z. He has a varied route tree, but a lack of any standout traits (and inconsistent hands) could limit his market.<\/p>\n It is worth noting for a Steelers team that has historically had some drama with its wide receivers: Doubs was suspended for one game by the Packers in 2024 after he missed two days of practice.<\/p>\n SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 03: Jauan Jennings #15 of the San Francisco 49ers catches a pass during an NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks on January 3, 2026 at Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n Once a role player in a loaded 49ers offense, Jennings has finished as San Francisco\u2019s leading wide receiver the last two years even if he\u2019s still searching for his first 1,000-yard season. At 6\u20193, 212 pounds, he\u2019s a sturdy blocker and possession receiver with the long-striding running style and elite play strength to make downfield catches.<\/p>\n Jennings, 28, isn\u2019t a burner and has benefited from an expertly-schemed Kyle Shanahan offense. But he\u2019s still a smooth, savvy athlete who gets open, and his contested catch ability makes up for the rest. Jennings played through injuries last season<\/a> but has been highly available over his career, averaging 15 games per season over his time in the NFL. Like Doubs, he doesn\u2019t look the part of a true WR1, but has proven he can handle a number of different receiver roles in an offense.<\/p>\n LANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 20: Deebo Samuel #1 of the Washington Commanders runs the ball during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium on December 20, 2025 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n Samuel was in many ways an afterthought after being traded to the Washington Commanders for the 2025 season, but he showed he still had gas left in the tank with a 727-yard, five-touchdown season on 72 catches over 16 games. Recently turned 30 years old, he still could be a contributor on an NFL offense even if his playing style doesn\u2019t translate the best to holding off Father Time.<\/p>\n Samuel\u2019s calling card has long been his stocky, running back-like build, and elite yards after catch ability. His game has declined in recent years, but he\u2019s still fairly quick even if his route tree was largely limited to the quick game in 2025. He\u2019s not much of a downfield threat and his hands are inconsistent.<\/p>\n Samuel isn\u2019t the ideal addition to the Steelers\u2019 wide receiver room in 2026, but in a scenario where Aaron Rodgers returns and Kenneth Gainwell does not, Samuel could fill in a similar role for the veteran quarterback, where the short passing game becomes an extension of the run game.<\/p>\n MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 4: Jalen Nailor #1 of the Minnesota Vikings lines up for a play against the Green Bay Packers in the second half of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n Samuel rounds out the list of featured names in this article, but there are far more receivers worth keeping an eye on as free agency approaches. Jalen Nailor (Vikings) and Jalen Tolbert (Cowboys) are both high-end WR3 types who\u2019ve had success playing under members of the Steelers\u2019 new coaching staff. Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk burned the Steelers in the playoffs this year, and Pittsburgh nearly traded for him in 2024<\/a>. San Francisco\u2019s Brandon Aiyuk, another former Steelers trade target, is also expected to become available, but his NFL future is in doubt following an offseason of concerning actions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n