The Pittsburgh Steelers had a major need at the wide receiver position going into this offseason. Obviously, WR DK Metcalf is the top guy. However, three of the Steelers\u2019 top five wide receivers in terms of targets from 2025 are gone.<\/p>\n
General manager Omar Khan and his staff had their work cut out for them.<\/p>\n
When the Steelers hired new head coach Mike McCarthy, Khan had a blueprint for what to look for while adding new wide receivers. At least, that\u2019s what former NFL WR Steve Smith Jr. thinks.<\/p>\n
Between McCarthy and QB Aaron Rodgers, Smith sees the top of the new-look Steelers\u2019 wide receiver room as the Green Bay Packers of old. And it all starts with Metcalf.<\/p>\n
\u201cDK Metcalf is their Davante Adams\u2026\u201d Smith said Friday on his 89 With Steve Smith show<\/a>. \u201cQuick release, some passes down the middle of the field, some explosive plays.\u201d<\/p>\n Metcalf actually averages more yards per catch than Davante Adams does (14.4 to 12.4). But the biggest thing for Adams was that he earned Aaron Rodgers\u2019 trust as the No. 1 receiver in Green Bay.<\/p>\n From 2016 to 2021, the fewest targets Rodgers gave Adams in a single season were 117. Thankfully, according to Ray Fittipaldo, Rodgers is showing more chemistry with Metcalf<\/a> through the offseason workouts. That\u2019s not to say that Rodgers is going to force-feed Metcalf to the tune of 120-plus targets this season, but Rodgers did target Metcalf 99 times in 2025, their first year together. So maybe.<\/p>\n As for the next wide receiver on the Steelers, Smith sees a safety blanket for Rodgers.<\/p>\n \u201cMichael Pittman Jr., he\u2019s their Jordy Nelson,\u201d Smith said. \u201cHe\u2019s their guy that\u2019s gonna get in there, tight windows. He can show you a little bit of speed, but at the end of the day, he\u2019s gonna box you out. He\u2019s gonna get on the third down. He\u2019s gonna high point the football, and reliable safety valve for the quarterback.\u201d<\/p>\n Jordy Nelson was a first-down machine for the Packers and Rodgers. He picked up 60-plus first downs for the Packers in three straight seasons and scored 13-plus touchdowns in two of those seasons. Pittman may not quite match up to Nelson\u2019s ultra-productive years, but there are similarities in size there. Plus, Pittman hasn\u2019t had a whole lot of quarterback stability in his career, unlike Nelson.<\/p>\n However, Pittman did have a three-year streak of 50-plus first downs with the Indianapolis Colts from 2021 to 2023.<\/p>\n Finally, Smith compared the Steelers\u2019 newest (and youngest) wide receiver, Germie Bernard, to the smallest wide receiver of Green Bay\u2019s, Randall Cobb.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s gonna do things, sudden movement, create a little bit of YAC,\u201d Smith said. \u201cHe\u2019s quick, capture the line of scrimmage, take off. He\u2019s gonna beat his guy immediately off the first couple of steps.\u201d<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t the first time Smith has drawn comparisons between Bernard and Cobb<\/a>, either. Cobb was a force after the catch, averaging 5.4 yards after the catch in the six years Pro Football Reference tracked the metric during Cobb\u2019s career.<\/p>\n