The Steelers had a great draft, but before the regular season begins, the team will have some worries.
Following a busy offseason in which the Pittsburgh Steelers traded for Kenny Pickett and signed Russell Wilson and Patrick Queen, the organization made it plain what they wanted in the 2024 NFL Draft. With their first four selections, the Steelers selected three offensive linemen and one non-lineman, Roman Wilson, a wide receiver out of Michigan. Pittsburgh gained defensive depth at important positions in the latter rounds.
Even ESPN’s NFL insider Mel Kiper Jr. gave the Steelers high marks, saying, “It’s not easy for me to praise the Steelers, but this is a stellar class with good players throughout.” These are the two worst errors the Steelers made in the draft, despite Pittsburgh having a fantastic NFL Draft.
excluding the addition of a second receiver
The Steelers are in desperate need of a number-two wide receiver to play alongside George Pickens following the departure of Diontae Johnson. Roman Wilson, a wide receiver from Michigan, was chosen by the team in the third round to allay that worry. With a 4.39 speed rating and an 85% separation percentage versus man coverage, Wilson led all receivers in this draft class. Wilson is an explosive athlete. The Michigan pass-catcher will be a day-one starter in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers still lack a true third receiver.
The team added Quez Watkins (142 yards with the Philadelphia Eagles) and Van Jefferson (208 yards combined with the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams) to address the fact that no wide receiver (WR) other than Pickens or Johnson had more than 300 receiving yards in the previous season. In the sixth round, why not take a chance on a wide receiver like Malik Washington of Virginia who has a lot of upside? Despite being undersized at 5-8 and 191 pounds, Washington led the country in 40-yard sprint time and had 110 catches. Washington was evaluated in the third round, but Pittsburgh may still select it with the second pick in the sixth round.
Diontae Johnson’s shiftiness and ability to get yards after the catch would have been replaced by the Virginia product, a top-tier slot receiver wideout.
Pat Freiermuth, a tight end for the Steelers, is a reliable backup option who should recover from a season marred by injuries. However, it is tough to picture Pittsburgh’s pass game playing to its full potential in the absence of a legitimate third wide receiver.
