Steelers Hunting for Wide Receiver in NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers could go wide receiver as early as the first round.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will select 20th in tonight’s first round of the NFL Draft, and many believe they’ll be looking to take quarterback Malik Willis from Liberty. 

If Willis doesn’t fall to the Steelers, they might have a shot at one of the many top-tier wide receivers in this year’s class. Even if they use that pick, or the 52nd overall pick, to select a new pass-catcher, they should be on the market for one more before heading to training camp in late July.

The Steelers have always been able to draft solid wide receivers. Most recently, the selections of Dionte Johnson, Chase Claypool, and JuJu Smith-Schuster have all become reliable options. However, some of the most important pieces for the Steelers best wide-receiver rooms have been their veteran free-agent signings. Guys like Jericho Cotchery, Lance Moore, and Darrius Heyward-Bey became solid third or fourth options while they were with the Steelers, and provided a nice buffer between the young receivers and the realities of the business and struggles of the NFL.

The receiver room for the Pittsburgh Steelers had several different iterations throughout the Ben Roethlisberger era. In the beginning, it was Hines Ward and Antwan Randel El. When Ward retired in 2012, the torch was passed to the “Young Money” generation with Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, and a young Antonio Brown. 

Brown was the primary voice in that room for multiple years until he unceremoniously departed the organization, leaving the room to a 22-year-old Smith-Schuster. 

Last season the Steelers threw out the fourth-youngest receiving core (Average 24.10 years old) in the NFL, led by Smith-Shuster, Claypool, Johnson, and James Washington.

A few options remain on the market that would fit that description. With the departure of Smith-Schuster to Kansas City, bringing in a slot option like Cole Beasley could round out the Steelers skill core. 

Beasley was released on March 17th by the Buffalo Bills after playing the past three seasons in western New York. The 10-year NFL veteran has amassed over 500 receptions in 30 touchdowns with the Bills and the Dallas Cowboys. Beasley could slide into the three or four slots in the Steelers depth chart, leaving room for a potential draft pick to find his place early on in the season.

The same could be said for free agents Emmanuel Sanders and Jarvis Landry. While they would command a more expensive contract than Beasley, their respective abilities would significantly increase the Steelers offensive potential. 

Sanders began his career in Pittsburgh but spent the last three seasons bouncing around the league playing for the Broncos, 49ers, Saints, and Bills. The 13-year veteran has recently come out saying that he is considering retirement.

If Willis is off the board and the Steelers decide to go for a receiver, they could potentially select one of Treylon Burks or Chris Olave with pick number 20. If they defer to their second round pick for that position, some receivers projected in that range are Jahan Dotson, Christian Watkins, and Skyy Moore. 

No matter who the selection is, expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to be on the hunt for another receiver after this weekend.

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