Steelers Draft Evaluation: Why Are We Rushing a Wide Receiver?
PITTSBURGH -- What role will a rookie wide receiver play in Pittsburgh this season? 2019 faired poorly for the entire Steelers offense, but JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington and Diontae Johnson showed enough promise to remain the star trio in 2020.
The injuries to Ryan Switzer last year left him on the hot seat for all of Steelers Nation, but the only person who needs to like him does - Ben Roethlisberger. Therefore, adding his replacement doesn't fit the structure of the core once No. 7 is back.
What they do need is depth. Releasing Johnny Holton and relying on Dion Cane isn't the answer they're looking for. None of the practice squad players are going to contribute in 2020 and there's yet to be an offseason signing worth talking about.
So, that leaves the NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh should eye a wide receiver at some point in the 2020 NFL Draft, but not early. This class is deep. Deep enough to find talent worth putting on an active roster in the fourth or fifth-round.
In Sports Illustrated's Mock Draft 16.0, the Steelers don't add a pass catcher until their last pick at No. 232. Why that might sound too late, there will still be options on the board that could contribute in their rookie year.
This isn't a position with as much need as others on the roster. The talent in the draft class makes it easy to want to jump the gun. But the Steelers don't need the best wide receiver in the draft; they just need depth.
