Things didn’t go as many expected in Year 1 with the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver DK Metcalf. But that’s not stopping one former NFL player from ranking him as a top-five receiver in the league.
Former NFL defensive end Isaac Rochell ranked Metcalf fifth Monday on Good Morning Football on NFL Network, raving about what the veteran receiver brings to the position, even after a down year.
“My question to you would be, in what part of the game is DK not a threat, right? Like, at what point does he not become a big deal? You talked about like Ja’Marr [Chase], how you always gotta think about him. He’s not a guy that you can out coverage or you can stop in any way. I view DK in that way,” Rochell said. “I love that he’s a [Angry Runs] scepter guy. He’s physical. He’s a deep-ball threat in any scenario. He has great hands. I just think he can do a little bit of everything, and he is elite and he is done it on multiple different teams.
“It’s not like he’s just done it in one scenario. He’s always been great. And I love his physicality. I’m a defensive lineman. I love the way he plays.”
When the Steelers swung a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for Metcalf and subsequently signed him to a lucrative extension, the expectation was that the franchise had solved its No. 1 wide receiver need for the foreseeable future. At times last season, that seemed to be the case.
But consistency was an issue. Metcalf missed the final two games of the year due to suspension and had just 59 receptions for 850 yards and six touchdowns. Drops plagued him late in the year, too, especially the pivotal one early in the AFC Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans, which changed the game.
Those heightened expectations in Pittsburgh might have been a bit unfair, leading to many feeling disappointed with the Year 1 return on Metcalf. But that’s not the case with Rochell. He still believes he’s a top-five receiver and can do anything asked of him.
Metcalf was difficult to tackle after the catch last season, and even has an Angry Runs scepter to show for it. He can do a little bit of everything, from winning deep, to winning quickly and making plays after the catch. But it’s hard to see Metcalf as a top-five NFL receiver right now.
Maybe he bounces back in 2026 with Mike McCarthy overseeing the offense. If he can, he can reestablish his reputation around the league as a true game-breaking receiver.
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