Will the Steelers draft a first-round wide receiver for the first time in decades?
The Steelers never drafted a wide receiver in the first round under Mike Tomlin. Could Mike McCarthy break that streak in his first year? Bill Cowher used his final first-round pick on WR Santonio Holmes; since then, the position has had to wait.
Now, Mike Tomlin drafted players in the second and third rounds, from Limas Sweed to Roman Wilson. And he brought some good wide receivers to the Steelers, Antonio Brown being the most notable. He was a sixth-round pick, yet he put up Hall-of-Fame numbers.
Just because late-round picks can produce at elite levels doesn’t mean that’s a reliable strategy, however. In recent years, the Steelers have had a talent deficiency at wide receiver despite using the second day of the draft to stock the position. Some have had talent, sure, like George Pickens, but other issues complicated the matter.
As is the case most years, this is supposed to be a strong draft class for wide receiver, and the Steelers have as glaring a need there as they ever had in recent memory. There are plenty of first-round talents available, and they figure to have a good shot at one of them without even moving up to get one.
Given the need, the availability, and the opportunity, is wide receiver the overwhelmingly most likely position for the Steelers to draft in the first round? Will they end a two-decade streak of bypassing the position and relying on the depth of the class?
One could argue that the strategy hasn’t worked. Roman Wilson finished last season on the bench, while they traded George Pickens and Diontae Johnson. Markus Wheaton, Sammie Coates, and Chase Claypool didn’t pan out as hoped, either. The Steelers drafted wide receivers Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders 16 years ago already. It’s been a while since they really hit a home run. Maybe they need to use a bigger bat to finally achieve the results they’re looking for.
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017.With seven consecutive postseason losses and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin’s resignation.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for us and the Steelers, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you coverloses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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