Despite trading for Michael Pittman Jr., the Pittsburgh Steelers still need wide receivers. Pittman and DK Metcalf give them a formidable one-two punch, but the Steelers lack depth behind them. Therefore, they could still target a receiver in the first round. The Steelers have shown interest in Washington’s Denzel Boston, and he reminds former general manager Ran Carthon of Pittman.
“He grew on me, and he gave me the feel of a Michael Pittman Jr.-style wide receiver,” Carthon said Thursday on his With the First Pick podcast. “That was my comp for him. [He] will have to be moved around some and schemed open, but I think he is a reliable hands-catcher…very quarterback-friendly.
“Him not running [the 40-yard dash], I think that just confirms that he was, at best, going to run in the low 4’s.”
Pittman and Boston are both sizable receivers, standing around 6’4”. The former weighs approximately 220 pounds, though, which is a little heavier than Boston. Pittman ran a 4.52 at the Combine, but as Carthon said, Boston opted not to run the 40-yard dash at either the Combine or his Pro Day. His speed is questionable, and he likely would’ve posted a time similar to, or maybe slightly worse than, Pittman’s.
Pittman is a reliable receiver. He hasn’t missed much time in his NFL career, and he’s reeled in at least 80 catches in four of his six seasons.
Boston has also been reliable, catching 63 passes for 834 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024 and 62 passes for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025. Despite their differences, they’re not a bad comparison for each other.
However, that might not be a good thing for the Steelers. They met with Boston at the Combine, and they’re reportedly bringing him in for a pre-draft visit. They’ve expressed interest in him, but he might not be their best option in the first round.
The Steelers already have two big receivers in Metcalf and Pittman. While they have different skill sets, the Steelers could use a different flavor of receiver to complement them. Their offense could use an explosive playmaker, but Boston isn’t one.
Boston is talented, and he’d upgrade the Steelers’ current receiver room. However, it might be tough to use Metcalf, Pittman, and him at the same time. Boston likely isn’t the Steelers’ ideal first-round target. Other prospects could fit their team better.
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