The Steelers could be looking at a wide receiver in the first round, but so could most of the AFC North in this month’s draft. While the Bengals are probably good, at least that early, the Browns and Ravens both have clear needs. And they both hold top-15 draft picks and could help dilute the wide receiver pool ahead of Pittsburgh.
According to ESPN, for example, the Browns have been connected to WR Carnell Tate at 6 and the Ravens are rumored to have interest in Jordyn Tyson at 14. Most analysts tend to agree these are the top two wide receivers in the draft, if not two of the top three, though either lasting until the Steelers’ pick was never incredibly high.
Tate in particular is the wide receiver most likely to be gone before the Steelers could draft him. Depending upon how the board falls, however, he may be the one wide receiver worth trading up for. Of course, if the Browns really want him in the top 10, then that would be out of reach. Now, jumping ahead of the Ravens, that would be at least a little more feasible.
There are some who don’t believe this is one of the better wide receiver draft classes, to the Steelers’ misfortune. Assuming any of those analysts are right, of course, which is often not the case. But they won’t need to hit on the one they take, regardless of how the rest of the class plays out.
With DK Metcalf in hand, the Steelers traded for Michael Pittman Jr. this offseason. Outside of Roman Wilson, however, they have little at the position. The Steelers will inevitably draft at least one wide receiver, and likely one very early. It might not necessarily be the first round, but if the right name is there, then it’s very likely.
The Ravens and Browns, however, could help stymie the Steelers’ plans to land their top wide receiver in the first round of the draft. It might take a lot for Tyson to fall all the way to 21, but it all depends on which receiver-needy teams have which preferences. There are enough quality receivers near the top that organizations will prefer one over another.
The Steelers have only taken one wide receiver in the first three rounds of the draft since 2021. That would be Roman Wilson, a third-round pick in 2024, who has yet to develop as they hoped. But they have traded for two starting wide receivers over the past two offseasons, a fact we can’t ignore.
For an organization with a reputation for being a wide receiver factory, the Steelers have not drafted abundantly well. Or at least, they haven’t developed well. Some, like Chase Claypool and JuJu Smith-Schuster, had a strong rookie season or first two years. But for a variety of reasons, they haven’t found long-term success. The best of the bunch is George Pickens, but we know how that played out, and why.
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