Steelers wide receiver
Steelers wide receiver
Moving along with our Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 training camp grades. Finishing the offensive skill positions with the wide receivers. There were many to talk about. A reminder these grades only reflect open camp practices and preseason action.
Brandon Smith
A true camp darling, Smith separated himself from a deep group of receivers. Smith showed that early by consistently running with the 1’s in the “2 Spot” period, the dual 11-on-11 sessions broken up into two groups.
Smith was solid and steady early and truly broke out during the Saturday night practice. It was arguably the best practice any Steeler had of any singular day (or night) in camp. He made a full-extension catch in skeleton periods and several high-end grabs during the 11-on-11 sessions. Aaron Rodgers, briefly teammates with Smith in New York, offered plenty of praise.
Through seven practices, Smith’s 10 receptions were second most of any wide receiver only trailing DK Metcalf.
Unfortunately, Smith pulled his hamstring while covering a punt against the Packers. As of this writing, he’s yet to return to practice and missed the Steelers’ second preseason game. Perhaps once healthy, he’ll make his way back to Pittsburgh’s practice squad after a sour end to a promising summer.
Camp Grade: A-
Max Hurleman
Another nice summer from Hurleman, who followed up on his borderline camp darling status as a rookie. Hurleman was consistent and finished much stronger than he did last year, although he’ll need to run through the tape in the preseason finale.
Hurleman continues to be a man of many hats. He can play inside or outside as a receiver, but he’s predominantly the latter. Per our chart, he’s logged 52 outside snaps and 12 in the slot plus a smattering of tight end-alignment reps, too. On special teams, he returns kicks and punts and can play on coverage teams. The gunner work he received a year ago has been absent, but the Steelers have replaced that with kick-coverage opportunities.
He shined in the Steelers’ preseason opener with good RAC plays and showed a connection with Drew Allar. Hurleman finished the game with three catches for 46 yards and earned unprompted praise from OC Brian Angelichio.
He’s a hard worker who ran extra routes after practice with Mason Rudolph throwing to him. Hurleman made honorable mention in our “Hardest Worker” award.
Hurleman caught just one pass for three yards versus the Jets but impressed as a returner. In pure production, he outplayed rookie Kaden Wetjen and looked more decisive and downhill. If Wetjen’s ball-security issues follow him to Buffalo, Hurleman has a chance to overtake him. Returning to the practice squad is still the stronger bet but Hurleman’s had a good summer and should be one of the most obvious players to make the practice squad.
Camp Grade: B+
DK Metcalf
A solid summer in Metcalf’s second lap around the track with Aaron Rodgers. Metcalf continues to be Rodgers’ favorite target, especially vertically, and he was peppered with targets throughout camp. Through the first seven practices, Metcalf had 29 targets. No other Steeler had more than 19.
Metcalf didn’t showcase spectacular hands but didn’t have the drop issues of a year ago. His strength is his freaky athleticism, not his hands, but I had a worse impression of his mitts a year ago compared to this summer. Though I didn’t chart it in practice, it appeared Metcalf saw more work in the slot this year than last camp. How much work he’ll get there in regular-season action remains to be seen. If Germie Bernard plays more than Roman Wilson, Metcalf’s versatility could be on display.
Overall, it was a solid summer for Metcalf until he suffered a minor injury during the Saturday night practice. That knocked him out of the rest of camp and the first two preseason games. His status for the regular season, however, doesn’t seem to be in question.
Camp Grade: B
Ben Skowronek
Now a veteran with a clear special teams role, Skowronek had a fine camp. He continues to bond with Aaron Rodgers and the two are close. There was a funny moment in the Steelers’ preseason opener of Skowronek plopping down between Rodgers and Drew Allar on the bench.
Skowronek didn’t see a ton of action during camp although his reps increased after Michael Pittman Jr. and Metcalf were sidelined with injuries. Through seven practices, we charted Skowronek for just three receptions on three targets. He had a nice full-extension, goal-line catch on a well-thrown ball by Mason Rudolph.
Skowronek played significant snaps in the first two preseason games. He made a great adjustment over his head to snag a 19-yard fourth down completion from Will Howard in the opener to jump-start a two-minute drill. However, he couldn’t get both feet inbounds on a similar concept the following week. Skowronek, at least, picked up a first down on a deep dig for one of Howard’s better moments of the night.
He’ll open the year as a starting gunner and core special teamer. How much of an offensive role he’ll have remains to be seen, but he’s trusted and established. A fine camp for Skowronek.
Camp Grade: B
Germie Bernard
Bernard is a well-built receiver who had quiet practices but came alive in the games. The opposite of Roman Wilson. Bernard struggled with mental mistakes throughout the summer, and that bled into the first game. He false started three times in camp, ran a wrong route on a two-point play at the end of the final camp session (drawing Aaron Rodgers’ ire), and ran a wrong route on Will Howard’s first drive against the Green Bay Packers.
Still, there was plenty of good in that opener. Bernard caught four passes for 51 yards. Most notably, he broke tackles and raced down the sideline for a 25-yard gain. An impressive RAC moment. Bernard is strong and hard to bring down. He gets open and runs clinical routes with solid hands. The versatility he showed at Alabama is speeding up his NFL readiness and ability to perform whatever is asked of him.
Bernard was only targeted once against the Jets last Friday night, a poor-ish fade from Will Howard that got knocked away by the cornerback, but he had a fine showing as a route runner. I’d like to see him be a little more urgent selling his routes, but it was a more positive showing than the box score might suggest.
Like any rookie, Bernard is going to go through ups and downs. Playing with Rodgers, while exciting, means a high bar. One Bernard knows exists and one that’s understandably anxiety-inducing. He’ll make some plays, he’ll make some mistakes, and Pittsburgh will hope there’s more good than bad with Bernard getting better each step of the way.
Camp Grade: C+
Roman Wilson
Wilson had an active start to camp in terms of volume. Rodgers looked his way, and Wilson earned plenty of praise. Some of that initially felt unfounded. Wilson was seeing lots of snaps but not making many plays, including diving for but dropping a 50-yard vertical throw by Rodgers that would’ve been a signature play.
Wilson and Rodgers found their connection a little later one, highlighted by a two-touchdown day. One of which saw Rodgers seemingly bend a throw around Jamel Dean with Wilson making the grab in the back of the end zone. A great play by both.
From there, Wilson picked up. As Rodgers noted, he ran routes with more confidence and showcased his true speed. Overall, it was a promising camp.
Wilson has struggled to carry that over to game action. That was clear in the second preseason game against the New York Jets. Wilson was on the receiving end of Will Howard’s two interceptions. There’s plenty of debate over who is to blame, and our breakdown shared it between quarterback and receiver.
There are other Wilson issues less talked about. He’s struggling to make plays post-catch and showcase his explosiveness and speed. His wheels simply haven’t been felt like they should. He’s also struggling to beat versus press coverage as an outside receiver and Germie Bernard has logged plenty more snaps out wide than Wilson.
Wilson has made small strides, but in his third year, time is running out. History isn’t on his side and his summer performances haven’t been inspiring enough. He’ll need to put it together once the regular season begins or else Bernard, or someone from the outside, will get the chance instead.
Camp Grade: C
Kaden Wetjen
Wetjen’s first camp was a bumpy one. His 5-9 frame makes you understand he’s not going to look like DK Metcalf but just through the eye-ball test, Wetjen was truly the smallest player on the field. The start of his summer was a quiet one without many chances. The few he received weren’t capitalized on. Drew Allar looked for him on back-to-back throws in a two-minute drive. They were slightly outside Wetjen’s frame, and he couldn’t haul either pass in. That lack of catch radius was an initial concern.
Wetjen changed things in the preseason opener with the game’s splashiest play. A 74-yard catch and run in which he showcased his open-field ability making defenders miss in space. He just couldn’t finish with a touchdown. He made that first end zone trip late in the game to cap the Steelers’ win.
As a returner, things haven’t been as pretty. Wetjen made good decisions and influences in judging the ball in the opener, forcing a touchback, but ran too laterally and didn’t get north/south. Things got even worse against the Jets with a fumble that nearly ended in a turnover and bobble when he took his eyes off a punt. A 12-yard return was good but unhelpful blocking prevented an even larger gain.
Mike McCarthy has been fairly critical of Wetjen, noting he needed to score on his long catch against the Packers and referencing mental errors that must be cleaned up. One potent return can change narratives in a hurry, but Wetjen has work to do. A spotless showing against Buffalo is a must.
Camp Grade: C-
Levi Wentz
An undrafted rookie, Wentz has good size and plays hard. His most notable moment came hustling to throw a downfield block on Kaden Wetjen’s long catch and run in the opener. The type of play he told me about in an offseason interview that’s indicative of his attitude and play style.
Two other thoughts on this play.
Nice route by Wetjen. Maybe even a subtle push on the CB at the top. Rarely gets called so go for it.
WR Levi Wentz with a key block downfield to prevent 41 from tackling Wetjen. Little things like that matter. https://t.co/26yUC0EQ3a
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) August 14, 2026
He’s an outside receiver with nearly 90 percent of his preseason snaps coming out wide as opposed to the slot.
Wentz had mostly a quiet camp with a couple of snags late. Drew Allar missed him on a fourth down play against the Jets and he’s caught just one pass for nine yards through two games. There’s light practice squad potential here, and a strong showing in the finale would sure go a long way.
Camp Grade: C-
Michael Pittman Jr.
Pittman was Pittsburgh’s big offensive fish of the summer, landed in a trade from the Indianapolis Colts and given a healthy contract. Pittsburgh’s still waiting for him to show that was the right move.
In fairness, there’s plenty of time to go. Pittman is an established veteran who didn’t need a strong camp to show what he can do. But it was objectively a quiet summer. When healthy in camp, Pittman was essentially invisible. He caught a few short passes from Aaron Rodgers, showing his veteran savvy to come back to the ball and plus hands, but his receptions didn’t look any different from what he was doing with the Colts. All dirty work underneath.
The few vertical chances he received were missed. In one two-minute drill, Pittman ran a deep dig route, but Rodgers wanted him to stay outside and run to the end zone. The pass fell hopelessly incomplete. His quiet camp of four receptions in team drills earned him our Biggest Disappointment camp award.
Pittman suffered a right leg injury during the Saturday night practice. He didn’t work again in camp and, like Metcalf, sat out the first two preseason games. He should be good to go for Week 1 when the Steelers will need him to turn the light on and, at the least, offer what he’s given the Colts in recent years. Hopefully, he shows more. The concern is the Steelers have plenty of targets who can make underneath catches, especially Pat Freiermuth. They need someone who can create big plays and beat man coverage.
Pittman’s camp grade is just that, an evaluation of these past few weeks. Nothing more, nothing less. But in a vacuum, not what you were looking for.
Camp Grade: D+
Jakobie Keeney-James
Keeney-James replaced an injured Cole Burgess in early August. It gave him plenty of runway to get up to speed, but he did little during camp practices. Reps were hard to come by and poor weather that rained out or modified multiple sessions did Keeney-James no favors.
He worked in the kick return game on special teams but has yet to field one in a game. Against the Jets, he caught one pass for 5 yards on three targets.
He’s an average-sized player who didn’t stick out much negatively but the same could be said about the positive end, too. That’s not good enough for a player who joined mid-camp and had long odds to even make the practice squad.
Camp Grade: D
Joaquin Davis
Davis was stuck at the bottom of the roster all summer. Reps were rare and targets even less common. Through seven practices, we charted him down for zero of them, the only wideout without one by that point. He saw a couple of chances late in camp when injuries nudged him up the depth chart and he made a solid snag of a Mason Rudolph pass that was behind him in camp.
Davis has straight-line speed but poor hands. Even in drills, he frequently dropped passes and was a footnote I included in my Day 4 notes.
“Continue to see Joaquin Davis struggle to bring passes in cleanly.”
He dropped a third down pass in the second preseason game and caught just one pass for 6 yards over his first two outings. Pittsburgh waived Davis ahead of the finale.
Camp Grade: D-
A.T. Perry
Perry made a little noise initially and was on the receiving end of a fourth down back-shoulder fade from Drew Allar in an early session. He has size and some experience from his rookie year in New Orleans. Perry didn’t make it to the preseason opener and was a mild surprise cut after the Steelers claimed Colton Dowell.
A lack of special teams experience didn’t help Perry’s chances of sticking, and his story is one that’s happened before. Whether it’s Tyler Vaughn or Roc Taylor, a semi-intriguing receiver with limited versatility produced little summer value to stick all the way through.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
Colton Dowell
A weird one even for training camp. Pittsburgh claimed Dowell off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers, waiving A.T. Perry to make room for him. To my knowledge, he never practiced with the team and might not have ever showed up. He didn’t practice during the Saturday night session and was waived by Pittsburgh the following day. He received our camp “T-Shirt” award but it’s fair to wonder if he even arrived to receive one.
The most “incomplete” grade I’ve ever awarded.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
Cornell Powell
Powell was part of Pittsburgh’s reinforcements late in camp and was added to replace the MIA Colton Dowell. Aside from Cornell Powell/Colton Dowell being confusing to keep straight, there wasn’t much else to say. Powell joined the Steelers for their final camp practices but hardly registered in my notes. He did not play in the preseason opener and failed to catch either of his targets against the Jets.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
Isaiah Winstead
Winstead was added the same day Powell was brought in. Both have similar stories, though I think Winstead practiced a day before Powell arrived. Winstead sat out the opener against the Packers but caught two passes for 32 yards against the Jets. He made one solid reception over the middle.
Comparatively, Winstead made a little more noise than others deep down the depth chart, but he remains a long shot to even stick on the practice squad. Maybe he re-signs if injuries happen midseason.
Camp Grade: Incomplete
Cole Burgess
Burgess felt like a potential sleeper and saw work as a gunner during special teams drills while mixing in at receiver. Reps were hard to find, and he struggled to finish plays. Just one catch on five targets in our mid-camp check-in.
Unfortunately, he suffered a severe lower-body injury during a 7-on-7 drill during camp. I didn’t see the play but saw the reaction as trainers gingerly placed him into a cart and drove off. He was soon waived/injured and reverted to IR. Burgess will likely spend all year there. Maybe he’s back next year or maybe he’s waived with a failed/physical in the spring.
Camp Grade: Incomplete