Heading into the 2025 season, you would be hard-pressed to find a Pittsburgh Steelers fan who wouldn’t agree that the team’s top current need is at the quarterback position. With just Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Skylar Thompson on the depth chart, the team lacks a proven option for the upcoming season and the future.
We previously highlighted the top quarterback prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class heading into the summer. However, another position that needs to have a spotlight shined on it this coming offseason is at wide receiver. Sure, the team went out and acquired DK Metcalf and gave him a lucrative contract extension to lock him in to Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future. Still, after recently trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys as well as having Calvin Austin III, Robert Woods, and Scotty Miller’s contracts all up after the 2025 season, reinforcements are going to be needed for a team in desperate need of a quality WR2 to play opposite Metcalf.
CARNELL TATE, WR, OHIO STATE
When you turn to the 2026 Draft class as it stands today, several names stick out that could fill that spot nicely. Currently, the top-ranked WR prospect on NFL Mock Draft Database is Ohio State’s Carnell Tate. Tate played as the third receiver in the pecking order last season for the Buckeyes behind Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka, but that isn’t a knock on Tate’s caliber of play. The 6’3, 191-pound junior has good size and length to win down the field and in the red zone, but also displays smoothness as a route runner that you desire for a player of his size. He should see more action in 2025 with the departure of Egbuka, making him one of the top names to watch.
JORDYN TYSON, WR, ARIZONA STATE
Another name that enjoyed a strong 2024 campaign is Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson. As the focal point of the Sun Devils’ passing attack, Tyson caught 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 6’1, 195-pound junior can play in the slot and out wide and has the combination of size and shake to be a well-rounded receiver who can operate in all facets of the passing game.
He is a reliable target underneath and can stretch the field vertically, making him an ideal complement to Metcalf. He is more of a technician for the height/weight/speed specimen that Metcalf is on the outside. With RB Cam Skattebo now in the NFL, look for Tyson to be the top weapon in Arizona State’s offense this season.
ANTONIO WILLIAMS, WR, CLEMSON
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik enjoyed a stellar 2024 campaign, and WR Antonio Williams was the top target for his quarterback and a quality prospect in his own right. The 5’11, 190-pound junior had a strong bounce-back season last year after an injury-plagued 2023 campaign, posting 75 receptions for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns, seven carries for 101 yards, and a score on the ground.
Williams is versatile inside-outside and a fluid route runner who displays great burst and acceleration, quickly pulling away from defenders in coverage and with the ball in his hands after the catch. He can run nearly every route in the book and plays much bigger than his listed size would suggest in the middle of the field and the red zone. Going back through his tape, Williams had the opportunity for an even bigger season last year as Klubnik missed him on several wide-open plays, but the two should combine to be one of the best duos in college football in 2025.
EVAN STEWART, WR, OREGON
Oregon’s Evan Stewart had the opportunity to declare last year but returned to school to improve his draft stock. The former Texas A&M Aggie had a decent season in his first year in Eugene, catching 48 passes for 613 yards and five touchdowns while playing second-fiddle to Tez Johnson, who is now in the NFL. Stewart is undersized at 6’0, 175 pounds, but he has the route running prowess and the speed to make him the technician that many teams are looking for in the slot, who can also play on the outside.
Pittsburgh has its big-bodied receiver in Metcalf, but it needs a guy who can uncover against coverage and move the chains. Stewart can be that guy, providing similar play to what Tyler Lockett did beside Metcalf for over a half-decade, giving the Steelers the well-rounded receiving corps it needs to challenge opposing defenses consistently in the passing game.
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