**Can Roman Wilson emerge as the Steelers’ No. 2 WR?**
Recent reports indicate the Steelers want to add a playmaker, but what if Roman Wilson is already that guy? The second-year wide receiver missed nearly all of his rookie season due to injury. Going into Year 2, he now has the opportunity to prove himself.
The only problem is, the Steelers might have to roll the dice to find out. If they wait too long to add another wide receiver, they might miss their opportunity. And then if Roman Wilson doesn’t pan out as well as hoped, they are left with a deficient unit.
Not that the Steelers aren’t already familiar with that sort of scenario, or of settling for cast-offs like Mike Williams. History does not favor great success for wide receivers who miss their rookie seasons, but crazier things have happened. And whether they want to or not, they may need Wilson to be a starter.
After trading George Pickens, the Steelers are not exactly swimming in proven depth. While they now have DK Metcalf at the top of the depth chart, the rest of the group doesn’t inspire confidence. Calvin Austin III is the most notable name, with Roman Wilson the biggest wild card. They also brought in veteran Robert Woods, who might be more bark than bite at this juncture.
Roman Wilson went down with an injury on the first day of padded practices in training camp. He basically missed the entirety of camp from that point on, and the injury lingered into the season. It wasn’t until a couple of weeks in that he was even reliably practicing in full. Then he got into one game, played five snaps, and went down with another injury.
At that point, the Steelers essentially shut him down for the season, anticipating that he would have missed too much developmental time to be a significant contributor. They put Wilson on IR, and he stayed there for the rest of the year. Late in the season, they opened his practice window, but with likely no real intention to call him up. But now, they need to see if he can be one of their starting receivers, because if not him, then who?
_The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein._
_Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is_ [_the quarterback question_](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/04/schrager-thinks-steelers-passing-on-qb-in-1st-round-means-theyre-all-in-on-aaron-rodgers/)_. While they ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The_ [_2025 NFL Draft class_](https://www.steelers.com/draft/) _is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete._
_But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. Certain will-he-or-won’t-he situations remain in play, which we continue to monitor. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go._