Last year, wide receiver was one of the biggest holes on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster. George Pickens made plays, but they struggled to find a productive number two beside him. The Steelers were hoping that Roman Wilson would’ve helped to fill that role, but he missed almost all of his rookie season due to injury. This year, they’re dealing with similar issues at wideout, and once again, they’re looking at Wilson to step up. After the Steelers’ first preseason game, Bucky Brooks has faith in Wilson’s potential.
“When you look at Roman Wilson, his stop-start quickness, his route running ability, all the savvy that he displayed at Michigan was on full display pregame and during the game,” Brooks said recently on his Move the Sticks podcast. “I think there’s a role for him.
“I just think of Pittsburgh and how successful that they’ve been traditionally finding those receivers on Day 2. I think he’s the next one that’s going to be a solid starter. He’s a nice complement to DK Metcalf. It’s literally how do they find a role with him?”
Brooks is an announcer for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Steelers’ opponent in their first preseason game, so he got a good look at Wilson. The second-year receiver put in a solid performance, posting two catches for 24 yards in limited action. That included a big 19-yard reception on their first offensive play of the game.
To start training camp this year, Wilson was a little underwhelming. However, the same could’ve been said for the rest of the Steelers’ offense. As camp progressed, Wilson continued to get better and better.
Aaron Rodgers even stated that Wilson just needs to stop overthinking. Although he missed basically all of his rookie season, Mike Tomlin expects Wilson to hit the ground running. Therefore, Wilson might feel a little added pressure going into 2025.
Brooks is correct that the Steelers have a history of finding quality receivers after Day 1 of the draft. That includes Pickens, Diontae Johnson, Juju Smith-Schuster, and more. After trading Johnson last offseason and Pickens this offseason, the Steelers are even more in need of Wilson becoming their next draft hit at receiver.
With the Steelers’ next preseason game almost here, we’ll see if Wilson can put together another good day. The Steelers’ offense has playmakers, but beyond DK Metcalf, their receiver room isn’t very proven. Wilson’s development would be a nice boon for that unit.
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