Coming into the offseason, it was no mystery that the Pittsburgh Steelers desperately needed help at wide receiver. That wasn’t lost on the team itself. As soon as the new league year began, the Steelers traded for Michael Pittman Jr., giving away next to nothing in the process. Then in the second round of the draft, Pittsburgh brought in a capable WR3 in Germie Bernard.
However, that’s about all the moves the Steelers have made at the position. To beat writer Chris Adamski, it’s a little surprising they weren’t more aggressive.
“I thought they’d bring in another veteran by now, once the draft ended. They needed to get three wide receivers, is what I’m getting at. Three legitimate, depend-on wide receivers this offseason… My perspective is there’s still a chance Roman Wilson has to play. Which means they need to find another receiver,” Adamski said Wednesday on the Breakfast with Benz podcast. “I still think one way or another, before we get to either Latrobe, or the end of the preseason, there will be another veteran wide receiver in here.”
DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. are certainly a capable starting duo. Both have years of production in the league, the former has a year of experience with Aaron Rodgers (if he returns), and Pittman has produced with a litany of quarterbacks in Indianapolis. There aren’t many worries with those two.
However, the Steelers’ depth at wide receiver might be a little concerning. Bernard has quickly grown on Steelers fans, but Adamski is a little worried about his overall potential. While the floor is high, he wonders how limited Bernard’s ceiling may be.
“You can safely pencil him in to be a good number three for you. But I don’t think he’s ever gonna be your star,” Adamski said.
It’s a fair take. Bernard does pretty much everything well. He’s good after the catch, is a deceptive route runner, will put his body on the line, knows how to block, and doesn’t have any issues with drops. But he also doesn’t have many elite traits. He’s going to get the job done, but he might not be taking the WR1 role over someone like Metcalf or Pittman in the future.
It was a little surprising the Steelers didn’t draft another pure receiver in April. From the team’s perspective, it may feel that guys like Kaden Wetjen or Eli Heidenreich, each of whom has some potential as a pass catcher, could fill that role. And although Adamski is down on Wilson, maybe the new staff thinks it can unlock something in him.
However, it’s fair to wonder about the depth here. If one of the top three go down with an injury, the team may have to rely on Wilson, who has just over 160 career receiving yards. And the idea of a committee filling that role hasn’t exactly worked in recent years.
If Rodgers comes back, he may want another veteran in the room. But some of the Steelers’ options from last year, like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Adam Thielen and Scotty Miller, aren’t available anymore. There are some veterans like Stefon Diggs, Deebo Samuel, Allen Robinson II, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Odell Beckham Jr., but they’ve got their own drawbacks.
Either way, Adamski sees another veteran wide receiver joining the Steelers at some point.
