The Steelers could have some big shoes to fill at wide receiver. Here are the best options that could be available in each round of the NFL Draft.
The NFL free agency period is just around the corner, and the Steelers could be losing some very big names this offseason. Among them is their young, go-to option in the passing game, JuJu Smith-Schuster. While Pittsburgh would no doubt love to be able to retain his services (especially with Ben Roethlisberger planning to rerun), it just doesn’t seem realistic to find the money to keep him around.
Pittsburgh is still nearly $12 million over the cap, and clearing enough money for a franchise tag is probably out of the question. This means that JuJu is likely to sign with an organization in free agency that can offer up much more money. Fortunately, there are going to be some quality wide receiver options in the 2021 NFL Draft that Pittsburgh is sure to explore. Here are the receivers they could consider taking in each round this April:
Round 1: Elijah Moore, Rashod Bateman
Though the Steelers haven’t dipped their feet in the first-round wide receiver pool since taking Santonio Holmes all the way back in 2006, it doesn’t mean that it is an impossibility (albeit unlikely). I’m going to go ahead and assume that the top three wide receivers in Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddle are all off the board at this point (and it’s possible that one or two others could follow).
However, there are still two wide receivers who I could justify spending the 24th overall pick drafting: Elijah Moore and Rashod Bateman. Moore is a young, athletic, productive receiver who dominated SEC competition and catches everything thrown in his direction. However, size could be a bit of an issue as he is expected to measure in around 5’9”. Bateman saw a similar level of dominance at Minnesota in 2019, but played just 5 games this past season. These two players project to be long-time NFL starters with Pro Bowl upside.
Round 2: Terrace Marshall, Rondale Moore, Kadarius Toney, D’Wayne Eskridge
Wide receivers are one of the most coveted positions in the NFL, so I wouldn’t be surprised if several of the above names were already off the board early in the second round. However, these are the four receivers I would consider taking in round two for Pittsburgh.
Terrace Marshall is a tall, lean receiver who is a very smooth mover for his size (6’3”). At 20 years old, he’s one of the youngest players in the draft class and was a former 5-star recruit coming out of high school. He’s not a finished product yet, but the upside to be a go-to guy is there.
Rondale Moore, Kadarius Toney, and D’Wayne Eskridge are all cut from the same cloth. All three are a bit undersized with questionable ball skills at times, but they are lightning-fast and electric with the ball in their hands. These three players are brilliant after the catch and almost always make the first defender miss. Of this group of second-round prospects, Eskridge is the most likely to be available to Pittsburgh, as he just turned 24 years old and is coming from a smaller football program at Western Michigan. All of these players, however, would add an instant boost to Pittsburgh’s potentially JuJu-less offense.
Round 3: Jaelon Darden, Amari Rodgers, Nico Collins, Dyami Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown
This is where things start to get really interesting, as there are a variety of different types of receivers that will likely fall in this range. In addition, the Steelers might be most likely to look for a wide receiver at this point, as there are more pressing needs early in the draft. Five players that I really like in this range are Jaelon Darden, Amari Rodgers, Nico Collins, Dyami Brown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Darden might be my favorite of the group. Though he is listed at just 5’9” and 174 pounds, he is terrifying to try to track down when he has the ball and he will instantly be one of the fastest players in the NFL. What’s most impressive is that Darden had nearly 1,200 yards and 19 touchdowns in just 9 games this past season, and showed the ability to win at every level on the field.
Dyami Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown both project as possible number two receivers who could play outside or in the slot. Dyami has more athleticism and downfield ability, while Amon-Ra might be the more consistent player and better route runner. Nico Collins offers a big body and massive catch radius (6’4”, 215 lbs). He can consistently win at the catch point with enough ability to create some separation. Meanwhile, Amari Rodgers is a player who has been frequently mocked to the Steelers. Though he is much shorter than JuJu at 5’10”, Rodgers moves and wins just like Smith-Schuster over the middle of the field.
Round 4: Tutu Atwell, Tylan Wallace, Cade Johnson, Seth Williams, Tre Walker
If the Steelers miss out on a wide receiver in the first three rounds, I would almost bet the house that they address the position with one of their two fourth-round picks, as they will want a player who could at least serve as their number four wide receiver during the 2021 season. If they do go this route, these five players will be on their radar.
Tutu Atwell is a name I’ve seen mentioned as high as the late first round (which seems insane to me). By the looks of things, he will probably be off the board at this point. Atwell is tiny (5’9”, 165 lbs), but can create a ton of separation and to all of the work over the middle of the field.
Tylan Wallace and Seth Williams probably won’t test as terrific athletes, but they are physical wide receivers. Wallace is probably the better option if the Steelers are looking to replace JuJu’s role on offense. Cade Johnson will probably be restricted to playing the slot at the next level. He doesn’t have great athleticism, but he’s a good route runner with terrific ball skills. Meanwhile, Tre Walker is a small school receiver from San Diego State who really impressed in 2019.
Rounds 5-7: Simi Fehoko, Sage Surratt, Shi Smith, Johnathan Adams, Cornell Powell, Dazz Newsome, Anthony Schwartz
I’m willing to bet that Pittsburgh will have already drafted a receiver by this point, but just in case they don’t, there are some options that could still be available to them. Simi Fehoko is probably my favorite of the group. He has terrific athleticism for a 6’4”, 227-pound receiver, and his movement skills remind me of Chase Claypool. He has very limited college experience and production, but he’s a perfect developmental prospect.
Sage Surratt, Shi Smith, Dazz Newsome, and Cornell Powell are much more NFL-ready, but none of them have exceptional traits that will translate well at the NFL level, and all three will be below-average athletes who could have trouble creating separation against NFL cornerbacks.
Anthony Schwartz is an interesting player due to the fact that he might be the fastest prospect in the entire 2021 NFL Draft. However, he doesn’t have much of a route tree and he really looks more like a sprinter with pads on rather than an actual football player. Still, his speed would be hard to pass on at this point.
Losing JuJu Smith-Schuster won’t be the end of the world for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they aren’t going to replace his production overnight. However, depending on how early Pittsburgh targets a receiver in the draft, they may be able to help fill the void as early as the 2021 season.