Pittsburgh Steelers 53-man roster prediction: Who makes the final cut?

Wide receivers (5): Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, Ray-Ray McCloud

I think the wide receiver position is pretty set in stone, and I’d be shocked if they decided to keep an extra player here. Diontae Johnson will start as the ‘X’ receiver for the Steelers this year with Chase Claypool as the ‘Z’ and JuJu Smith-Schuster in the slot.

I’m interested to see what the team chooses to do in ’12’ personnel (2 wide receiver sets with 2 tight ends and running back). Will Claypool or Smith-Schuster earn more snaps with the team with just two receivers on the field?

James Washington, for my money, is one of the best 4th wide receivers in the league. His ideal role is backing up Claypool as the ‘Z’ receiver, but he has shown he can wear multiple hats for this team. Meanwhile, Matthew Sexton was a long shot to unseat Ray-Ray McCloud for punt return duties but botched his final opportunity against the Panthers. Sexton and Anthony Johnson have both been released.

The Steelers really didn’t have a developmental option good enough this year to stick around on the final 53-man roster, so I’m quite confident that Pittsburgh keeps just five receivers again this year.