The Pittsburgh Steelers will be in the market for a new wide receiver and they like addressing this position in the draft.
The 2022 NFL Draft has a nice amount of quality wide receivers entering the event. There will be a ton of quality playmakers that get selected and the top tier of this group have some great skillsets. Many teams will need a receiver or two heading into the draft and this is a good time to pick one.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will likely have a major need at receiver after free agency starts since JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington are about to test the waters. Both will probably be playing for another team in 2022 as the black and gold like to develop and replace receivers in the draft process.
They will need to select at least one player that can be explosive and catch the ball in their job. They will get a chance to pick someone good early on that could help the lack of quarterback quality next season. Pittsburgh could always address this need via free agency but they likely draft a player at this position as well.
Honorable mentions
Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
Treylon Burks is one of the biggest targets at his positional group coming out in 2022. He has a large frame that causes physical catches at the point of attack. Many like his tape and his ability to high point the football. His large frame allows him to play punishing football after the catch.
During his time at Arkansas, he played a lot of ball as a slot receiver and got plays in the backfield. His ability to be an offensive threat all over the football field will attract many NFL teams. The Steelers will need a slot player in their system and Burks would be a great replacement. He is currently projected as a first or early second-round pick.
Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
Chris Olave was expected to be the main target for the Ohio State Buckeyes offense this past season but he was surpassed by another fellow teammate entering the draft. He still had a very good year and that will keep him as one of the best receivers in this class. His ability to separate from the defenders that try covering him is something special due to his speed and technique.
Olave is the best route runner coming out of college that the NFL has seen in years. That trait is so strong that he can easily get away from the defender that is covering him. Sometimes he makes the opposition look silly by his precise route-running ability. This prospect is currently projected to be a late first, or more likely, early to mid-second-round selection.
Drake London, WR, USC
Drake London was expected to be one of the best targets in all of college football heading into the year but a season-ending ankle injury sidelined him. He was out for the majority of the time in 2021 but his draft stock hasn’t been hampered too much. If he played then he probably would’ve been a first-round prospect but after the injury, that is in question.
Treylon Burks might have more weight on him but London is the taller of the two gigantic prospects. The size, speed, and body control that this receiver carries with his game is unfair to those that match up across the field from him. He is beyond dominant at the point of attack and faster than many might expect.
He will bully smaller corners and other members of the opposing secondary in the NFL. The Steelers would love the addition of this tough and physical receiver on the outside. The issue is they don’t desperately need one with Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson manning the outside position currently.
The pure athleticism and skillset that this player brings with him will give him a chance of being a day one selection. His current condition will also play a major role when it comes to the round he is picked, but he should be ready to go sooner than later. London is projected as a late first to early second-round pick.
Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
Jameson Williams entered this season with some question marks after transferring from Ohio State to Alabama. He found a great home that saw him skyrocket up draft boards with an impressive season. His speed got many NFL scouts to notice this player and he had a great time in Alabama.
It was a curiosity among the receiving group with the Crimson Tide offense but Williams kept the receiving threat alma matter tradition alive. He had a great regular season and was able to continue his success throughout the SEC Championship Game and the playoffs. He had huge games for Alabama but that all came to a screeching halt.
Williams tore his ACL during the early portions of the National Championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs. That was a huge blow to this player as many teams will now need to figure out his timetable to get back on the field. They will also need to gauge if this player will return to the grass without any limitations or decreased speed.
The name of the game for him is speed and if he loses any of that from this injury then that could hurt him going forward. Many expected Williams to be taken off the board first in the draft when compared to his fellow receivers but that is in question now.
The Steelers could take a shot at him but the first round might be too early to make a gamble like Williams. Some team with a bounty of early-round picks could gamble on this player and it might be a steal. He is currently projected to still be a first-rounder but that could drop depending on teams evaluations on his injury.
Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
Garrett Wilson is the most special receiver in this draft, especially when it comes to his abilities after the catch. His season at Ohio State was something special and it stood out in that dynamic group that included Chris Olave. They were a great one-two punch that torched college defenses all season.
Olave and Wilson were able to compliment their selves throughout 2021 and raised their games because of it. This prospect does his best when he plays in the slot. The ability to get the ball in his hands quickly and make a play is dynamic. He will get a chance to be the first receiver taken off the board but he would be a great fit with the black and gold.
The Steelers need a slot receiver badly and it showed once JuJu Smith-Schuster was lost for the season. Ray-Ray McCloud tried his best to fill in but that experiment did not work out. Adding Wilson would be a great safety valve for the new starter at quarterback.
He is a playmaker and adding him to a receiving group like the team already has will pay dividends. Wilson is projected to be a mid-first-round pick and possibly the first receiver taken in the draft. His speed and instincts after the catch will have a team select him within the top 20 picks, possibly sooner.
The Steelers will need to find an answer to help replace the potential loss of JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington. It will be important to find an immediate replacement that makes an impact on day one.