Steelers 3-round mock draft: Pittsburgh trades back for QB in first round

Steelers Round 3: Wan’Dale Robinson

One of the biggest needs for the Steelers entering the NFL Draft is wide receiver, as the team lost Juju Smith-Schuster, James Washington, and Ray-Ray McCloud in free agency. More specifically, the team needs a slot wide receiver, as Smith-Schuster, and McCloud were the two primary slot receivers last season. Currently, the only two wide receivers with any legitimate NFL experience at the position are Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool.

While the team did sign Gunner Olszewski, he is more of a returner and has not had much of an impact at wide receiver in his NFL career thus far. The Steelers have a strong track record of picking receivers in the mid to late rounds, and they are likely to take another stab at it this year. Johnson, Emmanuel Sanders, Mike Wallace, Martavis Bryant, Hines Ward, and Antonio Brown are just a few of the names the Steelers have taken in the third round or later, who have had success in the NFL.

Wan’Dale Robinson could be the next name to join the list. The speedy receiver from Kentucky measured in at 5′ 8″, 178 lbs., and ran a 4.44 40-yard dash. As a junior this year, Robinson registered 104 catches for 1,334 yards and 7 touchdowns for the Wildcats.

While he is small in stature, he could be a perfect fit in Matt Canada’s system as he can line up in numerous spots and be a dynamic weapon for the team when he gets the ball in space. With Johnson and Claypool outside, Robinson could line up in the slot and sometimes out of the backfield, and the team could get him involved often with jet-sweeps, bubble screens, and quick slants, which have become integral parts of the offense in recent years.

Robinson saw time as a returner in college, and whether or not the team lets him get any reps there in his career is a mystery, but that experience exemplifies his open-field speed and elusiveness that could make him a weapon for Matt Canada.

There are several routes the Steelers could go in the NFL Draft, but if the team decides to trade back this scenario could be a perfect one for the team. They would fill several needs, while also getting a quarterback of the future, and also moving up slightly in the seventh round.