The Pittsburgh Steelers have been desperate to add wide receiver help since the start of Omar Khan's tenure as general manager. While they may still lack a true go-to option in the passing game, their depth is suddenly looking much stronger than it did a season ago.
At the start of free agency, Pittsburgh traded for veteran Michael Pittman Jr in March. In the draft, the Steelers doubled up on the position by taking Alabama's Germie Bernard in the second round and Iowa's Kaden Wetjen in the fourth round.
As I continue my series on predicting the early roster odds of every Steelers positional group, we make a stop at wide receiver, and a once-promising draft pick could be on the bubble.
Early projected chances of each Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver making the 53-man roster
DK Metcalf: 100%
This is a given. DK Metcalf was a bit disappointing in 2025, and his contract already looks like a disaster, but he will likely be Pittsburgh's top target in the passing game this season. At the very least, he'll start every game he's healthy.
Michael Pittman Jr.: 100%
Pittman is expected to slide into a starting role alongside Metcalf. With flexibility to play on the outside and in the slot, Pittman could develop into a reliable target for Aaron Rodgers. His roster spot is secure.
Germie Bernard: 100%
The Steelers didn't trade up in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft to land Germie Bernard, not to play him. Bernard is projected to slide in as the team's third receiver, and he's capable of manning the slot or playing outside the numbers. Considering his high draft position, Bernard is a Steelers roster lock, even if he happens to struggle this summer.
Kaden Wetjen: 95%
We can't say for certain that a fourth-round pick is a 100 percent lock. In 2015, Doran Grant—a fourth-round cornerback out of Ohio State—was cut before ever making the roster. Regardless, Kaden Wetjen's job feels safe.
The Steelers were determined to fix their return game, and Wetjen is expected to earn the starting kick and punt return duties from Day 1. The return specialist may have been over-drafted, but I would be shocked if he doesn't make the team.
Ben Skowronek: 65%
Ben Skowronek is a special teams ace in a different way. Skowronek is among the best gunners and jammers in the league, so it would be surprising if the Steelers were willing to let him walk away. New special teams coach Danny Crossman would love to have an experienced veteran he can rely on, and Skowronek, and with Miles Killebrew gone, Skowronek could be that guy.
Oh, and it doesn't hurt that Skowronek is one of Aaron Rodgers' best friends on the team.
Roman Wilson: 60%
By the start of his third season, we were hoping Roman Wilson would be a starting receiver for the Steelers. Unfortunately, his NFL career has quickly spiraled. After playing just five offensive snaps in an injury-plagued rookie season in 2024, Wilson recorded just 12 receptions on 21 targets for 166 yards last season.
Wilson couldn't find a way to mesh with Rodgers, and it resulted in the Steelers signing Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdez-Scantling late in the year. Now, Wilson has a bigger uphill battle with both Pittman and Bernard added to the roster.
This gets even more daunting if Eli Heidenreich (whom I listed with the running backs) balls out and the team looks at him as a potential sixth receiver. Wilson isn't a roster lock, and the 2024 third-round pick might even be on the bubble this summer.
A.T. Perry: 1%
A.T. Perry has seen limited NFL action, and though he somehow has more NFL production than Roman Wilson (246 receiving yards and four touchdowns), he's not even guaranteed to make the practice squad, as he's never logged a special teams snap since entering the league as a sixth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2023.
Brandon Smith: 0%
Brandon Smith has bounced around the NFL since 2021. He appeared in three total games with the New York Jets in 2024 and 2025, while logging 13 special teams snaps. Smith a candidate to make the practice squad, not the 53-man roster.
Cole Burgess: 0%
Cole Burgess was originally signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 NFL Draft. He's yet to dress for an NFL game, and he will need to impress this summer just to stand a shot at cracking the practice squad.
Joaquin Davis: 0%
Joaquin Davis has a rare size-speed combination, but he hasn't been able to stick since going undrafted last year. He will look to stick on the Steelers' summer roster and try to make a case for the practice squad.
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