Behind DK Metcalf, the Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of questions at the wide receiver position. There’s a reason Steelers fans have been buzzing about pursuing a proven WR2. So far, the Steelers have been adamant about heading into the regular season with the guys already on the roster.
That pits two young receivers against each other, Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. It’s a tight battle, one that leads off with Austin in the pole position. But with Austin out with injury the past week, Wilson has begun to surge in the race to be the No. 2 wideout.
Wilson got the start in the preseason opener with Austin out and Metcalf sitting out, which made him the de facto No. 1 option early in the game. It didn’t take long for Wilson to make his statement in the WR2 battle either.
Roman Wilson seizes early opportunity to be Pittsburgh Steelers WR2
Wilson got the first target of the game from Mason Rudolph, hauling in a 19-yard catch on an in-breaking route. With a clean route and an aggressive catch, Wilson got the Steelers going offensively with a splash play.
Two plays later, Wilson hauled in his second catch, that one picking up seven yards, setting up a third and short, which the Steelers converted. That’s all Wilson did statistically on the night, but it’s all he needed to do.
Wilson’s short night already gives the impression that he’s more crucial to the offense this season than most might have expected. Sure, the Steelers don’t have much depth at the position beyond him, leaving some tough decisions for the front office later this month, but Wilson easily could have played longer if the coaching staff wanted to see him put up more consistent production.
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Considering Wilson missed his entire rookie season due to injuries, which Mike Tomlin even expressed frustrations over, it goes to show just how impressive his play in training camp has been with Austin unavailable.
Still, it seems unlikely that Wilson has surpassed Austin just yet. Austin has been impressive in his own right and at least has the in-game experience gathered over the past two seasons to lean on. Nonetheless, Wilson made the battle a lot more interesting with his performance in the preseason opener.