The Pittsburgh Steelers are hopeful that they don’t have a repeat of 2024 when it comes to their wide receiver position. With Diontae Johnson gone, the Steelers were in desperate need of a No. 2 receiver and tried every avenue to improve that spot. Pittsburgh was rumored to be interested in just about every available receiver, including Brandon Aiyuk, Davante Adams, and Christian Kirk.
Of course, the Steelers never acquired any of them, and their “big” addition was trading for Mike Williams during the season. The offense suffered, and when George Pickens missed time with a hamstring injury, the unit couldn’t survive. They had one of the league’s worst wide receiver rooms, and it showed up in the biggest games of the season.
The Steelers decided to make some drastic changes to the group, adding D.K. Metcalf via trade and shipping Pickens off to Dallas. They signed Robert Woods to replace Van Jefferson, and the hope is that Calvin Austin and/or Roman Wilson can become viable options in the passing attack.
While many still anticipate another move at the receiver position now that Aaron Rodgers is officially under contract, it hasn’t happened yet. And that leaves the Steelers fairly thin at the receiver position once again. But where do they rank compared to the rest of the NFL? Not very high.
Pro Football Focus not a fan of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver room
According to Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, he ranked all 32 receiving rooms heading into the 2025 season. Pittsburgh came in at No. 29 on the list despite trading for Metcalf this offseason. Here is why Sikkema is very low on the unit going into the upcoming season:
"The Steelers traded for D.K. Metcalf in the offseason but then shipped off George Pickens. That profiles as only a slight upgrade for a team that finished 20th in PFF receiving grade in 2024. Pittsburgh should get more out of second-year receiver Roman Wilson, who was largely injured last season, and the backfield combination of Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell brings some third-down, pass-catching ability."Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus
The upgrade from Pickens to Metcalf should help the offense, but the lack of a proven receiver opposite of him is the biggest concern. Woods is the most accomplished of the group, but he just turned 33 and has not had more than 556 yards in a season since 2020. It wouldn't be a shock if he didn't make the final roster, as he is clearly at the end of his career.
The Steelers are adamant that Austin can be their No. 2 receiver, but he has just 728 receiving yards since being drafted in 2022, and his lack of size could limit him to just a slot role. Wilson could be an option, but he needs to prove that he can stay healthy before he is relied upon in any capacity.
If the Steelers are serious about getting better on offense this season, they’ll need to find another dynamic weapon in the passing game. But with the free agent market pretty bare, making a trade is the only feasible way that they can improve at receiver. Even if you believe the Steelers are better than the No. 29 ranking, they still have a long way to go before they have a passable unit. Expect another move to happen at receiver before the Steelers take on the Jets in Week 1.