With Mike McCarthy in town as the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the long-time NFL coach will attempt to bring something to the team it hasn't had in years: a stable offense. McCarthy, an offensive-minded HC, has led the Packers and Cowboys to tremendous offensive success throughout his career.
During McCarthy's most recent five-year stint in Dallas, the Cowboys finished with the league's top-ranked scoring offense twice and ranked among the top five offenses in points in three of the five seasons.
The circumstances were clearly different (McCarthy had quarterback Dak Prescott to work with). While McCarthy may not be able to fix the QB position in Pittsburgh right away, there's another essential piece missing from his offense that he's almost certain to target early in the 2026 NFL Draft: wide receiver.
For McCarthy's West Coast offense and passing game to be successful, he needs a do-it-all receiver. And if it wasn't clear already, the Steelers' top draft need is now painfully obvious.
Mike McCarthy's Pittsburgh Steelers will target WR early in the 2026 NFL Draft
This feels like an easy prediction, considering wide receiver was already a major need of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2025 season. Apart from DK Metcalf, the Steelers don't have a player they can turn to at the position for any consistency, and every stopgap option to fill the void has fallen short.
But with McCarthy, finding the right receiver is more essential than ever.
McCarthy has always had a receiver who could be the focal point of his passing game. In Green Bay, McCarthy's lead WR went from Greg Jennings to Jordy Nelson to Davante Adams. Each receiver was well-rounded with precise route-running—receivers he could funnel the offense through.
With his first-ever draft pick as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, McCarthy selected Oklahoma product CeeDee Lamb. The 17th overall pick fell just short of a 1.000-yard season as a rookie. From 2021 to 2024 under McCarthy, Lamb averaged 1,327 receiving yards and nearly eight touchdowns per season.
Though the Steelers are hardly guaranteed to find Davante Adams or CeeDee Lamb in the NFL Draft, it probably won't be due to a lack of effort.
McCarthy knows he needs an elite do-it-all wide receiver for his offense to operate effectively. With the Steelers set to have the 21st overall pick—and on track for 12 overall selections this April—a trade-up for one of the top receivers in the class is entirely possible.
Two names he could have his eye on are USC's Makai Lemon and Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson. Early in the pre-draft process, these are considered to be two of the top three receivers and even potential top-10 picks. Both of these receivers would be an excellent fit alongside Metcalf (who profiles more as a WR2 in McCarthy's offense).
Landing one of these names would require moving up in the draft. But for McCarthy to find a No. 1 receiver, it may require the front office to get aggressive on draft day.
If the Steelers stand pat with the 21st overall pick, McCarthy could target a receiver like Texas A&M's KC Concepcion or Washington's Denzel Boston. These receivers are considered a step down from Tyson and Lemon, but this is a swing McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan could still take.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were already desperate for a wide receiver upgrade, and with McCarthy in town, the need to find a No. 1 receiver for McCarthy's passing game to operate effectively is even more important.