The Pittsburgh Steelers are back to the drawing board during their early Week 5 bye, and some improvements are needed on both sides of the ball. While the defense has struggled early in the season, they got things rolling in a big way in the Week 4 win over the Minnesota Vikings. The arrow is pointed up, and the defense is aiming to get healthy shortly after the bye.
Sadly, the offense can't use the same excuses.
Apart from one missed game by running back Jaylen Warren, the Steelers have been the healthiest offense in the NFL through the quarter mark of the season. But they could use a spark. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is averaging a mere 196.5 passing yards per game.
Unfortunately, no receiver outside of DK Metcalf has made much of an impact this season. Now Calvin Austin III—who's had a few big catches early in the year—is dealing with a shoulder injury and could miss time. Meanwhile, 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson can barely get on the field, while Austin, Wilson, Ben Skowronek, and Scotty Miller have combined for just 12 receptions in four games (three per game).
At the bye week, and roughly just a month ahead of the NFL trade deadline, the Steelers could look for a low-cost trade option who could give them a spark and who would fit Arthur Smith's offense.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could trade for former first-round WR Xavier Legette
If there's something we know about Arthur Smith, it's that he loves big receivers who have the frame to block and who don't need to earn a huge target share. From his time as the offensive coordinator with the Titans to his head coaching job with the Falcons until now, this is something Smith has valued.
The description fits a former first-round pick who may already be on the trade block: Xavier Legette.
The Carolina Panthers selected Legette with the final pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Legette, a South Carolina product, earned 49 receptions for 497 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie last season, but has fallen out of favor already with the Panthers.
After spending the eighth overall pick on wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Legette has taken a backseat, and dealing with injuries hasn't helped. In the two games he's played so far this year, Legette has been ineffective, catching just four passes for a mere eight yards and dropping the ball once.
So why should the Steelers be interested in Legette?
There's no guarantee that Legette will turn things around if he's traded to Pittsburgh, but his body type and physicality as a run blocker are what Smith looks for on offense. Legette has also been at the mercy of spotty quarterback play. McMillan, though impressive, hasn't been efficient with the Panthers for the same reasons.
However, with Legette, there's still a lot to work with. Though he doesn't excel with running crisp routes or creating separation with ease, the former first-round pick stands at 6'1'' and 227 pounds with a powerful frame and strong hands to catch the ball in traffic at times. Legette also tested as an impressive athlete, posting a 40-inch vertical jump and 1.54 10-yard split at the 2024 NFL Combine.
Interestingly, Legette is almost the same size and athlete on paper as Smith's former number one receiver in Tennessee, A.J. Brown. While we could never expect Legette to become the same football player, we've seen Smith have success with a player who fits a similar size/athletic profile.
We can all agree that Legette was over-drafted, but there's a reason the Panthers took a shot on him with the 32nd overall pick. In addition to his impressive frame and explosion, Legette was coming off a 2023 season at South Carolina that included 71 receptions for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns.
The best part about a potential trade is that it could come at a low cost. Because Legette is already being fizzled out of the picture on offense, the Steelers might be able to acquire the talented receiver at the cost of a Day 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft (of which the Steelers have plenty). Legette could boot Scotty Miller—who has zero catches—off the roster and attempt to climb the depth chart by the second half of the season.
Xavier Legette might not be the answer the Pittsburgh Steelers need at wide receiver, but he's a low-cost trade option with tools and youth on his side. Omar Khan could take a swing at this reclamation project and see how it goes.