Since trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys on May 7, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had questions surrounding their No. 2 wide receiver. The March trade acquisition of DK Metcalf gives quarterback Aaron Rodgers one stable option he can turn to in the passing game, and the addition of tight end Jonnu Smith helps. But questions remain.
While fans are hoping that 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson can emerge from the shadows for a breakout campaign or that Calvin Austin III could take a big step forward, these things aren't guaranteed to happen. With a 41-year-old quarterback in a true one-year window, the Steelers can't leave their WR2 position up to chance.
Fortunately, there's a quality trade target who could be up for grabs. Ironically, it's the player who was taken one pick after Pittsburgh selected Pickens in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should attempt to trade for Indianapolis Colts WR Alec Pierce
Alec Pierce, the former Cincinnati product and 53rd overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, began his NFL career with back-to-back 500-yard seasons. In Year 3 in 2024, Pierce took the league by surprise when he racked up 824 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging a league-high 22.3 yards per reception.
Pierce's breakout season was accompanied by a whopping 11.9 yards per target, and even the lackluster quarterback combination of Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco combined for a 106.2 passer rating last season when looking in Pierce's direction with the football.
In many ways, Pierce's game resembles that of ex-Steelers receiver George Pickens. At 6'3 1/8'' and 211 pounds, Pierce is a tall, long receiver who can win contested balls and come down with the football on the sidelines. Pierce also possesses 4.41 speed to go with an impressive 40 1/2'' vertical jump to box out defenders and leap for the football down the field.
So why would the Colts be interested in trading the talented deep threat?
For Indianapolis, the answer is pretty simple: they must find a way to get their investments involved. The Colts handed Michael Pittman Jr. a three-year, $70 million contract during the 2024 offseason, but his quarterbacks only looked his way 111 times last season. Pittman needs to be more involved to justify his $23.3 million per year contract.
Likewise, the Colts invested a second-round pick in Texas's Adonai Mitchell in the 2024 NFL Draft, but Mitchell saw just 55 targets as a rookie and was barely involved on offense. This year, Indianapolis selected Penn State standout tight end Tyler Warren with the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Warren should instantly become the No. 2 option in the passing game.
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Meanwhile, Josh Downs has averaged nearly 800 receiving yards per season in his first two years, and his role in the passing game is increasing. While the Colts may not have one elite option at this point in time, there are simply too many mouths to feed in an offense that heavily features running back Jonathan Taylor.
Instead of hanging onto Pierce in a contract year, knowing he's bound to see a decrease in usage, the Indianapolis Colts could sell high on their speedster wide receiver and try to add some 2026 draft capital in return (of which the Steelers have plenty).
At the cost of an early Day 3 pick, and perhaps a depth receiver in exchange, the Pittsburgh Steelers could find a true outside receiver threat to work opposite DK Metcalf and be a downfield option for Aaron Rodgers.