The Pittsburgh Steelers, yet again, have a big hole at wide receiver after trading away George Pickens. The team is hopeful that Roman Wilson or Calvin Austin III could fill that spot, but that feels very much like wishful thinking. Pittsburgh has the draft capital to make a move and now is the time to strike before training camp arrives.
But what receiver would make sense, and who is even available at this point in the offseason? Here is why the Pittsburgh Steelers must acquire Dontayvion Wicks from the Green Bay Packers right now.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must trade for Green Bay Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks
Dontayvion Wicks was a fifth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers during the 2023 NFL Draft and has had some really nice games in the first two years of his career. He’s played just 1,044 offensive snaps in his NFL career, but has already racked up 78 receptions for 996 yards and nine touchdowns as a part-time player.
According to ESPN Analytics, Wicks had the fourth-best “OPEN” score among all wide receivers last season. The only players ahead of him were Malik Nabers, Mike Evans, and A.J. Brown. Not a bad list of receivers, right? He also had a “YAC” score of 56, 18th best among all receivers in the league. And those numbers match what you see on tape. Wicks gets open a ton and is dynamic with the ball in his hands.
So why would a 23-year-old receiver with two years left on his rookie contract be available?
The first reason is that Green Bay has a lot of depth at the position and just used two more top-100 picks on wide receivers in this year’s draft, including the selection of Matthew Golden in Round 1. The other issue is that Wicks drops more than his fair share of passes with nine drops during the 2024 season, according to Pro Football Reference.
Drops can be frustrating, and they can disrupt the flow of an offense, especially if they come on third and fourth down. But Wicks has more than made up for the drops with his big-play potential and ability to create separation with ease. Again, he is a young player who is still trying to become more consistent in the NFL.
It's worth noting that even with a "DROP" score of zero on ESPN, the overall grade for Wicks was a 46 last season, which was tied with Brian Thomas Jr. and Courtland Sutton. He was also ahead of other WR2s such as Jordan Addison (45), Davante Adams (43), and his teammate Jayden Reed (41).
Wicks is a very talented receiver who could quickly become one of the top receivers in the league if he were to cut his drops in half. That is the type of receiver he could be in the NFL if in the right situation.
Pittsburgh has a vertical threat on its roster now with DK Metcalf on board, and the plan is for Wilson and Austin to occupy the slot. What the Steelers need is a Z-receiver who can get open in the middle of the field and beat single coverage. That’s what Wicks can do, and the hope is that he can grow into a bigger role in the right offense.
With the Packers having so many quality receivers on their roster, he might not get the chance or the opportunity to develop correctly. Green Bay might be open to cashing in on their fifth-round pick and picking up another top 100 selection in next year’s draft.
The Steelers have plenty of ammunition to go up and get their quarterback next year, so they might as well use some of that future capital to stabilize their wide receiver corps for whoever is at quarterback this year and whoever is selected in 2026.
Wicks is already a quality player and if he can shore up some of his drop issues, he could become one of the top No. 2 receivers in the league. And for a team that desperately needs a player like him on the roster, this is a move that makes too much sense not to happen.