5 wide receiver prospects who would be perfect for Steelers QB Kenny Pickett

With a rookie quarterback and basically a rookie offensive coordinator calling the plays, it’s no wonder that the Pittsburgh Steelers finished near the bottom of the NFL in scoring touchdowns last season.

In fact, only the Indianapolis Colts scored fewer touchdowns in 2022, compiling just 28 (one less than the Steelers). A big reason for that was Pittsburgh’s league-worst 12 receiving touchdowns, three fewer than the next worst team in that category (New York Jets).

While we should expect growth this year with QB Kenny Pickett having a strong finish to last season and OC Matt Canada maturing into his role as well, there are questions about the overall quality and depth of the wide receiver room.

George Pickens was a flat-out BEAST during his rookie season, as the 6-3, 200-pound second-round draft choice proved to be one of the steals of the draft with some amazing acrobatic catches. He led the team with just four receiving touchdowns and 15.4 yards per catch.

Amazingly, George Pickens is the only active wide receiver still with the Steelers that caught a touchdown pass last year

Diontae Johnson, the starter on the other side of Pickens, had a team-leading 86 receptions and 882 receiving yards last season. But the 5-10, 183-pound wideout failed to score a touchdown last year for the first time in his four-year NFL career. He should bounce back from that anomaly.

The Pickens-Johnson duo makes for a solid young pair of starters. But the question now is who will man the slot role, and who will provide depth during the 2023 campaign?

Once Claypool departed, Steven Sims earned most of the starts in the slot. Despite making a huge late-game catch over the middle to help the Steelers keep their game-winning drive going at Baltimore late in the season, Sims finished with just 14 receptions for 104 yards for the entire season and signed with the Houston Texans in free agency.

Fifth-year wideout Gunner Olszewski platooned with Sims at times in the slot, but the 6-0, 190-pound Bemidji State product managed just five receptions for 53 yards last season.

The remaining six wide receivers listed on the current Steelers roster are mostly unproven. 

Sixth-year receiver Anthony Miller has the most experience, as the 5-11, 199-pound veteran out of the University of Memphis was drafted in the second round of the 2018 draft by the Chicago Bears. Miller missed all of last season with an injury but has 17 career starts and 49 games played in the NFL, mostly with the Bears. According to Steelers.com, he's collected 140 receptions for 1,589 yards and 12 TDs during the regular season, including seven scores as a rookie.

Then there's Calvin Austin III, a fourth-round pick out of Memphis last year, who was essentially “red-shirted” as a rookie. The 5-8, 170-pound speedster suffered a pre-season injury that put him on injured reserve for the year. He was highly rated in terms of his athleticism heading into the draft, and as you can see on the chart below, his measurable numbers closely mirror that of 2023 NFL Draft prospects Zay Flowers (Boston College), Josh Downs (North Carolina), Tank Dell (Houston) and Tre Tucker (Cincinnati).

I could be wrong, but considering the measurable trait similarities with Austin, I believe that Flowers, Downs, Dell, and Tucker are not valid options for the Steelers to select in the draft. They already have that type of player in Austin, as well as a veteran presence in Miller.

Which receiver the Steelers select in the upcoming NFL Draft will largely depend on how the draft unfolds. However, I do believe the Steelers will spend one of their draft picks on a wide receiver during the first two days (first three rounds) of the event. They will likely focus on the following five wide receiver prospects, all of whom are perfect fits for the team.