The Steelers made the surprising move to deal away veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson, and now the receiver room has to be in question. While Arthur Smith has never relied on deep receiver rooms and usually featured just one top guy, this depth chart is shallow now. Some talent needs to be added soon.
Unfortunately, the deal for Johnson didn’t result in a flurry of draft picks. Instead, this team got veteran cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth while sending away Johnson and a seventh. With so many other needs, finding a capable receiver is paramount.
Pittsburgh either needs a traditional X receiver to be a one-for-one replacement or a new Z receiver to allow George Pickens to move over to the X. Either way, here are six free-agent receivers the Steelers should sign to replace Johnson.
Steelers could sign Van Jefferson
I’ve highlighted Van Jefferson as a potential receiver to sign for a while now. The Steelers had interest in him before the Rams drafted him, and he fit the potential slot need this team had with the flexibility to play outside.
Now, he could be a low-cost depth player to hold down a spot until a rookie receiver is ready to take over the job. Jefferson got to play with Smith last season, and the results were pretty poor.
That said, he profiles as a viable X receiver that could kick inside if needed. If the goal is to land a receiver early in the draft, Jefferson could do fine in shifting to the third receiver role. He has flashed talent as well, so this could be a bit of a reclamation project as well.