Steelers final report card: Grading each positional group for the 2023 season

Wide receivers: B-

Talent-wise, the wide receivers aren't the issue with the Pittsburgh Steelers' lack of explosive offense. Both George Pickens and Diontae Johnson proved that they can be dynamic with the football in their hands and they have the ability to take over games. The problem was getting consistent and quality targets from their quarterbacks.

Not only that, but the passing concepts in Matt Canada's playbook were a nightmare. The spacing was bad, and there weren't many plays engineered to go over the middle of the field. At the same time, this wide receiver group was far from perfect.

At several points this season, the effort of Pickens and Johnson was questioned after noting some concerning things on film. They turned this around late in the year and this didn't seem to be the case at all to close out the 2023 season, but it was a concern in the middle of the year.

Additionally, the wide receiver depth didn't do much to chip in this year. Allen Robinson II proved that he didn't have much gas left in the tank, while Calvin Austin III was used primarily as a gadget.

Still, even with Diontae Johnson landing on IR with a hamstring injury early in the season, he and George Pickens managed to combine for 114 receptions for 1,857 yards and 10 touchdowns -- which isn't bad, considering Diontae missed four games in 2023. This was a very solid WR pairing that had an uphill battle with subpar QB play and bad play-calling.