The under-the-radar player Steelers must target in free agency

The Steelers have a plethora of needs this offseason including offensive tackle, center, cornerback, defensive line, and quarterback. However, one need that very few are talking about is wide receiver.

While the Steelers may not need a top-end player at wide receiver, they are thin at the position and need to add to the position group this offseason. There are numerous options in free agency, and the draft is loaded at the position this year. However, there's one player in free agency who fits the mold of the type of receiver they desperately need, and his name is Tyler Boyd.

Tyler Boyd would be a perfect slot receiver for the Steelers

Diontae Johnson and George Pickens are a strong tandem for the Steelers on the outside at wide receiver. However, after those two, there isn't much depth at the position, and the Steelers lack a true slot wide receiver. Allen Robinson was a dud last year and feels like a lock to get cut to gain additional cap space. Calvin Austin showed flashes last year but appears to be more of a gadget player than a prototypical slot receiver.

Ever since Juju Smith-Schuster left in free agency, the Steelers have been lacking in the slot. While Smith-Schuster wasn't the receiver he was when he first entered the league, he was still an extremely reliable target for his quarterback, with good hands and the ability to make contested catches.

Enter Tyler Boyd, who would fit that role perfectly in Pittsburgh. While not as big as Smith-Schuster, the skill set I just described matches what Boyd is good at. He would fit like a glove in the slot for the Steelers and perfectly complement Johnson and Pickens on the outside.

Boyd would add much-needed depth to a thin position group

Not only would he fit well in the slot, but he also possesses the capability of moving outside if need be. As was shown this year when Johnson went on IR, the team doesn't have another option truly capable of taking on an increased target share at the position, if one of the top two were to go down.

While he has played in the slot the past few seasons in Cincinnati, he has stepped into a starting role whenever Tee Higgins or Ja'Marr Chase have missed any time with an injury. Additionally, Boyd was a starter for the Bengals before they drafted the aforementioned wide receivers, and has two 1000-yard seasons to his name as a starter.

Boyd has familiarity with Pittsburgh as well, as he played at Heinz Field in college as a member of the Pitt Panthers, so signing with the Steelers would serve as a sort of homecoming for him. Add to that taking him away from the rival Bengals, with whom he has had some big games against the Steelers, and it's easy to see why he would be a desirable addition for the Steelers.

Combine those factors with the teams' need to add to depth to the position group, as well as a starting slot receiver, and Boyd is the perfect fit for the Steelers. Boyd will turn 30 next season, so should not come at too steep of a price, which gives the Steelers no excuse to not sign him.