Van Jefferson proving why a Steelers trade for Brandon Aiyuk is unnecessary

The receiver room in Pittsburgh has been one of the major talking points all offseason. From the moment the team parted ways with Diontae Johnson, there has been rampant speculation on who would be the running mates next to George Pickens. In response, the Steelers added a litany of veterans on minimum contracts and drafted a receiver in the third round who was primarily a slot option in school.

This has led to rampant speculation that the team will trade for a receiver, with the primary name being Brandon Aiyuk. The overall deal makes little sense for the Steelers, and while I am skeptical of the room as a whole, there seems to be a small bright spot that isn’t being talked about enough. That player is Van Jefferson, and he could easily play a bigger role than most expected him to.

Jefferson’s time in the NFL has been lackluster. A former second-round pick, he looked like a player on the rise in 2021 with over 800 yards receiving and six scores. He never recaptured that though. An injury-riddled 2022 was mediocre and last year he spent time with both the Rams and Falcons, doing very little with either club.

Jefferson could be in for a huge season for the Steelers

I was higher on the Jefferson signing than most were when the team announced it. In particular, I thought you were getting a player who had had a tough go of things in recent years for a veteran benefit contract. You can’t go wrong with that combo, and I thought he provided a lot more intrigue than either Scotty Miller or Quez Watkins. That said I was skeptical of the overall depth in the receiver room.

Even with Arthur Smith taking over, meaning there would be less focus on the receiver room outside of Pickens, it seemed like a shallow group. You still want a viable second receiver to take that pressure off your top guy, and there are always injuries to worry about. Given his performance in camp and the preseason so far though, it seems like the Steelers may have a diamond in the rough in Jefferson.

That isn’t to say Jefferson is going to suddenly become an elite receiver. What he can become is a quality second target in Smith’s offense. I don’t think he quite eclipses his 2021 mark, but if you extrapolate out his injury-shortened 2022 you can see what seems realistic for him.

Had he maintained his pace that year, he would have put up roughly 37 receptions for 570 yards. Nothing eye-popping, but good enough when you consider how this offense should function. Pickens will be the top dog and will (hopefully) have a huge season. Pat Freiermuth should benefit from the tight-end-friendly system that Smith uses, while the running backs will also contribute through the air while ideally pounding the other defense into submission.

Jefferson becomes the third or fourth option in the passing game, and those numbers are healthy for him in that regard. Add in the occasional big play and score and you have a successful season, especially when you consider his cost.

While the Steelers handed out big money to Patrick Queen while also netting starters on the cheap in DeShon Elliot and Russell Wilson, Jefferson can quickly ascend the ranks and carve out an established role for himself. If he does so, he will be viewed as one of the best acquisitions this past offseason and will be in line for a pay increase in 2025. If he can achieve decent second option numbers, he will have easily proven that a deal for Aiyuk was not needed.