Steelers news and commentary from Thursday, April 18th

Welcome to the Terrible Towel Tales, where we’ll highlight some of the latest stories permeating Steelers media for your reading pleasure every Monday through Saturday. In today’s news…

Former Steelers Player Predicts QB Change | Stephen Thompson, All Steelers

Former Steelers defensive back Ryan Clark is one of those who believes that backup Justin Fields can and will eventually push starter Russell Wilson for playing time because the younger Fields can push Pittsburgh’s ceiling even higher. Clark also shared some doubts about how far he believes Wilson can carry this team.

“I just think that eventually Justin Fields is going to get his opportunity to play, get his opportunity to start,” Clark said during an appearance on the All Things Covered podcast. “How long can Russell Wilson be the answer? They’re going to have to figure out who their quarterback of the future is, and Justin Fields being that answer solves a lot of problems. But you won’t know that he’s that answer if you shackle yourself to a ‘good enough’ Russell Wilson.”

Former NFL Scout Believes Steelers Should Have Fired Mike Tomlin | Nick Farabaugh, Steelers Now

Speaking on his podcast, Three and Out, John Middlekauff believes that Pittsburgh made the wrong decision in keeping Tomlin and thinks they will hover around the same mark they have been at for the past half-decade.

“I thought they should’ve moved on from Tomlin last year,” Middlekauff said. “Like I said, it’s time for a new start… I think the Steelers are in a little bit of trouble. They’re not going to be terrible, but I kinda view them in the same range they’ve been in.”

Steelers Could Leave Pitt Behind With New Facility | Dominic Campbell, Inside The Panthers

Still, it is likely that if the Steelers choose to build a new practice facility, they would do so without Pitt involved, according to the Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittapaldo.

He also suggested that Pitt needs to move closer to their campus, despite the facility residing less than two miles from the Cathedral of Learning in the Oakland area of the city, plus a lack of land on campus for what the football team needs.

Predicting the Steelers’ draft strategy based on their top-30 visits.

The Steelers’ 2024 pre-draft visits were finalized on Wednesday, leaving them with a total of 36 reported meetings between their top-30 quota and local visits. You can view BTSC’s pre-draft visit tracker for the full list of players (as well as linked draft profiles), but for the sake of this article, here’s the tally by position (offensive line positions are projected):

Offensive tackle: 8
Cornerback: 7
Wide receiver: 7
Defensive line: 6
Center: 5
Linebacker: 2
Guard: 1

Although not official visits, it’s also worth noting that the Steelers have shown some pre-draft interest in players such as Alabama cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry, offensive tackle J.C. Latham, Georgia wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, and Duke defensive back Al Blades Jr., among others. Top-30 visits are important, but they’re not the only sign of draft interest by a team. Still, five of the Steelers’ 2023 pre-draft visits did end up on Pittsburgh’s roster last season.

With the context out of the way, let’s dive into the takeaways:

1. The Steelers and the fans see the same draft needs

In years past, there’s seemingly been a disconnect between the positions the Steelers are prioritizing in the upcoming draft and what the fans want. This year, it’s a little different. If you ask a fan what the team’s top needs are, you’ll hear some order of offensive line, cornerback, wide receiver, and defensive line. If you look at the Steelers’ pre-draft visits, you’ll see all but two are devoted to those positions.

While there will be disagreements regarding the team’s hierarchy of needs (as well as how the draft falls), there’s no reason not to expect the Steelers to spend the vast majority of their picks on those positions. For once, everyone seems to be on the same page.

2. A double-dip at cornerback could be coming

Early in the offseason, there was a lot of talk regarding the Steelers potentially picking two wide receivers in the upcoming draft. However, with the free agent signings of Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins, the Steelers seem to have filled out the bottom of the receiver room and seem to be content with letting a mid-round pick or free agent/trade candidate fill the remaining spot on the depth chart.

On the other hand, the Steelers lost nearly all of their cornerback depth in free agency, and besides the trade for Donte Jackson, they haven’t made much of an effort to replenish the depth. With seven pre-draft visits at the position (tied for second-most), and a wide range of players met with — early, middle, and late-round prospects, slot and boundary skillsets — the team seems poised to draft two cornerbacks at some point in the upcoming draft.

3. The Steelers don’t have a type at wide receiver

We’ve heard nonstop this offseason about the Arthur Smith offense and his preferred genre of wide receiver: big, fast boundary weapons in the A.J. Brown mold. However, the Steelers’ pre-draft visits have shown the team has an interest in a wide variety of play styles. There are some who fit the description, like Texas’ Adonai Mitchell and South Carolina’s Xavier Legette, but there’s also some of smaller, shifty types like Florida’s Ricky Pearsall and USC’s Tahj Washington, as well as a stocky slot weapon in WKU’s Malachi Corley.

Furthermore, the Steelers’ aforementioned free agent wideout pickups in Jefferson and Watkins show that the team isn’t as attached to the idea of “Arthur Smith wide receivers” as many believe. Expect Pittsburgh to focus more on talent than scheme fit at wide receiver in the upcoming draft.

4. Linebacker could be a sneaky draft need

We’ve already established the big four draft needs: offensive line, cornerback, wide receiver, and defensive line. More accurately, it’s five if you separate offensive tackle and center. However, with seven total picks in the upcoming draft, the Steelers could be drafting another position, even if they double-dip at wide receiver or corner.

If that’s the case, expect that sixth position to be linebacker. Despite the big-name free agent signing of Patrick Queen, the Steelers still have some question marks at linebacker, and their only two draft visits that weren’t linemen, receivers, or corners were spent at at the position, with Michigan’s Junior Colson and NC State’s Payton Wilson meeting with the team. Even more surprising? Neither player is a projected late-round pick, meaning the Steelers could potentially address inside linebacker sometime on Day 2 or early Day 3.

5. The Steelers’ top priority is improving at offensive tackle

Pittsburgh has shown some pre-draft interest in projected first-rounders at defensive line, cornerback, wide receiver, and even center. But the vast majority of their visits with early-round prospects have been spent at offensive tackle: Taliese Fuaga, Troy Fautanu, Tyler Guyton, Blake Fisher, and Amarius Mims. Pittsburgh has shown some interest in just about every tackle who could be available at pick No. 20. While the Steelers could go a number of directions with their first round pick depending on how the board falls, it seems clear that the team’s top priority is at offensive tackle.

Another observation? All the prospects mentioned above project best at right tackle in the NFL (perhaps with the exception of Fautanu), as do the majority of the late-round tackle prospects the Steelers have scouted. While part of it is due to left tackles generally being selected higher than Pittsburgh’s draft range, it does seem to indicate that the Steelers plan on moving Broderick Jones back to left tackle in the 2024 season.

What trends have you noticed in the Steelers’ pre-draft visits? Let us know in the comment section below!

Arthur Smith is about to go bombs away with the Steelers’ offense

While the focal point of the Steelers’ hiring of Arthur Smith is what the run game will look like- specifically heavier personnel, an offensive line that will have at least one new starter, and a healthy dose of both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.

However, the passing game will look a lot different, as well, as I covered more in depth earlier this week.

Specifically, the deep passing game is going to be a more integral focus for the Steelers, and George Pickens will benefit greatly from it.

Ryan Tannehill’s production with Arthur Smith

If we look at the 2019 Titans, Arthur Smith’s first season as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator (and the season in which the Titans went to the AFC Championship Game), their downfield passing game was amongst the best in football. Their ability to set up second-and-short situations with their run game was the perfect compliment to Ryan Tannehill and the play action pass game. Tannehill was third in the NFL in completion percentage on passes that came off play action on second down (min. 25 attempts), per Sports Info Solutions. He was also second in on-target percentage and yards per attempt in that situation. Overall on play action that season, Tannehill was second amongst all quarterbacks in completion percentage and touchdown percentage (min. 25 attempts). He was also fourth in average throw depth, meaning the Titans were launching the ball downfield frequently off play action- enter A.J. Brown.

Brown had 15 receptions of 20 or more yards, and 11 receptions of 30 or more yards (3rd in the NFL), and he led the league in receptions of 40 or more yards with eight. This was the formula for the Titans’ success- ground and pound early to set up short-yardage situations and force defenses into heavier box sets. Smith tried to do the same thing in Atlanta, but didn’t have the quarterback to do it successfully.

The Falcons’ QB woes hurt Smith’s offense

Last year, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke combined for 154 pass attempts off play action. Combined, that would put them at fourth in the NFL behind Jared Goff, Dak Prescott, and Tua Tagovailoa. They completed about 62 percent of their passes off play action, which collectively place them around 33rd in the NFL. So it’s not as if Smith wasn’t trying to do what was proven to work with the Titans, he just didn’t have the guys under center to make it work. Out of 45 quarterbacks with at least 25 passes off play action, Ridder and Heinicke were 40th and 42nd, respectively, in catchable pass percentage as well as 26th and 38th in passer rating off play action. For comparison, Russell Wilson was 12th in passer rating off play action. This also leans into what many Steelers fans have been saying to those on the outside- Pittsburgh’s new offense doesn’t need Wilson, or Justin Fields for that matter, to all of a sudden become top 10 quarterbacks, they just need them to be competent in order for the offense to have consistent success.

The Steelers are going to live off play action this season, and prey on teams on second down and short. Which means Smith will be trying to make George Pickens his A.J. Brown. And if Pickens has proven anything, it’s that he can secure those deep shots when his number is called. So while we have grown painfully used to short throws and basic schematics, the 2024 Steelers are going to play bombs away football in the passing game. If executed properly, it will lead to Pittsburgh having one of the best deep ball attacks in the NFL, and won’t that be refreshing?

Tackle, center and cornerback could all be in play for the Steelers in Round One. Get three mocks for the price of one as we examine the possibilities.

The NFL Draft is officially one week away. Months of analyzing prospects, tracking team officials’ travel plans and obsessing over player visits is about to be paid off over the course of three days. The excitement is real, can you feel it?

By now, it’s become clear four positions are serious areas of need: right tackle, center, cornerback and wide receiver. Taking a look at the Steelers’ official pre-draft visits, it’s clear the front office feels the same way.

Nothing is more emblematic of draft season than the mock draft. As a new contributor here at Behind The Steel Curtain, I’m a bit late to the mock game. So what better way to catch up to Mike and Jarrett’s excellent work than doing three mocks in one article?

I firmly believe Pittsburgh will not draft a wideout in the first round. That just isn’t their style. The Steelers drafted Chase Claypool with their first selection in 2020, but that was at pick 49. Prior to that, the last Steeler drafted in the first round was Santonio Holmes in 2006. That leaves center, corner and tackle as first-round targets.

With that in mind, I fired up PFF’s mock draft simulator to see how the Steelers’ draft might shake out in each scenario. No trades were executed in this exercise as I wanted to see how the board would shake out organically.

Scenario One: The Steelers Draft A Tackle

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images

Pick 1.20: Olumuyiwa Fashanu

Heading into this mock with the goal of drafting a tackle, I prepared myself to select Georgia’s Amarius Mims or maybe Alabama’s JC Latham. The tackle class this year is deep and several teams have an obvious need for one. What each of those teams values in a prospect could drastically shake up the board.

In this mock, the Steelers see Mims head to the rival Bengals at 18 and the Rams scoop up Latham directly ahead of Pittsburgh’s selection. This made Fashanu the easy choice with five tackles already off the board and a significant tier drop to Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton or Arizona’s Jordan Morgan as alternatives.

The Steelers’ war room should feel ecstatic if Fashanu falls into their laps. Fashanu entered the 2023 season as many experts’ top-ranked tackle in the 2024 class. In most draft classes, a prospect of his caliber would have no shot making to Pittsburgh at 20, but they benefit here from the depth of tackle talent available this year and perhaps a bit of prospect fatigue.

Based on how the team handled Broderick Jones last season, there’s a good chance Fashanu would start the year on the bench before eventually overtaking Dan Moore Jr. What would be interesting to see is which side Pittsburgh elects to put him on. If they were to land someone like Mims or Latham, moving Jones back to the left side would almost certainly remain the plan. But with Fashanu — who exclusively played left tackle in college — I’d be curious to see if the team would elect to keep Jones on the right side.

Pick 2.51: Ricky Pearsall, Florida

Heading into the second round, I knew I wanted to address another one of the Steelers glaring needs, whether that was at center, wide receiver or cornerback.

In PFF’s simulator, the big three centers — Duke’s Graham Barton, Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier — were all off the board by pick 51 and I didn’t care for the available cornerbacks at that price. Historical precedent says that it’s unlikely all of those centers will be off the board in the real draft, but we’re playing with the cards we’re dealt here and it does make finding a center an interesting problem for us to address later.

I was hoping one of three wideouts would drop to Pittsburgh in this range: Florida’s Ricky Pearsall, South Carolina’s Xavier Legette or Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk. Fortunately both Pearsalll and Legette were still available. I elected to go with Pearsall, who compares well to the departing skill set of Diontae Johnson, but with better hands. Like Johnson, Pearsall is more quick than fast, but he has an uncanny knack for attacking space and creating difficult pursuit angles for defenders once the ball is in his hands.

If the Steelers make no other big moves at wide receiver, Pearsall would find himself in prime position to seize playing time in the slot and as the Z receiver. If the Steelers trade for a player — like Brandon Aiyuk or Courtland Sutton — that would spell a primarily slot role for Pearsall.

Pick 3.84: Khyree Jackson, Oregon

Pick 3.98: Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

With tackle and wideout taken care of with the first two picks, finding the Steelers a center and a running mate for Joey Porter Jr. were both top priorities.

Khyree Jackson was my highest ranked corner remaining at pick 84. Jackson stands just under 6’4” with similar length and speed to Porter. I’d expect Jackson to start the year getting a few subpackage snaps a game, but he should have every chance to earn playing time over Donte Jackson who is due to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025.

Sedrick Van Pran may not get the same shine as the top center prospects in the class, but he is at the top next tier after Frazier. he was the starting center for two national championship teams and is a feisty run blocker. to be the Steelers starting center right away. I’d still like to see the Steelers bring in a vet to compete with him in camp and make him earn the job.

Full mock:

Pick 4.119: Maason Smith, LSU

Pick 6.178: M.J. Devonshire, Pittsburgh

Pick 6.195: Bub Means, Pittsburgh

With their remaining three picks I have the Steelers selecting a potential successor to Cam Heyward and then dipping back into the cornerback and wideout pool with a couple of local prospects.

Maason Smith has been frequently linked to the Steelers during the draft cycle and both Assistant GM Andy Weidl and defensive line coach Karl Dunbar were at his pro day. Barring an impressive showing at summer camps, I’d expect for Smith to be on the shelf for the first half of the season if not most of his first year in the league. The Steelers will likely get him snaps as the season wears on, but this same team didn’t give Cam Heyward a start until his third year in the league. He’ll play when they think he’s ready and not a moment sooner.

M.J. Devonshire doesn’t have the same height as Porter and Khyree Jackson, but he has the same long arms the Steelers covet and comparable 4.45-speed. Some experts project him as needing to be kicked into the nickel at the pro level, and that’s just fine for the Steelers who have not had a consistent option at the position since Mike Hilton left. Like most sixth-round picks, Devonshire would not have a guaranteed spot on the roster, but the Steelers current lack of depth beyond Porter and Donte Jackson — as well as Khyree Jackson in this mock — would present Devonshire an opportunity to make the active roster.

Bub Means would find himself in a similar situation. He’d likely need to impress during training camp and the preseason, but could slot in as the fourth or fifth receiver for Pittsburgh this season.

Scenario Two: The Steelers Draft A Corner

Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Steelers began rebuilding the cornerback group last year when they drafted both Porter and Cory Trice Jr. Porter had an impressive rookie season and could be a budding star but, unfortunately, Trice missed the season due to injury. He’s back participating in the offseason program, but without seeing him yet on an NFL field it’s hard to bank on him being a success. In fact, the entire depth chart behind Porter and Jackson is a bit scary at the moment. That’s why the Steelers shouldn’t be afraid to invite as much competition at the position as possible. In this scenario

Pick 1.20: Cooper DeJean, Iowa

When the Steelers pick was up in this mock, Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell and Alabama’s Terrion Arnold were long gone, but the corner with possibly the best ball skills in the class remains on the board. The Steelers recently had DeJean in for a pre-draft visit and it’s easy to see why. DeJean is rocked up for a defensive back and is versatile enough to play outside, nickel and safety. He recorded seven interceptions in his college career, returning three for touchdowns and adding a punt return touchdown this past season. He’s played gunner on special teams and isn’t afraid to mix it up in the backfield in run defense. If you have a job, DeJean can do it for you.

DeJean is better in zone coverage, but he can hold his own in man against most wideouts. Some of the twitchier wideouts can give him trouble, but the Steelers can gameplan around that, especially with DeJean and Minkah Fitzpatrick as versatile chess pieces to move around the field. I’d expect DeJean to see the most playing in the nickel with Donte Jackson or the corner I select in the third round to get most of the snaps outside.

Pick 2.51: Kingsley Suamataia, BYU

In our first mock we went wideout at this pick but, this time around, the wide receiver group had been thoroughly picked over, with Western Kentucky’s Malachai Corley as the best available. That felt a little rich for me with some of the other talent on the board at other positions. The big three centers were gone as well, so instead I looked to tackle and selected BYU’s Kinsley Sumataia.

Sumataia is an uber-athletic tackle with prototypical size, power and good movement skills. He’s also cousins with All-Pro Penei Sewell, giving him the NFL bloodline the Steelers have been known to covet.

Sumataia has some things to clean up in his game, primarily his punches. I’d expect the Steelers would stick with their slow and steady approach and not rush to name him starter.

Pick 3.84: Khyree Jackson, Oregon

Pick 3.98: Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

We’ve already discussed these prospects, but I felt like they presented the best options again based on how the board fell. At wide receiver, Washington’s Jalen McMillan and Virginia’s Malik Washington were the best available. I considered them, as well as a few linebackers, but ultimately felt like doubling down on corner was too good to pass up on.

With DeJean kicking inside to nickel for Pittsburgh, Khyree Jackson would hope to eventually supplant Donte Jackson and give the Steelers a tantalizing trio of young corners. I might be galaxy-braining this, but something in my primal football brain is deeply satisfied thinking of the possibilities with DeJean, Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliot all being capable of playing multiple positions while Porter and Jackson lock down the boundaries.

Full mock:

Pick 4.119: Luke McCaffrey, Rice

Pick 6.178: Khristian Boyd, Northern Iowa

Pick 6.195: Sataoa Laumea, Utah

If you’re yelling at me through your screen right now because I didn’t address wideout until Day Three — I get it. If there is a flaw with my strategy in this mock, it’s that the Steelers don’t come away with any of the top receivers available during the first two days. In this scenario, we’ll just pretend Pittsburgh found a way to swing a deal for either San Fransico’s Brandon Aiyuk or Denver’s Cortland Sutton and they were able to do it with picks from 2025. Nothing says the trades HAVE to happen before or during the draft.

With one of those receivers manning the number two spot, there would be much less pressure on McCaffrey to make any kind of immediate impact. But as far as projects go, McCaffrey is an intriguing one. He’s another wideout that is more agile than fast, not that his 4.46-speed is anything to sneeze at. McCaffrey would make a second pick this draft with NFL bloodlines, as McCaffrey is the younger brother of San Fransico’s Christian McCaffrey and the son of three-time Super Bowl champ Ed McCaffrey. Having only played wideout for two season, Luke McCaffrey would be a developmental project with hopes of developing into a possession slot receiver.

By choosing to go wideout in the fourth round, I touched on all of the Steelers biggest needs before the long wait for pick 178 in the sixth round. With the final two picks I went with an intriguing interior disrupter in Northern Iowa’s Khristian Boyd and a player that I think PFF’s mock is undervaluing in Utah’s Sataoa Laumea. Boyd is a nose tackle who would push Montravius Adams for the backup role and Laumea is best suited to play guard and compares favorably to Isaac Seumalo.

Scenario Three: The Steelers Draft A Center

Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

With none of the big three surviving until Pittsburgh’s second-round pick in either of our first mocks, I was intrigued to see how much things would change if the Steeles committed to getting their center on the first night of the draft. I don’t need to beat around the bush here, we all know there are no centers on the team presently.

Pick 1.20: Graham Barton, Duke

Early on in the draft cycle, Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson would have been my pick here. But as time went on and I dug further into his game, the more it became clear to me that if the Steelers want a player with the best chance at manning the center position for a decade, Barton was that guy.

There have been some who have expressed concern that Barton only played center during his freshman season. There have even been some among the ranks of Steelers fans invoking the name of Kendrick Green as a cautionary tale of a center-convert who didn’t work out. I hear those concerns, but with no disrespect to Green, Barton is a player on a wholly different level.

Barton is nasty in the run game and while he would sometimes struggle against longer defenders in the passing game as a tackle, he wouldn’t face the same problems in the middle of the line. Barton really only kicked out to tackle for Duke because he was their best available option and talented enough to do it despite not having the typical length that position requires. He also doesn’t come with the same medical concerns that Powers-Johnson and Frazier do.

Barton is a day-one starter for the Steelers.

Pick 2.51: Kingsley Suamataia, BYU

Pick 3.84: Jalen McMillan, Washington

With center taken care of and another run on receivers, I went back to the well and scooped up Suamataia.

Taking center in the first also meant I didn’t have to dedicate a third-round selection towards the position anymore. I used that to bring Washington’s Jalen McMillan to Pittsburgh as a replacement to Diontae Johnson.

McMillan can play both the slot and out wide, but inside is where he is best. He isn’t the flashiest or sexiest player, but he has fantastic hands and a knack for bailing his quarterback out on inaccurate passes.

McMillan would push to start in the slot immediately.

Pick 3.98: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech

If our previous mock meant the Steelers had to get creative at wideout, the same could be said about this mock and the corner position.

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson is listed as a safety and could fill that role for the Steelers. In this scenario, I’m envisioning him taking up the nickel role for the black and yellow.

Here he is at Shrine Game practices going one-on-one against Virginia’s Malik Washington, the NCAA leader in receptions in 2023.

Taylor-Demerson would give the Steelers another versatile defensive back and could move back to safety in 2025 if Pittsburgh decides to move on from DeShon Elliott.

Full mock:

Pick 4.119: Cedric Gray, North Carolina

Pick 6.178: Tayvion Robinson, Kentucky

Pick 6.195: M.J. Devonshire, Pitt

With the final three picks of this exercise, the Steelers get a rangy linebacker and double dip at the receiver and cornerback positions.

North Carolina’s Cedrick Gray size is typical of modern linebacker prospects. Weighing 238 pounds, Gray plays fast and is in his element when he is allowed to chase and run. He’s on the shorter side at 6’1” but has above-average arm length and wingspan, which he uses to his advantage in pass coverage. Gray would likely be a special teamer in 2024 with opportunities to climb the linebacker depth chart should he stick on the roster and develop.

Kentucky’s Tayvion Robinson feels spiritually like the closet replication of the departed Johnson. He’s a slender receiver who is just so smooth after the catch. Perhaps one important difference from Johnson, there won’t be any questions about his willingness to block.

We’ve already discussed Devonshire previously and in this mock I was able to wait and still secure him with the Steelers last pick.

What do you think? Which of these mocks was your favorite? Did I crush it as armchair GM or would my picks have you yelling at the TV on draft night? Let us know in the comments!

Get your questions in

The NFL Draft begins next Thursday night (it’s about time).

With that in mind, it’s the last chance to get your draft-related questions in this offseason. Of course, questions not pertaining to the draft are also more than acceptable, as I, too, am tired of mock drafts taking up all of my social media feeds.

So, submit your questions and return tomorrow to have them answered.

Questions can be submitted in the comment section of this post. Thank you to the BTSC community for the continued support.

Examining all of the issues surrounding the trade decision

There’s been much written about the rumors of the Steelers acquiring WR Brandon Aiyuk via trade. The discussion of such a potential move, whether it is Aiyuk or some other option, revolves around a few basic arguments. I will try to address those arguments from a pro-trade perspective.

Issue: Arthur Smith’s offense doesn’t throw enough passes to need two high-caliber WRs.

Response: Smith’s offenses over his five seasons as offensive coordinator and head coach have been centered on the run game without a doubt. He has never had an offense that attempted more passes than the league average. This past season, Atlanta averaged 31.2 attempts per game while 35.6 would have ranked No.10 league-wide. That’s only 4.4 less attempts per game from being one of the more “pass-happy” teams in the NFL. Those averages vary by game situation. In the three games that the Falcons won by two scores (9 or more points), they attempted 24.0 compared to 32.7 in the 14 other games. Now, if you can convince me that the Steelers will have a ridiculous amount of two-score victories, I’ll concede that a solid WR duo isn’t that necessary.

In the non-two-score games, Smith’s offenses vary their amount of passing based on the caliber of QB. When there was no reason to trust the guys throwing, they were asked to throw less.

33.7 (2021) attempts per game for Matt Ryan who has a league MVP to his credit.

32.7 (2023) for the combo of second-year Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke who was coming off of 25 starts over the previous two seasons.

32.6 (2020) for Ryan Tannehill, a starter for a decade.

32.0 (2019) when Tannehill took over mid-season after Marcus Mariota was benched.

24.7 (2022) for Mariota who hadn’t thrown a pass in two years and rookie Ridder off of the bench.

Issue: With Smith’s use of multi-TE sets, Pat Freiermuth can act as a slot WR.

Response: Freiermuth is known for his receiving much more than the ability to block as an inline TE. Splitting him away from the OL is an effective way of utilizing his skills. Having a power-running game with George Pickens out wide and Freiermuth in the slot is something I expect to see a lot this season. It’s all fine and dandy until you are trailing late in a game and have to throw. Then the defense only has to worry about Pickens. Freiermuth, and either the potential of a rookie or one of the other current Steeler WRs who might not even be good enough to make the final 53-man roster. Good luck getting chunk plays. I would kindly describe that scenario as “less than ideal”.

Issue: The Steelers are so good at drafting WRs that they don’t need to trade for one.

Response: The most recent Steeler WR draft picks were Pickens, Calvin Austin, Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, and James Washington. Pickens and Johnson are very good, but the other 3 combined for 25 catches in 2023 and only Claypool’s 46 catches in 2022. A 40 percent draft hit rate at the position is not what the Steelers should rely on. You could travel back in time about a decade and see the WR draft glory days, but that doesn’t help in 2024.

The NFL as a whole doesn’t do any better. In 2019 N’Keal Harry was drafted ahead of Deebo Samuel and AJ Brown then Andy Isabella and JJ Arcega-Whiteside ahead of DK Metcalf, Diontae Johnson, and Terry McLaurin. In 2020 it was Henry Ruggs and Jalen Reagor ahead of Justin Jefferson, Aiyuk, and Tee Higgins. Picking the right receiver just isn’t that easy.

Issue: Pickens is so talented and the run game is so strong that any decent WR will flourish.

Response: To date, Pickens has shown he can do remarkable things sometimes when he is NOT the main focus of the defense. Though they are very different players, it feels like a JuJu Smith-Schuster sequel at this point. Pickens hasn’t had to carry the burden of being the top target in the passing game. Asking him to do the heavy lifting could very well backfire if he is constantly covered by double-teams as safeties have nobody else to fear.

Issue: The Steelers don’t pay big money to WRs. They believe in drafting them to be able to use their money elsewhere.

Response: The Steelers paid Antonio Brown big money after first offering that money to Mike Wallace. Then the Steelers paid Brown bigger money on his next contract. Diontae Johnson was given a second contract at a high price. At some point, the Steelers will have to either pay market pricing for offensive playmakers again or master the art of trying to win games without scoring many points. Future cap space is wide open to taking on a huge contract.

Issue: The Steelers believe in their culture and prefer to pay top dollar only for their own drafted players, not those from some other franchise.

Response: In the past three off-seasons, the Steelers have signed some of the top available outside free agents at their positions in James Daniels, Isaac Seumalo, and Patrick Queen. These are not your father’s Steelers anymore.

Issue: The draft pick expense of any potential trade is just too high to even consider.

Response: The rumored asking price for Aiyuk may sound high, but look at what other WR trades have been done for and consider that he is not the only option. Stefon Diggs has been a 1,000-yard WR for six years straight with four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro season. He is 30 but has no injury concerns. Diggs was traded for the value of a late 3rd-round pick. Keenan Allen has six 1,000-yard seasons on the back of his trading card as well and is coming off a season where he posted 108 catches, 1243 yards, and 7 TDs. At 31 with a recent history of missing around 3 games per season, Allen was traded for pick No.110 this year. How these relate to a much younger Aiyuk is unclear but other trade candidates are being tossed into the rumor mill. If you believe there could be fire when you see smoke, Courtland Sutton has joined Tee Higgins as a possibility. Higgins going within the division is highly unlikely, but his trade request reflects that league-wide WR supply isn’t limited to Aiyuk. There should also be a few teams willing to part with a veteran on draft day if they land their desired rookie.

Issue: The Steelers aren’t just a WR away.

Response: The Steelers are definitely a WR away— away from being able to evaluate their QBs. With no QB under contract for 2025, this is a season where the Steelers need to evaluate whether or not to extend Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields. Putting a QB out there with an incomplete WR corps, or gambling on a rookie, risks adding questions instead of answers for what to do going forward with the most important position in sports.

Issue: The Steelers have other top needs and can’t afford to lose top draft picks in a trade.

Response: Trading for an established WR definitively fills one hole on the roster. Drafting one might, but might not. There is also the possibility of trading away a high pick but getting back a still-valuable lower pick with a WR. Depending on how high the Steelers want to aim, perhaps it’s trading away the 1st rounder and getting back a 2nd, or trading away the 2nd rounder and getting back a 3rd. In such a case they have filled one hole and haven’t lost any of the quantity of valuable picks they began with. They could still address the same number of needs as they could without making a trade, just at a lower (but still high) draft position. It’s almost like killing two birds with one stone in a year where they have a lot of birds to kill.