The Pittsburgh Steelers had a few clear weaknesses going into the 2024 season, one of which being the wide receiver room. George Pickens is a budding star in the league at the position and there wasn't much worry surrounding him, but the depth at the position is questionable to say the least. Pittsburgh signed a slew of receivers who shouldn't be considered anything more than a wide receiver three (WR3), including Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller. They also attacked the position in the draft, selecting Roman Wilson in the third round.
Wilson was expected to be relied upon pretty early in his career due to the depth concerns at wide receiver for Pittsburgh. Jefferson has been the WR2 throughout the first two games of the season, and he probably will retain that role in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Wilson suffered an ankle sprain early on in training camp, which has kept him sidelined so far. He is now set to make his debut on Sunday according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
The rookie wide receiver had been a limited participant during practices up until this week of preparation for Los Angeles. He was a full participant on Thursday and Friday, and is now officially off of the injury report. Pittsburgh will likely slowly work the rookie into the game plan, but he should have a chance to be more involved as the season moves along.
The receiver was a standout at Michigan, and is known for being a selfless player. He will be making his debut against his college coach Jim Harbaugh, who was his coach for his entire four-year collegiate career. In his senior season, Michigan went on to win the National Championship, but they relied heavily on the run. Wilson was a team-first player throughout his time at Michigan, and is a good run blocker at the wide receiver position -- which is something Steelers Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith looks for.
Like Michigan, Pittsburgh hasn't put much emphasis on the passing game so far in the 2024 season. Smith is known for his run-heavy offense, but hopefully Wilson will be able to take some of the defensive attention away from Pickens.
Outside of Pickens, the production at the receiver position has been pretty slim. The only other receivers who have caught a pass are Jefferson and Calvin Austin III. The two combined have caught just five passes for 28 yards. If the Steelers want to actually make a run in the playoffs in 2024, they will need a guy like Wilson to step up in the passing game.
Steelers May Take Some Time Before Handing Roman Wilson An Important Role
Surely Wilson will see the field at some point against the Chargers, but he didn't become a full participant in practice until this past week. As a rookie, it will likely take some time for him to adjust to the speed of the NFL, but he has all the talent needed to make an impact. Before suffering his ankle injury early on in training camp, the rookie was making a name for himself. He was impressing early on and making a strong case to be one of Pittsburgh's starting wide receivers.
The rookie was squarely in the competition to be the team's WR2, and he obviously lost the position battle once he went down with his injury. He has a high football pedigree, which was on clear display during his time in college, and he should be an important skill player for the Steelers for years to come once he finds his footing.
