The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense is going to look a lot different this upcoming season. There will be new faces at quarterback, offensive coordinator, and the offensive line -- which is a good thing. Those three positions were arguably the three biggest weaknesses on the offensive side of the ball and maybe even the biggest weaknesses on the entire team. It's hard to say if wide receiver was truly a weakness last season or if the group was affected by poor quarterback play and play-calling, but the group is certainly weaker now than they were last season.
The Steelers traded Diontae Johnson, which left a void at wide receiver. George Pickens looks primed for a breakout season as the team's number one wide receiver, but there's no true second wide receiver behind him. When the Steelers drafted Roman Wilson in the third round, fans were quick to slot him in as the team's wide receiver two. Wilson had a good career at Michigan and has the potential to be a really good receiver in the NFL, but we might have forgotten that he is still a rookie third round pick. The initial expectation for Wilson to come in and be a major contributor seems a little bit unfair.
That's not to say that Wilson won't see the field this season or make plays to contribute, but as of right now, it's too early to expect him to come in and fill the void left by Johnson. Brian Batko was asked in his 6/17: Steelers Chat about his expectations from Wilson this season.
"Frankly, Roman Wilson didn't look quite as ready to contribute as I expected. Maybe that's just a good reminder he's a rookie and most of them have growing pains."
Due to the Steelers' lack of a wide receiver two, Wilson was receiving expectations of a first or second round receiver by Steelers fans to come in and contribute right away. Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith may have had more reasonable expectations for the rookie and will surely help him work through his growing pains in training camp. Not every rookie is ready to be a major contributor from the jump. 2023 first-round pick, Broderick Jones played well last season, but he had his share of growing pains too.
Steelers' Rookie Roman Wilson Needs To Adjust To The Speed Of The NFL
The transition from college football to the NFL is a huge leap. Wilson played at the highest level of college football with Michigan where he won a National Championship, but the Big Ten isn't the NFL. Wilson will have to adjust to the speed and physicality of professional football and it won't happen overnight. He's now seen a glimpse of the NFL through offseason workouts and will get another opportunity to adjust to the speed of professional football in training camp.
Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller and Calvin Austin III might need to step up while Wilson adjusts to playing in the NFL. Austin III has looked impressive throughout offseason workouts and has stepped up as a leader in the wide receivers group. Austin III is heading into his third season with the team and hasn't done a whole lot up to this point, but this could be the year he puts it all together. If none of those veteran receivers can step up and be a quality second option, the Steelers will just have to run the ball and work off of good play-action pass concepts.
In Wilson's final season at Michigan, he had 48 receptions for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns in a run-heavy offense. It's not impossible for Wilson to put up similar numbers with the Steelers in his rookie season, but it would be ridiculous to expect that. Wilson can make an impact with his ability to block and work from the slot in his rookie season, but for now, he can't be counted on to match his college production.
