This is the fifth in a series looking at the Steelers by position heading into their 2024 training camp at Saint Vincent College July 24. Today: Wide Receivers
Players (11): George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Roman Wilson, Quez Watkins, Calvin Austin, Scotty Miller, Dez Fitzpatrick, Deuce Watts, Marquez Callaway, Jacob Copeland, Jaray Jenkins
The Steelers have been known for a number of years for being able to draft and develop wide receivers in the mid-to-late rounds as well as any team in the NFL.
From Hines Ward to Antonio Brown to Diontae Johnson, the Steelers have found gems beyond the first round and developed them into high-level receivers.
They hope their latest mid-round find is Roman Wilson, a third-round draft pick this year out of Michigan.
The Steelers traded Johnson in the offseason to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson and a swap of draft picks, necessitating the need to find a starter to work opposite rising star George Pickens.
That could be Wilson, who helped Michigan to a national championship last year when he caught 48 passes for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns in a run-heavy offense.
How quickly Wilson can acclimate to the NFL game will determine how much he contributes as a rookie in 2024.
"I'm all over him," said new Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni. "I have to be. We've got a limited amount of time to get a guy ready to play an NFL football game."
That process will ramp up at training camp, as the Steelers ramp up their preparation across the board for the 2024 season.
In Pickens, the Steelers have a budding star who is entering his third season in the league.
Pickens saw his production jump from 52 catches for 801 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie to 63 receptions for 1,140 yards and five scores in his second season.
With accomplished deep ball thrower Russell Wilson now at quarterback, Pickens, who averaged 18.1 yards per catch in 2023, should get plenty of attention from opposing defenses this season.
But as he heads into his third season, he's also more prepared to take on that role as a true No. 1 receiver.
"It's right there for him," said Azzanni. "We know that's out there for him if he wants it. Now, he's just got to keep stacking the days, and that's my job, too."
Beyond Wilson and Pickens, the Steelers have a number of veteran wide receivers who also are hoping to take a step forward and become more consistent producers at the NFL level.
Leading the way among that group might be third-year player Calvin Austin III. After having his rookie season ruined in 2022 because of a foot injury, the speedy Austin caught 17 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown last season. That touchdown was a 72-yarder that was among the longest scores in the NFL last season.
Austin had a strong spring and the former fourth-round draft pick could be ready to take a much bigger role in 2024.
The other receivers with extensive NFL experience on the roster are largely players the team brought in via free agency this offseason, including Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, Scotty Miller and Marquez Callaway.
All have had some level of success at previous stops.
Jefferson, for example, is a former second-round draft pick of the Rams caught 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns in 2021 for Los Angeles. But injuries have limited him to 44 catches the past two seasons. He was traded to the Falcons midway through last season, where he worked with new Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Miller also played for Smith in Atlanta last season, though his best seasons came in Tampa Bay, where he had 74 catches for 924 yards and four touchdowns over four seasons working mainly as a slot receiver.
Watkins had 43 receptions for 647 yards and a touchdown in 2021 for the Eagles before Philadelphia traded for A.J. Brown, forcing him into a role as the team's No. 3 wideout.
Callaway, meanwhile, had 46 receptions for 698 yards and six touchdowns in 2021 for the Saints.
Figuring out a pecking order among that group will be part of what happens in training camp.
"Things will be worked out in Latrobe and things can always change too," Smith said of the team's receiver group.
After spending much of the 2023 season on the Steelers' practice squad, Dez Fitzpatrick is back at training camp hoping to earn more of a role with the team in 2024, while Deuce Watts also spent the season on the team's practice squad after being waived by the Packers last August at the end of training camp.
The team signed Jacob Copeland and Jaray Jenkins this offseason to futures deals. Copeland spent some time on the Steelers' practice squad last season, while Jenkins went to camp last season with the Jaguars.
