The Pittsburgh Steelers have a sterling reputation for finding and developing wide receivers. The other part of the equation is that for a long time, the team hasn't used a first-round pick to do so. Santonio Holmes is the most recent Steelers first-round receiver, and that was back in 2006. The team, however, used their first pick of the 2020 NFL Draft on Chase Claypool. Pittsburgh needs to find another pass-catcher to pair with George Pickens, and Assistant General Manager Andy Weidl's past might offer some insight into how aggressive the team might be to get one.
Weidl was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016 until 2022 before Pittsburgh hired him away to be Omar Khan's new assistant. During his tenure with the Eagles, the team wasn't afraid to be aggressive in moves at the wide receiver position.
Mike DeFabo, Steelers beat writer from The Athletic, joined Chris Carter on a recent episode of the Locked On Steelers Podcast to discuss the Steelers' needs for the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. DeFabo highlighted that Weidl was part of an Eagles front office that spent significant draft capital on wide receivers. Weidl is known for his comments about playing a physical brand of football, but the draft boards of the Eagles during his time there suggest a different approach.
"Look at what Andy Weidl did in Philadelphia, and on several instances, they used first-round picks either via trade like AJ Brown, or using your first-round pick to draft a guy," DeFabo said. "There might be something in his philosophy or identity, that in addition to feeling like you need to build the trenches, which he's made very clear, I think he feels a little differently than the previous Steelers regime."
He stated that in the past, the Steelers seemed content to take a flier on later-round receivers and hope that Ben Roethlisberger could turn them into something. It worked for players like Emmanuel Sanders, Mike Wallace, and Antonio Brown.
The Eagles were not afraid to be bold in making moves to acquire pass-catching talent. From 2019 to 2021, the team used either a first-round pick or a second to address the wide receiver position. They've had varying degrees of success with those selections. JJ Arcega-Whiteside was a second-round pick in 2019 and is out of the league after three seasons. Jalen Reagor was chosen with the 21st overall pick in 2020 and was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in the summer of 2022.
DeVonta Smith was selected in the first round in 2021, and the team seems to have hit a home run with the Alabama product. The most aggressive move was made by the team at the 2022 NFL Draft when they traded the 18th overall selection to the Tennessee Titans to acquire AJ Brown.
Steelers Playing A Balancing Act With Finding A Receiver Amongst Other Needs
Pittsburgh signified to anyone watching that they would want to run the ball effectively in 2024 when they hired Arthur Smith as the new offensive coordinator. The former Titans coordinator and Atlanta Falcons head coach's calling card has been a strong run game. To do that, the team needs to be stout on the offensive line and Pittsburgh has holes.
Pittsburgh cut Mason Cole and is currently lacking a starting center. While Nate Herbig is a potential option to fill in, it's unlikely that he will be a long-term solution. Dan Moore Jr. has had his fair share of ups and downs as a starter at the left tackle position as well. The team plans are to have Broderick Jones play on the left side, after spending his rookie season mostly on the right. This suggests that the team will most likely target an early-round tackle in the upcoming draft, given the depth of the class.
The wide receiver class is also said to be a deep one. If Pittsburgh wants a real difference-maker to pair with Pickens, it will likely take a trade-up, but the old approach of taking a flier could be viable.
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