The Pittsburgh Steelers are on the hunt to find a receiver to add to their mix at the position. The team traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers earlier this offseason, leaving George Pickens as a clear-cut number-one receiver in the Steel City. Calvin Austin III showed flashes of his potential to take the top off a defense, but wasn't a consistent enough contributor to be counted on. The team has added more depth to the group with Quez Watkins and Van Jefferson, but neither have the track records to jump into a number two role. These circumstances make a wide receiver a place of need for the organization in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith was present at the University of North Carolina's Pro Day in Chapel Hill. While most of the scouts were focused on quarterback Drake Maye, who is expected to be a top pick, Pittsburgh might have been interested in one of Maye's top targets for the 2023 season.
Devontez "Tez" Walker led the Tar Heels in receiving touchdowns in the 2023 season with seven, while putting up 699 yards on 41 receptions. The Charlotte, NC native had a bumpy collegiate career. He initially committed to East Tennessee State out of high school, but a knee injury forced him to defer. He instead signed with NC State, but both the 2020 fall season and the 2021 spring season were canceled at the school due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He moved to a third collegiate program at Kent State. He played two seasons at the school before transferring to UNC. He went through a circus of NCAA transfer protocol, but was finally cleared in October of 2023 to play.
NFL.com draft analyst, Lance Zierlein wrote that Walker is an "all-day vertical target with a long, linear frame and impressive build-up speed to win the footrace." He added that Walker will need a considerable amount of work on his short-area football game, and his lack of route running savviness will make him easy to cover. He noted that he made substantial progress on combat catches, but his physical makeup could make it a challenge at the pro level. Zierlein projects him to be a good backup with the potential to become a starter.
Steelers Coaches Popping Up At Pro Days Across The Country
Smith had a busy day as he visited Duke's Pro Day before making the short trip to UNC. The Steelers are likely interested in Graham Barton's abilities, as he can play multiple positions on the offensive line. Smith was sent to get a read on him, and Barton impressed many with his athletic ability in the cone drill and 40-yard dash.
Inside linebackers coach Aaron Curry was also in attendance at UNC. He was seen running linebacker Cedric Gray through drills. Pittsburgh isn't in dire need of inside linebackers after the acquisition of Patrick Queen, but as they learned last year, you can never have enough depth.
Offensive line coach Pat Meyer was spotted on the other side of the country getting involved in a Pro Day. He ran drills with University of Washington offensive linemen Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten. Fautanu is expected to be one of the top offensive linemen taken in the 2024 NFL Draft and if he falls to the Steelers, it's good that their position coach got a good look at him.
As the front office finishes building their draft board, more Pittsburgh coaches will appear at Pro Days to evaluate prospects. It's just a natural part of the process before the draft gets going in late April.
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