The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a similar situation to where the offense was during the 2024 offseason. There was quarterback uncertainty, although it was slightly different as the team had two starting-caliber players at the position on the roster. Currently, it could be argued that the Steelers have zero. Another hot-button issue is the wide receiver room. Pittsburgh did a great job of acquiring DK Metcalf ahead of free agency, but the organization then decided to trade away George Pickens. This is the same spot the Steelers were in going into the 2024 regular season, but hopefully things work out better this time around.
Behind Metcalf, Pittsburgh has a ton of question marks at the wide receiver position. This time around, the organization still has its hopes up for second-year wide receiver Roman Wilson. Wilson essentially took a red-shirt year during his rookie season in 2024 after dealing with ankle and hamstring injuries. He played in one game against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he didn't see the field much and had zero targets.
Team insider Mark Kaboly believes fans should be hopeful about Wilson, and he has high hopes for the young player which he revealed recently on the Kaboly + Mack podcast.
"I would like to see how the Roman Wilsons and Calvin Austins are, if you see a noticeable step forward," Kaboly said. "I think Roman Wilson is gonna look fabulous. You might hear that coming out the first two weeks. 'Oh, Roman Wilson looks like a different guy.' Now, he actually looked like that last year, but he just wasn't able to actually get on the field. I think Roman Wilson will look fabulous out there."
Wilson was getting great reviews out of training camp last season, but he sprained his ankle on the first day of full pads. This forced him to miss all of camp and the preseason, which essentially made it feel like he was behind for the entire year. He was playing well and the wide receiver position felt more solidified with him being expected to make an impact, but fans weren't able to get a solid look at the pass catcher in 2024.
Wilson has some decent similarities when it comes to him and Calvin Austin III, who are both now being relied upon heavily after Pickens was traded away. Austin also missed the entirety of his rookie season due to injury back in 2022, but he has gotten better each year since. He probably surpassed some people's expectations with how he played in 2024, as he tallied over 500 receiving yards, and hopefully Wilson can do the same in 2025.
The young wide receiver was considered a reliable route-runner with sure hands coming out of Michigan, and that is something that Pittsburgh needs. If he can become an impactful target over the middle of the field that can win against a variety of coverages, the offense in Pittsburgh should be improved.
Steelers' Roman Wilson's Role Is Up In The Air
As long as Wilson can stay healthy throughout the offseason and the start of the year, there is no reason that he shouldn't be the second wide receiver on the depth chart for Pittsburgh. Austin has been good over the last two seasons, but Wilson has a more complete game as a wide receiver in the NFL. Aside from those two, Robert Woods should also be able to make some sort of an impact when needed, as well as provide a strong veteran presence in the locker room.
Pittsburgh could still bring in another veteran wide receiver, but as long as Wilson plays like everyone knows he can, the organization should feel comfortable enough to head into the season with the weapons currently on the roster.
What do you expect from Wilson in his second season?
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