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ESPN: Pittsburgh Steelers counting on breakout season from former Michigan star

Originally posted on Michigan Wolverines on SI
By Chris Breiler | Last updated May 9, 2025 9:19 AM ET

The Steelers are expecting a big jump from former Michigan wideout Roman Wilson as he enters his second season in Pittsburgh. Wilson, who was Michigan's leading receiver during the 2023 national championship run, battled a series of injuries during his rookie season that sidelined him for all but one game. But heading into year 2, the reports out of Pittsburgh are that Wilson looks like a different player.

On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Steelers are counting on Wilson to make a big jump in year 2.

"Team counting on Roman Wilson Year 2 jump," Fowler wrote to his Twitter/X account. "This offseason he looks like a different player than from his injury riddled rookie campaign."

On Pittsburgh's offense, post-Pickens trade:

-#Steelers remain in contact with Aaron Rodgers and are hopeful that he'll be a Steeler. But, as of now, no hard update.
-Team counting on Roman Wilson Year 2 jump. This offseason he looks like a different player than from his…
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 7, 2025

With George Pickens now off to Dallas, there's no question that the Steelers could use a highly productive season from their third round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

During his time at Michigan, Wilson proved himself to be one of the top receivers in a loaded Big Ten conference. He started all 15 games in 2023 and led the Wolverines with 789 yards and 12 touchdowns on 48 receptions. Although those numbers don't necessarily jump off the page, the Michigan offense is known for leaning heavily on the run, meaning it's hard for a wideout to achieve eye-popping numbers. But Wilson certainly passed the eye-test in Ann Arbor, routinely making big time plays when Michigan needed it most. It was that playmaking ability that led the Steelers to use their third round pick on the Michigan product.

If Wilson can remain healthy in 2025, there's no reason to believe he can't continue that production and success from Ann Arbor into Pittsburgh.

This article first appeared on Michigan Wolverines on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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