PITTSBURGH — Could the solution to the Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver issues lie within their division? As the Week 8 trade deadline rapidly approaches, the Steelers remain vigilant in searching for a potential wide receiver trade to improve the room. Especially as Calvin Austin III recovers from an upper-body injury, the depth has taken a huge hit in Pittsburgh.
According to a recent trade candidates article from Bradley Locker of PFF, the Baltimore Ravens might have the missing piece for the Steelers. Going through a list of 20 trade candidates, Locker named veteran pass-catcher Deandre Hopkins as a likely candidate to move before Week 8. One of the likeliest landing spots in Locker’s opinion is Pittsburgh. He also named the San Francisco 49ers, the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"Although the Ravens entered play Sunday ranked 22nd in offensive EPA per play, Hopkins has assembled a bounce-back season," Locker wrote. "His 92.7 PFF receiving grade is the second-best among all receivers. On top of that, Hopkins has hauled in five of six contested targets and has yet to drop a pass. Having already suited up for three teams over the last two years, Hopkins could soon call a fourth franchise home."
The Steelers have been connected to virtually every single wide receiver that could possibly be traded. Players like Jakobi Meyers of the Las Vegas Raiders has been a consistent target, just like other pass-catchers like Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed of the New Orleans Saints and most recently Jaylen Waddle of the Miami Dolphins.
Would the veteran Hopkins be the missing piece for the Steelers’ offense? That’s the big question.
To his credit, the 33-year-old Hopkins is having a decent season as he pushes through the twilight of his NFL career. In six games this season, he has nine receptions on 13 targets. He's accumulated 178 receiving yards on those catches and two touchdown passes. His season-best performance came in Week 1, when he hauled in two passes for 64 yards and a score.
The argument against Hopkins, however, is simple. He’s played 184 NFL games and while he is bound for Canton, Ohio as a member of the Football Hall of Fame, it's hard to predict how much tread is left on his tires. He might have some splash plays left in the tank, but could the Steelers rely on him as their wide receiver two in a potential Super Bowl run? Skepticism is very understandable.
As Locker points out, where Hopkins still thrives is in contested catches. While he isn’t generating a ton of looks or warranting more attention in Baltimore, the six times he’s been targeted in difficult situations, he’s been largely successful.
That’s something that would directly translate to the Steelers’ offense. Over their first five games, they’ve had to take chances to move the ball down field beyond 10 or 15 yards. That’s resulted in receivers like Austin and DK Metcalf being put in contested catch situations. Having another sure-handed pass-catcher would surely delight quarterback Aaron Rodgers and help keep the offense on the field.
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