Analyst: George Pickens trade hints AFC foe 'may have stolen' Steelers' guy in draft

The only two wideouts who took a top-30 visit to Pittsburgh, who were also available when the Texans were on the clock, were Jaylin Noel and Savion Williams. Noel ended up being the selection, which means the Steelers could have taken Williams, but ended up going with Johnson. If Noel had fallen to 83, there is a possibility that he would have been taken instead of Johnson. 

It's clear that Pittsburgh wasn't as high on Williams because he was taken with the 87th overall pick, but there is no way to tell if Noel was being eyed up for Pittsburgh's third-round pick. The Steelers could have easily tried to trade Pickens for the Cowboys' third-round pick, which was at 76, and that would have opened up the possibility of taking both Noel at 76 and Johnson still at 83.

Noel would have been a perfect fit alongside DK Metcalf, and the receiving corps would potentially have two legitimate pass-catchers for four years at a minimum. There's no guarantee that Noel will turn into a top-tier wideout, but it sure would feel a lot better following the Pickens trade if there were a rookie to get excited about, though Roman Wilson still has potential.

Pittsburgh doesn't have a long-term answer at quarterback and just traded a talented wide receiver away. There are still more questions than answers, and one of those pressing concerns is that the team didn't draft a wide receiver, potentially already knowing that Pickens would be gone by the time the summer rolled around. There remains a lot of work to be done in the Steel City.