Roman Wilson Can Raise the Ceiling Of the Steelers’ Offense
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers training camp has involved a lot of chatter about Russell Wilson’s calf injury, which creates a bit more of a quarterback battle with Justin Fields than what we expected. The real story doesn’t start at the beginning of the passes, though, but at the end. Whether it’s Wilson or Fields who starts, they’ll need quality wide receivers at their disposal. It’s only been a few days of practicing, but rookie Roman Wilson has already made a case for himself to become a quality playmaker in the first year.
Wilson played in a run-first offense with the Michigan Wolverines, so the buzz wasn’t there as one of the top receivers in the draft class. Still, the Steelers saw enough in him to take 84th overall. Heading into camp, George Pickens is cemented as the No. 1 receiver on this roster, but the rest of the depth chart is full of unproven players. According to multiple reporters at camp, Wilson has gotten off to an early lead for that No. 2 spot. The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly wrote the following about the former All-Big Ten selection.
“Rookie receiver Roman Wilson had easily his best day of training camp Saturday, showing that he’s not only dependable but also versatile. He made a different variety of catches from Fields and Kyle Allen on multiple route concepts.”
Kaboly went on to describe the signature plays for Wilson thus far. “Wilson [was] in the slot to the right of Fields in a third-and-8 situation. Wilson blew past rookie slot corner Beanie Bishop Jr. and made a twisting catch near the sideline for 28 yards. It was a perfect throw by Fields, but Wilson’s speed was undeniable. Later, he ran a crosser from the slot and was able to turn it up the field for 20 yards. Maybe the Steelers don’t need to add a WR2 after all?”
After practice, Wilson spent some extra time getting pointers from Russell Wilson and tight end Pat Freiermuth. Roman has mostly taken second-team reps with a couple of first-team reps have been sprinkled in. It hasn’t seemed to matter who he is taking snaps with, though; the media and the fans have taken notice.
While at Michigan, Wilson wasn’t tested with his route-running, but if the first couple days of training camp are any indication, he can play at all three wide receiver positions. Even leading up to camp, there wasn’t much chatter that Wilson would ascend to the No. 2 spot so quickly. It seemed like his run-first offense in college might have meant he’d need to take a couple of years before shining. Veterans like Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Quez Watkins, and even Scotty Miller were getting more buzz than Wilson.
Not anymore. It hasn’t just been the fans who have taken notice; the players have, too, including fellow wideout Austin III, who had a perfect phrase to describe the rookie. “That boy a dog. I said that back in OTAs. He’s very competitive. He’s asking the right questions. He’s pushing himself out there on the field. He’s going to be a big addition to our offense.”
On paper, the Steelers might not have looked like the sexiest organization at wide receiver, especially with an uncertain quarterback picture. Looking back at recent history, though, it shows that the Steelers do a good job of developing wide receivers. Antonio Brown was a sixth-round pick during the 2010 NFL Draft but quickly developed into one of the best pass-catchers in the league at the time. Diontae Johnson (third round, 2019), Martavis Bryant (fourth round, 2014), and even Pickens (52 overall, 2022) are other wide receivers who’ve developed into solid pros after not being selected top picks in their draft.
A quarterback battle is always exciting to talk about, the winner won’t matter if there’s no one but Pickens to throw to. Unless someone steps up, life will be very hard for Russell Wilson or Fields. Maybe it’s a bit premature to get excited about Roman Wilson. Training camp is still in the early stages, and we haven’t seen him in preseason action. But at this point, it’s better to hear that a player is ahead of schedule rather than already falling behind. If the version of Roman Wilson we’re seeing now is what he’ll be in 2024, he’ll be a huge boost for whoever the Steelers decide to start at quarterback.
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