Some NFL mock drafts have predicted the Pittsburgh Steelers to target a wide receiver early in the 2023 NFL Draft. But Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey suggested the Steelers trading for one instead.
Tansey proposed the Steelers sending a 2023 fourth-round pick to the Houston Texans for wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
“Cooks seems like the perfect trade target because the Texans are about to embark on a rebuild that could take a few years with a young quarterback and new head coach DeMeco Ryans,” wrote Tansey.
“They need to match what the top team in the AFC North did for the last two seasons. Cincinnati had a ton of success with a triumvirate of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
“The Bengals proved that overloading the wide receiver position can result in success, and that is how the Steelers should approach the offseason.”
Cooks posted 57 receptions for 699 yards and 3 touchdowns last season. Over his nine-year career, he has recorded 630 catches, 8,616 receiving yards and 49 touchdowns.
The New Orleans Saints drafted Cooks at No. 20 overall in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Why Cooks Fits With the Steelers
Even at 29 years old, Cooks could offer the Steelers offense additional speed and another deep-threat option for the 2023 season.
While he failed to reach 700 receiving yards for just the third time in his career last year, Cooks recorded 12 receptions of at least 20 yards in length. Those catches were a mix of deep throws and wide receiver screens that Cooks turned into big gains.
George Pickens led the Steelers with 17 receptions of 20 yards or more, proving as a rookie his ability as a deep threat. But the Steelers’ top receiver, Diontae Johnson, had just 6 catches that went for at least 20 yards.
The Steelers undoubtably need to find ways to get Johnson the ball downfield more often in 2023. But having the presence of Cooks, another receiver who can stretch the field, would only help.
From 2016-18, Cooks posted a 15.5 yards per catch average with the Saints, New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. Since then, his yards per reception average has been has been 12.8, topping out at 14.2 in 2020.
But in the right system, Cooks can possibly still be a big-play threat. With the Steelers, he could add another dimension to help quarterback Kenny Pickett get to the next level.
Cooks Too Expensive for Steelers?
If Tansey’s trade proposal is right, it won’t cost much to acquire Cooks. But fitting him under the salary cap in Pittsburgh is another matter.
Cooks possesses a $26.5 million cap hit with the Texans. If traded, the Steelers would be on the hook for his $18 million base salary.
That’s a steep price for a third wide receiver and for a team that holds under $1 million in salary cap space as of February 16.
Acquiring Cooks could also mean fewer opportunities for Pickens or Johnson. The Steelers are already paying Johnson to be a top NFL wideout, and Pickens showed tremendous promise as a rookie.
Tansey argued the Steelers shouldn’t be concerned with the growth of their young receiver and should simply add as many weapons to the roster as possible. While in theory that’s a smart move, the Steelers usually has the full picture in mind.
It seems unlikely that their organization would do anything to stunt Pickens’ growth.
If the Steelers are unable to acquire Cooks, Tansey suggested wide receiver Braxton Berrios and running back Kareem Hunt as potential free agent targets for general manager Omar Khan.
But Cooks has been on Tansey’s radar for the Steelers for months. He also proposed the team trading for Cooks in December.
Proposed Trade Ships Steelers Speedy Former First-Rounder