The Pittsburgh Steelers really need to add a wide receiver before the start of the 2024 NFL season.
They don’t have a WR2 right now and could end up turning to the draft to fix that if they don’t find one in the next couple of weeks.
However, they might not exclusively look at receivers who can fill that role.
They could also look at some options later in the draft to round out their wide receiver room and if they do, there could be an interesting prospect from a very famous family there for them.
In a April 10 article discussing the Steelers’ wide receiver options in the draft, The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner named Christian McCaffrey’s brother, Luke McCaffrey as a potential target for Pittsburgh.
“You listed one of them earlier, Luke McCaffrey from Rice. The son of Ed McCaffrey and brother of Christian McCaffrey, Luke is a big, explosive X-receiver with some pretty great athleticism. He ran a 6.70 3-cone with a 4.02 short shuttle, showing great agility to go along with a 4.46 40.
The McCaffreys are literally one of the most athletic families in this country. Hard to go wrong with that blood.”
Solid Finish to McCaffrey’s College Career
It took a while for McCaffrey to really make his presence felt as a college football player.
He joined Nebraska as a quarterback in 2019, but was initially used as more of a gadget player. McCaffrey completed 9 of 12 pass attempts for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns as a freshman. He ran the ball 24 times for 166 yards and a TD. He also made a catch for 12 yards.
The following year he was up to 48 completions for 466 yards and 65 carries for 364 yards and a catch for 5 yards.
The next year, he transferred to Rice and actually saw his role decrease.
He completed 31 passes for 313 yards and carries the ball 41 times for 132 yards. He didn’t make a catch.
The he changed his role and changed his college career in the process.
In his second season with the Owls, McCaffrey moved to wide receiver and quickly made his impact felt at the position.
During the 2022 season, McCaffrey made 58 catches for 723 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also had 12 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown.
He was even better in his final season at Rice. In 2023, McCaffrey made 71 catches for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns and also had 15 carries for 117 yards.
His strong finish to his college career could make McCaffrey an appealing option to join a Steelers wide receiver room that doesn’t have a lot settled right now.
An Unsettled Steelers WR Room
The big story right now for the Steelers when it comes to receivers is that they need a WR2. That’s probably not something they’re going to address by taking McCaffrey late in the draft.
However, there could still absolutely be a place in the wide receiver room for him.
Right now, the best receivers on the roster behind George Pickens are Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson, and Quez Watkins.
None of them reached 250 yards last season.
They also don’t have established roles on the team yet.
Austin was the team’s WR4 last year, finishing behind Allen Robinson with just 180 receiving yards. The other two are new additions.
There is no reason that a rookie receiver taken late in the draft couldn’t overtake those three to become the team’s WR3.
It certainly can’t be the only move the team makes at wide receiver before the start of next season, but taking McCaffrey late in the draft could still improve their wide receiver room.
Comments
Christian McCaffrey’s Brother Suggested As Potential Draft Target for Steelers