As many pundits have this offseason, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox named the Pittsburgh Steelers a potential landing spot for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. But Knox also suggested the Steelers as a possible landing spot through a trade for another veteran wideout — New York Giants‘ Darius Slayton.
Knox proposed on July 18 that the Steelers could acquire Slayton for a 2025 fifth-round pick.
“Slayton has never reached 800 receiving yards in a season, and the Giants could value the cap savings—and an open role—more than his services on the final year of his contract,” Knox wrote. “For a team with less receiver depth, however, he could be a fine complementary option.
“The Steelers could have some interest in Slayton as they continue their search for a No. 2 receiver. Slayton has shown that his ceiling is limited, but Pittsburgh has its top option in George Pickens.”
While Slayton has never reached 800 receiving yards, he has surpassed 700 yards in a season during four of his five years in the NFL. He’s also averaged 15.1 yards per catch in his career.
Slayton, who signed a 2-year, $12 million contract last offseason, has been a threat down the field largely because of his speed. At the 2019 NFL combine, Slayton ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds.
That time would have been ranked sixth at the 2024 NFL combine.
How WR Darius Slayton Could Fit With the Pittsburgh Steelers
Knox connected Slayton to the Steelers in part because he’s not an elite receiver. If the Steelers view George Pickens as their WR1 for 2024 and the future, the team could prefer to add a complementary receiver rather than a star wideout.
Slayton would easily slide into the WR2 role on Pittsburgh’s depth chart. Assuming the asking price is a fifth-round pick, that’s a very affordable price for a starting receiver.
The 27-year-old receiver will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason. The New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy reported Slayton skipped part of voluntary offseason workouts in the hopes of landing a new contract. Therefore, the Steelers may need to offer a new deal to the veteran after acquiring him.
But it’s unlikely a new Slayton contract would hinder the team’s future plans elsewhere on the roster.
His addition, though, would certainly be a boost for the team’s offense. Slayton and Pickens both averaged more than 15 yards per catch last season.
Knox isn’t the first pundit to suggest Pittsburgh as a potential destination for Slayton. On April 17, Nick Farabaugh, formerly of Steelers Now, mentioned Slayton as a receiver the Steelers should consider pursuing.
Steelers WR Depth Heading Into Training Camp
Although general manager Omar Khan didn’t land a direct replacement for Diontae Johnson this offseason, he signed several low-risk, high-reward veteran receivers.
Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Scotty Miller are all new receivers to the Steelers roster. Each have posted a 500-yard season in their careers but didn’t have more than 209 yards last year.
The Steelers also drafted Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft. The team will bring back third-year receiver Calvin Austin III as well.
Wilson could potentially emerge as the team’s best receiver option after Pickens. But ideally, Wilson will be best served in the slot rather than with an outside role as a rookie.
With their current array of receivers, the Steelers have depth at the position. But their hole at WR2 makes Slayton an interesting potential trade target.
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Proposed Trade Ships Steelers Speedy $12 Million WR