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The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 draft class has dealt with a lot of injuries. First-round offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, third-round wide receiver Roman Wilson, sixth-round defensive lineman Logan Lee and sixth-round safety Ryan Watts are all currently on the injured reserve, leaving just three healthy rookies that were drafted in April.
While Fautanu and Watts have already been ruled out for the remainder of the year, the statuses of Wilson and Lee are less clear. The latter has been missing in action since the start of the regular season with a calf injury, while Wilson was just placed on IR with a hamstring issue.
And according to the opinion of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat reporter Ray Fittipaldo, Steelers fans may have just seen the last of Wilson in 2024.
“I have a feeling we won’t be seeing Roman Wilson the rest of the season,” Fittipaldo responded during a fan Q&A on October 29. “He has to miss at least three more weeks [after being placed on the injured reserve]. Unless there is an injury and they need a body I don’t see him returning to the 53-man roster.”
In other words, Fittipaldo is predicting that the Steelers will basically just redshirt Wilson the rest of the way — which isn’t far off from what they were already doing when he was healthy.
According to Pro Football Focus, Wilson has been on the field for a grand total of five offensive snaps in 2024. On four of them, he was used as a run blocker with one lone snap in a passing situation. That brief usage came in Week 6.
Roman Wilson’s Breakout Rookie Campaign Never Materialized With Steelers
By all accounts, Wilson looked like one of the Steelers’ best pass-catchers during the padless portion of training camp. Granted, padless practices don’t always translate at the NFL level, but it’s hard to say if Wilson’s game does considering he’s barely played since that point.
Members of the Steelers beat have praised Wilson’s speed and route-running ability in practice at times, but the youngster has yet to prove himself to the coaching staff in the grittier areas. Whether that’s as a run blocker, on special teams or something else altogether.
That, coupled with injuries, and Wilson’s highly anticipated breakout rookie campaign never even got off the ground.
Instead, it’s Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson and veteran Scotty Miller who have benefited from a shallow Steelers WR corps. Barring a potential trade acquisition ahead of the November 5 deadline, that could be the case the rest of the way.
Ray Fittipaldo Believes Steelers Will Stick With Broderick Jones at Right Tackle
Within the fan Q&A, Fittipaldo also fielded a question on former first-round offensive tackle Broderick Jones.
“Broderick Jones? Is there any hope?” The Steelers supporter asked. “He just makes contact and then disengages without finishing his blocks so often. What is going on with him?”
“He’s not having a good year, but there are no other options at this point with Troy Fautanu on IR,” Fittipaldo replied, hinting that Jones will likely be the starting right tackle for the foreseeable future.
“They’re not going to bench a first-round pick for someone like Dylan Cook [— who appears set to return from the injured reserve],” he continued. “[Jones] needs to work through his issues because Fautanu isn’t coming back anytime soon.”
The Steelers offense still has its fair share of problems, even with Russell Wilson unlocking the passing game a bit. Jones, unfortunately, is one of them.
As Fittipaldo alluded, the hope is that he’ll improve and develop. After all, Pittsburgh spent a first-round selection on him in 2023.
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