Getty The Pittsburgh Steelers reached out about Courtland Sutton before and during the NFL Draft
After a month and a half of curiosity about how the Pittsburgh Steelers planned to replace Diontae Johnson as their WR2, fans finally got their answer on day two of the NFL Draft.
The team selected former Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson in the third round.
While he ended up being the solution to one of the biggest issues on their roster, it seems he wasn’t the only option they looked at over the past couple of days.
They also looked into the possibility of adding one of the veteran receivers they had been linked to in the lead up to the draft.
According to USA Today’s Jarrett Bailey, the Steelers reached out to the Denver Broncos about former Pro Bowl receiver Courtland Sutton before and during the draft.
His source also named the Rams as a team that reached out about the receiver, but the team didn’t want to trade him because of the success they envision him having with new QB Bo Nix.
Sutton’s Strong Run With the Broncos
Sutton has been somebody the Broncos’ offense could consistently lean on throughout his career despite the fact that he’s gotten little consistency from their quarterback position or coaching staff.
In the six seasons since they drafted Sutton, the Broncos have had four different head coaches and gone through nine starting QBs.
Despite the instability, Sutton has racked up more than 4000 yards over the five healthy seasons where he played more than one game.
He has also reached at least 700 yards in each of those healthy seasons.
Despite his consistent production, Sutton has frequently found himself at the center of trade rumors over the past couple of years.
He recently found himself at the center of more trade rumors after he decided to skip the Broncos’ voluntary workouts.
Ahead of the draft, the Steelers were named a team to watch for Sutton by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but now the team seems to have taken care of their need at the position.
WR Not a Necessity for the Steelers Anymore
Heading into the draft, wide receiver was a big need for the Steelers.
They had George Pickens to lead their group of pass catchers, but they didn’t have much else to work with at receiver.
The rest of the wide receiver room was made up of Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, and Calvin Austin.
None of them reached 250 yards last season.
Their selection of Wilson will be expected to fix that.
Before the draft, NFL.com’s Michelle Magdziuk saw him as the right fit to play alongside Pickens.
On April 18 she wrote, “Wilson would be a fantastic fit for the Steelers’ offense; he is exactly the type of receiver that would allow Pickens to have more space to work with along the perimeter. Wilson isn’t the flashiest wideout in this draft class, but he is a smooth route runner with reliable hands who does all the little things well.”
Now that the Steelers have him on the roster, wide receiver shouldn’t be a position where they’re looking to make a big move anymore.
That should take them out of the Sutton conversation.