The Pittsburgh Steelers have started to find answers at wide receiver, but that hasn’t stopped questions about what the position could look like beyond this season.
DK Metcalf and rookie Germie Bernard each caught 11 passes in Sunday’s 26-19 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bernard also hauled in the winning touchdown from Aaron Rodgers, continuing an impressive two-game stretch.
Still, one new first-round projection has Pittsburgh investing in another big receiver. And the reasoning includes a blunt assessment of Metcalf’s expensive contract and Bernard’s long-term role.
Steelers Predicted to Select Indiana’s Charlie Becker at No. 8
CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards projected the Steelers to select Indiana wide receiver Charlie Becker with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Becker, listed at 6-foot-4 and 208 pounds, has caught 39 passes for 694 yards and eight touchdowns through seven games this season. The junior is averaging 17.8 yards per reception and is coming off his biggest statistical performance yet.
Against Ohio State on Saturday, Becker finished with nine catches for 165 yards, even though Indiana lost 19-15. The outing showed his ability to produce against high-level competition, without relying on a touchdown to build his numbers.
Becker also has experience on a championship stage. He appeared in all 16 games during Indiana’s undefeated 2025 season, starting eight, and caught four passes for 65 yards against Miami in the national title game. His production has taken another step with Josh Hoover throwing him passes this fall.
CBS Sports lists Becker as its No. 9 overall prospect and second-ranked receiver in this projection. Edwards’ draft order was based on Super Bowl odds from Oct. 17, before the Steelers improved to 4-2, so the eighth pick shouldn’t be treated as Pittsburgh’s current draft position.
Edwards acknowledged the Steelers might consider a quarterback if the right prospect were available. But he went with a receiver after questioning the team’s existing investments at the position.
DK Metcalf Contract Draws Criticism in Steelers Prediction
“The D.K. Metcalf contract is awful,” Edwards wrote, while arguing that Pittsburgh shouldn’t let it determine how the roster is built.
Metcalf signed a four-year, $132 million extension after arriving from Seattle in 2025. That commitment runs through 2029, and his projected 2027 salary-cap charge is approximately $38.4 million. It’s a major investment in a receiving corps that has struggled with depth and injuries.
Edwards also described Bernard as a complementary piece and suggested Michael Pittman’s time in Pittsburgh should be brief. Pittman, acquired from Indianapolis during the offseason, is currently on injured reserve with a foot injury.
But Bernard has made a strong early case for a bigger role than that assessment suggests. McCarthy even awarded him a game ball after the Buccaneers victory. The second-round rookie caught six passes for 80 yards against the Colts, then followed with 11 receptions for 87 yards and the overtime winner against Tampa Bay.
Metcalf, meanwhile, matched Bernard’s 11 catches against the Buccaneers. Those contributions don’t erase the long-term roster questions, but they offer a different picture from one built entirely around Pittsburgh’s early-season receiver struggles.
Adding Becker would give Mike McCarthy another sizable outside target, while creating further questions about how the Steelers would distribute opportunities and handle their existing contracts.
There’s still a long way to go before Pittsburgh makes its first selection next April.
Steelers Predicted to Make Major WR Move Amid $132M Contract Concerns