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As of July 28, the Pittsburgh Steelers are rolling the dice at the wide receiver position behind George Pickens — hoping one or two players rise to the occasion.
Early on at training camp, rookie Roman Wilson has been that guy according to The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly. During an article on July 28, the veteran beat reporter noted that Wilson has been making plays “all over the field” at practice.
“Rookie receiver Roman Wilson had easily his best day of training camp Saturday, [July 27], showing that he’s not only dependable but also versatile,” Kaboly explained. “He made a different variety of catches from [Justin] Fields and Kyle Allen on multiple route concepts.”
“One play that stood out was when the Steelers were in a 3×1 set with Wilson in the slot to the right of Fields in a third-and-8 situation,” the reporter went on. “Wilson blew past rookie slot corner Beanie Bishop Jr. and made a twisting catch near the sideline for 28 yards. It was a perfect throw by Fields, but Wilson’s speed was undeniable. Later, he ran a crosser from the slot and was able to turn it up the field for 20 yards.”
Kaboly appeared to give Wilson the edge in the WR2 conversation at the moment, even if the rookie specializes from the slot.
Van Jefferson on the Right Track in Proving Doubters Wrong With Steelers
Along with Wilson, another important Steelers WR storyline will be Van Jefferson. The Steelers signed the former Los Angeles Rams draft pick to a low-risk one-year contract with just $167,500 in guaranteed money this offseason.
Despite that, there has been outside pressure on Jefferson to succeed after Pittsburgh traded away Diontae Johnson and let Allen Robinson walk in free agency — doing very little to replace them.
NFL writers and analysts have already labeled Jefferson a “bust” signing and someone who “won’t live up to the hype” with the Steelers. So far though, the 6-foot-1 pass-catcher has exceeded expectations.
Fields and Jefferson linked up on a highlight-reel deep ball that made the rounds on social media on July 25. But the former second-round talent has been a fixture with the first-team offense for the most part early on — building chemistry with Fields.
From there, it’s been Wilson and 2022 fourth rounder Calvin Austin III competing for the WR3 role from the slot according to The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo.
New Steelers WRs Coach Cheers on George Pickens After Early Argument
One other wide receiver blurb from Kaboly focused on Pickens and new Steelers WRs coach Zach Azzanni. The two reportedly got into a “heated exchange” on day one of camp according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ray Fittipaldo.
On July 27, Azzanni rewarded his star playmaker after he drew a penalty flag.
“Pickens didn’t make many plays Saturday, but one play got receivers coach Zach Azzanni so fired up that he sprinted to Pickens — who had a verbal altercation with Azzanni on Thursday — to praise him,” Kaboly informed.
“[The WR] beat [Joey] Porter’s man coverage across his face on a slant, and the ball was perfectly placed by Fields,” he continued. “Pickens wasn’t able to haul it in, but there was a reason for that: Porter was called for pass interference, which pleased Azzanni immensely.”
It seems Azzanni and Pickens are working things out after the early disagreement.
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