With the options that currently have on their roster, wide receiver looks like a pretty big need for the Pittsburgh Steelers right now.
Right now, they have one star and a bunch of options that weren’t all that impressive in 2023.
That makes them a prime candidate to be looking for a receiver early in this year’s draft.
However, they could still look to pursue a receiver with some NFL experience before the draft. One they could have interest in is Tennessee Titans WR Treylon Burks.
In a list of receivers who could still potentially be trade targets for the Steelers, Behind the Steel Curtain’s Brandon Andrews named Burks as an option for Pittsburgh.
Burks’ Rough Start in the NFL
Burks was an interesting prospect coming into the NFL.
He had put up strong numbers during his time at Arkansas. He had 51 catches for 820 yards and 7 touchdowns in just eight games as a sophomore.
He followed that up with a huge junior season. Burks made 66 catches for 1104 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2021.
Unfortunately his athletic testing wasn’t quite as impressive. He took 4.55 seconds to run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
The Titans overlooked that issue and decided to take him with the 18th pick in 2022 after trading A.J. Brown to get that pick.
That decision hasn’t worked out for them as Burks has struggled in his first two NFL seasons.
In 2022 he made just 33 catches for 444 yards and only scored one touchdown.
Things got worse during his second year in the league. He was limited to 10 games and only made 16 catches for 221 yards without a single touchdown.
Now the team has seemed to move on from Burks. Last offseason they signed DeAndre Hopkins to be their WR1.
This offseason they added another star receiver. They signed Calvin Ridley to a four-year contract worth $92 million.
With so much other talent at the position in Tennessee, it’s hard to see how Burks is going to pay off his draft capital with the Titans.
That could lead them to entertain offers for the third-year receiver. If they do, the Steelers could be an interesting destination for him.
Steelers’ Wide Receiver Situation
Outside of George Pickens, things are not great for the Steelers at the wide receiver right now.
The other players on their roster at the position are Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, Calvin Austin, and Cordarrelle Patterson. Jefferson was the only one that reached 200 yards last season. None of them have reached 400 yards in either of the last two years.
That seemingly has them set up to take a receiver in the first few rounds of this year’s draft. Even if that is the plan, Burks could still be a good fit for them.
The team still needs to figure out who their slot receiver will be in 2024. Burks could take on that role for them.
It is somewhere he was very successful in college. PFF graded him as college football’s best slot receiver during his final season at Arkansas.
That’s where most of his production came from in college, but he hasn’t played in the slot nearly as much as a pro.
If the Steelers brought him in, it could give him a chance to play from the slot again.
If he was successful there it would take some pressure off of a rookie to produce immediately as the WR2.
He also wouldn’t cost the team a ton as his cap hit is just under $4 million for 2024 and a bit over $4.5 million in 2025,
The Titans haven’t indicated they’re shopping Burks ahead of his third season, but if they do, he could give the Steelers’ QBs another weapon to work with as the team tries to get its offense back on track.
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Former 1st Round Receiver Suggested As Potential Trade Target for Steelers