Getty The Steelers claimed former Ravens receiver Miles Boykin off waivers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have found themselves a new wide receiver thanks to a hated division rival.
As initially reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo on Tuesday, April 19, the Steelers claimed wide receiver Miles Boykin off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens released their former third-round draft selection on Monday.
“Steelers claimed WR Miles Boykin off waivers from the #Ravens, sources say,” reported Garafolo.
Boykin Lost Starting Receiver Position in 2021
The 25-year-old receiver entered the NFL as a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound receiver spent the first two seasons of his career as a starter for Baltimore, starting 24 of his 32 appearances. Boykin caught 32 passes for 464 yards and seven touchdowns across his first two seasons.
However, he completely fell out of favor entering his third season. Boykin began the season on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury and never escaped the bottom of the depth chart. He played in eight games and caught just one pass for six yards during the entire season.
In fact, Boykin appeared in just 35 offensive snaps during the 2021 season, just 6% of the team’s snaps. After playing 32% of the team’s special teams snaps during his first two seasons, Boykin was relegated to primarily special teams duty during the 2021 campaign, playing 144 snaps while appearing in 63% of the team’s special teams snaps.
According to Pro Football Focus, Boykin posted a 60.9 offensive grade during the 2019 season and a 62.5 offensive grade during the 2020 season. By comparison, current Steelers projected slot receiver Anthony Miller posted a 61.9 offensive grade during the 2021 season.
Considering the Steelers lost three key receivers in the offseason in Juju Smith-Schuster, James Washington and Ray-Ray McCloud, the addition of Boykin makes sense. When you factor in that Boykin played at Notre Dame with Steelers starting receiver Chase Claypool, the addition simply feels right.
The Steelers will hope that reunion between the two receivers will result in Boykin finally reaching his potential after a disappointing tenure in Baltimore.
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Dulac: Josh Rosen ‘Makes Most Sense’ for Steelers
As Pittsburgh prepares for the 2022 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac suggests an unlikely option at quarterback in free agency.
While the Steelers will likely select a quarterback at some point during the draft, former No. 10 overall pick, Josh Rosen, “makes the most sense” among the remaining free agent options for Pittsburgh, according to Dulac.
“Of the group, Rosen makes the most sense, though he is still a candidate to be re-signed by the Atlanta Falcons,” said Dulac on Friday, April 15. “He is 25 and, above all else, has the pedigree Tomlin seems to seek in outside free agents — he’s a former first-round draft choice. After all, that’s part of the reason Tomlin signed Haskins and another former first-round quarterback, Paxton Lynch, in 2019.”
Rosen was the 10th overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2018 NFL draft. The 25-year-old lasted just one season in Arizona as he was traded to the Miami Dolphins following the Cardinals’ selection of Kyler Murray in the following year’s draft.
Since then, Rosen has spent time on the practice squads of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers before spending last season as the primary backup on the Atlanta Falcons.
Rosen’s production hasn’t exactly been impressive. In 24 appearances and 16 starts, Rosen holds a 3-13 record and has thrown 12 touchdowns versus 21 interceptions for a 61.1 quarterback rating.
However, if the Steelers are looking for another arm for training camp after selecting a quarterback in the 2022 NFL draft, Rosen may be an option.
Considering his young age and talent, maybe head coach Mike Tomlin can mold Rosen into a viable quarterback in the Steelers’ offensive system.