Player: WR Roman Wilson
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: With the Steelers trading George Pickens, second-year WR Roman Wilson is suddenly very, very important this year and moving forward. As a third-round pick, he should be someone who can step up and contribute, anyway. But there is now an opening for a starting job—can he slide in and take it for himself?
The Steelers drafted Roman Wilson hoping he can be a starter, and now they may need him to be. After trading George Pickens, they have a major opening in their starting lineup. Given the timing of the trade, they failed to account for it in the draft, passing on wide receiver. Prior to acquiring DK Metcalf, many viewed wide receiver as an absolute top draft need.
After passing on the wide receiver position entirely, they did sign veteran Robert Woods. But is this just another Van Jefferson? That’s what the Steelers might have to settle for if Roman Wilson doesn’t step up. But they also like Calvin Austin III, and there is still some meat on that little bone.
The Steelers don’t need Wilson to suddenly emerge as a 1,000-yard receiver overnight, though. If DK Metcalf can be a true No. 1 WR and target hog, then everybody else is a supplement. Historically, that’s how Arthur Smith’s offenses have been structured, with many hands in the pile.
Of course, the Steelers hardly know anything about Roman Wilson up to this point. They watched him practice for a couple months or so, but that’s about it. He dressed for one game as a rookie, playing five snaps, including one route run.
Then he suffered a hamstring injury, which kept him on the shelf for the rest of the year. In training camp, on the first day the Steelers put the pads on, Wilson injured his ankle. That ailment bled into the regular season, which completely set back his development.
But 2025 is a new year and fresh start, and the Steelers expect, and need, big things from Roman Wilson. That is unless they make another move at wide receiver, which is certainly possible. They don’t need to pull off a trade, either, if they can sign a Gabe Davis or a Keenan Allen.
With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract.
There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
