Tomlin’s Remarks About WRs May Indicate That the Steelers Are Holding Off on Drafting One.
Omar Khan, general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and head coach Mike Tomlin spoke to the media on April 22 about the team’s strategy for the NFL Draft this year.
The two were very silent about their plans and tried their best not to divulge any important information about their whereabouts three days prior to the draft, as was to be expected.
But Tomlin’s responses to a few questions may provide some insight into the team’s strategy for one particular position.
The Steelers need to add at the wide receiver position before the draft ends.
Still, Tomlin talking about the team’s comfort at the position and referencing a recent sleeper at the position who had a monster rookie year as a reason for that comfort could indicate the team is looking at options later in the draft to address the position.
“First part of that, I’m comfortable with the trajectory of that room, as we’ve mentioned, you know, the guys come in ready-made. There’s a lot of talent available to us and a lot of those guys participate. If you look at the kid from the Rams, was really significant this year and I think maybe it was a fifth-round pick. That’s what’s going on at that position. So, it makes us all
comfortable, not just us, but us as a collective, the National Football League. And certainly, we’re really comfortable with the trajectory of George Pickens in terms of what he’s going to be able to provide us as a player, not only in terms of playmaking, but what his experience within the room and within this organization provides us.”
Tomlin’s comments on the Steelers’ comfort with their situation and him referring to Puka Nacua could indicate the team isn’t going to be in a rush to land a receiver in this year’s draft.
A Loaded Wide Receiver Class
There is plenty of talent available at the wide receiver position in this year’s draft class.
The top three receivers in the class would all have a case to be the top prospect at the position in most other years.
Then there is a huge tier of players who could be taken in the first or second round. That tier includes the fastest player in NFL Combine history, a two-time national champion whose ceiling was compared to Antonio Brown, a player who scored 17 touchdowns last season, and one who almost reached 1400 yards last season.
Even after that tier, there are still some interesting options for teams to look at in round three or later.
That next group includes Jerry Rice’s son, Brenden Rice, and Malchi Corley, who had 101 catches for 1295 yards in his junior season. It also includes Jacob Cowing and his more than 4000 career yards in college.
Tomlin was asked about that depth in this year’s draft and the growing depth at the position in general and had this to say:
“I think it’s the nature and the development of the game. I think everybody plays with three receivers and five defensive backs at this stage of the game now. I also think it’s, you know, the development of seven-on-seven football at the lower levels in high school, where it’s becoming more of a year-round endeavor. And so, the people that are involved in seven-on-seven have an opportunity to have a higher level of skill relative to their positions than people that don’t. And I think it’s played out not only in this draft, but you know, those preceding this draft in recent years.”
That depth could lead to the Steelers waiting to select a receiver despite their situation at the position being far from ideal right now.
Steelers’ Receiver Situation
The Steelers really feel like a work in progress at the wide receiver position right now.
There are no issues with their WR1 as George Pickens is coming off of a dominant year where he posted 1140 yards.
The problems come once you get past Pickens. The team doesn’t have another receiver on the roster who reached 250 yards last season.
It’s definitely an issue for the Steelers, but it might not be one they see as a priority.
Tomlin recognizes the depth at the position in this year’s draft and the team’s new offense might not use a ton of their WR2.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has relied heavily on the run in the past, regularly going over 400 rushing attempts per season. He also likes to throw the ball to tight ends, which could give Pat Freiermuth a bigger role in the offense.
The team still definitely needs another option at receiver to draw some attention away from Pickens, but that might be something they feel comfortable waiting until later in the draft to get.
