For almost a month now, Pittsburgh Steelers fans have been waiting to see who would be the team’s next WR2.
The team left themselves a major need at the position when they traded Diontae Johnson to the Panthers on March 12.
So far, they have yet to find a replacement, but it seems we still might not wait until draft day to get that player.
During the April 9 episode of the “In the Huddle” podcast, Audacy’s Jason La Canfora revealed that the Steelers are “really trying to make something happen” at wide receiver.
“For me, there’s a piece of information we don’t have yet, which is do they trade for a wide receiver before the draft? It would not surprise me if they did that tomorrow, if they did it the Wednesday before the draft. If they did it while they were on the clock, if they did it in the run up to the draft that Thursday, I know that they’re really trying to make something happen there.”
A Big Gap on the Depth Chart at Wide Receiver
Things looked pretty good at wide receiver for the Steelers entering the offseason.
George Pickens had established himself as a true WR1 by racking up 1140 yards in 2023.
Johnson was a strong option at WR2, having made a Pro Bowl appearance in 2021 after a 1000-yard season of his own.
All the team really needed was a new WR3 as Allen Robinson struggled in 2023, making only 34 catches for 280 yards, and ended up being released this offseason.
Now that Johnson and Robinson aren’t on the roster anymore, they have a big gap between Pickens and the rest of the depth chart. No other receiver on the roster recorded 250 yards last season.
That certainly leaves the team looking to add a WR2 before the start of the season and it might not even be a bad idea to get somebody at WR3.
The only issue is that right now there don’t seem to be many options to trade for.
Potential Options for the Steelers
If the Steelers want to get something big done at receiver before the draft, it seems like there is really only one options for them.
Brandon Aiyuk is the biggest name that has come up as a trade possibility this offseason and he is the most realistic option if the Steelers are looking to make a big move at the position.
Aiyuk is currently on the last year of his rookie contract and is expected to get a big payday on his second contract. Meanwhile, the 49ers have very little cap space to work with.
In fact they are currently expected to be $30 million over the cap in 2025 according to Spotrac and that’s without Aiyuk on their books at all. It also doesn’t include the contracts for the rookies they are going to draft in 2024.
There has even been a price for an Aiyuk trade reported. According to 1010XL’s Mia O’Brien, the 49ers wanted the Jaguars’ 1st round pick and Zay Jones for Aiyuk.
He would be a huge addition for the Steelers after he racked up 1342 yards in 2023.
There haven’t really be any concrete reports of any other big names at the position that the Steelers could make a move for.
Courtland Sutton is somebody who has come up regularly in trade rumors in the past, but it seems unlikely the Broncos would trade him after having already sent Jerry Jeudy to the Browns. If he did become available, Sutton could be a good fit for the Steelers after clearing 700 yards in five of six seasons.
Tee Higgins requested a trade after he was franchise tagged this offseason, but the chances of the Bengals trading him within the AFC North are slim.
If they want to get their WR2 in the draft and are only looking to trade for a WR3, they could see what the Texans want for Robert Woods or John Metchie now that they have Stefon Diggs.
Woods made 40 catches for 426 yards last season, but is probably the WR5 for the Texans now. Metchie was a second round pick in 2022, but has only played 310 snaps in two years. He is also buried on the depth chart.
Maybe the Steelers have a less obvious option they are looking into at wide receiver, but it doesn’t look like there are a ton of options out there for them to find one before the draft anymore.
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Steelers Still Trying to Make a Move at Wide Receiver: Report appeared first on Heavy.com.