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The Pittsburgh Steelers have been on a spending spree on the offensive side of the football. Bringing in offensive lineman James Daniels and Mason Cole, as well as re-signing to Chuks Okorafor, the Steelers have committed to building the offensive line. But the most notable move to date was the one which saw Mitch Trubisky added off of the Buffalo Bills and brought to the Steel City. Anytime you make a significant change at quarterback a lot of people will be talking. While this is the glitzy move which will be spoken of for the next calendar year, at minimum, there are moves the team can make to make Trubisky‘s transition much easier on him.
The Steelers wide receiver room is currently quite bare. With JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, and Ray-Ray McCloud all free agents, the team doesn’t have much remaining. Right now the depth chart features Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Anthony Miller and that’s about it. Simply put, the organization needs to add at least two, and probably three, wide outs to their roster. The Steelers should also not be afraid of signing and drafting players to the receiving position. Ideally, and logically, both of these things will happen. However if the Steelers are unable to sign a talented receiver they may be forced to use one of their first two picks at the spot.
While drafting a receiver high isn’t an issue, the amount of talent in the draft at the Steelers other positions of needs is quite top-heavy. Burning a Day 1 or 2 pick at receiver likely means a Cameron Sutton or Joe Schobert ends up back in a starter’s role in 2022. I think we can all agree that upgrading linebacker and cornerback is more important than rounding out the receiving depth chart.
If the Pittsburgh Steelers really want Trubisky to succeed they will get him another weapon or two and allow this offense to flourish around him. The more playmakers this offense can add would only increase confidence and output from the team’s new quarterback. The Steelers don’t even need to go far to find more receiving talent, as JuJu Smith-Schuster‘s price tag continues to drop by the day. The physical slot receiver is still tailor-made for this offense. As for the draft, North Dakota states’ Christian Watson is the type of physical specimen and athletic freak who could really juice up this offense.
Just based on the fact the Steelers only have two receivers on their roster who have legitimate playing experience in 2021, it seems like a guarantee they will add a new player at the position. I just hope it is someone who can allow Trubisky greater success in his first year in black and gold. The Steelers were given a gift this offseason with a lot of available salary cap space and ability to upgrade many positions on the team. Finding the right receiver helps the Steelers do just that.
But what do you think? How should the Pittsburgh Steelers round out their 2022 receiving depth chart? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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