Pittsburgh Steelers draft Roman Wilson: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel

EditorLast Update :
Pittsburgh Steelers draft Roman Wilson: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected former Michigan receiver Roman Wilson with the 84th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday, addressing a key need in the third round.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver helped the Wolverines win the CFP National Championship Game and led the team in receiving with 48 catches for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns. He started all 15 games for Michigan in 2023 and was named second-team All-Big Ten.

He’ll help replace departed wideout Diontae Johnson, who was traded to the Panthers.

NFL Draft 2024 tracker: Live blog, pick-by-pick grades and analysis
Big board best available: Who’s left from Dane Brugler’s Top 300?
Draft pick grades: Nick Baumgardner, Scott Dochterman rate Rounds 2-3
Full draft order: Team picks for all 257 selections
“The Athletic Football Show”: Watch live reaction to the draft

‘The Beast’ breakdown

Wilson ranked No. 41 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:

“Wilson has a strong sense of the biomechanics of his athleticism to make crisp speed cuts without breaking stride, which creates separation and gives his quarterback a target. However, not every route is a race, and he needs further development with his pacing, early (releases) and late. Overall, Wilson is a speedy slot with the hands and competitive makeup to pester defenses and consistently move the sticks. He has the talent to win a starting role for an NFL offense.”

Coaching intel

An offensive assistant on Wilson in Bruce Feldman’s NFL Draft confidential:

“He’s got good speed. I think he’s more of an outside guy mentality in a 5-10 body. He will be able to outrun you on a deep cross and can run a sail route, but I don’t know about the stop-and-start routes. I am not that excited about him.”

Why he’s a third-round pick

Wilson impressed The Athletic’s Dane Brugler during the Senior Bowl with his ability to separate from defenders. Wilson also has game experience appearing in 45 games for the Wolverines.

Fantasy impact

Wilson loves to find space and ways to get open for his quarterback, putting him in play as the second-best receiver behind George Pickens. Wilson has “Steelers” written all over him, and a better passing offense with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields gives him WR4 value with the potential for WR3 numbers.

How he fits

Wilson is a perfect complement to Pickens at a position of great need, after the team traded Johnson and released Allen Robinson. The Steelers have several other receivers, but none really jumps off the page as a playmaker. Wilson does, as 37 percent of his catches last year went for 20-plus yards and 71 percent were caught between the numbers.

Rookie impact

Normally, it would take some time for a rookie third-round pick to see the field, but if that’s the case here, then it would be a failure for Wilson. The Steelers are counting on him to play and succeed from the start, and with his 46 games played at Michigan and 20 career touchdowns, he should be ready. He’s going to be needed to contribute right away in both the passing and running game. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith called Wilson a selfless player.

Depth-chart impact

Wilson should be an immediate starter. Even though he played a lot in the slot in college, he is versatile enough to play inside and out, on early downs and third downs. Calvin Austin III is also a capable slot receiver but doesn’t have much experience. Quez Watkins is similar. It is hard to pencil Wilson in as WR2, but the expectations are there for him to take that job sooner rather than later.

They also could have picked …

There wasn’t a lot on the board at the time, at least at a position of obvious need. Receiver Troy Franklin or linebacker Jermemiah Trotter Jr. could have been picked, but Wilson fit the biggest need the Steelers had at the time. It would have been interesting to see where the Steelers would’ve gone if Wilson were off the board because there was no surefire pick when you consider the team’s pre-draft visits, pro day activity and combine meetings.

Fast evaluation

Tomlin has been in love with Wilson since late January at the Senior Bowl, when he suggested that Wilson should take all his reps against one of the top corners in the draft, Quinyon Mitchell. It was just a matter of whether Wilson would be available at No. 84. Once again, the Steelers played the board well and got the guy they wanted without giving up extra draft capital.

(Photo: Ryan Kang / Getty Images)