At this point, when the Pittsburgh Steelers draft a wide receiver in the middle-to-late rounds of the NFL draft, you almost have to believe that he is going to eventually be a player that contributes at a high level.
Mike Wallace was a third round pick that scored 32 touchdowns in 63 games with the Steelers. Antonio Brown – a sixth round pick – has of course emerged as one of the best, if not the best, wideouts in the entire game.
Martavis Bryant made the first step into becoming that player, after scoring eight touchdowns in just eight games last year. Now in his third season, Markus Wheaton also appears ready to take that step as well.
Having Bryant, Wheaton, and Brown all on the same team currently, it wasn’t expected that the most recent in the line of mid-round receivers taken – Auburn’s Sammie Coates – would have any pressure in making any immediate contributions.
But in light of the potential suspension by Bryant for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, the Steelers will need another wide out to step up and contribute.
Bryant’s rookie season saw him average 11.20 yards per target last year (averaged a league best 21.1 yards per catch) as well as score once every six times Ben Roethlisberger threw his way.
Coates, the team’s third round pick in the most recent draft, stands at 6’1”, runs a 4.43 40 and averaged 21.4 yards per catch over three seasons at Auburn. His career drop rate of 19.1% led to his slip in the draft, but NFL.com draft analyst Mike Mayock had this to say of Coates,
“This guy is pure speed. He’s big bodied and takes the top off of zones. He is a height-weight-speed specimen. The only question is how natural are his hands?”
Through the first three preseason games, Coates has seen great success, especially the last two against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Green Bay Packers. After just catching one pass in the Hall of Fame Game for 12 yards, Coates has hauled in seven passes for 102 yards.
Against the Packers, he caught a 54 yard bomb from Landry Jones, showing his ability to separate from defensive backs with his speed. He also caught five passes for 52 yards in the team’s second preseason game against the Jaguars.
Roethlisberger loves to have bigger, taller receivers to throw to, but he also loves to stretch the field – Bryant blended both of those in his 6’5” frame. Coates doesn’t quite have the same frame as Bryant, but he is big-bodied and its hard to deny the wheels he has shown so far (NFL.com actually compared him to Bryant).
The Steelers are now potentially going to be without two of their key weapons for at least the first two weeks of the season (Bryant joins Le’Veon Bell), and will need players like Coates to continue to make strides and contribute a little sooner than they had thought.
By the early goings of preseason, it looks like that won’t be a problem.
Other Opportunities Present Itself
Not only will Bryant being out present Coates for an opportunity to play a significant role in the team’s offense but it may bring a chance for another player to land themselves a roster spot that didn’t exist before.
Darrius Heyward-Bey – a former first round pick of the Oakland Raiders – was on the roster last year but has done little to separate himself this preseason with four catches for 35 yards. Shakim Phillips, C.J. Goodwin and Tyler Murphy have all caught touchdown passes this preseason.
Murphy, a converted quarterback who the team brought in to be a ‘Slash’ type hybrid is an intriguing option to place at the back end of the roster.
Phillips, who played at Boston College with Murphy, brings height – and some big play ability – to the table. Standing at 6’3”, Phillips has caught six passes this preseason, averaging 17 yards per catch.
Goodwin is now in his second year with the Steelers after being signed as an undrafted free agent – spending last year on the team’s practice squad. He has hauled in four passes for 44 yards and the single touchdown.
