The NFL Draft is officially over and attention will shift to OTAs and off-season camps. The 90-man roster is set and the team will be looking at their depth chart for every position entering training camp. This series will examine who has the inside chances to be higher on the depth chart come August. For this edition, we will look at wide receivers.
Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver Depth Chart Projections
1. Antonio Brown
Possibly the most obvious decision of the depth chart projections, Brown is considered arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL and is on his way to breaking all Steelers receiving records. As long as he’s a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown will likely be leading the team’s corps of wide receivers.
2. Martavis Bryant
Bryant is coming off a year-long suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. After recently being officially reinstated by the league, Bryant is now ready and able to practice with the team and participate in league activities. Bryant recently posted a video on various social media platforms showing him running the 40-yard dash and recording an unofficial time of 4.27 seconds, just .05 seconds away from the all-time record set at this year’s combine by rookie wide receiver John Ross. Bryant is clearly staying in great shape during his time away from football and as long as he stays out of trouble, he should be accompanying Brown on the field for the majority of the offensive play-calling.
3. JuJu Smith-Schuster
A good number of Steelers fans were surprised when the team decided to take Smith-Schuster in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, but the team likely took the best player available at the time. Smith-Schuster is an extremely athletic and physical wide receiver, who will likely be considered a starter since the Steelers typically use three wide receivers. The Steelers struggled to find a solid number two option behind Brown last year and apparently weren’t going to let that problem arise again this season. On top of having Bryant reinstated and drafting Smith-Schuster, the Steelers also signed former Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans wide receiver, Justin Hunter.
4. Eli Rogers
Rogers filled in nicely last season as the slot wide receiver when Markus Wheaton got injured and then struggled for the rest of the year. Sammie Coates seemed to be the team’s replacement for Wheaton until he fractured two of his fingers and couldn’t produce the same numbers. Rogers made the best of his opportunities and likely earned himself a spot on the roster until his contract expires in 2019.
5. Darrius Heyward-Bey
Heyward-Bey, like Rogers, is signed through the 2018 season and becomes a free-agent in 2019. He’s been a welcome addition to the team since joining in 2016 and could even end up being a starter in 2017. After Brown, any of the other Steelers wide receivers could potentially win a starting job in 2017 and it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Every receiver on the roster has started at least one game in the NFL except for rookie wide receiver Smith-Schuster.
6. Justin Hunter
As previously mentioned, the Steelers went out and signed free-agent wide receiver Justin Hunter to beef up their receiving corps. However, since signing Hunter, Bryant returned from suspension and the team also drafted Smith-Schuster, leaving fans to wonder where Hunter fits into the mix. Because the Steelers made an effort to go out and sign Hunter, he’ll likely find himself with a spot on the roster.
7. Sammie Coates
Coates started 2016 off with a bang, appearing to be Ben Roethlisberger’s new deep threat, but seemingly fell off the radar after fracturing two of his fingers and attempting to play through the injuries. Coates was eventually overshadowed by Rogers and Heyward-Bey and never could really get back on the right track. Coates is signed through 2018, but isn’t scheduled to make very much money, so it wouldn’t be that surprising if the Steelers decided to cut or trade Coates.
8. Cobi Hamilton
Even though he’s pretty far down this list, Hamilton did an exceptional job stepping into the starting role last season. With injuries and Bryant’s suspension plaguing the team last year, Hamilton was a pleasant surprise and made numerous crucial plays for the team, especially late in the season. Hamilton struggled in the playoffs though, and that’s likely why the Steelers went out and signed Hunter. The fact that Hamilton is eighth on this list shows just how much depth the Steelers have at wide receiver.
9. Demarcus Ayers
Once again, the Steelers depth at wide receiver is ridiculous. Ayers also filled in and started for the Steelers last season due to injury issues, but the amount of talent at wide receiver makes it hard to find a spot where Ayers will fit on the roster. Ayers is basically a less-talented Rogers, so it’s likely that he won’t be making the team in 2017, even after being a dependable backup in 2016.
