The Pittsburgh Steelers are poised to be one of the most explosive and potent offenses in the NFL, and a lesser known wide receiver will break out in 2016. He wears number 11 and his name is Markus Wheaton.
Pittsburgh Steelers 2016 Breakout Player: Markus Wheaton
Wheaton over Coates?
After a very productive, yet under-the-radar season in 2015, Markus Wheaton is ready to break out for the Pittsburgh Steelers in his fourth professional season. A lot of national pundits and fantasy experts are high on second-year receiver Sammie Coates, and rightfully so. His performance in the Steelers Divisional round loss in Denver showed the enormous potential the Steelers coaches saw in Coates when they drafted him 87th overall in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
With that being said, can a receiver (Coates) who spent the majority of the season on the practice squad and only playing in two games in 2015 (three receptions for 72 yards), make a huge step forward and help make up for the yearlong suspension of Martavis Bryant?
Sammie Coates will make an impact for the Steelers in 2016, but not the type of impact Markus Wheaton will have on the offense in 2016.
The Proof Is In The Stats
Let’s take a look and analyze Markus Wheaton’s 2015 campaign. Wheaton ended 2015 with 44 receptions on 79 targets, for 749 yards and five touchdowns. That’s good for 17 yards per catch average, and a touchdown every nine receptions. Decent statistics for an NFL receiver, right? Breakout star potential?
Here’s what the statistics don’t tell you about Wheaton’s 2015 campaign. Markus Wheaton emerged as a dependable and reliable option for Ben Roethlisberger late in the season when the Steelers needed him the most. Wheaton consistently pulled down tough catches vs. big opponents in big time games.
Take a look at Wheaton’s 2015 season and you will see consistently tough catches being made against some of the best pass defenses and pass defenders in the NFL (New England, Seattle, Denver, and Cincinnati). On top of Wheaton’s consistency was his dependability. Of his 44 receptions, a remarkable 32 receptions were for first downs! That’s one of the best averages in the NFL. Oh, and he only had two dropped passes in 2015.
Wheaton is also beginning to build a repertoire with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who is widely considered one of the best at extending plays and avoiding pressure. This gives his receivers the necessary time to shake their defenders and get open for a first down or a “big splash play” as Mike Tomlin likes to call them.
The connection Roethlisberger and Wheaton began to develop and display in the second half of the 2015 season was very exciting to watch and should have Steeler fans more than excited for the 2016 season. After the Steelers Week 11 Bye, Wheaton had 28 of his 44 receptions, 476 of his 749 yards and four of his five touchdown’s. He also averaged 17 yards a catch during that stretch. This includes games against the NFL’s No. 1 and two pass defenses in the Broncos and Seahawks, respectively.
Wheaton’s best game of his career came against the Seahawks where he torched the Legion of Boom to the tune of nine receptions (on 13 targets), for 201 yards and a TD. Of those nine receptions, many were caught Wheaton made after the play broke down and Roethlisberger was scrambling.
Wheaton’s second best game of his career (not statistically, but overall) came against the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL, when he consistently beat one of the best slot corners in 2015 (Bradley Roby), for six receptions, 62 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers victory.
With the yearlong suspension and uncertain future of playmaker Martavis Bryant, multiple players will need to step up to make the Steelers the best offense in the NFL, and Markus Wheaton could take the biggest step. Add in the scorching end to 2015, and his blossoming relationship with Ben Roethlisberger, he has the potential to be one of the best No. 2 receivers in the NFL. And lastly, with all-world wide receiver Antonio Brown garnering double teams week after week, and Markus Wheaton’s consistency and dependability at an all-time high, I can’t wait to see #11 light up opposing defenses for a career year.
Prediction: 65 receptions, 950 yards, 8 TD’s
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