The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the 2024 NFL Draft with wide receiver as one of their biggest needs. Luckily for them, this is a very good year to need a wide receiver. Teams will be able to land starting-caliber receivers in the third round. Pittsburgh could take a receiver in the first round, whether that be Brian Thomas Jr. or an unlikely trade-up for Rome Odunze.
The Steelers are more likely to draft an offensive lineman in the first round, though, and start looking at receivers with their second pick. There will undoubtedly still be plenty of talent on the board at that point in the draft. Here are some of the top candidates Pittsburgh could select with the 54th overall pick.
Pittsburgh Steelers Second Round Draft Targets: Wide Receiver
Ricky Pearsall – Florida
After releasing Allen Robinson, the Steelers are in desperate need of a slot receiver. They will have a chance to select a plug-and-play slot receiver in Ricky Pearsall. For starters, Pearsall is a dependable pass catcher. You won’t see him drop many passes. Further, he is a phenomenal athlete. His testing numbers pop off the screen.
Ricky Pearsall is a WR prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 9.90 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 32 out of 3121 WR from 1987 to 2024.https://t.co/jff1C8sPXH pic.twitter.com/VAUweLJziY
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 16, 2024
Pearsall’s skillset puts him on the Steelers radar. They have their deep threat, big-bodied, contested catch receiver in George Pickens. Pearsall would compliment Pickens well, as he can be the safety blanket kind of receiver who lines up in the slot and consistently gets open. Pittsburgh has shown interest in Pearsall, too. They met with him at the NFL Combine and hosted him for a top-30 visit. If the Steelers draft Ricky Pearsall, they’d be getting an elite athlete with great hands who could be a strong contributor right away as a rookie.
Malachi Corley – Western Kentucky
Corley is an interesting prospect. He is a very physical player who excels with the ball in his hands. Corley doesn’t have a well-developed route tree, though. In college, a lot of his touches were schemed for him, rather than him consistently beating coverages and getting open. Until he develops as a route runner, NFL teams would also need to scheme touches for Corley. They should be willing to do so, because he is a YAC monster.
On one hand, Corley would fit well into Arthur Smith’s offense because of his physicality. On the other hand, he might be best-suited as a Swiss army knife, gadget player until his route tree develops. Pittsburgh may already have their gadget player, depending how they plan to use Cordarrelle Patterson. If they only view Patterson as a pure running back, then they could draft Corley, use him in the slot, and try to get him the ball in open space.
Roman Wilson – Michigan
Moving to the opposite end of the size and strength spectrum, the Steelers have shown interest in Roman Wilson. Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin attended Michigan’s pro day. Wilson also met with the Steelers at the Senior Bowl and worked closely with Tomlin there. As a player, Wilson’s biggest strength is his straight line speed. He’s a true burner. He is a strong route runner, too, and could help fill Pittsburgh’s slot receiver vacancy.
Wilson is a little undersized and might struggle with the physicality of NFL cornerbacks. He can overcome that weakness with his route running abilities, and he is a decent combat catcher considering his lack of size. Like Pearsall, Wilson is the kind of receiver that would compliment George Pickens well.
The Others
There are so many more wide receivers the Steelers could draft in the second round. If Xavier Legette is still available, his size and athleticism certainly make him an option. Like Legette, Oregon’s Troy Franklin isn’t likely to fall to the Steelers in the second round. But his athleticism would make him a great pick if he’s available. Keon Coleman of Florida State is a player who might be available at 54 and has sky-high potential. He has a similar style of play to George Pickens, though, which might keep Pittsburgh from drafting him.
Main Photo Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
