The Pittsburgh Steelers doubled down on finding a franchise quarterback this offseason, scooping Russell Wilson off the scrap heap and trading for Justin Fields, but might be on the cusp of adding a dynamic weapon to elevate the passing game for whichever signal-caller is behind center this season.
After all, there could be a legitimate quarterback competition in the Iron City this summer.
Roman Wilson made the most of the limited opportunities he had to stretch the field in the confines of Michigan’s offensive scheme, but at least one NFC scout believes he has untapped upside in the vertical passing game
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“I don’t think most people realize what he would have done in a wide-open offense like Ohio State or Washington,” the scout tells NFL.com, of Wilson. “He’s got rare speed and you will see it more in the NFL when he’s a bigger part of the passing game.”
If the Steelers go into this draft aiming to come out of it with a playmaking wide receiver, Pro Fo
tball Focus believes Wilson is an ideal fit as a top target on day two for Pittsburgh.
“New Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson would likely have flashbacks of Tyler Lockett if he were to throw passes to Wilson. The former Wolverine is an ultra-competitive downfield threat who posted a perfect 99.9 deep receiving grade last season. He also dropped only one pass among his 67 targets.”
Wilson NFL Draft Scouting Report
A Wilson-to-Wilson connection in Pittsburgh has the chance to throw open offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s playbook.
Despite only catching 48 passes for the National Champion Wolverines last season, Wilson developed into quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s favorite target, averaging a healthy 16.4 yards per reception. Finishing the 2023 season with 789 yards and 12 touchdowns, it’s easy to believe Wilson’s best football is in front of him.
“Wilson is among the best route-runners in the 2024 NFL draft class,” the Bleacher Report Scouting Department writes of Wilson. “He uses his intense speed to put defensive backs on their back foot immediately and works from there.
“In addition to raw speed, Wilson has fantastic control, throttling up and down as necessary to toy with DBs. Wilson also shows quick, precise movement to most efficiently get through his route breaks, regularly creating a cushion of separation for himself.”
As Pro Football Focus points out, Wilson Wilson averaged an elite 2.68 yards per route run during the 2023 season, while garnering a strong 84.5 receiving grade from the outlet.
In Pittsburgh, Wilson would have the opportunity to develop into a worthy counterpart and complementary weapon to Pickens in the Steelers’ target hierarchy.
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