he Pittsburgh Steelers have a significant void to fill at wide receiver.
The team traded Dionte Johnson to the Carolina Panthers and with Russell Wilson now locked in as the team’s starting QB for 2024, it will be critical to surround him with as many weapons as possible to set the offense up for success.
While the Steelers have signed Van Jefferson and added Quez Watkins since trading away Johnson, those two wideouts combined for only 351 receiving yards during 2023.
During the April 9 episode of the “In the Huddle” podcast, Audacy’s Jason La Canfora revealed that the Steelers are “really trying to make something happen” at wide receiver.
“For me, there’s a piece of information we don’t have yet, which is do they trade for a wide receiver before the draft? It would not surprise me if they did that tomorrow, if they did it the Wednesday before the draft. If they did it while they were on the clock, if they did it in the run up to the draft that Thursday, I know that they’re really trying to make something happen there.”
Brandon Aiyuk is the biggest name that has come up as a trade possibility this offseason and he is the most realistic option if the Steelers are looking to make a big move at the position.
But one recent trade proposal feels possible considering the smart thinking behind it to get an elite playmaker who is familiar with their new franchise QB without taking a major hit to the
salary cap.
Pittsburgh Steelers Projected Trade Reunites Russell Wilson With Tyler Lockett
There may be a key reason the Steelers are waiting to make a move to add a premier wide receiver in free agency.
Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders argued that the team could now be waiting on a potential post-June 1 trade to make their big-time receiver addition. If that’s the case, Saunders argued Seattle Seahawks wideout Tyler Lockett is a possible target.
Tyler Lockett played seven seasons in Seattle with new Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson.
“Lockett just restructured his deal with the Seahawks this offseason, which would make a pre-June 1 trade costly to Seattle,” Saunders wrote. “If they traded Lockett now, that would incur a $27.8 million dead cap hit and cost the Seahawks an additional $8.9 million in cap space on top of what is slated to cost.
From 2019-22, Lockett posted four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Three of those campaigns were with Wilson as his quarterback.
Why Tyler Lockett Is The Perfect Fit For The Pittsburgh Steelers
The familiarity with Wilson can’t be overstated as the Steelers hope the former Seahawks and Broncos QB can return to playing his best football.
A lot of pundits have labeled the Steelers an obvious fit for veteran receiver Tyler Boyd. Pittsburgh trading for star wideout Brandon Aiyuk has been another popular rumor this offseason.
But Lockett could be an even better fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He’s been both a possession receiver and big playmaker in his career. Lockett is more likely to be the former at this point of his career. He turns 32 in September.
That should be just fine for the Steelers, as they have George Pickens, who led the NFL with 18.1 yards per reception last season.
Tyler Lockett has been the perfect receiver for the Seahawks to pair with DK Metcalf, who is another freakishly athletic big-play receiver. It would be a very similar role for Lockett with Pickens.
Of course, Lockett’s previous experience with Wilson would also be a great benefit for the Pittsburgh offense.
Even if the Pittsburgh Steelers draft a receiver, Lockett would likely slide well into the No. 2 role. Pickens is currently the only wideout the Steelers have on their roster who had more than 209 receiving yards last season.
Leave a Reply