The Pittsburgh Steelers have been searching for the man that can fill in for Diontae Johnson as a starting receiver on the outside, opposite of George Pickens. They have made numerous moves in the process, including signing players like Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins. The team has also drafted Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite all that, they still lack that big impact player to hold down the fort as a wideout. They have been in the mix for San Francisco 49ers star receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, but they most likely won't be able to trade for him.
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Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson lines up and prepares to run a drill as the team practices during 2024 Organized Team Activities in Pittsburgh, PA.
With all that said, it still may not be that big of a deal come Week 1. Insider Brian Batko recently made an appearance on 93.7 The Fan to talk about this and why everything will be fine with the current receiving core.
"I think [the wide receiver issue]'s been overblown a bit because of the run-first philosophy that they're going to operate with under Arthur Smith as the offensive coordinator. The personnel, the way they're set up and built at this moment tells you they're going to lean into handing the ball off a lot to Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren."
Arthur Smith ran a run-heavy offense when he was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, as well as when he was the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans. The Steelers had a dominant rushing attack in 2023, with both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren each amassing over 1,000 yards from scrimmage. This was a match made in heaven for both the coach and the team.
Dale Zanine / USA TODAY Sports
Arthur Smith reacting during a game as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
Because of this, it makes sense why the Steelers won't have to worry about having a second high-end receiver on the team. With all the running that the Steelers will likely do, they will mostly utilize 12-personnel (one running back, two tight ends) more than usual, as opposed to the normal 11-personnel (one running back, one tight end).
In fact, in the 2023 season, Smith and the Falcons had the lowest usage of 11 personnel, with just 18% of snaps having three receivers on the field at the same time.
usage of 3+ WR sets in 2023
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 3, 2024
95% - LAR
89% - CAR
81% - CIN
77% - IND
75% - WAS
73% - PHI
73% - CLE
72% - NYG
72% - LAC
71% - PIT
71% - TB
69% - DAL
68% - BUF
67% - ARI
66% - NYJ
65% - SEA
65% - MIN
64% - LV
64% - JAX
63% - KC
63% - GB
62% - HOU
62% - DET
59% - DEN
59% - NO
59% -…
With that same philosophy coming to a run-heavy offense like Pittsburgh, you can expect the Steelers to run a lot of 12, 13, 21, or 22-personnel, with multiple tight ends and/or running backs on the field at the same time. It's not the go-to option in the modern NFL anymore, but if it works out, no one in the Steel City will be complaining.
Sebastian Foltz / Post-Gazette
Steelers' Quez Watkins (16) and Calvin Austin III (19) during Organized Team Activities (OTAs).
How Will The Steelers Deploy Their Receivers?
Pickens will be the top receiver on the team and he will be expected to have his breakout season. On the other side of him, there will likely be a steady rotation of receivers. Jefferson, Wilson, and Calvin Austin III could all sub in at that other receiver spot, depending on the situation in the game. When they do run 11-personnel, Wilson and Austin could rotate in the slot with Jefferson and Wilson rotating on the outside.
In an offense that relies a lot on the passing game, there are definitely questions about if this style of offense could work, but with all the questions the Steelers have surrounding their quarterback and wide receiver rooms, going all in on the run game isn't a bad idea.
What do you think about Batko's thoughts on the receiving core being perfectly fine? Let us know in the comments below.
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