Steelers Could Be Sending A Loud Message About Roman Wilson After Latest Insight

As draft night continues to creep up, the Pittsburgh Steelers have some tough decisions to make. While they obviously have needs, they have the luxury of being able to select the best player available with the 21st overall pick. The biggest needs that remain are seemingly wide receiver, the offensive line (specifically the left side), and safety. The obvious need for a quarterback still remains, but it sounds as if Aaron Rodgers will be back for another season. So that leaves the team likely to pick one of the previous positions mentioned first, but there is one prospect who's not in a position of need that could be on the Steelers' radar come April 23rd. 

Tight end Kenyon Sadiq from Oregon is an athletic stud who could potentially be in the running to be the Steelers' first-round selection. He is a big target who plays like a wide receiver. Sadiq also ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, which is the best ever by a tight end. The former Oregon Ducks standout stands at 6'3", 241 pounds, and is exactly what Head Coach Mike McCarthy looks for in a pass-catching target. Not only is the tight end an elite pass catcher, but also an exceptional run blocker. He is a matchup nightmare for defenses, and if he's selected, it could spell serious trouble for a current Steelers pass-catcher.

Former NFL general manager Doug Whaley recently appeared on the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show, where he discussed the potential suitors for the Steelers in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.  He noted that the selection would not affect fan-favorite tight end Pat Freiermuth, but said it would certainly negatively affect wide receiver Roman Wilson. 

"Freiermuth is not gonna be devalued, but I think they're gonna put Mount [Darnell] Washington out there earlier and for the running experience and ability to block. Two, when I'm unpacking this, this does not sound very good for Roman Wilson, because he's not a big target," Whaley said. And three, I could see them going for that receiving tight end, a la Freiermuth, but a little more dynamic. Like that Sadiq guy has that speed. 

Wilson hasn't been able to gain any traction since being drafted in 2024. He was injured during training camp in his rookie season and played only one game before being injured again and sitting out the rest of the season. In 2025, things looked better for Wilson. He had a nice preseason, leaving Steeler Nation excited to finally see what the former Michigan Wolverines star could do. When the regular season came around, Wilson wasn't seeing consistent snaps, and that trend continued the entire 2025 campaign until he was a healthy scratch for numerous games to end the year.

McCarthy has recently said he prefers bigger targets; Wilson has a slot-receiver build. That already gives him a huge disadvantage in contributing, but drafting Sadiq would almost eliminate him entirely. Perhaps Wilson could contribute on special teams, where they can use his speed in an area that could use a boost.

Steelers Should Make Wilson The Kick/Punt Returner

One area the franchise struggled with last season was its kick and punt returns. Kick returns in particular have been a disaster, as they have not returned a kickoff for a touchdown since 2017. This past season, Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell were the kick returners after Kaleb Johnson's mishap in Week 2. While Warren and Gainwell are good players, perhaps they're best suited as running backs rather than primary special teamers. Wilson only had six returns in college, but averaged 22 yards per return. 

Between the Steelers' draft plans and McCarthy's recent words, it looks more and more like Wilson will have another season where he might have to battle for playing time. If the team wants to get the most out of him, they should consider him a special teams player and have him return punts and kicks. Both are needed as Calvin Austin III is gone, and Gainwell signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If that's not in Wilson's plans, his future in Pittsburgh will only become more murky.

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