Are Concerns About the Steelers’ Wide Receiver Room Overblown? Breaking Down Mike Tomlin’s WR Depth

The Steelers have never been shy about swinging big. DK Metcalf’s arrival in March proved that point. But even after handing Aaron Rodgers a bona fide No. 1 target, Pittsburgh’s receiver room still looks… unfinished. One move short. One weapon away. And when George Pickens was shipped to Dallas right after the draft, the gap between “enough” and “not quite” became impossible to ignore.

Yet months later, Omar Khan hasn’t blinked. The front office has scouted, called, and even flirted with names like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but the depth chart remains untouched. Fans keep asking: Is this patience or stubbornness? Because in a league where injuries flip seasons in a blink, Pittsburgh’s choice to sit on its hands feels like a gamble tied to something bigger than just wide receiver depth. Especially when the problem’s glaring.

The Steelers’ passing game was one of the league’s sore spots last year. Just 321 receptions for 3,607 yards and 21 touchdowns. Only good for the bottom-five across the NFL. Numbers that left them brushing shoulders with the Giants and Bears in offensive futility. And that won’t help Mike Tomlin at all if he wants to break the postseason curse.

Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot framed it bluntly: “That isn’t to say Pittsburgh’s making all the right moves. Wide receiver is still far from a strength and a multi-week injury to DK Metcalf would prove devastating.” His point underlines the tension. Pittsburgh has passed on names, kept its draft capital close, and leaned on internal answers. DK is the star, the clear WR1. After that? It’s a lot of question marks disguised as depth. Calvin Austin III had flashes last year, but flashes don’t win playoff games. Roman Wilson lit up the preseason, but the regular season promise, transitioning to the postseason, needs to come through. Jonnu Smith? Useful, sure, but he’s a tight end who moves the chains, not someone who tilts the field.

Per the critics, Tomlin must find another proven wide receiver. Trade for Jakobi Meyers. Overpay for Romeo Doubs. Don’t waste Aaron Rodgers’ last dance. That urgency is real, no doubt. Rodgers is 41. You don’t develop prospects when your quarterback might only give you one season.

Okay, all of this sounds like a big RED Flag in Steel City, but…

Maybe this WR panic is overcooked. Rodgers has made a career out of elevating ‘just a guy’ into that guy. James Jones, Allen Lazard, and MVS were not exactly household names before Rodgers made them matter. Why couldn’t Austin or Wilson be next in line?

Austin, especially, feels like the X-factor. He got open far more than his target share suggested last season. Different quarterbacks missed him. Rodgers won’t. And Wilson? He’s got the skillset that translates, quick separation, fearless in traffic, and a rookie with edge.

The truth might be less dramatic than the headlines. The Steelers may not even need a second star. They need one of these guys to be reliable. A third-down safety valve, a guy defenses can’t ignore when Metcalf draws doubles. If that happens, Pittsburgh’s receiving problem doesn’t look like much of a problem at all.

Of course, that’s the gamble. Go all-in on Rodgers and trust internal growth? Or swing big for another receiver and admit you don’t believe in Austin or Wilson yet?

So yeah, the concern is fair. But overblown? Maybe. Because if history tells us anything, it’s that Rodgers doesn’t need a perfect WR room. He just needs one or two guys to play above their reputation. And Pittsburgh already has candidates waiting.

Mike Tomlin has a star waiting for a chance!

Former Raiders coach Jon Gruden isn’t shy about speaking his mind, and when it comes to Pittsburgh’s wideouts, he’s throwing cold water on the critics. “The guy I’m most excited about and I am nuts, is I freaking love Roman Wilson. I loved him at Michigan. The guy’s a hell of a player. So if they go 11 personnel, you’re gonna see Calvin Austin, DK Metcalf and I think you’re gonna see a lot of Roman Wilson,” Gruden said. Then he delivered the knockout line to the doubters, “Everybody right now is saying, ‘Hey, the Steelers don’t have any wideouts.’ B——-. Wait until you see Roman Wilson.”

That’s not just talk. Wilson has the resume to back it up. At Michigan, he became a reliable weapon with 107 receptions, 1,707 yards, and 20 touchdowns across four seasons. His 2023 campaign was his breakout, with 48 catches, 789 yards, and 12 touchdowns, capped off by a national championship run. He averaged an impressive 16.4 yards per catch, showing he could stretch the field while also being a dependable target in the red zone.

Though injuries stalled his rookie year in Pittsburgh, Wilson has bounced back with a strong 2025 offseason. Training camp buzz centered on his quickness and chemistry with Rodgers, and the preseason only fueled the hype.4 receptions for 96 yards, averaging 24 yards per grab.

Zach Azzanni, Pittsburgh’s receivers coach, who has been impressed with Wilson’s growth and polish, also echoed Gruden’s confidence. If Roman Wilson stays healthy and delivers on his Michigan promise, he may not just silence the doubters. He could turn Pittsburgh’s biggest preseason question mark into its most surprising strength.