Steelers Now
When you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers roster, both from a short-term and long-term lens, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that the wide receiver position is one of their top needs moving forward. We know that DK Metcalf figures to be the engine of the Steelers passing game, but outside of that lie more questions than answers. At this stage of the calendar, it’s possible that the organization isn’t able to acquire a legitimate counterpart for 2025 and is forced into rolling with what they have. If that outcome becomes reality, the Steelers front office will likely be searching for talent in the 2026 NFL Draft, especially considering that Calvin Austin III is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Metcalf, one of the game’s premium explosive-play generators, isn’t quite as well-rounded as other top dogs around the league are, thus making finding him an appropriate complement all the more necessary. During the summer scouting phase, I’ve been working on identifying collegiate playmakers that could fill in the gaps of what is currently missing on the Steelers offense. It’s fascinating to think about the different archetypes that the franchise could target: route runners, run-after-catch threats, or big-bodied possession receivers, but the non-negotiable element is that they’ve got to be able to function outside.
As necessary context, think of this as more of a watch list instead of a set of rankings, and there are reasons for that. While the 2026 NFL Draft wide receiver class lacks a surefire top pick heading into the season, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson would be the player that I’d feel most comfortable betting on finishing as WR1 and deserving of round-one draft capital. Because of that, he’s likely going to be out of the Steelers range, knowing that the need for a franchise quarterback supersedes the importance of adding another playmaker.
Today, we’re going to break down some of the other more intriguing wideouts to keep an eye on this upcoming fall.
After watching over a dozen receivers for this particular exercise, Lemon was definitely the most surprising watch on film, which left me pretty bullish on his NFL outlook. He’s a guy that can get his own bucket in isolation with an enticing blend of quickness, burst off the ball and top-end speed stack defenders over the top.
Lemon catches everything (just 1 drop last season), instantly transitions to being a runner and uses his return man skills to create explosive plays. Because 85% of his snaps came inside, many will typecast him into that role, but his ability to beat press effectively as a true sophomore suggests that he’s capable of being a moveable weapon. Subtle improvements are needed in terms of playing through contact, after his clearing the 3.0 yards per route run threshold last season, his ceiling definitely intrigues me.
Boston had to wait his turn behind three proven wideouts, but...
