Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers front office staff, led by assistant general manager Andy Weidl, was the week of practices leading up to the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl in Texas this week. One of the players the Steelers reportedly got a good look at was Colorado wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr.
According to a report by No Buffin Around Media, the Steelers were among the teams that asked Horn not to play in the Shrine Bowl itself on Thursday night, having seen enough of him during the week of practice.
Horn, 22, spent his last two seasons with the Buffaloes after starting his collegiate career at South Florida.
Horn had 567 yards and six touchdowns at Colorado in 2023 and 441 yards and one touchdown this season whole playing as a lot receiver for the Buffaloes, inside of first-round draft pick Travis Hunter and fellow Shrine Bowl invitee Will Sheppard.
Horn measured in at 5-foot-7 3/4 and 171 pounds. That’s the exact same height and one pound heavier than Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III weighed in three years ago.
Horn is currently projected as a seventh-round pick by NFL Mock Draft Database at No. 242 on the consensus big board.
The Steelers have significant needs at wide receiver, having never fully replaced Diontae Johnson when he was traded before the 2024 season, and now Van Jefferson, Mike Williams, Ben Skowronek and Scotty Miller are all set to hit free agency this offseason.
But it’s unclear if they would want another undersized slot option. Not only do they have Austin, but 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson is also most likely to come out of the slot primarily.
The Steelers were also active in scouting wide receivers at the Senior Bowl this week, with Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins, TCU’s Jack Bech and Maryland’s Tai Felton as standouts among bigger receivers.
