Positional preview: Pickens can't do it all by himself

As things currently stand, wide receiver is a big question mark in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are transitioning at quarterback, the offense is being completely overhauled under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and, oh yeah, who in the heck is going to fill the gaping void after Omar Khan traded Diontae Johnson?

Welcome to the third edition of our 2024 positional preview, in which we will break down the roster to get you ready for that wonderful first training camp practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa.

Throughout this series, we'll take a look back at how each position fared in 2023, how that position was addressed in the offseason and wrap up with how it looks heading into 2024. Of course, the roster can still go through changes between now and when it's cut to 53 players. But, this will offer an understanding of how the team is shaping up.

We've already covered the quarterbacks and running backs in the first two parts of this series. Now, we're going to round out the skill positions on offense with a deep dive into the receivers and tight ends.

2023 IN REVIEW

As it was in 2022, both the receiver and tight end positions faced many challenges in 2023. Some of that was due to being handcuffed by Matt Canada's offense. But, there were other hurdles in the way that made things difficult.

The depth at receiver was immediately tested when Johnson went down with a hamstring injury in the season opener. What made that even more painful was Johnson looked really sharp on his three catches for 48 yards, and the Steelers needed more out of him in 2023 after being held out of the end zone in 2022.

While Johnson missed the remainder of the season opener and the next four games, defenses challenged George Pickens, who was coming off an impressive rookie campaign. After showing the world his freak combination of size, athleticism, body control and ability to make highlight-reel catches, defenses clamped down on Pickens. And they had all the more reason to do so when Johnson went down with an injury:

NFL.COM

I've showed this All-22 shot before, but this is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. The Raiders are in Cover 1, but have the lone safety heavily shaded over to Pickens' side despite there being four eligible receivers on the opposite side of the formation. This epitomizes what defenses thought of Calvin Austin III and Allen Robinson.

Despite defenses putting extra attention on Pickens, that didn't stop the second-year receiver from putting up numbers. He caught four passes for 127 yards and a touchdown in a Week 2 win over the Browns and hauled in six catches for 130 yards and a game-winning touchdown in a Week 5 matchup against the Ravens:

Johnson's return to the lineup in Week 6 gave the receiving corps a huge boost, as Johnson collected 20 catches for 254 yards over the next three weeks, including his first touchdown catch since Week 16 of the 2021 season in the Steelers' win over the Titans to improve to 5-3 near the halfway point of the season.

However, the Steelers' receivers struggled to produce throughout November and December. Part of that was due to Canada's firing after the Week 10 loss in Cleveland, as Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan took over coordinator and play-calling responsibilities. The entire offense had to adjust to the midseason change.

But, there's no denying that production at the receiver position was limited due to inconsistent quarterback play from Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky. Pickett had his best game as a pro in the team's first game after Canada was fired, but Pat Freiermuth was the main beneficiary from that performance, catching nine passes for 120 yards.

The second Mason Rudolph took over at quarterback in place of an injured Pickett and benched Trubisky, Pickens became a monster. Seriously, right away, on the first pass:

Even when the Ravens completely sold out to neutralize Pickens in the season finale, Johnson stepped up with four catches for 89 yards, including the game-deciding touchdown. With competent quarterback play, the duo of Pickens and Johnson proved to be formidable.

It was a bit of a disappointing NFL debut for Austin, who didn't do much to establish himself as a legitimate receiving threat. Even for Robinson, who was acquired via trade just before the 2023 draft, he was most effective as a blocking receiver rather than a pass catcher.

Pickens was the star of the group, catching 63 passes for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns, averaging a league-best 18.1 yards per catch. But, of the team's 3,421 receiving yards, all receivers other than Pickens and Johnson combined for only 55 catches, 477 yards and one touchdown. The depth was severely lacking.

At tight end, Freiermuth had a challenging season. He missed five straight games in the middle of the season with a hamstring injury and battled a knee injury down the stretch. His monster performance against the Bengals account for a large percentage of his total numbers for the season, which were 32 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns.

Rookie Darnell Washington came in with a lot of intrigue due to his incredible size at 6-7, 264 pounds. But the Steelers limited Washington to a role almost exclusively as a blocker, as he caught only seven passes for 61 yards all season. Connor Heyward turned into the team's second receiving option at tight end, hauling in 23 catches for 167 yards. 

All in all, the Steelers just didn't utilize the tight end position nearly enough in 2023. Only five teams registered fewer targets to tight ends last season. When a tight end as talented as Freiermuth is on the roster, that's a troubling number.

THE OFFSEASON

Receiver didn't start off as a huge position of need when the offseason began, though it was definitely a spot that could use some additions to deepen the position. With Pickens and Johnson atop the depth chart, the draft seemed like a good place to add a guy who could slot in as the third option.

However, receiver became a gigantic need when Khan pulled the trigger on a trade with the Panthers, parting with Johnson in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson. While the move certainly bolstered the cornerback position, receiver became arguably the biggest need on the team. Both Khan and Mike Tomlin were adamant that the trade was purely a business decision, though there were rumblings that the relationship between Johnson and the organization soured throughout the 2023 season.

Regardless of what happened with Johnson, the team opting to trade him created a substantial void that needed to be filled. The first way Khan began addressing that need was to sign several receivers that profile as No. 4s throughout the league, including the likes of Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Scotty Miller.

The position was much more secured when Roman Wilson was selected with the first of two third-round picks. Wilson was productive slot receiver for Michigan and had a good showing throughout the draft circuit. Some even thought he might be a candidate in the second round, but when he was still available at 84th overall, the Steelers didn't pass on him.

While drafting Wilson softened the blow of trading away Johnson, the Steelers remained on the lookout for an impact receiver to line up opposite Pickens. This has kept the Steelers in the rumor mill for months, connected to the likes of Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf, Courtland Sutton, Terry McLaurin, Tee Higgins and several more receivers that were rumored to possibly be traded.

As of the time this preview is published, the Steelers have not pulled off such a trade, leaving internal candidates an opportunity to head into training camp and win a job.

At tight end, the Steelers have stuck with the trio of Freiermuth, Washington and Heyward, while also bringing back Rodney Williams as a depth option. The team also signed MyCole Pruitt, who played under Smith while both were in Atlanta.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2024

Without a trade for an impact receiver, Pickens is the lead dog at receiver. He progressed in a lot of areas from Year 1 to Year 2, and there's every reason to believe he can take another step forward in 2024.

The one thing that surprisingly went down last season was Pickens' contested catch rate. As a rookie, he converted 67.9% of contested catches, but converted only 32% last season, according to Pro Football Focus. It'll be interesting to see how he bounces back.

One way that Pickens could really take the top off is by becoming a better route runner. Should he find the ability to create good separation, it's over for the rest of the NFL, especially considering that teams have been pressing Pickens just as much as anyone else since he came into the league.

Last season, Pickens faced an average cushion of 5.1 yards, the lowest of any qualifying receiver in football, according to NFL's Next Gen Stats. Pickens was pressed even more often during his rookie season, facing an average cushion of 4.7 yards, the second-lowest in the NFL that season. Defenses go all out in pressing Pickens.

In terms of improving his route running, Pickens has been working with the same guy that works with Johnson:

Say what you will about Johnson, but his route running is not an area that deserves criticism.

Outside of Pickens, the Steelers just need somebody to step up. The easy answer here is for Khan to acquire Aiyuk, Samuel or some other big-time receiver. But, with that not a guarantee, who can be the guy to step up and become a legitimate threat alongside Pickens?

Jefferson is a guy who caught 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns for the Rams when they won the Super Bowl just a few years ago. However, he's barely put up more than half of that production over the past two seasons combined with the Rams and Falcons.

Austin is a fan favorite that wows people with his elite speed and superb athleticism. And there's no doubt this kid could be a home run hitter:

But, Austin has to round out the rest of his game. In three games last season while Johnson was sidelined, Austin averaged only 2.6 yards of separation despite facing an average cushion of 7.6 yards. He needs to become a better route runner.

Of course, Wilson could come in and contribute as a rookie. Despite having a pretty small frame at 5-11 and 185 pounds, Wilson has elite speed and knows how to attack the intermediate and deep levels of defenses. He did that all the time at Michigan. Even then, he became a pretty good route runner within the role he was given:

Wilson identifies the soft spot in the defense while in the middle of his route, slightly breaking it off a little more shallow than designed. This is some savvy route running that gives the quarterback a wide open target in space. There are different ways of getting open within the structure of the offense, and Wilson has the ability to do that in multiple ways.

Or maybe, just maybe, the No. 2 receiver on this team is no receiver at all. Just as people hoped Freiermuth could be a difference maker in 2023, that stands a better chance to happen in 2024. Smith's offenses in Tennessee and Atlanta featured the tight end position far more often than we've seen in Pittsburgh under Canada. Just as the Steelers were near the bottom of the league in targets to tight ends last season, Atlanta was third-highest in the NFL under Smith.

That also means a potential increase in role for Heyward and Washington. Heyward is the more accomplished receiving option, but Washington is athletic enough to be an interesting option in the receiving game, especially in the red zone.

However, there's no way around the fact that the Steelers' pass catchers would be much more solidified if Khan were to pull off a trade for an impact receiver. It's really the only gaping hole on the roster heading into training camp.

PROJECTED DEPTH CHART (WIDE RECEIVER)

• George Pickens
• Van Jefferson
• Calvin Austin III
• Roman Wilson
• Scotty Miller
• Quez Watkins

As previously stated, Pickens is the undisputed No. 1 guy. Everyone else is competing for any of the remaining spots. I default to Jefferson as the No. 2 since he can play both outside and in the slot, and since he's put up at least one season in the NFL as a productive pass catcher. Wilson could be the difference maker here should he come in as a rookie and realize his potential quickly.

PROJECTED DEPTH CHART (TIGHT END)

• Pat Freiermuth
• Darnell Washington
• Connor Heyward
• MyCole Pruitt

This depth chart's easy to break down. Freiermuth is obviously the top guy, Washington is the best blocker and Heyward is a hybrid that can catch passes, take handoffs and run block in a variety of ways. Should the Steelers opt to carry four tight ends, Pruitt could be a solid option since he's previously played under Smith and knows the system.

2024 STEELERS POSITIONAL PREVIEW SERIES

• Quarterback
• Running back

And coming soon ...

• Offensive line 
• Defensive line/Edge rusher 
• Inside linebacker 
• Secondary 
• Special teams