The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the market to find a new addition to their wide receiver room for the 2024 season and beyond. The 2023 group, led by George Pickens and Diontae Johnson, had an up-and-down season as they dealt with injuries and poor play at the quarterback position. Pickens and Johnson were making headlines all season for the wrong reasons, with Pickens’ social media antics and Johnson’s perceived lack of effort being called out. Pittsburgh will be looking for better results from their receiver room in 2024, and according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, one of the top wide receiver prospects has caught their attention.
Rapoport reported on Saturday night that Pittsburgh was one of the teams taking a keen interest in University of Washington wideout, Rome Odunze. The 2023 AP All-American stood out for the Huskies making 92 catches for 1,640 yards during the 2023 season. He averaged 109.3 receiving yards per game. Odunze’s work at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis has catapulted his stock as a potential top wide receiver in the draft and captured the attention of a lot of teams including Pittsburgh.
“He [Odunze] did a really nice job with the drills today and someone who certainly is in the mix, or I should say, firmly in the mix to be a top three receiver,” Rapoport claimed. “So, let’s take a look at some of the teams he met with. The Patriots, the Cardinals, the Giants, the Titans, and the Bears are among the intriguing ones for me guys because those are all the top 10 teams [in the draft]. He also spent some time with the Colts, the Rams, the Jaguars, and the Steelers. The reason those are interesting is because those would be potential trade-up teams.”
Rapoport said it’s rare to see teams trading up to get a wide receiver, but qualified that just because it doesn’t often happen, it doesn’t mean anyone should rule it out. The Steelers haven’t been afraid in the past to trade up for players that they like. The most famous examples in recent history are the acquisitions of Troy Polamalu and Santonio Holmes.
Now, both those moves were completed with Kevin Colbert steering the ship. Pittsburgh has a new regime, led by General Manager Omar Khan and Assistant General Manager Andy Weidl. The duo showed at the 2023 NFL Draft that they aren’t afraid to make aggressive moves to get the prospects they want. The team traded up to get Georgia tackle Broderick Jones in the first round.
Steelers Looking To Fill A Hole For Now And Possibly The Future
Pittsburgh’s offense is expected to be heavily based on a ground attack with the hiring of Arthur Smith to lead that unit. That doesn’t mean the wide receiver position will be ignored. A.J. Brown had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Tennessee Titans when Smith was his coordinator. The Steelers’ offense lacked a serious second wide receiver option when Johnson was on injured reserve, showcasing the need to add to the room.
Calvin Austin III has had moments when he played, but was not consistent enough to be labeled more than a gadget piece and a returner. He is a useful player to have on the roster, but so far, his role is limited. Perhaps Smith can find it, but the team needs to focus on insulating itself.
Allen Robinson II was brought in for his veteran leadership, but outside of his blocking and the occasional third-down catch, he wasn’t much of a factor in the offense. He finished with a career-low 280 yards receiving. He carries a huge price tag for the 2024 season and it was reported that Pittsburgh is trying to find a way to lower it to keep him on the roster.
There’s been some speculation on trading Johnson as he enters his contract’s final year. Pittsburgh will either be negotiating a new deal with him in the future, or finding out what life is like without him. Finding a player in the draft with a guaranteed rookie contract to replace him would be a wise plan.
What would you think of trading up for Odunze?
