As NFL meetings conclude, Steelers continue search for No. 2 wide receiver

ORLANDO, Fla. — Two weeks after trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, the Pittsburgh Steelers still lack a bona fide No. 2 wide receiver.

It hasn’t been for a lack of trying. General manager Omar Khan has added two veterans in free agency — Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins — while agreeing to a two-year deal with return threat Cordarrelle Patterson, who entered the league as a receiver before transitioning to running back.

None of those deals generated banner-sized headlines and for good reason. None of those players are viewed as a replacement for Johnson, the most experienced receiver on the roster until he was traded to Carolina in exchange for veteran cornerback Donte Jackson.

“I think, from my standpoint, you just have to be patient,” Khan said earlier in the week at the NFL annual meeting.

The free-agent pool is shallow two weeks into free agency. One player remaining on the market is former Pitt star and Cincinnati Bengals No. 3 receiver Tyler Boyd.

“I think we’re always going to try to add to every room, including that one,” Khan said. “We have some players that we feel good about. One thing — and I can’t speak for the coaches specifically — but I think they will do things and adjust to things based on who the receivers are at that position. But I would say it’s safe to assume we’re going to continue to add to that room.”

It’s no coincidence that Jefferson and Patterson were added considering they have experience playing in an offense designed by Arthur Smith, who was Atlanta’s head coach before the Steelers brought him in as offensive coordinator.

Considering the resources left in free agency, the draft is the most likely place for the Steelers to find a top-flight prospect to pair with George Pickens, who is entering his third season. The Steelers have met with most top receiving prospects, and they recently brought in Florida’s Ricky Pearsall and South Carolina’s Xavier Legette for top-30 visits.

“The draft is probably unusually deep at that position and has been for the past several years,” coach Mike Tomlin said.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently ranked 12 receivers among his top 50 overall prospects. Tomlin credits the proliferation of 7-on-7 offseason football for the increased number of wide receivers who enter the NFL ready to make an immediate contribution.

“Their development, the skills relative to their positions come with a higher floor,” he said. “Much like AAU basketball probably transformed basketball. I think 7-on-7 has had significant impact on the passing game and those that participate in it, and I think that’s why there are always a lot of wideouts that appear to be game ready.”

Meanwhile, in Carolina, the Panthers were more than happy to take Johnson off the Steelers’ hands. First-year coach Dave Canales wanted another weapon for quarterback Bryce Young, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick. Johnson averaged a career-high 14.1 yards per catch in his final year with the Steelers, and he had 51 receptions for 717 yards in 13 games.

“The word I like to say is, I want to compete against our roster every year so there isn’t complacency,” Canales said. “I want it so there isn’t anyone who can say I’m safe here. No, let’s challenge our roster. The goal for the receiver room was let’s challenge the explosiveness, let’s challenge the one-on-one matchup, and Diontae is a guy I’ve been watching for a long time.”

Canales’ first NFL job was the receivers coach for the Seattle Seahawks. He spent eight seasons in that role before ascending the ladder and getting his first head coaching job this year.

“Diontae can release against the best corners in the league and get open and be available for the quarterback,” Canales said. “He really has a dynamic style of play that I thought we were missing. I wanted to look at more ways we could add that explosiveness to our pass game. He was a big piece of it.”

And a piece that, two weeks into the new NFL calendar year, remains missing from the Steelers offense.