Tim Benz, Matt Williamson's draft preview: Steelers better find an impactful wide receiver

When it comes to the NFL Draft, there is one thing the Pittsburgh Steelers try to avoid at all costs — entering the first round with a glaring hole at one of the 22 starting positions.

Coach Mike Tomlin reiterated that stance Monday.

“Our goal always is to address all needs (in advance of the draft) so we can kind of let the field come to us in the draft. We feel comfortable that we have quality, capable guys at every position. That’s what we desire, and that way we can go into the draft and not feel undue pressure in terms of reaching positionally, etc.,” Tomlin said.

The one glaring hole for the Steelers had been at strong safety until they were able to reach a deal to retain Terrell Edmunds. Following 2021, the Virginia Tech product had hit free agency after starting 60 regular-season games since 2018.

“Fortunately, he’s coming back to us, and he gives us that 22nd starter, so to speak,” general manager Kevin Colbert said.

Eh, maybe. If you squint. Or perhaps better said, if you turn an intentional blind eye.

In other words, if you don’t count a third wide receiver as a starter.

Technically, I suppose you don’t have to do so. Fullback Derek Watt started four games. Of all the tight ends, Zach Gentry actually had the most starts with 12, so if you wanted to count two tight ends as “starters,” you could. Pat Freiermuth had nine and Kevin Rader had one. Eric Ebron had three before exiting for free agency.

Let’s be real, though. The Steelers’ third wide receiver is a starter. At a minimum, that person gets a significant number of snaps. Chase Claypool (13 starts) and Diontae Johnson (14 starts) are back as the “starters.” But JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington and Ray-Ray McCloud are all gone. They combined for 12 starts themselves.

According to SharpFootballStats.com, the Steelers used 11 personnel (one tight end, one running back, three receivers) 75% of the time in 2021. Only the two Super Bowl teams — the Los Angeles Rams (86%) and Cincinnati Bengals (77%) — used that grouping more. The Steelers threw 71% of the time out of that formation.

McCloud had 538 snaps (45.87% of the offensive load). Washington had 480 (40.92%). In three of the first four weeks of 2021 before getting injured, Smith-Schuster was on the field for at least 91% of the snaps.

Now, after Claypool and Johnson, the Steelers just have Cody White (77 snaps) and Anthony Miller (25 snaps) returning from last year. Free-agent pickups Gunner Olszewski (New England) and Miles Boykin (Baltimore) have been added to the roster. They combined for three catches in 2021.

The Steelers need a third receiver in the draft. Period. And they better get a quality one before they get to Day 3. Fortunately, plenty are available.

During our second pre-draft podcast, former pro and college scout Matt Williamson (Steelers Nation Radio/TribLIVE) tells us that, by his count, there are at least 16 receivers that could help the Steelers immediately.

My favorite is Ohio State’s Chris Olave. He’s not the strongest receiver of the bunch and lacks great blocking ability. But NFL.com draft guru Daniel Jeremiah said, “He is a very smooth mover and has terrific speed. … He is a surgical route runner — fluid in and out of breaks — and creates a lot of separation. Olave is at his best in the vertical passing game. He can find another gear when the ball is in the air, tracking it naturally, and he can finish consistently.”

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As Williamson pointed out in the podcast, the most natural route runners are usually the receivers who make the quickest impact in the NFL as rookies. His favorite pass catcher is Alabama’s Jameson Williams, even though Williams suffered a torn ACL in the National Championship Game.

Despite the injury, Williamson would be happy if the Steelers managed to nab him at pick No. 20 in the first round.

“If I get 4½ years of Jameson Williams, and I get him on a rookie contract, I’ll give you the 20th pick all day long,” Williamson said.

Of Williams, Jeremiah said, “Williams is a tall, lean and explosive wideout. Everything he does on the field is sudden and fast. He flies off the line in his release; just when you think he’s reached top speed, he taps into a gear that very few possess. He turns quick-hitters into long touchdowns and climbs on top of coverage in every game viewed.”

A lot of Steelers fans have recently fallen head-over-heels for Arkansas’ Treylon Burks because he is big (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) and people see him as a multi-dimensional threat like San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel. It’s assumed that Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada can unfurl him as a rookie. But Williamson rates Burks fifth after Williams, Garrett Wilson (Ohio State), Drake London (USC) and Olave.

“If you don’t like him, you say he is (like) Laviska Shenault (Jacksonville Jaguars). Kind of a gimmicky type of guy,” Williamson said. “He’s just not a very refined route runner. … Everyone is looking for Deebo. (Burks) may line up in the backfield and get a carry here or there. But he’s not going to run inside zone like Deebo. That is a bit of an exaggeration. But he’ll be the Matt Canada end-around guy. And I’m sure Canada will like what Burks can do with the ball in his hands. He is big. He is physical. He didn’t test great. But he looks faster than that on film.”

In short, Williamson said he “likes, but doesn’t love” Burks. What he does love is the idea of drafting wide receivers so that you can get youthful contributions to your offense at bargain prices on entry-level contracts.

That’s as opposed to the $65 million-$72 million contracts the likes of Davante Adams (Las Vegas) and Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins) are getting after being traded.

“I think there are some indicators that wide receivers are becoming the new running backs, in that the supply might be exceeding the demand,” Williamson said. “If you are a football historian, you might look back at this offseason as a very crucial time in wide receiver history in the NFL. The plate tectonics are changing very rapidly right under our feet. … If you just draft a wideout on Day 2, three out of four years, you are going to have an economically cheap receiver room that probably has some star potential.”

In Tuesday’s podcast, Williamson tells us how Johnson and his fellow 2019 draft class alumni of wide receivers are helping to advance that conversation. We get a prediction from Williamson on how many wide receivers will be selected in the first round. And we gather some insight from him on when we might see the first running back or tight end selected.

Listen: Tim Benz and Matt Williamson talk NFL Draft: Wide receivers