Big boards are being finalized. Anonymous scouts are lambasting prospects for their character. And nobody still has any idea who’s going after the first overall pick.

That can only mean one thing: it’s draft week.

The Steelers have known their needs at center, tackle and corner for quite a while — truly, since their season concluded in January. But it’s also almost definitely a lock that GM Omar Khan will acquire a receiver (if not multiple) through the draft following a) the shipping of Diontae Johnson to Carolina and b) not adding legitimately viable receiving options in free agency.

This year, there’s a pretty clear top three at wideout, although the order can somehow differ: Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze. Of course, it can’t be entirely ruled out that Pittsburgh would end up with any of those stars (why squash my dreams prematurely?), but the odds are quite slim, because none of them are falling to Pick 20.

Consequently, Pittsburgh has presumably done heavy work assessing the second-tier receivers in this class. That term may seem insulting, but it’s not: there are probably at least 15 WRs who will be drafted who could all start and make an impact right away.

From big-name playmakers to small-school gems, here is my ranking of the 13 receivers I’ve had a chance to scout in-depth based on how they’d fit with the Steelers, incorporating both their overall skillsets and likely responsibilities.

1.     Adonai Mitchell, Texas

Mitchell was one of my favorite players to watch on tape this entire cycle. In large part, it’s due to his tremendous route running. His strong releases at the line of scrimmage enable him to create space, but beyond that, he’s refined in a bevy of routes, whether vertically, in-breaking or out-breaking.

Pair that with super ball tracking, smooth hips, flashing late hands and a whopping 9.99 RAS, and you get a receiver who should very easily be in play at Pick 20.

Yes, Mitchell is 6022, 205 pounds, which some view as more of an X. But his diverse route skills would make him an exceptional complement to George Pickens, who is still almost exclusively a runner of gos, curls and comebacks (at a high level no less).

The fact that Mitchell wasn’t exceptional after the catch might not completely fit the bill of a traditional Steelers receiver. Yet Mitchell’s willingness to block, compounded with success on the biggest of stages, have to appeal to Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith.

Admittedly, Mitchell likely isn’t the absolute wisest pick at 20 in light of how deep this receiver class is and the need to invest high capital on worthwhile offensive linemen/cornerbacks. Greedily, though, this would be one of my favorite selections Khan could make.

2.     Ladd McConkey, Georgia

The Steelers already have three Bulldogs in their offensive rotation, so why not make it four? All jokes aside, McConkey is a very enticing prospect who Khan and Tomlin have gotten a front-seat look at the past few years, regularly attending Georgia’s Pro Day and with their rapport with Kirby Smart and his staff.

McConkey is well ahead of his years as a route-runner. He can run pretty much any route in the book at a high clip, leveraging shrewd head fakes, hand fighting and attacking defenders’ blind spots. His route success rate (courtesy of the amazing folks at Reception Perception) is, almost literally and figuratively, evergreen.

Another boon with McConkey is that he can win in the slot or on the perimeter. Because of his frame (5115, 186 lbs), some could view him as more of an inside weapon, but his film is littered with examples of winning against boundary corners. With Pittsburgh needing a true Z or Y receiver, McConkey fits that bill excellently.

I expect McConkey to be selected in the late first due to his combination of talent, team pedigree and age (still 22), but there are some worrisome elements. For one, he can struggle against bigger and/or more physical corners, hence why the slot may be favorable. Likewise, he saw under 350 snaps of action in two of his three years in Athens, so year-long durability/stamina could be a concern.

Regardless, it’s hard not to bet on McConkey for his route running alone. For the Steelers’ sake, Pick 20 would feel ambitious, but the Georgia wideout could be a target if Pittsburgh trades back and/or doesn’t address receiver in Round 1 — barring him still being there at 51, of course.

3.     Ricky Pearsall, Florida

Another elite route technician? You bet.

Pearsall is wildly smooth when making cuts, plus explosive in and out of breaks. He demonstrated the ability of winning from a multitude of alignments and routes while down in Florida, but he might be at his best coming across the field, where his ball tracking and catching in traffic really shine.

The Steelers’ interest in Pearsall is real, with the Gator coming in for a top-30 visit. It makes complete sense from a schematic standpoint, too: Pearsall can attack defenders in almost every way in which Pickens can’t. Frankly, if Pearsall weren’t turning 24 in September, I think he’d easily go in the first round — and he still might, as NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah surmised.

Why Pearsall is below McConkey is more success in the slot: all five of his years of college football, he aligned over 40% of snaps inside, per PFF. I’d also like to see him have a bit more consistent success and production on vertical routes. Altogether, though, Pearsall would be a home-run pick if he somehow made it to 51.

4.     Troy Franklin, Oregon

The arc of the perception of Franklin has taken a wild turn. At one point, it seemed he was a possible first-rounder. Now, he might not even go in the first half of the second. His current expected draft position is 42.7, according to Grinding the Mocks.

Collectively, I would say I’m somewhere in the middle. Franklin didn’t completely wow me when watching his film, but he also has translatable traits from which the Steelers would certainly benefit.

For one, he’s very sudden in almost all of his movements, plus tactical in which steps he takes in a release or on a route. Franklin also understands how to press vertically and then change course. Another good sign was Franklin winning a lot on both vertical and in-breaking routes, the latter of which Johnson ran quite a few. His 4.41 speed is impressive in his own right, but he layers that with varying degrees of acceleration to throw off defenders.

However, Franklin did have some problems tracking the ball, particularly over his shoulder. In fact, his drop rate was the 5th-highest among Power 5 receivers with 100 or more targets last year, courtesy of PFF. He also plays much smaller than his 6017 frame, which limits his physicality.

Although Franklin did not have a formal top-30 visit with Pittsburgh, Tomlin and Khan are assuredly aware of his abilities, if nothing else but from studying prized Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson. His versatility and production (81 catches, 1,383 yards and 14 TDs last year) almost definitely have him on the Steelers’ radar, and it makes sense why.

5.     Xavier Worthy, Texas

Worthy made headlines for his ludicrous 4.21 40, but simplifying him to just those three digits does a disservice. His speed is much more than just straight-line acceleration, though he does use that on vertical routes, where he’s a real asset. Worthy can explode coming back to the ball and is quick when releasing to beat press.

Other positives of Worthy’s game are his ball tracking, eluding tackles (and even running people over) and running a wide variety of routes for Steve Sarkisian. Plus, the fact he’s yet to turn 21 is highly appealing.

The inextricable factors with Worthy — the bad track record of hyper-fast prospects and his incredibly slight frame — are red flags. Those also carry over with his blocking and separation skills against bigger and more physical corners. Overall, though, the upside is tantalizing.

In some ways, the Steelers already have a player similar to Worthy in Calvin Austin III — who, ironically enough, appears as a similar profile to Worthy on Mockdraftable. However, given that Austin had just 180 receiving yards and isn’t as good of a route runner as Worthy, I don’t view them as one and the same.

Worthy’s sweet spot feels like the early-to-mid second. If Mitchell, McConkey, Pearsall and Franklin are all off the board, the Steelers should run (maybe as fast as Worthy) to get the Longhorn wideout.

6.     Brian Thomas Jr., LSU

Thomas is actually my second-highest graded receiver among this contingent. His basic build and athletic profile alone make him compelling, but he’s also above average in several facets, such as short-area quickness, spacial awareness, route crispness, YAC potential and age (21).

Why, then, is he ranked 6th on this list? It’s primarily because the Steelers have a player highly similar in Pickens. The two specialize on vertically oriented routes and contested catches. Thomas will almost definitely be an X at the next level, much as Pickens projects in 2024 in Pittsburgh.

Smith does have a tendency to love receivers who can run down the field, but adding Thomas isn’t a very smart idea unless the Steelers only really want to exploit Russell Wilson’s patented moon ball. The appeal is certainly there at 20, and adding Thomas is a net benefit no matter what. Yet this fit isn’t very clear.

7.     Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky

On the pure fun scale, Corley is right up there. He’s tremendous after the catch and truly a player who needs to get the ball in his hands. The Hilltoppers did that well, mixing Corley in on screens, flips and even handoffs.

Moreover, Corley has top-tier grip strength and a wide catch radius, snagging balls behind him. I also like how well he can be used over the middle of the field and his positioning on underthrown balls to draw flags.

The downside with Corley is that he was almost only a slot man, which innately lowers his ceiling. For context, 2023 was his lowest percentage of slot snaps, and it still sat an astronomical 85.9%. Another alarming element for Corley is his route running; at times, it feels like he slows down routes without properly finishing them. Of course, the beyond-his-control factor is that he opposed Conference USA defenders, most of which are a far cry from NFL players.

Selecting Corley to be the team’s main slot guy would definitely pay dividends for the Steelers for quite a while. Pick 51 also feels like fair range given his profile. At the same time, Corley isn’t entirely on the plane of those mentioned above him — and since Pittsburgh needs guys who can stress a defense in as many manners as possible, Corley isn’t the absolute ideal candidate.

8.     Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington

Polk’s fandom has augmented in the last few weeks from lots of draftniks, primarily because of his show-stopping blocking. The former Husky locks out very well without avoiding penalties and actively embraces contact. He’s truly the rare type of wideout where a coach would want to run behind him.

Other pluses for Polk are his strong hands and the ability to make himself open early and often against zone. Of course, UW having a long and fabulous season opened lots of eyes to Polk, too.

Then again, I think Polk is being somewhat overrated right now. A considerable portion of his routes appeared to be curls, with little vertical success. Additionally, Polk isn’t super fast or quick, which his 4.52 40 and 1.59 10 splits reveal.

Almost any coach would cover a receiver who blocks as well as Polk does. But is that trait alone worth a second-round pick? I’d have to lean no.

Polk wouldn’t necessarily be a horrible selection, because he could make positive contributions even as a rookie. However, tasking him with being a true WR2 from the get-go seems suboptimal.

9.     Xavier Legette, South Carolina

Legette is arguably a fringe first-rounder based on the perception of coaches and many evaluators, but I honestly wasn’t a big proponent.

Legette’s thick build and explosiveness pair nicely over the middle, where he does most of his damage on crossing routes. He also can levitate well on contested catches, and his athleticism (9.88 RAS) turns heads.

But Legette isn’t super quick because of how much mass he carries, and gaining instant separation can be a struggle. His deeper route running often rendered him a non-factor for whoever was behind center. YAC isn’t massive in Legette’s game, either. It should also be noted that Legette only posted one season (out of five) with a PFF grade north of 60. For a 23-year-old, that’s not amazing.

Legette’s abilities on crossers would definitely complement Pickens well, and give the Steelers a route concept that was grossly neglected by Matt Canada the last few years. Aside from that, though, he wouldn’t be atop my list of receivers to select — particularly at 51.

10.  Roman Wilson, Michigan

Most mocks have Wilson in the second round, which is likely where he’ll be selected. Yet as with some other high-tier Michigan prospects, the hype seems far and away better than the on-field product.

Wilson boasts good short-area quickness, multidirectional acceleration and highly effective blocking. I also think there’s untapped potential with him after the catch — his YAC/rec dropped three full yards between 2022 and 2023.

But Wilson’s role in the Wolverines’ eccentric passing offense was not super extensive. Most of the time, he was utilized in motion, only to run a flat or out route. There isn’t much on film that I came across of him engaging in a variety of routes, let alone at a controlled and effective level. If anything, it seemed that Wilson struggled to regularly get open just by himself.

Wilson’s 4.39 40 and good week in Mobile — plus NFL teams’ infatuation with Michigan offensive players, I suppose — will almost assuredly have him picked above my projected range. He could occupy the slot for the Steelers and stretch the field laterally, but so can most other players on this list. Spending a second-round pick on a receiver with this limited of route and reception usage and expecting him to step into WR2 shoes is asking for cataclysm.