The Pittsburgh Steelers boast a very talented roster heading into 2024, with very few obvious weaknesses on either side of the ball. As the offseason slows down before all 32 teams report for Training Camps in July, the Steelers roster is mostly set, although transactions like trades, extensions, and late Free Agent signings are still on the table.

With the position rooms set for now, I wanted to really dive into each group and talk about one potential “star” and one sleeper to watch for in 2024. Last week we looked at the Running Back position, but for this edition of Stars and Sleepers, we’ll dive into the Steelers’ enigmatic Wide Receiver room.

ON THE 90-MAN ROSTER:
George Pickens | Age: 23 | Exp: 3 yrs
Calvin Austin III | Age: 25 | Exp: 3 yrs
Van Jefferson | Age: 27 | Exp: 5 yrs
Roman Wilson | Age: 23 | Exp: Rookie
Scotty Miller | Age: 26 | Exp: 6 yrs
Quez Watkins | Age: 26 | Exp: 5 yrs
Marquez Callaway | Age: 26 | Exp: 4 yrs
Jacob Copeland | Age: 24 | Exp: 1 yr
Dez Fitzpatrick | Age: 26| Exp: 2 yrs
Jaray Jenkins | Age: 24 | Exp: 1 yr
Duece Watts | Age: 24 | Exp: 1 yr

POTENTIAL STAR: GEORGE PICKENS

Mark it down now. George Pickens is about to go off on the NFL in 2024. There may not be a more physically gifted receiver in the entire league, and the 3rd year pro out of Georgia has already established himself as one of the premier contested-catch artists in the game. In spite of really poor QB play and the horrific offensive scheme he played in last year, Pickens still led the league in Yards/Catch and put up over 1,100 yds in his Sophomore breakout campaign.

That said, Pickens is out to prove to the Steelers and the league that there’s much more to his game than those highlight-reel downfield “Mossings” of NFL Corners. It’s evident that he has worked hard on refining his route-running and learning the nuances of separation and creating the all-important YAC opportunities that turn routine receptions into game-changing plays.

With a predictable uptick in QB performance likely on the way with the team’s addition of Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields, Pickens should be feeling really good about his chances to really take over the league in 2024. This is a Top 10 receiver in the making, and I’m really pumped to watch his season unfold. It could be special!

SLEEPER: ROMAN WILSON

I’m sorry. I don’t want to talk about Scotty Miller, or Quez Watkins, or even a guy like Marquez Callaway despite some intriguing performances in the past for each of those guys. For me, the “Sleeper” race came down to 2 names: Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. CA3 has been getting a lot of hype recently, and rightfully so, but I want to talk about the Rookie out of Michigan.

Since the initial aftermath of the Steelers’ selection of Wilson in the 3rd Rd of the NFL Draft, it’s been pretty quiet around the lightning quick, hard-nosed Rookie receiver, with many Steelers fans voicing major concerns about the team’s current depth chart at WR, specifically when it comes to who is in line to fill that seemingly vacant WR2 slot. Let’s not forget, though, the type of receiver that Roman Wilson could be in this offense.

Wilson has fantastic vertical speed, but he also displays high-level route running acumen on the field out of the slot or out wide. He’s versatile, tough, competitive, and just an all-round good receiver. While his development into a serviceable role might take some time, Wilson is the most talented receiver on the roster not named George Pickens. I’m not ready to discount the former Wolverine as a guy who could slide into a prominent role quickly for Pittsburgh, and maybe even assuage fans’ concerns over who’s going to fill that WR2 role this season. Don’t bet against Roman Wilson.