The Steelers drafting of Roman Wilson in the third round on Friday night continued a recent tradition of selecting a wideout in the second or third round but also picking a player that fans didn’t necessarily prefer or weren’t all that familiar with.

It also continued the tradition of Pittsburgh drafting a receiver that maybe didn’t check all the boxes. OK, but duh! Wilson is a third-round draft choice, and while prospects with that pedigree are often expected to start at some point, it’s not necessarily sooner rather than later.

Obviously, the Steelers are hoping that the receiver Wilson (not the linebacker Wilson) will come in and immediately make an impact. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if Wilson were a rookie of the year candidate, to be frank. Actually, Pittsburgh is so desperate for receiver help that fans may be okay if Wilson came to town with the same “breath of fresh air” personality that made JuJu Smith-Schuster a favorite way back in 2017 (What an innocent time).

Wilson could probably navigate the streets of Pittsburgh on a bicycle and everything, just as long as he uses that 4.39 running speed of his to make plays while navigating the turf of Acrisure Stadium. While Wilson does have ideal speed for the receiver position, he does not possess the ideal height and weight (5’11” and 185 pounds).

Are we sure about the ideal size part? After all, good receivers come in all shapes and sizes. Do the Steelers need a number two receiver? Yes, but what has it meant to be a number one, two or three receiver in Pittsburgh’s rather pedestrian offense in recent years? Is George Pickens, 6’3′ and 200 pounds, a number one receiver? Is he an X, Y or Z?

Fact is, the Steelers offense simply needs playmaking receivers at this point. Guys who can catch passes and make something happen once they do.

Wilson, who caught a combined 107 passes for 1,707 yards and 20 touchdowns in four seasons at Michigan–including 48 passes for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023 as part of a Wolverines’ squad that won the national title–showed more than enough playmaking potential in Jim Harbaugh’s run-heavy offense.

No, Wilson wasn’t a prolific producer of stats, and that’s usually ideal when drafting a receiver, but, again, it’s hard to check all the boxes in the third round.

I’ve seen Wilson rated near the top 10 in enough receiver rankings to be more than okay with selecting him in the third round.

The Steelers went into the 2024 NFL Draft needing help at offensive tackle, center and receiver (just to name a few positions). It was debatable as to which position was most in need of an upgrade, but if Omar Khan and Co. selected a receiver in the first round and an offensive tackle in the third, chances are, there would have been just as many concerns about the tackle as there are with Wilson.

I don’t know if Roman Wilson will be a great player for the Steelers, but their receiver position seems a little healthier now that he’s been added to the group.