I’ve been banging this drum for a while now, and it finally happened. The Steelers acquired a much-needed player to bolster a thin corps at wide receiver. It wasn’t one of the big names they’d fished for in recent months, but it’s a veteran who will add depth and help diversify an improving offense. In Mike Williams, whom Pittsburgh pried from the Jets on Tuesday for a 5th Round draft pick, the Steelers get a veteran who will serve as a nice compliment to George Pickens, another deep ball threat for Russell Wilson, and a mentor to some of the young players in the team’s receivers’ room.

Williams has been limited by injuries the past two years, playing in just 12 games. He became the odd-man out in New York once the Jets acquired Davante Adams from the Raiders a few weeks ago. On the season, he has just 12 catches for 166 yards through New York’s first nine games. However, Williams should be a better fit, and more productive, with the Steelers.

From the moment they dealt Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers last off-season, the Steelers have seemingly been seeking Johnson’s replacement. They signed a functional player in Van Jefferson, who has been decent so far in Pittsburgh, and elevated Calvin Austin III to the starting slot role. But in-season flirtations with bigger names like Adams, Brandon Aiyuk and Cooper Kupp indicated Pittsburgh was interested in an upgrade.

Williams is not as flashy as those previous three names, but he does mesh well with Pittsburgh’s system. Williams, 30, is a big target. He stands 6’4, weighs 220 pounds and has made a living as a vertical threat. Williams has averaged 15.5 yards per catch throughout his career, which includes a stellar 20.4 average in 2017. He’s been a quality 50/50 receiver, which pairs nicely with Wilson’s ability to throw catchable deep balls. Williams will be their oldest player at the position, and his experience could prove an asset for George Pickens, who has lacked a veteran whose brain he can pick since being drafted by the Steelers three seasons ago.

I don’t expect Williams to immediately displace Jefferson at the team’s number two receiver. Jefferson knows the offense better, and his productivity has picked up since Wilson entered the starting lineup a few weeks ago. But Williams is three inches taller than Jefferson, and with Williams on the field opposite the 6’3 Pickens, Pittsburgh will have two big receivers who can run, jump and stretch the field. This should force defenses to play more two-high looks, which could be a boon to the run game. When the Steelers can get equal numbers in the box, they’ve fashioned an effective ground attack.

The vertical threats that Pickens and Williams present together could also open up more room in the middle of the field. This stands to benefit Pat Freiermuth, whose production has been decent this season but could improve. Freiermuth has 26 catches for 264 yards through eight games, which is an average of about three catches per game. It feels like Pittsburgh can get more out of him. But with low safeties often crowding the middle of the field, that hasn’t been the case. Now, with Williams in the fold, those safeties may have to play a bit deeper, and Freiermuth may find more room to operate.

There aren’t any real down sides to the Williams acquisition. It cost the Steelers just the second of their two 5th Round picks, and while Pittsburgh will have to pay the remaining amount on Williams’s $10 million salary for this season, they can part ways with him next year if they choose with no additional cost. That’s more than fair value for a player who immediately upgrades their roster.

The move also signifies the Steelers believe they can compete for a conference and perhaps even Super Bowl championship right now. In addition to Williams, Pittsburgh acquired Green Bay edge rusher Preston Smith on Tuesday, another solid veteran who has 68 career sacks. Smith should absorb some of the reps normally allotted to T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Along with Nick Herbig, who appears set to return from injury, this should give Pittsburgh one of the best outside linebacking groups in the league. The moves for Williams and Smith aren’t exactly high-stakes, “all-in” gambles, but they do show the Steelers believe they are just a few depth pieces away from being a legitimate contender.

Given the fact that the big dogs in the AFC — Baltimore, Buffalo and Kansas City — have all looked vulnerable at times this season, Pittsburgh’s “Why not us?” mentality is appropriate. The Steelers have the league’s second-best point differential, a defense that can be dominant at times, and an offense that seems to improve each week. They face a string of tough opponents in the back half of their schedule, beginning Sunday with a trip to Washington to play the red-hot Commanders. Acquiring Williams and Smith may give them enough depth to withstand that gauntlet and set themselves up for a deep playoff run.