The Steelers were mentioned as a possible suitor for several wide receivers over the offseason, but they never made a big move in the trade market and Brandon Aiyuk’s new deal with the 49ers closed the door on an 11th-hour move to bring him to Pittsburgh.
George Pickens and Calvin Austin return from last season and the Steelers signed Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller to go with third-round pick Roman Wilson as newcomers to the receiver group. On Tuesday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged having some doubts that the team had enough talent at the position but said that the veteran additions helped convince him that the cupboard is well stocked.
“I’m comfortable with the performance of these guys,” Tomlin said, via the team’s website. "[I] had some questions, even dating back to spring, and to be quite honest with you, I probably went into the receiver room a couple weeks into camp and told them that. I just believe in being really transparent. But the consistency with which those guys performed in Latrobe and with team development has made me more comfortable, and specifically I’m talking about Scotty Miller and Van Jefferson. I just can’t say enough about the consistency with which they’ve performed, their floor. They behave like veteran NFL players, and that’s provided some comfort in the midst of the transition that comes with dealing with new people and getting acclimated in that way.”
Sunday’s game against the Falcons will be the first chance to see if Tomlin’s comfort with the group is backed up by the kind of on-field production that the Steelers offense failed to attain last season. If it doesn’t, the Steelers might try to pull off an in-season deal to bolster their receiving corps.