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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) and wide receiver George Pickens (14) celebrate after a touchdown during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Pittsburgh, PA.
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Steelers positional analysis: Wide receiver ranks thin as Diontae Johnson-George Pickens partnership reaches crossroads

Matt Durisko/Associated Press

Steelers positional analysis: Wide receiver ranks thin as Diontae Johnson-George Pickens partnership reaches crossroads

The full-on emergence of George Pickens as a dynamic playmaker has shaken up the dynamics in the Steelers wide receiver room.

In the summer of 2022, when the Steelers decided to make Diontae Johnson the highest-paid player on their offense with a top-15 receiver contract in the league, Pickens was just a second-round draft pick who hadn’t proven anything yet at the NFL level. Now he’s a third-year wideout who led all qualified pass catchers with 18.1 yards per reception in the regular season en route to 1,140 yards overall through the air.

That production likely points to a greater focus on Pickens in the short term and a new calculus for his value in the long term. This time next March, he’ll be entering the final year of his rookie contract, which is when the Steelers typically start talking new deals with core contributors.

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But that Pickens conversation can wait until next offseason. Where does it leave Johnson now? Johnson himself is going into the last season of his two-year extension, which was a modest length compared to how the Steelers usually operate.

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Perhaps they had a good feeling about a Pickens eclipse shining brightly as soon as 2023. Johnson, who missed four weeks because of a hamstring injury, still outpaced Pickens in targets (6.7 to 6.2) and catches (3.9 to 3.7) per game. But Pickens averaged nearly 12 more receiving yards per game than Johnson, whose career hasn't followed the trajectory of the other big bags handed out by the Steelers to their ascending players.

When T.J. Watt received the most money for a defensive player in franchise history, he responded by tying the league’s sack record and winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. A year later, when the Steelers made Minkah Fitzpatrick the highest-paid safety in the game, he picked off six passes and was named team MVP.

Johnson has dealt with a stint on injured reserve, plus a quarterback transition from Ben Roethlisberger to Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph — mostly with now-unemployed Matt Canada as offensive coordinator — but it appears the Steelers aren’t getting the bang they expected for their buck. Planning for life without Johnson, whether that comes sooner or later, could begin with this draft.

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In the in-house pipeline, there’s talent and potential but not much experience. Allen Robinson II was brought in as a seasoned veteran to stabilize the group last year, though he didn't provide anything more than a possession receiver who made the occasional first-down grab in key situations. Calvin Austin III has as much speed as he lacks size, so maybe a new offensive coaching staff will figure out how to get more out of him.

Speaking of Arthur Smith, who takes over from Canada as the coordinator and play caller, he was known for featuring his running backs and tight ends more than his wide receivers in previous stops. Starting with Tennessee, Derrick Henry was the force multiplier in Smith’s two-year stint as offensive coordinator, while Jonnu Smith carved out more of a role as the No. 1 tight end. A.J. Brown saw 100-plus targets and 1,000-plus receiving yards in 2020, with Corey Davis close behind as the second option.

When Smith went to Atlanta, he funneled even more of his offense’s touches through the backs and the tight ends. It didn’t help that Calvin Ridley played only five games due to injury in 2021, and first-round pick Kyle Pitts was an especially transcendent receiving tight end in college, but the Falcons didn’t support more than one heavily targeted wideout once they used another top-10 pick on a skill-position player. Drake London was the only Atlanta receiver to see more than 30 targets in either of the past two seasons.

Surely, Smith — who will work with new wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni — will assess his personnel as he installs his offense with an eye toward where the ball should go. But if Pickens slides into the London role, Johnson better get ready to do more blocking or he might have to make the most of his opportunities when they come.

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The Steelers’ offseason roster does have some early sleeper candidates to make noise in training camp. Dez Fitzpatrick, a fourth-round draft pick of the Titans in 2021, showed some flashes last summer and was kept on the practice squad all season. Denzel Mims, a second-round pick of the Jets in 2020, was a midseason pickup who signed a futures contract to return.

After eschewing the receiver position entirely in the 2023 draft, one year after double dipping on Pickens and Austin, it’s a safe bet the Steelers will use one of their seven choices on getting a new face in the room. But pinpointing whether that addition comes early in the second day or late in the third is tough to do and largely depends on how the Steelers see the Pickens-Johnson pairing playing out down the road.

HOW THEY WERE BUILT

Diontae Johnson

Age: 27

Acquired: 2019 draft, 3rd round

Contract status: Signed through 2024 season

George Pickens

Age: 22

Acquired: 2022 draft, 2nd round

Contract status: Signed through 2025 season

Allen Robinson II

Age: 30

Acquired: 2023 trade with Rams

Contract status: Signed through 2024 season

Calvin Austin III

Age: 24

Acquired: 2022 draft, 4th round

Contract status: Signed through 2025 season

Miles Boykin

Age: 27

Acquired: 2022 waiver claim from Ravens

Contract status: Free agent

Dez Fitzpatrick

Age: 26

Acquired: 2023 futures contract

Contract status: Signed through 2024 season

Denzel Mims

Age: 26

Acquired: 2023 practice squad

Contract status: Signed through 2024 season

Duece Watts

Age: 24

Acquired: 2023 practice squad

Contract status: Signed through 2024 season

Marquez Callaway

Age: 25

Acquired: 2024 futures contract

Contract status: Signed through 2024 season

Keilahn Harris

Age: 23

Acquired: 2024 futures contract

Contract status: Signed through 2024 season

TOP FIVE WR DRAFT PROSPECTS

Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State, 6-4, 205, Jr.

Malik Nabers, LSU, 6-0, 200, Jr.

Rome Odunze, Washington, 6-3, 215, Sr.

Brian Thomas Jr., LSU, 6-4, 205, Jr.

Keon Coleman, Florida State, 6-4, 215, Jr.

Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and @BrianBatko on X

First Published: March 2, 2024, 10:30 a.m.
Updated: March 2, 2024, 9:10 p.m.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) and wide receiver George Pickens (14) celebrate after a touchdown during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Pittsburgh, PA.  (Matt Durisko/Associated Press)
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