With their current roster, the Pittsburgh Steelers appear to have a significant need at wide receiver.
Right now, they have one star and a slew of possibilities that were not really spectacular in 2023.
That gives them a strong candidate to seek for a receiver early in this year’s draft.
However, they might still hunt for a receiver with NFL experience before the draft. Treylon Burks, a Tennessee Titans wide receiver, is one player they could be interested in.
Brandon Andrews of Behind the Steel Curtain listed Burks as a receiver who could still be traded by the Steelers.
Burks’ Rough Start in the NFL
Burks was an intriguing possibility entering the NFL.
He had put up impressive numbers while at Arkansas. He had 51 catches for 820 yards and 7 touchdowns in only eight games as a sophomore.He followed it up with an outstanding junior season. Burks had 66 receptions for 1104 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2021.
Unfortunately, his athletic testing was not as outstanding. He ran the 40-yard sprint in 4.55 seconds at the NFL combine.
The Titans overlooked the concern and chose him with the 18th pick in 2022, after trading A.J. Brown for that pick.
Burks was an intriguing possibility entering the NFL.
He had put up impressive numbers while at Arkansas. He had 51 catches for 820 yards and 7 touchdowns in only eight games as a sophomore.He followed it up with an outstanding junior season. Burks had 66 receptions for 1104 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2021.
Unfortunately, his athletic testing was not as outstanding. He ran the 40-yard sprint in 4.55 seconds at the NFL combine.
The Titans overlooked the concern and chose him with the 18th pick in 2022, after trading A.J. Brown for that pick.
With so much other talent at the position in Tennessee, it’s hard to see how Burks is going to pay off his draft capital with the Titans.
That could lead them to entertain offers for the third-year receiver. If they do, the Steelers could be an interesting destination for him.
Steelers’ Wide Receiver Situation
Outside of George Pickens, things are not great for the Steelers at the wide receiver right now.
The other players on their roster at the position are Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, Calvin Austin, and Cordarrelle Patterson. Jefferson was the only one that reached 200 yards last season. None of them have reached 400 yards in either of the last two years.
That seemingly has them set up to take a receiver in the first few rounds of this year’s draft. Even if that is the plan, Burks could still be a good fit for them.
The team still needs to figure out who their slot receiver will be in 2024. Burks could take on that role for them.
It is somewhere he was very successful in college. PFF graded him as college football’s best slot receiver during his final season at Arkansas.
