PITTSBURGH — Following a draft that pleased many Pittsburgh Steelers fans, one of the Steelers’ picks has received quite high praise. Roman Wilson, the 84th pick of the draft in the third round, is the Steelers’ newest wide receiver.
Dave Helman of the NFL on Fox podcast had high praise, comparing Wilson to former Steelers great wide receiver Hines Ward.
“This just feels like a Pittsburgh pick,” Helman said. “Very Hines Ward-y in my opinion. Roman Wilson can play everywhere… He’s gritty, does the dirty work. Promise you, he’s going to lay a block or two over the course of his rookie year.”
Both receivers will have entered the league as undersized, physical options at the wide receiver position.
With 1,000 catches for 12,083 yards, Ward has left Wilson large shoes to fill. With 85 career receiving touchdowns, Ward was one of the most dominant wide receivers of his time. Ward also helped lead the Steelers to their 5th and 6th Super Bowls, being one of the primary targets for Ben Roethlisberger during his career.
With a 4.41 40-yard dash, Wilson enters the league as threat both with his speed and physicality, and had the collegiate statistics to show for it. In the 2023 season, Wilson played in all 15 games, catching 48 passes for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns as Vikings draft pick J.J. McCarthy’s primary receiver.
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson with the 84th overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft. Wilson spent four years at Michigan and was part of three Big Ten championships and the 2023 national championship. Here’s everything you need to know about Wilson:
Wilson was the security blanket for J.J. McCarthy and the Michigan offense throughout last season. Whenever the Wolverines needed a big play, they turned to their sure-handed top receiver in Wilson, who delivered in every big moment in U-M’s 2023 run. He started 23 of 45 games in Ann Arbor and was named an All-Big Ten player in 2023. Coaches say the conviction he brought after the 2022 CFP loss to TCU helped him grow despite the level of attention he was receiving as a senior.
He delivered two of the biggest plays of the season in the last-minute drive of the Rose Bowl win over Alabama that sent the game to overtime with a catch off an adjustment on a tipped pass and the eventual tying touchdown after getting free on a goal line rub. He consistently showed an ability to run tight routes to get open, getting open often over the middle and on out routes, and showed a knack for catching everything, as his catch pinning the ball against a Nebraska defender’s helmet shows.
Wilson followed up a strong Senior Bowl showing with an impressive combine. He measured in at 5-10 and 185 pounds before running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, a 9.36-second shuttle drill and 6,89-second three-cone drill, but did not do the high jump or broad jump.
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