2023 NFL draft: Steelers should avoid a wide receiver in the first 2 rounds

If I were ranking the Pittsburgh Steelers top needs for the 2023 NFL draft, there’s no doubt a case could be made that wide receiver is in the top three. Thanks to an active run in free agency, getting a third receiver has really moved up the board.

And it just so happens, the Steelers have three picks in the first two rounds of the draft. So, if 1+1=2, then the math says to use one of those three picks for one of the team’s three biggest needs. Right?

Not so fast. There are a couple of points that lead us to believe drafting a receiver that early is the wrong move. Just hear me out.

First off, acquiring that No. 32 overall pick was at the expense of wide receiver Chase Claypool. If the plan was to get value for Claypool, simply adding another wide receiver with the pick does not represent value in the least.

Second, the Steelers are a unique franchise in that they can find ways to draft gems outside of the first round. Yes, it is often in the second round but it can also be well beyond that. When the Steelers traded Antonio Brown for a third-round pick, they used that pick to get Diontae Johnson. That is value and finding a star outside of the first two rounds.

The 2023 NFL draft is deep at wide receiver, especially the type of receiver the Steelers need. They aren’t looking for a No. 1. They have two guys already in contention for that. They need a reliable, athletic player with good size and the ability to line up inside and outside, giving the Steelers some scheme flexibility. They must also be a willing blocker in the run game.

Let us know in the comments, how early you want to see the Steelers draft a wide receiver and who are some of your favorite prospects.