Steelers have the perfect trade target at WR… if Omar Khan’s bold enough to keep cooking

Could the Khan Artist strike again?

The Pittsburgh Steelers sent shockwaves through the fanbase this week after trading away 2019 third-round wide receiver Diontae Johnson — a foundational piece of the offense over the past five seasons — to the Carolina Panthers in a relatively questionable move. Luckily, those types of moves have been few and far between so far for GM Omar Khan in his short career as the Steelers’ GM, but it’s left fans wondering — who exactly will be catching passes from Russell Wilson this season?

Most moves from the Steelers in free agency have indicated a desire to go “all-in” on the 2024 season, so it’s a natural assumption to believe the Steelers won’t be content with their depth chart essentially starting and ending with third-year wide receiver George Pickens.

Let’s assume the Steelers want to get a little spicy in the wide receiver market after trading away Diontae Johnson and are willing to throw a little money behind the offense. After all, Pittsburgh has ranked bottom-eight in offensive spending dating back to the 2021 season — including having ranked “dead last” in 2022 and 2024 (at least, that’s the case so far through this free agency period.

Who’s the perfect fit for this team?

The Steelers should absolutely be calling about 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk.

Steelers fans are all too familiar with San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk, who gave Pittsburgh a shock to the heart dropping an 8-129-2 stat line on the black and gold in Week 1 of the 2023 season. Wouldn’t it be nice to have that big play potential going to bat for the black and gold for a change?

Though Johnson had his own ups and downs with the Steelers, the one thing Pittsburgh lost by trading him away is his refinement as a route runner. Aiyuk is a player who could compensate for that loss ten-fold, having ranked in the 86th percentile among wide receivers over the past two seasons in separation percentage against single coverage, per PFF.

Aiyuk won’t be the contested catch aficionado that Pickens is (though he’s more than capable of it), but what he brings is finesse and stability, with plenty of jaw-dropping plays in between to boot. Over the past two seasons, Aiyuk has ranked second among all wide receivers with a 90.7 PFF receiving grade while ranking in the 64th+ percentile among wideouts in yards after the catch per reception (4.7), yards per route run (2.21), drop rate (4.3%) and average depth of target (12.8).

The 49ers shouldn’t necessarily be looking to move on from Aiyuk at this point, who they drafted with the 25th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, as Aiyuk enters 2024 set to play on the fifth-year option, he’s made it clear that he’s looking for a long-term extension — one the 49ers aren’t necessarily looking to give him at this point. The Steelers would likely need to send their 2024 first-round pick (20th overall) to the Niners to get the deal done, while also being willing to offer him a long-term deal. Those two factors might make the proposition of the trade less likely, even if Aiyuk would fit the bill of WR1 for the years to come.

By trading Aiyuk this offseason, the 49ers can save $14.124 million against the cap, while also ridding themselves of the potential headache Aiyuk could pose in the instance he decides to skip out on training camp while he still hammers the table to get a long-term deal done.

All things considered, the Steelers should absolutely be calling to inquire, at the very least.

How would you feel about at trade for WR Brandon Aiyuk? Join our community at Behind the Steel Curtain and share your thoughts in the comments!