Steelers' New WR Roman Wilson Draws Comparisons To Talented 2023 Rookie Jayden Reed From Green Bay

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a glaring need for a second playmaker at wide receiver entering the 2024 NFL Draft. George Pickens established himself in the 2023 season as a potential premier pass-catcher in the league with his first 1,000-plus receiving yard season, while leading the league in yards per reception. The team still needed reinforcements at the position, however. General Manager Omar Khan stayed patient and landed Michigan's Roman Wilson in the third round. The leading receiver on the 2024 National Championship-winning Wolverines drew favorable comparisons to another receiver, who played collegiate ball in the same state as Wilson and excelled in his first season in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers. 

Former NFL scout turned NFL Network analyst, Daniel Jeremiah joined The Rich Eisen Show on Monday to discuss some of his favorite draft classes from the annual selection party. Pittsburgh was one of his top picks. Jeremiah lauded the team's selection of Wilson with the 84th overall pick of the draft and said he sees him similar to the Packers' Jayden Reed. 

"Then you go out and get Roman Wilson, who I thought was like a Jayden Reed type of player," he said. "We saw how quickly Jayden Reed transitioned with the Green Bay Packers and how they got him up and running, and the success he had." 

Reed was a second-round pick by the Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft. He started in 13 of 16 games in his rookie season. He helped lead the Packers to a postseason berth as the leading receiver with 793 yards on 64 catches, and also had eight receiving touchdowns. Reed was also a threat on the ground for the Packers, with 119 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns. 

Reed started his collegiate career with Western Michigan before transferring to Michigan State. He played for three seasons with the Spartans from 2020-2022. His most impressive college season was in 2021 when he established a career-high 1,026 receiving yards.

Wilson and Reed are very similar players from a size profile. Wilson measured 5'11" and 185 lbs. at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Reed came in at 5'11" and 187 lbs. at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

NFL.com had a draft projection of the fourth to fifth round on Reed with a grade of average backup or special teamer. He exceeded those expectations in his first season in Green Bay. Wilson, on the other hand, was expected to be a second to third-round pick with a grade of will eventually be a plus starter.

Pittsburgh hopes Jeremiah's comparison to Reed, and his readiness will come to fruition. There are reasons to expect Wilson to play a key role in the team's offense in 2024. Wilson has a lot of similar qualities to former Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson, who was dealt to the Carolina Panthers. If he can take on some of Johnson's role, it's fair to expect him to contribute in 2024. Wilson said after he was drafted that he wanted to come and help the team win games. 

Steelers Might Not Be Done Adding Receivers

While Steelers General Manager Omar Khan denied rumors that Pittsburgh was making a splash for a receiver, the team could still use another playmaker at the position. Van Jefferson likely doesn't scare any defenses anymore. Quez Watkins and Calvin Austin III both have blazing speed, but there are questions about how consistent they can be as contributors.

Wilson could become a guy that defenses have to respect along with Pickens, but it's probably not fair to ask him to do that right away. Khan has consistently said he will leave no stone unturned to ensure he can make the football team better. Finding another receiver who can take the pressure and double teams away from Pickens is still needed, so Khan is likely working the phones to fix it. 

Do you like the Reed-to-Wilson comparison? What are your expectations for the Michigan alum in 2024?