The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be in dire need of a wide receiver right now, given the choices they currently have on their roster.
Before the draft, they might still try to sign a receiver with some NFL experience. The Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks is one they might be considering.
Burks was included by Brandon Andrews of Behind the Steel Curtain in a list of receivers who the Steelers would still consider trading for.
He had performed well statistically while attending Arkansas. As a sophomore, he played in just eight games and recorded 51 receptions for 820 yards and seven touchdowns.
He had a fantastic junior season after that. In 2021, Burks caught 66 passes for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Sadly, his results on the athletic test weren’t quite as good. At the NFL Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds.
They made a poor choice since Burks has had a difficult time in his first two NFL seasons.
He only made 33 receptions for 444 yards and one touchdown in 2022.
During his second season in the league, things became worse. He was only able to play in 10 games and only managed to haul in 16 passes for 221 yards and no touchdowns.
The team now appears to have moved past Burks. They signed DeAndre Hopkins as their WR1 during the previous offseason.
They added another outstanding receiver this offseason. Calvin Ridley signed a $92 million, four-year contract with them.
Van Jefferson, Cordarrelle Patterson, Calvin Austin, and Quez Watkins are the other players on their roster that play at that position. The only player to achieve 200 yards last season was Jefferson. In the last two years, not one of them has gotten as far as 400 yards.
It looks like they are prepared to select a receiver in the first few rounds of the current draft. Burks might still be a nice fit for them even if that is the intention.
He had great success there while attending college. He was rated as the top slot receiver in college football by PFF in his final year at Arkansas.
Though he hasn’t played in the slot nearly as often as a pro, that’s where the majority of his production during his time in college came from.
Burks may provide the Steelers’ quarterbacks with another tool to work with as the team attempts to get its offense back on track if the Titans trade for him before his third season.
