Steelers Insider Finds An Unseen Problem That Could Hurt The WR Depth In 2026

The Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver room has been a major subject of discussion for a couple of seasons now. Steelers General Manager Omar Khan made sure to address that early in the 2026 offseason when he traded with the Indianapolis Colts to add veteran wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Now, the Steelers have two reliable veterans in their passing attack in Pittman and DK Metcalf.

Behind them, there is now rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard and former 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson battling for the third wide receiver role. Wilson will push for playing time, but behind them, there's veteran backup option Ben Skowronek, who quarterback Aaron Rodgers has shown he trusts in big moments. Then fourth-round pick Kaden Wetjen from the 2026 NFL Draft, who's more of a depth receiver and core special teams returner.

However, there could be a problem brewing with the Steelers' fourth-round pick. Wetjen was a head-scratching selection when Khan and Mike McCarthy decided to take him where they did. Many pundits felt like it was a reach, but inside war rooms around the league, word was that this special teams weapon was about to come off the board, and the Steelers wanted to make sure they got him.

While he's an exciting addition for Danny Crossman's unit, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly explained why Wetjen could create more problems in the wide receiver room than he helps, at least in his rookie season.

"I think Roman Wilson is going to be a key, but the problem really is you are keeping a fourth-round pick to play four to eight snaps a game," Kaboly said while speaking on the Kaboly + Mack podcast on Tuesday morning. "Two of those, like I have said in the past, if he has four punt returns and four kickoff returns, he's only going to return one or two of those."

In college, Wetjen wasn't much of a playmaker on the offensive side of the football. He made his name primarily on special teams, returning kicks and punts. Pittsburgh was attracted to him for several reasons, but many believed they probably could have taken him later in the draft.

Likely because of what transpired in Round 1 when Pittsburgh was on the clock, the Steelers may have overreacted a bit and made sure they didn't miss out on what they view as a potentially historic return man if he reaches his ceiling. Special teams is often a forgotten unit, and those picks are never overly exciting in the moment. However, those are the kinds of moves that can truly make the difference when it comes to winning important football games down the stretch.

Steelers Took A Slight Risk By Drafting Return Specialist

It's a risky move, but sometimes teams have to take those chances to improve a unit. There is a tradeoff, though, as Kaboly highlighted. Wetjen didn't produce like a conventional wide receiver, and that's not why he was drafted. If he can develop into a reliable weapon on offense, that's a huge bonus. But if he can't, it will be interesting to see what the discourse surrounding him looks like.

He'll be expected to provide big returns every time he touches the ball, which is an unrealistic standard. If those splash plays don't come consistently, he'll quickly become the guy fans point to when questioning why he's taking up a roster spot. That's the pressure that comes with being drafted primarily for special teams value. The upside is there, but so is the risk.

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