Steelers' Supposedly Elite Development Of Wide Receivers In The 2010s Gets A Second Look

Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers have had issues acquiring receiver talent in recent years, many fans across the NFL still remember the wide receiver factory from the 2010s and into the early part of the 2020s. They would manage to produce stud after stud, then everyone arguably except for Emmanuel Sanders would fail to reach the individual heights they hit in Pittsburgh. It was a very simple process: draft a highly talented player, get the most out of him, then let another team pay him and watch his production fall off a cliff. 

Even now, that notion is being challenged. On a recent episode of Kaboly + Mack, Mark Kaboly explained why he didn't think the Steelers were actually any good at developing wideouts during the 2010s.

"Honestly, this team does get a pass of receivers because they had the great Antonio Brown / Mike Wallace / Emmanuel Sanders years, but what the h*ll have they had since then?" Kaboly questioned. "The James Washingtons and the Chase Claypools and the Diontae Johnsons."

This one does feel a little unfair to the Steelers. Like every other team, the Steelers did have their misses like with James Washington. In recent years, there have been more misses than hits, which is why their top two starting receivers for 2026 were acquired via trade while trading up for rookie Germie Bernard in the second round. The 2020s have definitely not been kind to Pittsburgh in this regard. 

On the other hand, the Steelers got some elite production from their draft picks in the 2010s. Many people have forgotten about the fact that JuJu Smith-Schuster had over 1,400 yards on 111 receptions in 2018 due to how hard he fell off afterwards. Even then, nine touchdowns from the slot in 2020 is nothing to scoff at. There were issues with him for sure, but it's not like he was a bust. 

Diontae Johnson is now known for being a headcase that managed to speedrun his way out of the NFL, but in Pittsburgh, he was one of the best route runners in all of football. Getting almost 1,200 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2021 is such a success with how utterly bad the offense was as a whole that year. There was all kinds of great-to-elite production from men not named Antonio Brown, but they all eventually flamed out. 

Steelers Still Have Not Recovered From Ben Roethlisberger's Retirement

One thing has become abundantly clear in recent years: Ben Roethlisberger was the man that ran the wide receiver factory. Once he retired, Pittsburgh seemingly lost its ability to allow these young, talented men to reach their peaks. Over the last few years, the team brass has had to answer multiple questions about its plans to bring in veterans from other teams due to the core supposedly being so devoid of talent. 

There was one man that ended up proving this to be true: George Pickens. He had first-round talent, but his highlight-reel catches were usually overshadowed by his constant outbursts. He did have one 1,000+-yard receiving season, but it was very hollow due to his character concerns and inability to coexist with Johnson. In his only year as the Steelers' WR1, he did not take that step forward.

In 2025, Pickens got traded to the Dallas Cowboys, and that's when everyone got to see who he really was. His on-field antics were very limited, and he was able to produce whether CeeDee Lamb was on the field with him or not. He hit career-highs in nearly every category and was named as a Second Team All-Pro. The Steelers saw glimpses of that in Pittsburgh, but it never came together like it did in Dallas. 

What do you think about Kaboly saying the Steelers didn't really develop anyone after those elite 2009/2010 drafts at wide receiver? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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