The Wide Receiver classes just keep getting deeper and deeper and deeper. This year’s draft is loaded with a bevy of talented pass catchers, and there are a couple of potentially “special” prospects in this group as well.

But do we, as Steelers fans, care? Think of the Steelers current roster:

• Antonio Brown
• Martavis Bryant (if re-instated, which I think he will be)
• Markus Wheaton (if resigned, which I am not confident about, but it is a possibility)
• Eli Rogers
• Sammie Coates
• Cobi Hamilton
• Darrius Heyward-Bey
• Demarcus Ayers

If that’s the group we go to camp with, it’s a pretty good group. The real question is, will that be the group we go to camp with? AB is a certainty, as are Eli, DHB and Cobi. After that – who knows?

• It’s not up to the Steelers if Martavis is allowed to come to camp; it’s up to the NFL and the slug who sits at the top of that hierarchy.
• Sammie Coates was recently described as having fingers “mangled like a lineman’s.” I don’t know if that’s good, but it doesn’t sound good.
• And there is certainly no guarantee that Markus Wheaton is resigned.

If you had to go to war with AB, Eli, Cobi, DHB and Ayers, would you still feel as confident?

Let’s just say that I wouldn’t. The Steelers will draft a receiver somewhere in this draft – mark my words.

Overview

This is a tough class to break into our requisite categories. I typically divide the draft classes into “The Cream”, “The Crop” and “The Dregs”. The Cream could be a pretty long list all on its own. The truth is once you get down to The Dregs, you still have guys who can play.

The Steelers do not need any short fast guys. We have short fast guys. I like my wide receivers to be fast, and tall. (Yeah, me and everybody else!)

What we need (assuming that Martavis Bryant does not get re-instated) is a number 2 receiver; a consistent, dependable threat that makes teams feel stupid for paying too much attention to AB. If Sammie Coates is pre-broken finger Sammie Coates, we might have him already, but the body of work is pretty limited. If Martavis comes back, we might have him already, but we don’t know if that will happen, and it’s out of our hands.

So, let’s look at the top of this class, to see if the Steelers would spend a high pick on a receiver.

The Cream

Is there something better than “Cream”? Like is there a small thin layer of stuff that sits on top of the cream and is way better. (Like Super Cream?)

There is in this group of wide receivers, but since I don’t really know if “super cream” exists, here is the group I look at as the absolute best of this year’s WR class

• Mike Williams (Clemson)
• Corey Davis (Western Michigan)
• John Ross (Washington)
• JuJu Smith-Schuster (USC)
• Malachi Dupre (LSU)
• Chad Hensen (California)

There is a lot to like in this group. 5 out of the 6 guys have height, and some of them have speed, but they all have a huge amount of “potential”. Of these 6, Williams, Davis and Ross are likely to go in round 1, and all before the Steelers pick.

The other three will almost certainly go in round 2, with one potential exception based on his volatility of the draft boards. Let’s take a look at each and ask the important question – if they are there when the Steelers are on the board, should they pass or play?

Mike Williams – 6’ 3”, 225 lbs.

Williams has the measurable to make GM’s drool. He’s big, he can sell his vertical push, he’s has long arms and big hands, and he can make combat catches when asked to.

He has the potential to be a star, but he’s not a guaranteed home run. He’s not a great blocker. He can lose focus, and has been known to drop passes he should catch. He has relied on his physicality to win in college, rather than on developing his skills as a receiver: that will need to change in the Pros.

This is a guy who is big, and has skills. He reminds you of Plaxico Burress. That’s exactly what it says next to his “NFL Comparison” on Williams’ NFL.com profile.

Corey Davis – 6’ 3”, 213 lbs.

Davis is almost like a mirror image of Mike Williams. Unlike Williams, who can drop the ball, Davis tracks the ball exceptionally well and has developed a receiver’s skill set to go along with his physical gifts. He knows how to stack corners on his hip and keep them there. He has the ability, much like Antonio Brown, to vary his route speed, and has a second gear to break out and run under the deep balls.

On the flip side, he doesn’t do a great job of selling his verticals. He needs to run crisper routes, although his route running did improve over the last season. He also can lose focus when the ball is thrown outside of his frame, which can result in drops. And he’s not much of a blocker.

John Ross – 5’ 11” 190 lbs.

Of the three guys who might go in the first round, John Ross is the one most likely to be around when the Steelers draft. Everything that Davis and Williams have issues with, Ross is solid on. He has good hand-eye coordination, so he doesn’t often drop the ball: he tracks it well.

He also has sick speed. It was said he ran a hand-timed 4.2 forty. That’s crazy fast.

If he runs that fast at the combine, forget him being around. That kind of speed can make a GM’s eyes glaze over. If that happens, he might go before either Davis or Williams. The only real problem with Ross is his size. He generally loses combat catches because his play strength is below-average. He has had major injuries to both of his knees, so he has injury concerns too.

Mike Tomlin has been blinded by speed in the draft before (remember Dri Archer?), so if Ross is there at 30, he may be tempted.

JuJu Smith-Schuster 6’ 2” 220 lbs.

JuJu Smith-Schuster reminds me of Hines Ward. He’s a physical receiver.

Here is a blurb from his NFL.com draft profile:

“Rugged, aggressive runner after the catch with a stiff-arm to hurt feelings. Has field vision after catch for maximum YAC yardage. Reliable blocker who can help spring a big run. Able to sustain blocks with power.”

That sounds like a Steelers receiver. NFl.com compares him to Anquan Boldin. He’s not fast, and he doesn’t get separation, but when you throw the ball his way, he makes the catch.  He has great, strong hands, and his physicality lets him fight off defenders to make combat catches.

Malachi Dupre – 6’ 4” 195 lbs.

Malachi Dupre is the enigma of this group. He has the measurables, although he’s a little light, and needs to bulk up his frame by adding some muscle. I think he might have the best hands of anyone in the draft: he catches everything.

He doesn’t seem to have as much speed as you’d like, but then again, it’s hard to tell how much the poor QB play at LSU has impacted him. Some analysts are in love with this kid, and some think he probably belongs in the Dregs.

Chad Hansen – 6’ 2” 205 lbs.

Hansen could fade into the next group, or stay here in the Cream, depending on his combine performance. He’s good at dealing with redirection from defenders and still being on time with his routes. He’s a solid blocker, and he doesn’t drop many balls, especially deep ones.

In fact, he didn’t drop a deep ball that was thrown his way last year.

But he’s not fast, and he’s not great at creating separation. He will have to be able to keep making combat catches as a pro.

To be continued…

There is a great deal of talent at the receiver position in this draft, and the question isn’t if there is going to be someone worthy of a pick when the Steelers are on the board: it’s really going to be, is there someone who is better than who we already have? Because I don’t believe any of the top 3 guys are going to fall to 30, I don’t see the Steelers investing in a wide receiver with their first round pick. Unless there is value in the 2nd round, it’s unlikely there too. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Steelers use a pick on a receiver anywhere from their 3rd round pick, on.

There is going to be value there, and I’ll discuss that in my next Draft Prep.