It was just a year ago when we wondered if the Steelers wide receiver group was the worst since Mike Tomlin had become head coach. Is this the worst Steelers wide receiver group in the Tomlin era

Fast forward twelve months and Kevin Colbert has once again put together what could be a very exciting receiving room.  Colbert has done what he does best, rebuild the position through the draft.  After four successive high draft picks at receiver, this group is poised to make a big impact in 2020.  Let’s rank who we think will lead the Steelers in receiving yards going from five to one:

5.  Chase Claypool (342)

Chase Claypool is a rookie in a very crowded wide receiver group. He will have a tough time carving out a role in the offense in 2020.  Having said that, we still expect some exciting things from this Notre Dame product.  His incredible combination of size and speed make him an enticing prospect for Ben Roehtlisberger.  Claypool could turn into a huge red-zone threat for the Steelers this season.  While he might end up fifth in yards among this group, he could very well end up among the leaders in touchdowns.

4. James Washington (525)

We think James Washington may be in for a little regression coming off a pretty impressive 2019 season.  He was good enough lead the Steelers in yards with 735 last season.  Several players are in line to chip away at his production however.  Combine what we hope will be a full season from Ju Ju Smith Schuster, and a hard push from Chase Claypool for playing time and its inevitable that his yards will go down.  Washington will have to fight hard all season long to stay relevant in this offense.

3.  Eric Ebron (619)

The Eric Ebron signing has somewhat flown under the radar.  This is exactly the type of pass catching tight end this offense needs.  It doesn’t hurt that he has spent some time getting friendly with Ben Roehtlisberger either. https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/31720/new-steelers-te-eric-ebron-hopes-he-and-big-bens-best-friend

Ebron seems intent on building the chemistry between he and Roethlisberger right form the get go.  If he can gain Big Bens trust on the field, we could be in for a big season from the new Steelers tight end.

2. Ju Ju Smith Schuster (1,159)

Ju Ju Smith Schuster had already begun the process of becoming the number one receiver when Antonio Brown began his melt down in 2018.  The injury to Ben Roehtlisberger really hurt his campaign the following season.  He had his own injuries to deal with in 2019, and the terrible quarterback play did not help either.  Look for a big comeback season for Smith-Schuster this upcoming season.  His days of being this teams number one receiver are over however because of…….

1.  Diontae Johnson (1399)

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new superstar on the horizon for 2020, and his name is Diontae Johnson. As a rookie he put together an impressive season with 680 yards and five touchdowns.  That was while playing hurt for most of 2019. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/steelers-diontae-johnson-recovering-from-sports-hernia-surgery-expected-to-be-cleared-soon/

Factor in the injury, the horrific quarterback play, being a rookie, and you have one hell of a season last year.  Now healthy, and with Ben Roehtlisberger under center there is no doubt that Johnson will lead the Steelers in receiving this season.  In fact, we predict that Diontae Johnson will become the next in a long line of great wide receivers for this team.  The sky is the limit for this talented player.