Pittsburgh Steelers select Michigan WR Roman Wilson in third round of 2024 NFL Draft
Former Michigan wideout Roman Wilson has finally come off the board at the 2024 NFL Draft. And the wide receiver didn’t have a terribly long wait, being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 84 overall pick in the third round of the draft.
Due to his diminutive stature, Wilson projects mostly as a slot receiver — he measured 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds at the combine — but will bring an explosive, downfield element to whatever passing attack he joins. He feasted as an intermediate and deep threat for the Wolverines as a counterpunch to the ground-heavy offensive attack.
His ability to get up to a higher gear and play at top speed — he ran a 4.39 40 at the combine — presents a serious challenge for defensive backs trying to stay in phase down the field. The lack of stature also means he relies on that top-end speed to create after the catch and down the field. He’s also plenty competitive with strong hands at the catch point, but again lacks the physical profile to overwhelm and consistently beat similar sized or bigger defensive backs.
The one area Wilson needs to grow in order to flourish to his fullest potential in the NFL is route running polish and separation on shorter, quick-game routes. He simply wasn’t asked to work underneath much for the Wolverines. And likely playing out of the slot in the NFL, he’ll need to show he can be functional, — at a minimum — working closer to the line of scrimmage, especially when he can’t get up to his top gears.
Wilson quickly developed into quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s favorite target in 2023, leading Michigan in receptions (48), receiving yards (789), receiving touchdowns (12) and yards per reception (16.4). Not only was Wilson the top target for McCarthy, he was soaking up targets consistently down the field.
Wilson played high school football at St. Louis (Hawaii) High School, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 268 overall recruit in the 2020 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Wilson
Wilson projects to be a plus starter in the NFL, according to NFL.com scouting guru Lance Zierlein. He has Wilson projected as a Day 2 pick (rounds two and three) in a draft crowded with receiver talent.
Zierlein is high on the way Wilson can get up to his top speed and play there, but still has questions about what Wilson brings to the table playing from the slot. But the talent is such that Zierlein is confident Wilson can be an impactful, productive receiver at the NFL level.
“Smooth strider with alarming speed once he touches top gear,” Zierlein said in his scouting report. “Wilson primarily focused on attacking the intermediate and deep portions of the field, adding an explosive element to the Wolverines’ ground-and-pound approach. Wilson is an electrifying athlete, which should push his stock up, but he’ll need to learn to level up his skill getting from Point A to Point B as a route-runner to reach his potential. Wilson has good hands and can run after the catch down the field, but he’s not really a catch-and-go option underneath. He has the separation potential to make a quarterback’s life easier and figures to continue his ascension as a starting slot talent.”