We’ve heard this cry for years in the Steel City… “We need a big target at wide receiver.”
Whether this call has come from Ben Roethlisberger, the front office or the entire fan base, it has been something we’ve lived with for some time now.
Everyone has their own definition as to what a ‘big’ or ‘tall’ wide receiver is, but nonetheless it has me thinking and researching.
Below you will see the top ten receivers in terms of passes caught in 2013.
Below that, you will see the top ten receivers in the same category from ten years earlier.
Along with their names in the order of top receiver on down, you will see their touchdown reception totals and their listed heights from that season as well.
2013
Pierre Garcon 6’0″ 5tds
Antonio Brown 5’10” 8tds
Andre Johnson 6’3″ 5tds
Julian Edleman 5’10” 6tds
Brandon Marshall 6’4″ 12tds
AJ Green 6’4″ 11tds
Kendall Wright 5’10” 2tds
Dez Bryant 6’2″ 13tds
Demaryius Thomas 6’3″ 14tds
While everyone has their own interpretation of what height a ‘tall’ receiver is, I will use 6’2″ as the measuring stick in this situation.
The above list shows that receivers 6’2″ and over caught 50 touchdown passes in 2013. The receivers under 6’2″ caught 21 touchdown passes.
Now let’s compare receivers from ten years earlier.
2003
Torry Holt 6’0″ 12tds
Randy Moss 6’4″ 17tds
Anquan Boldin 6’1″ 8tds
LaDanian Tomlinson* 5’10 4tds
Derek Mason 5’10” 8tds
Hines Ward 6’0″ 10tds
Marvin Harrison 6’0″ 10tds
Chad Johnson 6’1″ 10tds
Steve Smith 5’9″ 7tds
Keenan McCardell 6’1″ 8tds
* = Tomlinson is a running back
What you’ll notice immediately is that only one of the top ten pass catchers of 2003 is considered tall. It should come as no surprise that it was Randy Moss whose blend of speed and height was extremely unique to the league.
What we can also discern is how much the league has changed in just ten years and it continues to evolve today. As wide receivers have gotten bigger, faster and stronger, so to have cornerbacks. The days of the 5’9″ corner will soon be a thing of the past in my opinion.
For further proof of the ‘tall’ receiver necessity, look no further than the top ten leaders in touchdown receptions from last season.
Because of ties, 13 receivers were included in the top ten list. Only Wes Welker, and he finished tied for tenth, was under 6’2″.
If we look at touchdown leaders from 2003 where only one player over 6’2″ was among the top ten reception leaders, we find that five of the top 10 touchdown leaders were above 6’2″.
So what can we take from all of this? Is the need for a tall receiver in Pittsburgh really all that it’s cracked up to be?
I say it is because the proof is there that the game has changed drastically even from ten years ago in terms of pass catchers. What has always been however is that taller wide receivers and tight ends (Gonzalez, Graham, J. Thomas and V. Davis) score more touchdowns.
Ultimately this is the name of the game. While this is nothing more than a snapshot using just receptions and touchdown catches, I believe the Steelers need to invest in a guy that fits the mold of being both a tall receiver and a guy who catches touchdowns.
The ultimate question of course is…. Will they go get one?
Marc Uhlmann writes for and co-owns www.steelcityblitz.com. Follow him on Twitter @steeldad and follow the website at @SCBlitz. He can be heard weekly on Trib-Live Radio talking Steelers and is a blogger for ESPN 970 in Pittsburgh.
13 comments
In short, no… They don’t need one.
However… The Steelers have struggled a lot in the redzone the past few years. I don’t have the numbers handy but I have read breakdowns in the past that teams with a receiver over a certain height (somewhere around 6’3″) are typically better redzone offenses.
Here are the top 5 offenses last season in terms of TD% when they got in the redzone.
1. Denver (Demarius Thomas, Eric Decker, Julius Thomas)
2. Cincinnati (AJ Green, Marvin Jones)
3. Dallas (Dez Bryant)
4. Detroit (Calvin Johnson)
5. Kansas City (The exception here, though Dwayne Bowe is 6’2″)
Sorry, adding on…
Even if the Steelers’ 2014 offense looked exactly like the 2013 offense in terms of moving the ball, but their redzone scoring improved, imagine the profound effect that would have on the season.
How many times did the Steelers settle for FG’s last year in the RZ? How many games did they lose by 1 score or less?
If a guy like Kelvin Benjamin is on the 2013 Steelers and scores 5 times on drives that ended up in a FG we probably win 2 more games and make the playoffs. Not saying he would or will do that as a rookie, or anything like that… Just pointing out that even just a FEW TD’s instead of FG’s could have a huge effect.
Lets break this down a bit further: Megatron is a physical freak of nature and no one can cover him or for that matter slow him down. AJ Green is like a Megatron but more athletic. The Thomas boys and Decker had Manning at the helm so take that into consideration. The reason for my advocating a Tall WR is quite simple: how many more times can you keep taking guys like the ones they have had the past few years. Teams are not scared of AB never have been never will be. AB is not a WR who strikes fear in the minds of the DB’s that he lines up against. If Brown gets doubled who on this team you feel at WR will make an impact. Teams will double AB and tell the Steelers “you want to win or you want to score do it with someone not named AB” DB’s don’t care for the other guys on the Steelers, they don’t see a guy or a set of guys that hasn’t done what AB already does. Add a guy like Evans, Benjamin or Coleman and you tell me how much of a difference that guy would make. 5 of the 9 WR’s steeldad listed can go and make that jump ball catch. If AB was to try and make a jump ball catch he would get lit up like a Christmas tree and I know I have no proof of that but try and understand where I’m coming from on this topic.
They don’t need one in the first or Atleast not to reach for one at 15. That being said if Sammy Watkins falls to 15 then you snatch him up asap. Mike Evans is re ares to be there but if Justin Gilbert is on the board it’s a 50/50 toss up. If I could trade back and pick up a 3rd then I’d grab Kelvin Benjamin or take Kyle Fuller and grab a wr in the 2nd.
Trading back won’t happen cause you heard Colbert’s quote on that. Watkins is gone by then and as I see it stay at 15 and take that WR in the 1st round. Everybody is so enamored with Defense in the 1st round which I say to that: realize that none of the D prospects will ever make an impact there 1st year in the Steelers D. At best any CB they take will end up in the slot or on ST there rookie year. They have a 3rd round pick in the draft. It’s a comp pick for Wallace. If you think for one second that if the Steelers trade back and hope that Benjamin will fall to there new spot then you obviously have wishful thinking.
Depends on how far they move back but I agree he might not be there because The Ravens & Jets need a Wr. I suggest trading back if The following players are off the board. Watkins,Evans,Gilbert,Dennard. I also feel that the Big name that’s going to fall is Anthony Barr.
If you trade back and allow either the Ravens or Jets to take Benjamin then what do you do? Barr won’t fall and I know some question his tape of work but to anyone who thinks he will fall just wait and see what happens when he goes in the top 10. I don’t understand what do you people see in Dennard that I don’t. I’ve read the reports on him. Yeah he is good but here are 2 negatives that you all should consider: He would hold a lot in college and won’t get away with it in the NFL and they way he plays he is prone to PI penalties and these 2 things I mentioned here are true to the fullest extent. This is not a draft where waiting for a WR in the mid rounds is the best thing to do cause once the Big Guys are off the board and I mean the tall ones your left with guys that the Steelers have drafted time and again and you have to ask yourself do you really trust the WR’s they have other than AB?
We can never say that we won’t trade down because we just don’t know how the draft will unfold in front of us. I feel confident that we won’t trade up because we desperately need the picks. Let’s say everyone runs and hides from the top three QBs. That means that guys like Evans, Dennard, Gilbert etc could go before the draft winds to 15. You could also get a situation where the tackles slide. Bottom line is that if we aren’t in love with someone at 15 then by all means trade down.
I am of contrarian thought on this. I believe that as WR’s get bigger so will CB’s…as a result you will now get waterbug types of WR’s. For this reason, I would love to see Antonio Brown match up vs Richard Sherman. I think AB has short distance quicks to cause separation and would eat him alive in Haley’s offense. That being said the waterbug’s that I speak of will also need to be physical to get off the line but when they do….
Gimme 2 tights and AB and Wheatley…your tights are 6’5″ + and your wides run sub 4.4’s, your back can bruise or catch out of the backfield and now you got a defense guessing and on their heels. The caveat is Ben calls the plays at the line as he did the last part of last year when the O was clicking.
Here is a 2 part question you all should answer: If the Steelers do trade down what are the chances they get that Tall WR and part 2 what spot do trade down to? I look t the draft and if the Texans trade down the top 1o can easily change in a flash. Say thy send that pick to Atlanta and now you have Clowney going 1. Next on the list are the 2 tackles, 3 QB’s. After that you have Barr and Mack at LB, along with Donald and Watkins. After that you have these guys who would be at 15 or at least a few of them anyway. Evans, Lee, Benjamin, Ebron, Dennard and Gilbert. So I would stay at 15 and take that WR cause no other position will make any impact. The CB’s won’t start and will end up in the slot and you know that. Joeybaggadonuts I disagree on your idea of the Steeler offense. I despise teams that want 2TE threats. If they run that offense it shows they have no faith in there WR’s and want the TE’s to do all the work. Wheaton is not the No.2 guy for the Steelers and he never will. A guy like Evans or Benjamin who plays opposite of AB and now you make it more difficult for the D to adjust as to who they cover. For Wheaton I’ll make it real simple for everybody to understand: either he shows what he’s got or he is gone before the 2015 season. You all have this idea that Wheaton will be better than he was in 2013, well what happens if he can’t get the job done? If it happened you would all blast Colbert for the pick it would make you guys hypocrites. Just remember I said that and if I’m wrong I’ll come back to this site and admit I was wrong no questions asked.
As far as I can tell, what we know is that debating whether we should trade down or not is a moot point. Until the draft begins we won’t have a good idea of what out options are.
To be honest we are in a tough spot in regards to the tall WR situation. If we pass on one, chances are he will be gone by the time we select in the second. On the same token, do we risk reaching on one at 15?
The Wheaton question can only be answered by him and we won’t know that answer until after the 2014 season.
You have a point on WR but I counter that with this: If they don’t grab a Tall WR for Ben and the Ravens or someone else does then the Steelers are made to look like fools and guys like Wheaton and Moye who can’t be trusted will be forced to make plays when they are not ready for it. I hear people think that Moye is the guy they need as a Tall WR, that would make sense if he was worthy of being a No.2 WR when he is right now there 4th option or may not make the team. You have to ask yourself is it worth taking a defensive prospect who won’t start or see the field just so the D get younger despite the fact your Offense needs another legit WR to start opposite of AB. If both Evans and Benjamin are gone the next logical choice is Coleman out of Rutgers. Here is a guy that is literally the same height as Evans and Benjamin and could do the same as both guys and if he is there in the 2nd round do not hesitate for 1 second and take him. Sure he does not have the speed to match his height but then again how many Tall WR’s do now a days? Give Ben a Tall WR and watch and see how the Offense gets way better than it did the year before.