Bengals: Ranking every wide receiver group in the AFC North
By Alex Austin
AFC North wide receiver rankings: #3 Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh got hit by the injury bug in 2019 and that led to a huge drop off in production from some of their top players. With Roethlisberger down for almost the entire year, it was difficult for stars like JuJu Smith-Schuster to gain traction. He missed a few games as well, but even when he was healthy, the connection with quarterback Mason Rudolph was lacking. He recorded a career-low 552 receiving yards and is looking for a comeback in 2020.
When healthy, Smith-Schuster is one of the top wide receivers in the game and elevates the entire passing attack. James Washington showed some promise last year as well and will hope to build on a strong season when Roethlisberger is back throwing to him.
The biggest hindrance to the Steelers rising on this list is the lack of a proven secondary star. JuJu will need some help for this team to be the best wide receiving group, and Washington has not shown he can be that star yet.
If the Steelers can get back to the offensive firepower they had in 2018, this becomes a very dangerous unit. It is possible that this group outperforms their ranking here, but there are too many unknowns at this time. Until then, they sit right in the middle of the AFC North wide receivers.