We’re reintroducing a series that began last summer, highlighting training camp battles at specific positions on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster as two players compete for the final roster spot on the depth chart. Today, we’ll look at the wide receiver position, specifically the battle between Quez Watkins and Scott Miller.
The Steelers have a muddled wide receiver corps behind George Pickens, having signed many players this offseason and selecting Michigan WR Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. They’re also bringing back WR Calvin Austin III, who missed his debut season due to a foot ailment, and WR Dez Fitzpatrick, who only saw three special teams snaps last year. During the offseason, Pittsburgh signed wide receivers Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, Scotty Miller, and Marquez Callaway, giving them a lot of guys to compete with during training camp to fill out the depth chart behind Pickens as their WR1.
Wilson, a third-round rookie draft pick, should almost certainly make the roster. Austin and Jefferson are not regarded locks, but Austin is a homegrown player picked by the organization who showed promise during his first season on the field, giving him a decent chance of staying for at least one more season. Jefferson is the most seasoned of the receivers Pittsburgh signed this offseason, having totaled 1,600 yards and 10 touchdowns in 35 starts with the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons.
Fitzpatrick is a long shot to make the roster as it is, considering his contributions to the league since being drafted, and Callaway hasn’t generated noteworthy stats since signing a reserve/futures contract with Pittsburgh in January.
If Pittsburgh decides to keep five wide receivers in OC Arthur Smith’s playbook, which is more 12 personnel-heavy, Quez Watkins and Scotty Miller would most likely compete for the final slot as we sit here today. Pittsburgh signed Watkins first in April, bringing in the former Philadelphia Eagle who was taken in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Watkins proved to be a formidable deep threat for the Eagles offense during four seasons, totaling 98 grabs for 1,249 yards and six scores. Watkins’ best season came in 2021, when he caught 43 passes on 62 targets for 647 yards and a touchdown, including a 91-yard reception where he nearly went the distance.
Watkins adds speed and playmaking to Pittsburgh’s attack, but he lacks subtlety as a route runner and provides little value as a blocker. Special teams may also have an impact on his chances of making the roster, since he has only played 40 special teams snaps in four seasons. To secure a position on the Pittsburgh roster, Watkins will need to demonstrate his ability to make big plays as a deep threat and after the catch throughout the preseason.
Miller also brings speed to the table, having run a 4.28 40-yard sprint on his pro day. He was picked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and spent four seasons with them until joining the Atlanta Falcons last season. Miller has started eight of 67 games over the last five seasons, catching 85 catches for 1,085 yards and six touchdowns, as well as eight carries for 81 yards and one touchdown. Miller is a more fluid route runner than Watkins and is inside/outside versatility, allowing him to line up in the slot or out wide and test defenses vertically down the field.
Watkins has more output and size than Miller, but Miller has contributed more on special teams during his NFL career, totaling 271 special teams snaps over five seasons, the majority of which (240) came in the last two seasons. Pittsburgh already has a player of Miller’s height and skill level on the roster in Austin, which might make Miller superfluous. Nonetheless, he has produced in important games in the past, and considering that both he and Watkins underperformed last season, both will need to demonstrate during training camp and preseason action that they can continue to produce when needed.
