Pittsburgh has a receiver problem, and everyone in Steel City knows it. On October 21, Sports Illustrated laid out three realistic trade targets the Steelers could land before the NFL Trade Deadline using nothing more than Day 3 draft picks.
Even after signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the offense still looks thin on the outside. Some Steelers insiders believe another move is coming. Others think Valdes-Scantling was the big swing. If the front office stands pat now, this team risks another January without a playoff win.
Why Day 3 picks are the only currency Pittsburgh will spend
General Manager Omar Khan is playing the long game. The Steelers want to protect their early draft capital so they can chase a top player in the 2027 NFL Draft, a strategy simulated by draft tools like Pro Football Network's mock draft simulator. That leaves the late rounds as the chips on the table, and according to Sports Illustrated, that is exactly enough to fix the receiver room.
Kendrick Bourne: the cheap veteran fix
The first name on the list is Arizona Cardinals wideout Kendrick Bourne, priced at a sixth-round pick. The 31-year-old has 133 games and 351 receptions on his resume, and in 2026 he has caught 22 of 31 targets for 225 yards.
His production mirrors what rookie Germie Bernard has done so far. Bernard caught 11 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh's overtime win over Tampa Bay, a performance that has fantasy analysts at ESPN calling him potentially special.
The catch with Bourne: he is not a burner. The Steelers already have two yards-after-catch weapons in Bernard and DK Metcalf. What they lack is speed that scares defenses deep, and Bourne does not bring that.
Dontayvion Wicks: the bargain of the bunch
Here is the deal that should already be done. The Philadelphia Eagles are in firesale mode, and Dontayvion Wicks can be had for a fifth-round pick, provided his recent injury scare is nothing serious.
Wicks came up with the Green Bay Packers as a deep-ball threat and has 19 catches for 284 yards and a touchdown in six games with Philadelphia. The Eagles gave up a fifth and a seventh for him before the season, and they would likely take almost anything back now.
He is fast, he lines up wide, he can slide into the slot, and he is under contract through 2027 with a $4 million cap hit next year. Sports Illustrated's verdict was blunt: if you are Khan, you make this deal with the cross-state rivals immediately.
Quentin Johnston: the big gamble
The priciest option is Los Angeles Chargers receiver Quentin Johnston, who would cost a fourth and a seventh. The 2023 first-round pick has multiple 700-yard seasons and brings real size at 6-foot-3 and nearly 220 pounds.
He is the best fit on the market if healthy. That is the problem. Johnston has battled injuries, and the Steelers already have two receivers on Injured Reserve and another missing time. Betting on another hurt receiver could backfire badly.
What happens before the deadline
The clock is running out. Pittsburgh can solve its depth problem without touching its 2027 plans, but only if Khan picks up the phone. Yahoo Sports has floated its own realistic receiver targets for the Steelers, including a cheap reunion option for head coach Mike McCarthy, so the market is deeper than these three names.
One thing is certain in Pittsburgh: sitting still is how playoff droughts get longer.
FAQ
Who are the three receivers the Steelers can trade for?
Kendrick Bourne of the Cardinals, Dontayvion Wicks of the Eagles, and Quentin Johnston of the Chargers, according to Sports Illustrated.
What would each receiver cost in draft picks?
Bourne would cost a sixth-round pick, Wicks a fifth, and Johnston a fourth and a seventh.
Why are the Steelers only willing to trade Day 3 picks?
The front office wants to preserve its early draft capital to target a top player in the 2027 NFL Draft.