PITTSBURGH — Roman Wilson arrived in Pittsburgh with more than 1,700 career collegiate receiving yards, a second-team All-Big Ten nod and, most importantly, a National Championship ring on his resume.
But the former go-to receiving threat for the Michigan Wolverines has learned early in his NFL journey that no stat or accolade can shield him from some hard, tough-love coaching.
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“He probably loves to go home at night and get away from this building,” new Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni said. “I’m all over him, man.
“I have to be. We got a limited amount of time to get a guy ready to play an NFL football game. I always say we’re taking players and making them into professionals. … There’s a lot that goes into playing at the NFL level. If you’re not ready to go Week 1, you get exposed.”
New WR coach Zach Azzanni putting Roman Wilson through blocking drills. pic.twitter.com/F7QaRpOSyT
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) May 22, 2024
From the coordinator to the quarterbacks and beyond, the Steelers have made a number of significant changes on offense this offseason with the hopes of jump-starting a stagnant unit. Part of that process was the addition of Azzanni, who has coached wide receivers for 26 years, including most recently with the New York Jets last year.
During practice, it’s easy to find (and hear) Azzanni. He’s routinely suited up in cleats and gloves, giving hands-on instruction. He uses words like “intense” and “perfectionist” to describe himself as a coach and person.
“I kind of black out when I get out here, honestly,” Azzanni said. “But I’ve always been like that. Guys learn the best that way, I think. You just got to be upfront and hit them right between the eyes with the good and the bad.”
Much of that brutal honesty has been directed at the rookie, Wilson. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver totaled 48 catches for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns last season during the Wolverines’ title run. The raw ability is obvious. With 4.39 speed, he’s a bursty athlete who can easily turn a short gain into an explosive play, as 37.5 percent of his catches in 2023 gained at least 20 yards.
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However, the third-round pick still needs to get up to speed at the NFL level and can continue to refine his technique and route running as he matures into a pro.
“There’s a lot of things (to work on),” Wilson said. “But step one for me is just playing lower. Getting in and out of my breaks a little better. Using my arms and just turning up (field) after the catch. Keep doing the things I did at Michigan and just keep playing. That’s all I got to do is just focus on those step one, step two, step three each day and I’ll be better.”
Steelers rookie WR Roman Wilson running through change of direction drills pic.twitter.com/xINcNA16sb
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) May 23, 2024
In some ways, the Steelers tested how Wilson would respond to this type of environment even before they selected him with the 84th pick. Back at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., coach Mike Tomlin walked up to Wilson and top cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and told them to take every single rep against each other.
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Wilson’s response, coupled with his reputation as a hard worker, must have convinced the Steelers he’d be able to handle the spotlight.
“This is what I want,” Wilson said. “I want to be around a bunch of coaches who are going to coach me hard. Every day I come in here, I expect to leave 1 percent better. … I would rather (Azzanni) be the hardest person I’ve ever been around than him not care. So I love him for the type of coach he is and how he handles business.”
Getting Wilson up to speed — and fast — will be paramount for the Steelers offense. If there’s one glaring question mark on the roster as a whole, it’s probably at wide receiver, where many have speculated the Steelers could (or should) add another top-end target.
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The group features George Pickens, whose freakish abilities make him a possible star in the making. He’s the clear-cut No. 1 target with Pro Bowl potential bursting from his go-go gadget arms. Azzanni joked that it doesn’t take a coach to see the talent.
But behind Pickens? A lot of question marks. Calvin Austin III, an undersized player with 17 total catches since being drafted in Round 4 in 2022, has taken a huge step forward in the last few weeks, Azzanni said. The Steelers also acquired low-cost veterans like Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Scotty Miller. They’ll all likely factor into the discussion in some form or fashion.
“I know that a lot gets made of the one, the two, the three,” Azzanni said. “Listen, in this day and age, we move everyone around. Guys get balls depending on matchups. That number thing is a little overrated to me.”
Though the other options help round out the unit, the true depth and potential of this position group hinges on Wilson. If he struggles out of the gate and is slow to adapt to the NFL, it’s easy to imagine Pickens being forced to stomach nonstop double-teams. But if Wilson can embrace what he’s hearing, he could be the perfect stylistic complement to Pickens, providing the production from the slot and inside the numbers to open up the top target for more deep balls.
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The question is whether this hard coaching is going to lead to early production.
“I’m still working,” Wilson said. “Me and coach Z go over (technique) a lot. I can definitely see it already creeping up into the way I play. I just want to get it to the point right now where I can just not think about it. That’s a big thing for me. Just take the details and technique he gives me, just don’t think about it. Go out there and do it.”
(Photo: Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)
