Mike McCarthy may have just inadvertently narrowed the Steelers draft candidates at wide receiver following telling comments

It’s safe to say that if the Steelers take a WR early in the draft, he will have a certain skillset.

Rob Gregson — NFL News Writer
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Mar 31, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy speaks to reporters in the media during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2026 NFL Draft is going to be one of the most important in franchise history. Armed with an exorbitant amount of draft capital, the Steelers are highly unlikely to hold on to all 12 selections they currently possess in the NFL Draft.

So it looks like we could be in store for a very interesting three-day stretch on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. One of the most notable positions to watch will, of course, be WR, and Mike McCarthy gave a peek behind the curtain into what he covets at the position.

Mike McCarthy names his “traits” at the WR position

“I think, like anything, I don’t like to play, ‘This guy’s an X, this guy’s a Z,’” McCarthy told reporters at the league meetings in Phoenix, Arizona. “The slot receivers, there’s been great slot receivers in the history of the league. … You really don’t get it until you become a head coach. If guys that make the 53-man roster, everybody’s gotta have two jobs — unless you’re a kicker or a quarterback. That third, fourth, fifth receiver; your fifth, sixth DB.”

Mike McCarthy wants versatility at WR

When you start talking about alignments and guys having two jobs, that immediately tells me you are coveting versatility at the WR position. Someone who has a skillset required to be interchangeable on the perimeter or closer to the line of scrimmage. That leads me towards one primary candidate for Pittsburgh.

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Carnell Tate is the WR to watch for the Steelers in R1

The last time the Steelers went WR in Round 1, it was 20 years ago for Ohio State Buckeyes standout Santonio Holmes. Tate is the picture of versatility, with the ability to carve up man coverage on the perimeter, but also work as a shifty slot WR.

Oh, and he and Will Howard have a connection that Tate openly said he misses, and the star WR said that he thinks Howard will push for him to be in Pittsburgh. It may take a trade-up to get him, but given his connection to the team and McCarthy’s comments, I wouldn’t rule it out.

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