Pittsburgh Steelers: Early 55-man roster predictions after the 2020 draft

Wide Receivers (6): Deon Cain, Chase Claypool, Anthony Johnson, Diontae Johnson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington

The Steelers continued adding to their young receiving corps this offseason by drafting Claypool in the second-round. He joins a wide receiver room that features plenty of high round picks. Smith-Schuster and Washington were picked by Pittsburgh in the second round of their respective drafts, while Diontae Johnson joined the team as a third-round selection last year.

Smith-Schuster is in the final year of his rookie deal. After an incredible 2018 season, the USC product fell flat on his face without Antonio Brown. Even if he rebounds in 2020, the Steelers might not be able to pay Smith-Schuster to stick around.

Johnson and Washington will battle with Smith-Schuster for starting snaps this season. Claypool could also get involved since his build and skill set differentiate him from Pittsburgh’s other wide receivers. Washington led Pittsburgh in receiving yards this past season with Johnson finishing second and Smith-Schuster coming in third.

Cain should stick around for another year in Pittsburgh. He added a dynamic vertical element to Clemson’s passing attack in college and could begin making plays with Big Ben in the lineup. Anthony Johnson, who posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in college in 2017 and 2018, should also sneak onto the roster.

The current roster projection leaves Ryan Switzer looking for a new job in 2020. The wide receiver saw his production vanish last season as he went from catching 36 passes for 253 yards in 2018 to catching eight for 27 yards. He also lost his jobs as the team’s kick and punt returner. Diontae Johnson stepped in on the punt team while Kerrith Whyte Jr. became the primary kick returner.