Roman Wilson’s summer with the Steelers has had the kind of arc that gets people talking in camp and then leaves one loud reminder hanging in the air.
The speed is real. The talent has shown up.
So has the trust from Aaron Rodgers, who has been openly impressed with Wilson’s progress in his third season. But a preseason interception and a “repeat mistake” in practice have also put a spotlight on the one thing that can keep Wilson from turning all that promise into a real role: the details.
Wilson remains positioned to open Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons near the top of the depth chart, but that spot is not exactly locked in for the long haul. Rookie Germie Bernard is waiting, and the Steelers know the margin for error shrinks fast when a receiver is trying to prove he can handle the job.
Rodgers pointed to Wednesday’s practice interception, when cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. jumped an under route for the pick, as an example of why the mental side still matters for Wilson.
“Roman made a repeat mistake,” Rodgers said. “That’s a good learning experience, because I don’t think he’s going to do that again.
But he did the same thing early in training camp, and we said, ‘hey, on that under route, you’ve got to keep coming.’ So I think it’s best that it happened in practice.
Roman is a great kid. He’s had a fantastic camp.
I have utmost confidence in him. He’s going to have to play a big role for us.
But mistakes can happen. That’s a great one to happen in practice.
But he’s gotten a lot better, and I’m really proud of Roman.”
That confidence hasn’t come out of nowhere. Rodgers has repeatedly praised Wilson this camp, and he’s seeing a different player than the one he watched a year ago. The receiver looks cleaner getting in and out of breaks, and Rodgers believes the change has been obvious.
“I think, first of all, you’ve got to know who you are. You’ve got to know what type of player you are and how you challenge defense.
And then use that against the defense. And I think that as fast as he is, he was kind of like just a deer in the headlights out there at times.
Just bouncing around, long striding, not kind of setting up his routes. He’s a lot smoother this year.
And when you have a dynamic physical trait like speed, which he does, he’s a crazy top-end speed. If you can figure out the intermediate stuff, you can really become a big-time player.
And I feel like he’s made a lot of steps in that direction. More than any of that, though, he’s constantly asking questions, verifying things, making sure he’s on the same page when he takes an install in the receiver room and then comes to me in the locker room about certain questions.
And I love that. He’s super eager to do it the right way.
And he’s made of the right stuff. I’m really proud of him,” Rodgers said.
That’s the balancing act for Wilson now. His speed and physical tools can get him noticed. The mental part will decide whether he turns that attention into something bigger.
If it clicks, Wilson could force his way into a long-term spot with the Steelers. If the mistakes keep showing up, Bernard could move ahead sooner than later, and Wilson could end up stuck behind him even with a new staff in place.
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