It does not appear that the Pittsburgh Steelers will be able to acquire wide receiver Courtland Sutton from the Denver Broncos. But Steelers Now’s Nick Farabaugh identified a new potential trade target for Pittsburgh – New York Giants wideout Darius Slayton.
Farabaugh said the Steelers could pursue Slayton to start along with budding great receiver George Pickens.
“This could be an under-the-radar strong move for the Steelers if they were willing to cough up some draft capital,” Farabaugh wrote. “Slayton is still on an affordable deal, and a new contract will not break the bank.
“Theoretically, the team will want to pay George Pickens after this season, and Slayton’s contract does not prevent them from doing that, even in the event of a new deal.”
Farabaugh noted that Slayton had never eclipsed the 800-yard mark in his five-year NFL career. But, he’s been fairly consistent, posting 700 or more receiving yards in four of his five seasons.
At the 2019 NFL combine, Slayton ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds. Only five wideout hopefuls finished the 40-yard dash in under that time at the 2024 NFL combine.
As Farabaugh noted, Slayton needs a new deal after this season. But he will likely be inexpensive. His current contract is a 2-year deal worth $12 million. The contract included a $3.5 million signing bonus.
Why the Steelers Could Target WR Darius Slayton
It would not at all be shocking to see the Steelers both draft a receiver and acquire a veteran before the start of training camp. That’s because based on 2023 productivity, the Steelers receiving corps is pretty empty.
Pittsburgh added veterans Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins after trading Diontae Johnson in March. But Jefferson and Watkins combined for only 351 receiving yards last season. Both are signed to league-minimum contracts and are not certain to make the final roster.
Without Johnson, the Steelers have only one receiver on their current roster that had more than 209 receiving yards last season.
That was Pickens, who topped the NFL in yards per reception during 2023. That’s one of Slayton’s strengths as well. He’s averaging 15.1 yards per reception in his career. Slayton has also posted at least 15 yards per reception in four of his five seasons.
Slayton recorded those figures as the Giants No. 1 receiver. He will only gain if he gets to play with Pickens in 2024.
Steelers Striking Out With Brandon Aiyuk, Courtland Sutton?
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac claimed in a fan chat on April 17 that the Steelers have chased San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk this offseason. The Steelers have also been rumored as a potential to recruit Sutton, who didn’t report to Denver’s voluntary offseason exercises on April 16.
But the chance of either receiver landing in Pittsburgh has been erased one way or another.
49ers general manager John Lynch informed reporters on March 25 that the organization was actively engaging Aiyuk in contract negotiations and working toward an extension.
On April 20, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler claimed despite repeated trade inquiries, the Broncos “do not plan to trade” Sutton.
Either Aiyuk or Sutton would be preferable receiving targets for the Steelers to acquire. But getting either would entail more draft capital than it would for Slayton. Both Aiyuk and Sutton also aim to be more pricey on their upcoming transactions.
Therefore, Slayton could really be a preferred option. With him, the Steelers could grab a No. 2 receiver while maintaining its best 2024 draft capital and still have salary contract flexibility to sign Pickens next year.
