Steelers All 90: WR Miles Boykin

All 90 is a Pittsburgh Steelers Now series profiling each of the 90 members of the Steelers 2022 offseason roster.

13 • Miles Boykin, fourth-year wide receiver, Notre Dame
6-foot-4, 220 pounds

Acquired: Claimed on waivers from the Baltimore Ravens on April 19, 2022.

Last season: Started the season on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury, was activated on Sept. 29 and played in eight games, almost exclusively on special teams. He was targeted just once in the passing game, making one catch for six yards. Boykin played 63% of Baltimore’s special teams snaps as a gunner and blocker and made two tackles. Rookie Rashod Bateman and free agent additions Sammy Watkins both jumped Boykin on the receiver depth chart.

Career: Boykin was a much larger part of the Baltimore offense in his first two seasons. He caught 13 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 2019 and then hauled in 19 for 266 yards and four scores in 2020.

College: Redshirted his first season and was used sparingly in 2016 at Notre Dame. He started to emerge in his redshirt sophomore season in 2017, which he capped off with a 102-yard performance against LSU at the Citrus Bowl that earned him game MVP honors.

He carried that in 2018, when he was Notre Dame’s most prolific receiver. He caught 59 passes for 872 yards and eight touchdowns while teamed up with Chase Claypool in the Irish offense.

Camp outlook: The Steelers have four receivers that seem to be locks to make the squad in Claypool, Diontae Johnson and rookie draft picks George Pickens and Calvin Austin III. Boykin, Gunner Olszewski and Cody White are all in the next group, with Boykin and Olszewski bringing a ton of special teams experience. Whether the team keeps five receivers or six might depend on how much Austin will be used on special teams as a rookie and where else the team is keeping extra players, like tight end, where they could keep four this year.

Boykin is the most experienced receiver out of that second group, as well, so if Pickens and/or Austin don’t seem to be picking up the offense quickly enough, he could have a leg up to be the fourth wide receiver, as well.

Future: Boykin is in the final year of his rookie contract and will earn $2.54 million this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2023. His salary is not guaranteed, and the Steelers would have a minimal dead cap hit if they release him.

The rest of the 90: