Daily Links: Steelers WRs, RBs Ranked Below Average; Ravens, Dobbins in Contract Tiff

Pro Football Focus ranked the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver corps the 18th-best in the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals took the top spot for the second year in a row.

“I was tempted to put the Steelers even higher on this list. Diontae Johnson still earned a receiving grade above 70.0 despite his scoreless season, and George Pickens earned a receiving grade above 70.0 in his rookie year. I think the arrow for both is pointing up,” Trevor Sikkema of PFF wrote. “I also still believe in the talent of Allen Robinson II, who is a very good WR3 option at worst. Tight end Pat Freiermuth also recorded a 78.3 receiving grade with over 700 yards receiving in 2022.”

🏈 PFF wasn’t as kind in their running back unit rankings, as the Steelers were ranked 25th. Gordon McGuinness also had some harsh words for Najee Harris.

“Najee Harris has been in the NFL for two seasons and rushed for 2,238 yards but hasn’t really justified his selection as a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft,” McGuinness wrote. “He is good enough at taking what the offensive line gives him, but Jaylen Warren was more productive on a per-carry basis, both in terms of yards per carry and yards after contact per carry last year. Harris was still the primary ball carrier at the end of the year, but it will be interesting to see if Warren can eat into his touches in 2023.”

RELATED: RB Market Could Have Steelers, Najee Harris at Odds in Near Future

🏈 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Warren Austin, who is a third-year medical student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, will stay at training camp with the Steelers while he does a one-month clinical rotation with their medical staff. The NFL started the program last year, working with medical schools at four historically Black colleges and universities. This year, the league expanded the program to 19 medical schools, including Pitt.

🏈 WJZ-TV Channel 13 Baltimore: Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins confirmed to Mark Viviano that he didn’t practice at mandatory minicamp because he’s looking for a contract extension. Dobbins is entering the final year of his rookie contract. “I expected J.K. to practice, but it wasn’t in the cards apparently. So, we’ll just get ready for training camp,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said.

🎂 Happy Birthday to former Steelers wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, born on June 16, 1982 in Birmingham, Alabama. After spending his first sevens seasons with the New York Jets, Cotchery signed a one-year deal with the Steelers in August of 2011. He then proceeded to sign a two-year deal with Pittsburgh in March of 2012. Between 2011 and 2013, Cotchery appeared in 43 games for the Steelers. He recorded 79 receptions for 1,044 yards and 12 touchdowns. His best year in Pittsburgh was in 2013, as he caught 46 passes for 602 yards (13.1 average) and a career-best 10 touchdowns. After his three-year stint with the Steelers, Cotchery played two seasons in Carolina to wrap up his 12-year NFL career.

🎥 JetPack Galileo on Twitter takes a look back at George Pickens’ impressive performance against the Jets in Week 4 of last year. Pickens was one of the best in the league at contested catches in 2022.

this dude is literally always open pic.twitter.com/xqGypr4YoL

— JetPack Galileo (@JetPackGalileo) June 9, 2023

AROUND THE NETWORK

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: New Penguins president Kyle Dubas has to do more than just re-build the roster.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: The Pirates bullpen couldn’t hold onto another lead, and the Bucs left Chicago after being swept by the Cubs.

Pittsburgh Sports Now: Pitt has moved all the way up to No. 8 in the Class of 2024 recruiting rankings after the commitment of Aliquippa LB Cameron Lindsey.

West Virginia Sports Now: Four-star 2024 defensive end commit Obinna Onwuka says he’s “all in” on West Virginia despite rumors to the contrary.

Nittany Sports Now: Three-star offensive lineman Deryc Plazz has de-committed from Penn State.

Pittsburgh Soccer Now: Takeaways and player grades from the Riverhounds win over Charleston.