Steelers NFL Draft Series: WR Khalil Shakir

Possibly more importantly, he finishes his runs with physicality. At Boise State they used him as a Swiss-army knife. He took direct snaps, played running back, was used on jet-sweeps, and returned punts. His film reveals a guy that can also make the tough catches, as he was repeatedly bringing down balls in traffic and with one hand, as seen above.

My player comparison is 49ers all-world threat Deebo Samuel. That comp shows up on tape too. He is not afraid to put his head down, and the scouts are saying the same thing. They dub him as a physical player who, for a guy with average athleticism, leaves his mark on games. He’s also been referred to as a “coach's dream”, and someone who is extremely competitive with a non-stop motor. My favorite description: “absolute menace with the ball in his hands”.

All of those traits sound like a prototypical Steeler to me. Oh, in case you were wondering about his comp according to NFL.Com: Antwaan Randle El.

The Steelers are notorious for finding under the radar talent at wide receiver and I think Shakir could be that guy. He is far from the most talented or athletic guy in this class, but he certainly sounds like the most versatile and grittiest.

To me, he sounds like the best replacement for the receivers Pittsburgh may be losing in 2022. JuJu is likely gone, and James Washington is almost certainly out the door. The one that could be retained is Ray-Ray McCloud. As tough as it would be to lose both of those receivers, Shakir seems like the best of both in my eyes.

I think he could turn into the Hines Ward-esque kind of player for whoever takes the helm for the Steelers next year. His versatility would also fit nicely into what Matt Canada seems to like to do with jet sweeps. Shakir is far from the flashiest receiver in this draft, and that is why he is the perfect Steelers fit. Oh and by the way, he has 9 ½ inch hands, for those who keep track of that kind of thing.