The Facts: Antonio Brown is the alpha dog in the Pittsburgh Steelers' receiving corps. Martavis Bryant is making the leap to full-time No. 2 in his second season. With both players gobbling up snaps on the outside, it leaves one position open for third-year wideout Wheaton: the slot.
Diehards Line:
Wheaton ran 119 routes from the slot last season, per Pro Football Focus -- third-most behind Lance Moore, no longer with the team, and Justin Brown -- but caught only nine passes from the position. "The plays I had last year were customized for me," Wheaton said. "They made it out so I had some simple stuff. Being there full time, I am going to see a lot more." At 5-11, 182-pounds with speed to burn, the 24-year-old owns the character traits to play the slot, but needs the reps to truly become a weapon for Ben Roethlisberger. Still, Wheaton got votes of confidence from both Big Ben and Brown regarding his potential in the slot. ... As NFL.com's Kevin Patra suggests, with the Steelers at their best in three-receiver sets -- with Le'Veon Bell the lone back -- Wheaton's mastery of the slot could prove to be the cherry on top of an explosive offense that already boasts a potent mixture of power, speed and versatility.