How Many Snaps Will Roman Wilson Play In His NFL Debut?

The good news. Rookie WR Roman Wilson is set to make his NFL debut today against the Las Vegas Raiders. The wait tested fan’s patience but Wilson fell behind the rest of the team thanks to a training camp ankle injury that robbed nearly his entire summer.

The bad news. He might not play much. That’s the question worth examining, no longer debating if Wilson will or should dress. Now, it’s a matter of how many reps he’s handed and his impact on thegame.

Ostensibly, Wilson will operate as this team’s No. 5 receiver. He’s active partly due to all the injuries around him, five players ruled out and getting a hat only over – presumably – two healthy spots: the emergency third-string quarterback that we assume will be Kyle Allen and the ninth offensive lineman who never dresses anyway. Had Cordarrelle Patterson been active and available, it’s quite possible Wilson would’ve been in street clothes again .

Last week, Brandon Johnson served in the fifth-receiver role. He played all of five offensive snaps, though he caught one pass for 9-yards. Wilson’s story could play out the same.

But he’s also a talented third-round pick on a roster starved for someone to step up and consistently produce. He was drafted for being an exciting and smooth route runner with a solid pair of hands and great attitude, a selfless and high-energy demeanor. His camp reps were limited to padless practices but he was impressing just before getting hurt, showing plus body control and tracking.

My guess? And it’s just that, a guess. I believed twice earlier this year Wilson would be active and was wrong, though I said again Saturday morning this would finally be the week hours before Jeremy Fowler confirmed the news (in all honesty, it was a very easy call given the team’s elevations and injuries). But I believe Wilson will log between 10-15 offensive snaps, barring an injury that could force the team to increase that amount. It’ll probably come in one or two basic packages and personnel groupings. Some 11 personnel and maybe a couple of 12 personnel snaps. That leaves a small number of chances for targets, let alone making impact plays, not that one game should be assumed for anything, good or bad.

My official projection: Wilson receives 11 offensive snaps, receives two targets, and make one catch for 10-yards.

It’s not much to get excited about. But seeing Wilson take the field is an important first snap. Make your debut, get some snaps, put on some tape. Then the question will be if he can be active next week against the New York Jets when the Steelers will hopefully be healthier.