Steelers claim veteran WR Miles Boykin off waivers from Ravens
Adding to their wide receivers room nine days prior to the draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers claimed veteran Miles Boykin off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday.
The NFL Network reported the move via a message posted to the verified Twitter account of reporter Mike Garafolo.
Boykin was a third-round selection in 2019, taken 27 spots after the Steelers chose Diontae Johnson with a pick they’d acquired weeks earlier in the Antonio Brown trade. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Boykin was an intriguing prospect that year after he’d run the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at the combine. Boykin joined Johnson among the four draft-eligible wide receivers the Steelers had to their facility for an official draft visit that spring.
Boykin had eight touchdowns his final season at Notre Dame, when he was a teammate with future Steelers second-round pick Chase Claypool.
Claypool and Johnson are the only receivers on the Steelers roster assured to make the 2022 team. JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington and Ray-Ray McCloud were offseason free-agent departures at the position, and the Steelers’ lone add has been Gunner Olszewski, who is more of a return specialist.
The depth chart after Johnson and Claypool includes Cody White, Anthony Miller, Rico Bussey, Tyler Vaughns and Steven Sims. Those five combined for 17 appearances (15 by White) and six catches last season. Sims and Miller previously had roles in other teams’ offenses, but White, Bussey and Vaughns have limited pro experience.
The Steelers are expected to take a wide receiver in the April 28-30 draft, perhaps even among the first two days.
Boykin is similar in size to Claypool (6-4, 238), but his NFL career to this point has been a disappointment. He has 33 catches for 470 yards and seven touchdowns in 40 games over three seasons for Baltimore. Last season was injury-marred, and Boykin had only one reception for 6 yards in playing 35 offensive snaps.
Boykin’s best season was 2020, when he had 19 catches for 266 yards and four touchdowns.
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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