The Pittsburgh Steelers did not draft a wide receiver in 2023. It does not happen often; in fact, it has only happened three times since the Steelers drafted Ben Roethlisberger in 2004. The 2011, 2021, and 2023 draft are the only times in the last 19 drafts they passed on a pass catcher. The Steelers did bring in a tight end by selecting Darnell Washington in 2023, but after selecting two wide receivers in 2022, Omar Khan passed in his first draft at the helm.
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The Steelers appear to have made an minimal risk trade with the Los Angeles Rams for Allen Robinson
The Steelers did not ignore the position as they traded for Allen Robinson, who is looking to reignite his Pro Bowl career as a slot receiver in the Steelers offense. Khan joined the PM Team/w Poni & Mueller on Thursday and reminded Steelers fans that the fourth-round pick from 2022, Calvin Austin III, is still on the roster and they are excited about finally getting him on the field during an NFL game.
“So, Calvin had like a redshirt year,” Khan explained. “There is a reason he was drafted pretty high for us. He is healthy, looks great out there. He is an amazing person. We feel good about our group. We got George [Pickens], Diontae [Johnson], and Allen Robinson. Overall, it is a good group. I feel good about it.”
The Steelers have been connected to some intriguing names like Hakeem Butler and undrafted free agent, Jordan Byrd from San Diego State, but none of them carry the cache that Austin was starting to build during training camp in 2022. The former Memphis Tigers wide receiver was one of the fastest players in the 2022 draft and Sauce Gardner, who was the defensive rookie of the year, called him the hardest player he had to cover in college, which is high praise indeed.
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Steelers wideout Calvin Austin III's speed could be an X-factor for the offense in 2023 and beyond.
Chris Mueller asked Khan if they saw Austin as a player who would line up in the slot and take over as the gadget guy in Matt Canada’s seemingly endless love for jet sweeps.
“He is a receiver I believe can play in the slot,” Khan replied. “He can line up outside, he has some return ability, love his versatility. I think the best way to put it is he is a versatile receiver.”
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Memphis Wide Receiver Calvin Austin III
Austin produced back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons as a junior and senior at Memphis. He caught 19 touchdowns during those two seasons. He had one of the most electrifying runs of the 2021 season in what was a 69-yard touchdown that should make Steelers fans drool at the prospect of what he could do in the open field.
Austin is a smaller NFL receiver, but is only two inches shorter than Jordan Addison, who a certain segment of Steelers fans craved in the 2023 draft. He was arguably as productive, if not, more so than Addison in college and is simply in a different class when it comes to speed.
Steelers Omar Khan Continues To Express Confidence About Second-Year Receiver Calvin Austin III
The arrival of Robinson takes the pressure off of Austin to produce immediately and allows him to ease into the lineup. Ideally, Austin will carve out a significant role as he has the type of speed that will create significant mismatches with slot cornerbacks. The Steelers' longest touchdown in 2022 was 24 yards to George Pickens against the Cincinnati Bengals. That has to change in 2023 for the Steelers to return to the playoffs and Austin could be one of the reasons that it does in 2023.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Are you excited about Austin’s return in 2023? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
