5 Essential Things We Want To Learn About The Steelers Offense In 2023 Training Camp

The 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers nearly made a late push for the playoffs off the back of their stellar defense. Now, in 2023, we’re hoping the offense can put together a similar showing. With new additions across the board and young players primed for breakout seasons, Pittsburgh's training camp will speak volumes about the direction their offense might take.

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Training Camp Info

When does Steelers training camp start? July 27th

Steelers training camp schedule: July 27th - August 17th

Where is Steelers training camp? Saint Vincent College

Now, let’s dive into five essential things we want to learn about the Steelers offense in 2023 training camp.

1. Do They Trust Kenny Pickett to be the Guy?

A star at the hometown college coming into replace a legendary veteran QB, Kenny Pickett’s story coming into NFL seemed straight out of a heartwarming TV sports movie … until it wasn’t.

Pickett’s rookie season was an up and down roller coaster. After throwing eight interceptions over his first five games, the rookie QB was able to right the ship and throw just one interception over his remaining eight starts. But, in a very conservative passing offense, he was rarely given the chance to showcase his ability to throw more than a few yards down the field.

Early on in training camp, it looks like Mike Tomlin is trusting Pickett to take more risks now that he has a year of experience under his belt. Now it’s up to the Pittsburgh grad to clear the hurdle that’s knocked down many potential starters before him, making the leap from game manager to game changer.

2. Will George Pickens Make a Sophomore Leap?

An elite wide receiver is a young QB’s best friend, and George Pickens has all the tools in his arsenal to be just that. A physical freak with hands that seem to be covered in pine tar, Pickens has a mouth-watering highlight tape filled with dazzling grabs.

Even in last year’s cautious passing attack, he still managed to impress with over 800 receiving yards, the 4th most among rookie receivers. And Pickens’ rapport with Pickett only got better as the season went along. Six of his nine games with 50+ yards and three of his four receiving touchdowns happened in Week 10 or later.

It’s impossible to not get hyped for Pickens’ future in Pittsburgh, especially when he’s making absolutely insane catches like this in training camp. All signs right now point to a monster sophomore season for the former Georgia Bulldogs star, and we expect the rest of training camp to only solidify that.

3. How does Allen Robinson II and Diontae Johnson Look?

Going from a player with all the potential in the world to guys in desperate need of a bounce back, the performances Allen Robinson II and Diontae Johnson will really make or break the Steelers receiver room this season.

Starting with Johnson, the former third round pick established himself as Ben Roethlisberger’s #1 option during his final years, but fell off hard in 2022. His catch percentage, yards, and yards per reception were all way down, and he infamously didn’t catch a single touchdown.

Robinson put together three 1,000-yard seasons in Chicago and Jacksonville over the course of his career, but couldn’t get anything going last season on a dysfunctional Rams squad who fell well short of defending their Super Bowl title.

This training camp, all eyes will be on if one or both guys can find their footing again. Early signs are trending upward, with NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero saying that Robinson has quickly made a positive impact in the locker room and on the field as a veteran presence.

4. Has Their Run Blocking Improved?

When have you a bruising running back like Najee Harris, it’s especially important to have a strong run-blocking core who can help push first contact higher up the field. The Steelers weren’t bad blocking the run in 2022 (they ranked 16th in run block efficiency according to PFF), but a push towards the top half could really help open things up on offense.

And, with a totally rebuilt left side of their line, they might have done just that. 14th overall pick Broderick Jones looked like a monster at tackle during Wednesday’s drills, going a perfect 4 for 4 in one on ones. Don’t sleep on veteran free agent signing Isaac Seumalo either, the left guard was an instrumental part of Philadelphia’s league-leading offensive line last season.

5. Can Najee Harris step up?

Judging on the state of the RB market, it takes a really special player to earn a large second contract, and it remains to be seen whether Najee Harris is quite at that level. The “bell cow” back has carried quite the load over his first two seasons, racking up nearly 600 carries, but the efficiency hasn’t quite been there.

With an upgraded line, a young QB with growing confidence, and a solid receiving room, if there’s any year for Harris to break out into stardom, this is the one. We’ll be keeping a close eye on him in training camp to see whether he has what it takes to take that next step.

An Offense to Watch

Despite a shaky year in 2022, there’s plenty of reasons to be excited about the Steelers offense headed into 2023. This Steelers training camp, make sure to keep a lookout for all the things we mentioned, with particular emphasis on the repertoire between Kenny Pickett and George Pickens.