Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley talked to the media Tuesday as the mandatory minicamp got underway and he gave his recent thoughts on rookie wide receiver Martavis Bryant, the 6-4 Clemson product who was selected in the fourth-round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
“He’s as advertised – a legit 6-foot-4 and with legit 4.4 speed. That’s not a combination you see very often, a guy that big who can run that well,” said Haley of Bryant.
While Bryant’s size and speed are impressive, Haley knows that his transition to the NFL game will take some time.
“Another rookie, so we’re not anointing him,” said Haley. “He’s got a long way to go, because at the receiver position, there are a lot of subtle things that go on, but he’s big and fast and what sets him apart and should give him a chance to succeed is that he gets to top speed fast for a guy that big.”
While it will more than likely take some time for Bryant to become an every-down player on offense for the Steelers, Haley knows that his size and ball skills will enable him to be used in certain situations during his rookie season.
“Early on, he can be a factor in the red zone, and he’ll be another guy who gives us speed outside the numbers to stretch the defense,” the Steelers third-year offensive coordinator said.
During his time at Clemson, four of Bryant’s 13 touchdown catches came inside the red zone. Two of those four catches came in his final college game against Ohio State in the Orange Bowl.
