Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury, but the speedy receiver could open up Pittsburgh’s offense in 2023. As a result, Bleacher Report named Austin a forgotten draft pick to watch during training camp.
“With 4.32 speed, Austin is indeed a player who could change the complexion of the Steelers offense—which was too often bland and predictable during Kenny Pickett’s rookie campaign last season,” Kristopher Knox wrote.
Knox is right that often the offense was bland and predictable, and a big reason for that was the lack of a threat downfield.
George Pickens made his share of impressive catches on 50/50 balls, but there wasn’t a burner who could take the top off the defense on the team. That’s where Austin excels, and that’s where he should make his biggest impact in 2023.
Players like Austin are useful because they’re just so dangerous once the ball is in their hands. If you can get Austin the ball in space, chances are he’s going to make a good play. He’ll likely play primarily in the slot, and along with Allen Robinson II, the two should improve the lackluster production the Steelers got at slot receiver last year.
He’s not immediately going to become Pittsburgh’s most productive receiver, but Austin’s role is going to be an important one for the 2023 Steelers. If he can utilize his speed to help create splash and explosive plays for the Steelers, then the offense will open up a whole lot more than it did in 2022.
For the Steelers to compete with the best teams in the league, they need a downfield passing element that didn’t exist last season. Quarterback Kenny Pickett needs to show that he can push the ball and not rely on short passes and quick timing routes, and having Austin around should certainly help that cause.
It’s going to be exciting to see what Austin brings to the offense. He never got to see the field last year, even in the preseason since he got hurt prior to the first preseason game, so he’s a bit of an unknown in terms of what he’ll actually bring to the table despite knowing his general skill set and traits.
But his skill set is exactly what the Steelers were missing last year, so it wouldn’t be surprising if his impact ended up being a big one.
