The kids are here. And though Kenny Pickett isn’t much older, he has the experience to be able to evaluate how those who lack it are progressing. TE Darnell Washington and WR Calvin Austin III have received plenty of love during this OTA and minicamp cycle. Pickett’s been one of many to take notice though he’s hardly surprised by their strong play.
“I don’t think it’s a secret to anyone here why they’re playing really well,” he told reporters via Steelers.com. “Those guys all work really hard at it, and they’re here every day working. They (run) crisp routes, clean routes, where I need them to be. I have a lot of faith in those guys to make plays.”
We’ve written about Austin many times already. He can be treated almost like a 2023 draft pick after missing his entire rookie year due to a foot injury he originally sustained in training camp, right before the team’s preseason opener, and re-injured midway through the regular season when he attempted to get activated off injured reserve. His combination of speed, shiftiness, and versatility is attractive to a Steelers offense that wants to be multiple.
Washington hasn’t garnered quite as much attention but is considered one of the Steelers’ best draft values of their most recent class, falling deep into the third round due to concerns over his knees, which were flagged at the Combine.
A unique body with great size and some of the best run blocking you’ll see from a prospect, Washington should make an immediate impact in the offense. What he can do in the run game is obvious. If he can make an impact in the passing game, especially in the red zone where Pittsburgh has struggled, he could take his game and the Steelers’ offense to the next level.
Neither Austin nor Washington will be every-down players for the Steelers this season, at least if everyone stays healthy. But they will be key rotational pieces to complement Pittsburgh’s starters in Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Pat Freiermuth.
If everyone can live up to their standard — and of course, the odds of that happening are low — the Steelers will find their first offensive traction since 2020 and hopefully can more closely resemble their productivity in 2018. It’ll be a different way of getting there, a run-heavy approach as opposed to pass-first iterations, but the name of the game is scoring points no matter how you drive the ball into the end zone.
