While he hasn’t yet appeared in a game, the Pittsburgh Steelers are cautiously excited about what introducing wide receiver Calvin Austin III can do for their offense. The second-year former fourth-round pick is back on the field after missing his rookie season with a foot injury, and he’s open for any role—including helping others get open.
“Me out there giving the threat [that] something could happen”, he told Amanda Godsey in an exclusive interview, “I’m thinking that just having that out there, it can open up a ton of things for a lot of other guys, too”.
Of course, he wants to make plays, too, but the more plays that are made in general, the more the ball will go around. If his deep routes attract enough attention that the underneath routes are eating, then defenses are going to have to counter that, opening things up for Austin to have more one-on-one shots.
“If it’s me having to take the top off the defense to get the ball, I’d love that, but if that’s me taking the top off the defense to open up something for somebody else, I’d love that as well”, he said. And it’s something he managed to do in college, posting a career 16.3-yard average on 156 receptions.
The Steelers felt they were well-stocked at wide receiver last year in a group that at the time included Chase Claypool, whom they later traded. They’ve since added Allen Robinson II via trade, a veteran slot option, but are counting on their in-house options for depth otherwise behind Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.
Austin intends to be one of those guys, looking to earn playing time through his unique traits in the wide receiver room. He can also be used out of the backfield, something Najee Harris recently mentioned, as they’d previously used other small, quick receivers like Ryan Switzer. “I just think I can be used out there to create a sense of a confusion and a sense of anxiousness for opposing defenses”, he said.
Another teammate, Connor Heyward, also found himself impressed with just the sheer speed he has seen from his draft classmate, both of them coming into the league last year in the middle rounds. The tight end described Austin to Godsey as “lightning fast”, adding, “Just having his presence out there can really have the defense worry, ‘cause he can take the top off at any moment”.
One would hope that he still can by the time he gets onto an NFL field, because the reality is that we really, simply, have not seen him. The next time he plays in a professional stadium will also be his first time.
Austin ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine. If he can still run like that, then defenses will want to hold onto their hats whenever he’s one the field—even if that means giving up the underneath. Because if they don’t, it might just be six.
