The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver room is young, and their quarterback Kenny Pickett is young as well. That is one reason why the addition of veteran WR Allen Robinson II could be huge for Pittsburgh’s offense this season as he has seen almost everything. Today, Pickett spoke with Peter King of NBC Sports, on what he has seen so far from Robinson.
“The knowledge of the game that he has, his understanding of football, of offensive football, defensive football, he really sees the field like a quarterback,” Pickett said in the interview which was posted to YouTube. “So when you have a receiver like that, with that kind of IQ that’s played a lot of ball, it’s really nice to have out there and kind of have a security blanket in terms of a guy that knows where to sit down in zone and things like that and how to get open, so I’m really happy to have him on our team.”
With such a young offense, and quarterback, having a veteran like Robinson is invaluable. Not only is he a good receiver who is only a couple of seasons removed from a 1,250-yard season, but also he can help Pickett out in the film room and if he is struggling mid-game.
Before Robinson was acquired via trade this offseason, the Steelers wide receiver room was very talented, but also very young. George Pickens and Calvin Austin III are both entering their second seasons with Austin yet to take a snap, and Diontae Johnson is only 27 and now entering his fifth year.
As Pickett said, Robinson’s football IQ is very high with him knowing exactly where to sit down in a zone for an easy completion. This will be huge for Pickett who is a young player still adjusting to the NFL himself. While it would be unreasonable the expect a career year out of Robinson in 2023, he certainly can be an effective player stats-wise while also being crucial for the development of Pickett.
Pickett’s development is the most important thing for the Steelers this offseason and it has shown with the moves they have made. Bringing in Robinson while also upgrading the offensive line shows they want to make life as easy as possible for Pickett. Having a second set of eyes in the huddle will be invaluable and should help Pickett take the second-year leap many are expecting. And if that is the case, the rest of the league needs to be on watch for Pittsburgh.
