The Pittsburgh Steelers have an underrated set of weapons this season, and with the team adding Allen Robinson II via trade and Calvin Austin III returning from a foot injury, The Ringer thinks Pittsburgh’s group of pass-catchers is among the top-15 in the NFL. In Danny Heifetz’s ranking of the best pass-catching units in the league, including tight ends and running backs in addition to wideouts, Pittsburgh came in at No. 12.
“Judging solely by highlights and bravado (which is an inaccurate but extremely fun way to judge players) Pickens is already a top-five wide receiver in the NFL,” Heifetz wrote. “It’s hard not to wonder what he could do in an aggressive scheme with a better quarterback. Ditto for Johnson, who had no touchdown catches last year but separates from defenders with ease. Perhaps a pattern of pairing great receivers with less-than-elite QB play is why the Steelers signed the ghost of Robinson. Freiermuth is already this generation’s Jason Witten—the lovable, lumbering white tight end destined to be with his team for 15 years.”
The Pickens hype train has taken off full speed ahead in the last week, and as talented as he is, it’s getting to be a little much. I think he’s an incredibly talented receiver and I fully believe that the work he put in this offseason to expand his route tree will catapult him to another level, but he’s not elite yet. Let’s see how he does over the course of the season before we start debating the merits of what he’d do with a different quarterback.
There were a lot of not-so-subtle shots at Kenny Pickett in Heifetz’s write-up, and he also seemed to forget that the Steelers traded for Allen Robinson II. Pickett could’ve been better as a rookie quarterback, but the offensive scheme was so basic and rudimentary, so if there’s a cause for Diontae Johnson not scoring a touchdown, that should be considered.
It’s also such a fluky stat and not at all indicative of Johnson’s play, but what is true is that he’s an elite separator. He was the NFL’s most-open receiver last season, and his pairing with Pickens does give the Steelers two good receivers with upside. It could turn into a very good pairing if both of them take a leap this year, coupled with a step-up from Pickett, as well.
I don’t really think Pickett is the problem in unlocking this offense as much as Heifetz seems to imply. His first drive last Friday night when he was 6-of-7 for 70 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers was promising albeit mostly against backups.
It certainly provides hope for what Pickett could do during the season though, given we saw improved footwork in the pocket and saw him make some better reads. His ball placement was also near-perfect on his 33-yard touchdown pass to Pickens.
So, I do think that Pittsburgh’s group of pass-catchers can ascend, and they’re certainly a top-15 group on paper. I think the performance will also match this season.
