Entering the offseason ahead of the 2023 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers needed to add a bit of a veteran presence of the young, immensely talented wide receiver room.
GM Omar Khan did just that days before the 2023 NFL Draft, swapping seventh-round picks with the Los Angeles Rams to acquire 10th-year receiver Allen Robinson II.
In just a few short months Robinson has had a sizable impact on not only the young receiver room with second-year emerging star George Pickens and veteran standout Diontae Johnson, he’s had an overall impact on the Steelers, according to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.
Speaking on NFL Network Tuesday from Latrobe during the warmups portion of the first day of padded practice for the Steelers, Pelissero said he’s heard from a number of people in the organization who are very pleased with Robinson’s impact.
“You look at that wide receiver room, and from the people I’ve been talking to today here, Allen Robinson’s really made an impact on that room,” Pelissero said, according to video via NFL.com. “Not only because he’s had a really good start out here in the non-padded practices so far, but he’s a veteran. He brings some maturity and that’s something they wanna get out of not just George Pickens, but Diontae Johnson as well. Now you’ve always got guys who are gonna want the ball. Diontae Johnson is definitely in that category. George Pickens certainly expects that he’s gonna get a lot of targets as well.”
Wide receivers can be divas and let their emotions get the best of them. It’s happened in the past with Johnson in Pittsburgh, and it happened a few times last season with Pickens. But having that veteran presence like Robinson, one who appears to be a calm, level-headed player for that room, is huge.
Johnson had his frustrations last season not finding the end zone despite 82 catches for 882 yards. He set an NFL record doing that. He was also viewed as the leader of that room, which put added pressure on him. He still might be viewed as the leader and the top dog, but he now has Robinson to take some of that leadership role off of him.
That will be key with a young player like Pickens developing, too.
Pickens certainly has the skill set to be a star and is a bit different overall, being outspoken and non-traditional when it comes to professionalism (I don’t use that in a negative way, either). Having Robinson not only in the wide receiver room every day but as Pickens’ roommate in camp was a calculated move by head coach Mike Tomlin.
As Pelissero said, Robinson’s presence is already paying off. Guys are gravitating towards him. He’s the veteran on the offense with new left guard Isaac Seumalo, as far as age and experience goes. While it remains to be seen how much he has left in the tank, his veteran presence off the field and in the position room is already sizable.
