The talent at the wide receiver position in Pittsburgh is quite tantalizing, that much is certain. With George Pickens and Diontae Johnson in the same room, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a great balance of skill sets at the wide receiver position for the foreseeable future.
On paper, it’s an exciting position group. On the field, there were ups and downs throughout the 2023 season. Plenty of needless drama, too, with Pickens and Johnson, which at times put a dark cloud over the dynamic duo.
Fortunately for the Steelers, those two were able to get refocused and step up in a big way down the stretch, helping lead the Steelers to a playoff berth and a 10-7 record despite going through three different starting quarterbacks on the year.
Pickens had his first career 1,000-yard season, Johnson found the end zone multiple times, and even guys like Allen Robinson II and Calvin Austin III made plays for the Steelers, filling their roles well.
Now that the season is behind us, it’s a time for reflection and analysis, and that centers on my Steelers positional grades season review. Today, we’ll look at the wide receivers, taking an individual look at the five players who hauled in passes at the position this season for the Steelers, that being Pickens, Johnson, Robinson, Austin and Miles Boykin.
In case you missed it, I reviewed the Steelers’ quarterbacks here. I also reviewed the Steelers’ running backs here.
George Pickens: Grade — B
Stats: 17 games (16 starts), 63 receptions on 106 targets, 1,140 yards (8.1 YPC), 5 TDs, two drops
Entering the 2023 season, expectations were sky-high for Pickens, especially after his impressive rookie season. However, the Steelers’ offense got off to a slow start, which led to some frustration. Pickens let his frustration be known, which created an unnecessary storyline on his own.
However, when he was locked in, he was fantastic. Pickens had five 100-yard receiving games on the season, going for 127 yards and a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns in Week Two, 130 yards and a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in Week Five, 107 yards against the Los Angeles Rams in Week Seven, 195 yards and two touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16 and 131 yards against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17.
Pickens was a real force throughout the season. At times, defenses schemed up ways to take him away, which was frustrating for a young player who has immense belief in himself. But he learned from his mistakes with attitude and effort and closed the season on the right track.
He developed as a route runner, added YAC to his game and really became a terrifying receiver for defenses to deal with. Now, if he could just get consistent play from the quarterback position, like he did late in the season, the sky is the limit.
Diontae Johnson: Grade — B-
Stats: 13 games (11 starts), 51 receptions on 87 targets, 717 yards (14.4 YPC), 5 TDs, two drops
Things did not start out well for Johnson as he went down with a hamstring injury just two quarters into the season. That caused him to miss a handful of games before returning after the bye week, getting back into action against the Los Angeles Rams. Once he returned, Johnson was a key piece of the passing game, even if that passing game operated with one arm behind its back at times.
Still, that didn’t keep him from having moments of head-scratching decision making. There was the argument on the sideline against the Browns that spilled into the locker room with Minkah Fitzpatrick and then the lack of effort the next week against the Cincinnati Bengals. But when he had his head on straight and was focused on the task at hand, Johnson was very solid.
Johnson was once again a dynamic route runner this season, creating plenty of separation in his routes, making for easier throws from quarterbacks. He made some big plays after returning from injury, too. There was the 32-yarder against the Titans in Week Nine to set up his game-winning touchdown catch, the first touchdown he scored in nearly two full years. He also had a 71-yard touchdown against the Ravens in Week 18 to help lead the Steelers to a playoff berth.
For all of his talent though, Johnson was inconsistent on the year. Some weeks, he’d be a key target for the Steelers. Other weeks, he’d disappear. He did show the ability to find the end zone again, scoring five touchdowns on the season, including a stretch with a touchdown in three straight games. He also finished with a career-high yards per catch (14.1) on the season, showing that he was able to make some plays down the field.
Now, it’s about Johnson finding that consistency once again. Hopefully that happens in the new offense once the Steelers hire a new OC. He remains an uber-talented receiver but just needs a more consistent scheme and quarterback play moving forward.
Allen Robinson II: Grade — C-
Stats: 17 games (17 starts), 34 receptions on 49 receptions for 280 yards (8.2 YPC)
The Steelers had a major need at the wide receiver position entering the 2023 season, so GM Omar Khan made a savvy trade, swapping seventh-round picks with the Los Angeles Ram to acquire Robinson. On paper, it was a great addition. On the field though, Robinson didn’t do much of anything from a pass-catching perspective.
He had just 34 receptions for 280 yards and was mostly used as a check-down option in the passing game. His longest reception of the season was 31 yards and that came in the season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers when the game was all but over. Though he wasn’t much of a factor in the passing game, Robinson settled into the slot receiver role quite nicely in Pittsburgh, really taking on the task as a blocking receiver.
Robinson was crucial in the slot in the run game, serving as that blocking wide receiver who really helped the Steelers run the ball well with three receivers on the field at times. It wasn’t exactly a perfect fit for Robinson in that role, but he took to it perfectly and really embraced it.
Still, the lack of production — and how he was used — as a receiver was concerning. Big price tag for a guy who caught just 34 passes and never found the end zone.
Calvin Austin III: Grade — C
Stats: 17 games (1 start), 17 receptions on 30 targets, 180 yards (10.6 YPC), 1 TD, 11 carries, 57 yards (5.2 YPC), 1 TD
A diminutive, dynamic receiver, Calvin Austin III showed off his explosive playmaking abilities in 2023, especially early in the season. Austin had a huge 72-yard touchdown in Week Three against the Las Vegas Raiders that helped the Steelers to a big win on the road. After that though, things really came crashing down for Austin, who was relegated to a very minor role offensively.
He was targeted downfield at times, including in wins over the Tennessee Titans and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16, and he added a rushing touchdown in the win over the Bengals. But his role was largely non-existent offensively for Pittsburgh. There were flashes, but his size and inability to truly carve out a role is concerning. Hopefully that changes some next season.
Miles Boykin: Grade — C-
Stats: 17 games (0 starts), 3 receptions on 4 targets, 17 yards (5.7 YPC)
Miles Boykin played just 111 snaps offensively for the Steelers in 2023, serving primarily as a blocking receiver when he did see the field. He was targeted four times in the passing game, hauling in three passes for 17 yards. Nothing to truly write home about in the passing game from Boykin’s perspective.
His impact on the Steelers is more as a blocker and special teams ace.
All three of Boykin’s receptions on the season came during home games. Those occurred in Week Two against Cleveland, Week Nine against Tennessee and Week 16 against Cincinnati. He also had one target against Baltimore in Week Five, which was also at home. He’s a fine player overall, one who is nice to have at the bottom of the depth chart at the position but there is not much to expect from him in the passing game.
