Player: WR Calvin Austin III
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: The Pittsburgh Steelers invested a third-round draft pick in WR Roman Wilson, who may be an immediate starter. Such an observation is as much a comment on the rest of the wide receiver room as it is Wilson. The most immediate loser following the Wilson selection is Calvin Austin III, otherwise lightly penciled into the starting lineup. While he still has punt return work, by the start of the season, he may not have an offensive role.
I struggle to envision any plausible and acceptable scenario in which the Steelers entered the 2024 regular season with Calvin Austin III as their number two wide receiver behind George Pickens. Sure, we may have held visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads when they drafted him in 2022. A scrappy little but tough speedster out of Memphis, what’s not to like?
But Austin, up to this point, has shown nothing to indicate he’s a starter. And the Steelers’ drafting of Roman Wilson helps demonstrate that they feel the same way. The sense is that they still want to add yet another significant wide receiver as well.
But by the time the regular season rolls around, there may not be a role for Austin in the offense. The Steelers are already likely to increase their usage of heavy personnel, and Austin certainly isn’t heavy. He may be their third wide receiver, but they may also use a third receiver less than any time in the past decade.
After spending his rookie season on the Reserve/Injured List, Austin recorded 17 catches in 2023 for 180 yards and one touchdown. That touchdown happened to be a 72-yard bomb early in the season. The next time the Steelers tried the play, they turned the ball over.
The Steelers have Pickens, and Roman Wilson gives them another legitimate talent. The rest of the wide receiver depth chart can figure itself out between Austin, Quez Watkins, and Van Jefferson. In Austin’s case, he is also their punt returner, so he’ll have a roster spot. But I can see him playing under 200 offensive snaps this year the way things are trending.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
