As it stands right now, if the Pittsburgh Steelers do not make any significant additions at wide receiver prior to the start of the season then third-round rookie WR Roman Wilson will be playing an important role in the offense. He was the leading receiver at Michigan in a run-first offensive system and had a really nice showing at the Senior Bowl in January. But it remains to be seen where he will line up and what type of impact he can have as a rookie. He has confidence in himself to play on the outside and be a starting WR, but he will need to be a quick study to make that happen.
Calvin Austin III spoke to the media following the third day of OTAs and was asked about Roman Wilson.
“That’s my dog,” Austin said in a video posted by Yardbarker’s Aaron Becker on X. “You can tell he’s just ready to learn. He’s just eager to learn and asking questions, wanting to know how he can make this route better.
“And it’s funny though, ’cause some of the stuff he was asking me, I was like, ‘Bro, I got the perfect answer for you’ ’cause Steve Sims, Gunner Olszewski, Anthony Miller — when I first got here — they were telling me this what you do versus cover two man and you in the slot. So it’s kind of crazy to think I’m at this point now and I’m still young, but Rome is a baller, man. He gonna be a great player.”
#Steelers WR Calvin Austin III has big expectations for rookie WR Roman Wilson.
“That’s my dog. You can tell he’s just ready to learn. … Roman’s a baller man. He’s going to be a great player.” pic.twitter.com/XUYHtHnMRg
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) May 23, 2024
Austin is only entering his third NFL season, and really it is just his second as he lost his rookie season to a foot injury. It is a good sign that he is now investing in Wilson’s success, especially since they will be competing for reps on offense. It is also a good sign that Wilson is an active participant in his own learning process.
These three days of practice so far have been his only real opportunity to interact with veteran teammates on the field. Some rookies may shy away from asking too many questions, but it sounds like Wilson doesn’t have that issue.
His development over the next few months is one of the most important things to watch for the outlook of this offense as he is one of the best options to take the WR2 role at the moment.
