Russell Wilson made a living off the deep ball in Seattle. A prime reason for his success? Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett. Apparently after a great offseason, Wilson sees a lot of the same qualities in Steelers third-year receiver Calvin Austin III.
In a recent interview with 92.9 ESPN, Austin said Wilson recently complimented him on his speed and compared him to Lockett.
“He was just saying how I kind of reminded him of him [Lockett] in some ways,” Austin recalled of his conversation with Wilson. “He was like, ‘You’re just extremely fast.’ He was like, “Man, I didn’t know you were that fast.”
Austin turning into a Lockett would certainly be a welcome development for the Steelers, but not unheard of. In fact, after he was drafted in 2022, he said he watched Lockett, trying to emulate his play style.
“There’s a lot of guys I watch,” Austin said via a transcript provided by the team. “I would say one in particular is Tyler Lockett. He’s a guy that I watched a lot just because he can do things from the slot. He tracks the ball well.
So far, it hasn’t exactly been a great run for Austin in the Black and Gold. He didn’t play his rookie season due to a foot injury, and last year wasn’t a banner season either. He recorded just 17 catches for 180 yards and one touchdown.
However, that can be attributed to a lot of things, including the offensive scheme and a crowded wide receiver room. Now those hurdles are far behind Austin. Out is former offensive coordinator Matt Canada and in is Arthur Smith, hopefully improving a lackluster passing attack. The once-crowded receiver room has also thinned out with Allen Robinson II and Diontae Johnson both no longer in town.
Austin has held up his end of the bargain as well, earning rave reviews this offseason for his play.
“He’s been outstanding. That’s a guy that’s gone from here to here in the last eight weeks,” Azzanni said via the team’s YouTube channel. “It’s been really fun to watch. He’s a worker, he’s intentful, he’s urgent. He wants to be coached. You can see it.”
With the door open for opportunity and Austin seemingly thriving with Wilson at the helm, the Steelers would welcome a Lockett-esque upgrade to their team. Hopefully, Austin can provide that.
