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Despite picking wide receiver George Pickens in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, it didn’t deter the Pittsburgh Steelers from going back to a deep quarterback class for Memphis speedster Calvin Austin III in the fourth round.
The Steelers have now gone from being short-handed at wide receiver to fill out the depth chart with top-end speed and playmaking. But as we talked about with Pickens, Austin’s fit will depend on the personnel.
Austin, like Pickens, isn’t going to supplant Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool. But an edge that Austin could have in this is based on his raw speed. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada loves receivers who can impact the ground game and Austin’s speed makes him a natural weapon on jet sweeps and the like.
Austin is also a natural slot receiver based on his build and lining him up inside keeps Claypool on the perimeter.
Let us know what you think of the pick of Austin and where he fits with the Steelers.