The 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers finished their season with a 9-7-1 regular-season record, and a wild-card playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. They accomplished this without much of a deep passing game in Ben Roethlisberger’s final season, and by preventing explosive plays far more than they created them. Per Pro Football Focus, Big Ben completed just 21 of 71 passes of 20 or more air yards for 686 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. Those 21 deep completions ranked 19th in the NFL; Matthew Stafford led the league with 39 deep completions for 1,544 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
Pittsburgh’s screen-heavy “RPO in a Can” offense was consistent at times, but it didn’t really scare defenses, and that extended to the receivers. Chase Claypool led the team with nine deep receptions, Diontae Johnson had eight, and James Washington had five. That was it, as far as Roethlisberger’s targets were concerned. (If you’re doing the math here, Mason Rudolph was also responsible for one deep completion on three attempts).
With their post-Ben quarterback situation very much up in the air, and without a defined alpha dog receiver, things had to change in the Steel City. Unless you have a historically great defense and a truly transcendent running game, your chances of winning more than you lose without a quarterback who can set defenses on their heels in today’s NFL is very, very slim.
So, the Steelers took Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick in the first round, Georgia receiver George Pickens with the 52nd overall pick in the second round, and Memphis receiver Calvin Austin III with the 138th overall pick in the fourth round.
Pickett was considered by many to be the best in a bad quarterback class. Pickens missed all but four games in his 2021 season due to injury, and Austin was debited due to size concerns. This would seem like the Steelers are adding to an island of misfit toys, but when you look at the players and watch the tape, there’s a way in which the Steelers just redefined their explosive-play passing game in just three picks.
“Right now, people want to score points, and everybody is looking to have those big splash plays,” offensive coordinator Matt Canada said during the draft, when asked about the value of receivers overall. “I think that’s what happening. You’re seeing that in free agency, you’re seeing that in trades, and you’re seeing that in the draft, its going quick. There’s a lot of talent out there, you look at college football, its spread out there’s more wideouts playing and that’s what’s happening, so we see all of that. We see that trickling up to us.”
As to the ability to affect defenses with three or more receivers on the field, Canada pointed to that as a specific point of emphasis in this draft.
“I think it’s showing across the league,” he said. “You just have one, things roll that way. Coverage tilts that way. Having three guys that go down the field and we feel positive about what we got at tight end too with Pat and Gentry both. They can add to our versatility and ability to make them go the entire field both horizontally and vertical.”
As for Pickett, there are all sorts of reasons it’s a good fit, and it’s not just that he was one building over for five years. Mark Whipple, Pickett’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Pitt, got that job in 2019 — Canada had it in 2016 — and Whipple was also Ben Roethlisberger’s first quarterbacks coach with the Steelers from 2004-2006. The Canada and Whipple offenses have ties together, which should assist Pickett in the ramp-up to NFL quarterback.
“Yeah, we talk about it all the time,” outgoing general manager Kevin Colbert said of the fit with Pickett. “He’s coming from a pro system and sometimes it’s an easier transition. It doesn’t mean the player is coming out of it, can’t make that transition. It may take a little bit longer. And you’ve got to be careful as to not over-evaluate a player because he’s coming from a familiar system.
“But I think Kenny, again, coming out, that’ll help him. Going to the Senior Bowl helped him. Again, that was another great week where we got to see the top guys all in the same venue. It’ll be familiar for him, but again, he’s going to go from being a great college player to hopefully a great NFL player.”
So, how does all that translate into the explosive plays the Steelers needed (and really weren’t getting) in 2021? As always, the tape tells the truth.