Do The Steelers Have The League’s “Best” WR Corps Entering the 2011 Season?

Antonio Brown:

With scouts questioning the level of competition he faced during his collegiate career and his lack of size (5’10” 186), Antonio Brown slipped all the way down to the 6th Round of The 2010 N. F.L. Draft.  Luckily for the Steelers, Kevin Colbert, his Scouts, and his Coaching Staff know a bargain when they see one and jumped at the chance to take a player that could really end up making a name for himself in 2011.

There are many that will probably dismiss Brown’s regular season stats. from last season (16 catches for 167 yards) and complain that he is being overrated.  To those naysayers I say look at his progression through a season where he played in only 9 games.  That means there were 7 games that he didn’t even dress for, let alone play in early in 2010.  Then go ahead and take a gander at what he did in the post-season, especially against Baltimore and New York.  That’s where he came up with clutch plays at the end of games and displayed a coolness that probably only Billy Dee Williams possesses.  Now look at what he has been doing in the preseason.  Granted it has been just preseason, but look at what Brown has done against the N.F.C.’s top teams.  He has absolutely lit them up.  3 TD’s in the last two games, two of them over 40 yards, and none shorter than 20?!  He keeps playing like this, the Steelers may have found another sleeper in the draft at the WR position a la Hines Ward and Mike Wallace.

Since he will probably be the 3rd option this season and work the slot, I pity those poor LB’s and Nickel Backs that have to cover him.  Brown’s speed and knack for breaking a big play are going to make D’s notice him early and often.  This concentration should free up Heath to work the inside as well as Hines and Wally to have a bit less attention paid to them on the outside on passing downs.  While he didn’t put up tremendous stats last season, Brown’s end to 2010 can project to a solid future with the Steelers.  And while he is still an unproven commodity, Brown’s ceiling is high and he could develop into a player comparable to some of the last year’s top 3rd WR performers.  Brown just needs a full regular season to show fans around the country what Steeler Nation already knows: “Young Money” is electric.