Best and worst traits of each Pittsburgh Steelers rookie draft pick

Steelers WR Calvin Austin III

Best trait: Athletic ability, ball skills

I was ecstatic when the Steelers were somehow able to land Calvin Austin in the compensatory fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Austin has four years of college experience and is a well-rounded player, but his best trait is his extremely rare athletic ability.

Austin ran an official 4.32 at the NFL Combine while posting an absurd 11’3” broad jump. This speed and exposition show up often on film as cornerbacks struggle to hang with him. Austin also is a natural receiver with good ball skills. He shouldn’t be confused for just being a gadget player you have to engineer targets for.

Worst trait: Size limitations

Austin’s Achilles heel is his severe lack of size. If he were a few inches taller and ten pounds heavier, he might have been considered with the Jahan Dotson-level of prospects. However, at 5’7 3/4” and 170 pounds, it’s reasonable to believe that his size will limit him at times in the NFL. More specifically, he will probably be pigeonholed into being a slot-only receiver.