An early re-drafting of the Steelers 2022 NFL draft class

Steelers round 4:

Original Pick: Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis

My Pick: Darrian Beavers, ILB, Cincinnati

I will be upfront here, as a prospect, I really like Calvin Austin. His speed on tape is apparent and he also runs some smooth routes. He can be used in a variety of ways on offense. There isn’t a lot to dislike about him. That said, he is undersized, and the Steelers have a bad track record of utilizing these types of weapons properly. Austin can and should be used as a deep threat. The team typically uses these types of receivers on passes behind the line of scrimmage though.

A defender that I really liked around this pick was Darrian Beavers. A huge linebacker with good athleticism and the ability to stop the run, Beavers has the makings of a great two-down linebacker with the potential to be more. He reads a play well, attacks his gap, and can use his size to shed blockers on occasion. His coverage skills are lacking, but that had the ability to be improved upon.

While I do believe Austin is the better prospect, Beavers would have been a great linebacker for Flores to work with. His game right now is similar to Vince Williams, as both are forces when filling their gap. I did see starter potential in Beavers, so using a fourth-round pick on him made sense. I like Austin as a prospect, I’m just not sure the Steelers will utilize him properly as a receiver.