Estimating the impact each Pittsburgh Steelers rookie will have in 2022

Connor Heyward: Medium impact

Connor Heyward has a chip on his shoulder after some have claimed that he was only drafted because he was Cameron Heyward’s little brother. Though he may not be the biggest or most athletically gifted player, he’s a versatile weapon as a true H-back who can run, catch and block.

It’s hard to know exactly what Heyward’s role will be as a rookie and whether or not he takes the place of a player like Derek Watt or Kevin Rader on the roster. It seems like he is going to be listed as a tight end and I believe that Matt Canada is going to want to use him in several different roles.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a harder worker on the football field. Just like his older brother, Connor isn’t going to let anyone out-hustle him. Even if his offensive usage is somewhat spare as a rookie, Heyward is going to be too good of a special teams player not to have him on the field in nearly every unit.

I don’t say this often about many sixth-round picks, but I think Heyward is going to wear multiple hats for the Steelers from the gate and take on several roles. I think he will have a medium impact as a rookie in 2022.