Steelers must use Calvin Austin like an early Tyreek Hill

The Steelers will have Calvin Austin back in 2023, and while he doesn’t solve the receiver issues, he could carve out a defined role.

The Steelers have seen their receiver room go from a deep and strong group to a shallow and struggling unit in recent years. This was capped off with the trade that sent Chase Claypool to the Bears. While a good move for the team, the loss of Claypool has severely limited the Steelers depth at receiver.

A name that never got to play this year due to injury was Calvin Austin. Taken in the fourth round, the undersized receiver flashed his speed and big play ability in camp before a foot injury derailed his first season. He won’t see the field until 2023, and the team could certainly use another able receiver in this group.

Let me make this clear, while I like Austin’s tape from college, that doesn’t alleviate the need for a receiver in 2023. I think a veteran could make a lot of sense as could a mid-round rookie to develop. Banking on a fourth-round pick coming off an injury to secure this group is silly. That said, Austin needs to carve out a role.

What can Austin do for the Steelers next year?

I think Austin can bring a very unique role to this team, and it is a role that has had some success in years past. Think back to Kansas City in 2016, and more specifically to a rookie Tyreek Hill that exploded on the scene. His speed was used as both a receiver and a runner. He lined up in multiple spots and was a swiss-army knife for a blossoming Chiefs offense.

No, Austin isn’t Hill, nor will he likely develop into the superstar that Hill became but using him in a similar way is a start. That year, Hill caught 61 passes for just south of 600 yards, ran another 24 times for an obscene 267 yards, and scored nine total touchdowns. Add in three more return touchdowns and Hill was great considering his status as a rookie.

This would be the best-case scenario for Austin, and they are pretty lofty goals. Want something a little more realistic? Think back a few additional years to St. Louis in 2013. They took Tavon Austin eighth overall in the draft and used him in a similar fashion. 46 total touches, 569 yards, and five total scores were the final result.

Now, many view Austin as a bust for the Rams. This was due to his inconsistencies as a player and the fact he was a top-ten pick. Had he been taken later in the draft, no one would have blinked at a gadget receiver that could take handoffs as well. The Steelers would have quite the get if they were getting that out of a fourth-round pick.

What does this mean for Austin?

The first thing this means for Austin is that he needs to get used to being a runner. He only carried the ball eight times in college, and the Steelers have shown an affinity to have their receivers handle carries. Even if he doesn’t become a dynamic weapon, he needs to learn how to run a sweep play.

The second thing is he needs to take some strides as a returner. Again, this was something he did sparingly in college, but he needs to show that he has the ability to break big plays with the ball in his hands. That will be his easiest path to the roster.

Finally, and this is more on the team, Austin has to be used down the field. No, he won’t be running go routes every play, but the Steelers have a tendency to rely on their “gadget” slot receivers no further than the line of scrimmage. Steven Sims is averaging 3.3 yards per target. Ray-Ray McCloud averaged 3.9 yards per target over his two years with the team.

Austin averaged 6.1 with the Rams while Hill had 7.1 with the Chiefs in their respective first seasons. Again, this doesn’t mean that they are only running deep routes, but the team has to get away from the at/behind the line of scrimmage passes.

This doesn’t mean the Steelers should ignore receiver

While I have seen quite a few fans suggest the Steelers should bypass receiver because of Austin’s return in 2023, that is silly. For starters, you want to be four deep at receiver, as injuries can quickly plague a group. Beyond that, I struggle to see Austin latching on as a full-time slot receiver. Maybe he gets there eventually, but he has a lot of work to become a primary starter.

If he can become a refined gadget player though, the team can use him in combination with some other receivers. Expect a rookie to be taken somewhere and a veteran to be added as well. Having Austin around doesn’t suddenly alleviate the need at receiver.

While I am eagerly anticipating the return of Austin in 2023, the Steelers will have to figure out how to successfully use him. There has been a myriad of undersized receivers who have never materialized for a team. Austin’s game should replicate some of the more successful ones if the team wants to get the most out of their fourth-round pick.