The Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 rookie class could have bigger roles to play in 2023 as there will be turnover across the roster.
Getting impact players in the 2022 NFL Draft was something the Steelers needed to accomplish to have any hope of competition this season. They were able to get some young players and put them into the starting lineup at different points in their rookie years. Results varied with how their performances went, but most of the impact that these players applied was in a positive light.
Kenny Pickett gets an honorable mention for this list as many will have even higher expectations for him heading into year two. It was just announced that Matt Canada will be returning for 2023, and that will put more pressure on Pickett to show progress. He has another step that he needs to take in his sophomore year, plus the likelihood of his leadership role expanding seems high.
Leal could have high expectations in year two with the Steelers
Pittsburgh used their third-round selection on DeMarvin Leal this past spring and it got a lot of love. It was a highly valued pick at the time, even if people spoke about his upside rather than his immediate impact. This rookie was able to show some promising things during his rookie campaign. That role was limited and had some bumps in the road as Leal dealt with injury.
A major thing that will affect this player’s career moving forward will be his deployment on defense. Leal lined up in the trenches for the Steelers this season despite being undersized right now. He could be an edge rusher at his current weight, but they could always ask him to try and fill out his frame more to become an every down lineman.
Robinson could be forced into a starting role at inside linebacker
One of the seventh-round selections this past draft was Mark Robinson out of Old Miss. He was new to the linebacker position and looked to be a project at the next level. The Steelers took a gamble and took him in the final round of the draft with the hope of seeing progress from this rookie throughout the year.
Some might have liked Pittsburgh to attack the middle linebacker spot earlier in the draft. The team was relying on Myles Jack and Devin Bush to come into the season and push to be a dynamic duo. Instead, they got an underwhelming free agent addition in Jack and a continued bust in Bush.
That pushed Robert Spillane to get a lot of snaps throughout this past campaign as well, which no one likes to see. It got ugly in the middle of this defense throughout the schedule. That allowed Robinson to get a couple of opportunities on defense during the end portion of the year, which showed mixed results.
Fans love his physicality, but he has a lot of work ahead of him before he can be guaranteed a starting spot. The black and gold might not have a choice but to start him next season, especially if Jack, Bush, and Spillane are gone. That outcome would shove Robinson into a starting role heading into training camp.
Austin III will have a huge role to carve out after a rookie year of injury
Hearing that Pittsburgh is one of the best teams in the NFL at evaluating the receiver position makes you take that sentiment to heart. They have backed up that statement with facts after producing some of the best in the league over the last decade plus. Will Calvin Austin III be the next success story to that notion? That is a question that will have to wait a little longer.
The black and gold took Austin in the fourth round of the draft, which was another highly valued pick at the time. He is an undersized guy, but his speed is nearly unmatched when compared to his peers. This rookie could bring something unique to this receiver’s room going forward and the club will need the reinforcements.
Austin was able to come into training camp and make some impressive plays during that time. He was expected to win some significant reps on offense before he got injured right before the first pre-season game. He would not be able to suit up during his rookie season, but he will have higher expectations entering year two. They need someone to be a slot guy on offense and Austin will get a crack at filling that role.
Heyward will have his role grow after an impressive end to his season
Other than selecting quarterback Chris Oladokun with the final pick, many saw the selection of Connor Heyward as a wasted pick. He is the younger brother of the Steelers star player, Cam Heyward. Most did not see how the younger Heyward would be able to fit into this team this season and beyond.
He was drafted out of Michigan State as a tight end, but he played running back and full back at the collegiate level as well. His rookie year saw him mostly playing on special teams before slowly graduating to a bigger role on offense. This rookie might have been seen as a wasted pick, but he has started to make positive momentum into his sophomore year.
Down the stretch of his rookie campaign, Heyward was able to make some significant plays on offense. He made some spectacular catches when he had his number called and sealed some wins with a run here and there. Zach Gentry is a free agent, so if he departs then that opens the door for Heyward to have a larger role in 2023. Even if Gentry would return to the Steelers for next season, Heyward should see a bigger role on offense in a swiss-army-knife position.
The Steelers rookie class had some impressive impacts during their first year in the NFL. It seems likely that this team will count on these players to take a big step forward during their second time around.