Calvin Austin 40 time: How did he compare to other wide receivers?

The Pittsburgh Steelers were extremely excited to see the young rookie wide receiver duo of George Pickens and Calvin Austin hopefully take the NFL world by storm in 2022.

But while Pickens soared and became arguably the Steelers' top wide receiver, Austin never stepped foot on the field. The rookie fourth-round pick injured his foot prior to the team's preseason opener and would end up missing the entirety of his rookie season.

It was a devastating blow to a player who had shown flashes throughout camp — someone the Steelers hoped would provide a dynamic, explosive element to their offense.

Austin shined as a do-it-all playmaker at Memphis, recording over 2,300 yards and 19 touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons. The Steelers expected Austin to immediately compete for snaps in a youthful receiving corps as a rookie, but that never transpired.

Now, Austin is focused on returning to full health ahead of the 2023 season. With the 2023 NFL Combine quickly approaching, it makes sense to take a look back at one of the reasons the Steelers were so interested in Austin, in the first place.

The man is fast. Very fast. How fast? Well, let's take a look at some of the top 40-yard dash times from last year's Combine.

How did Calvin Austin's 40 time compare to the top-10 wide receivers at the 2022 Combine?

1. Tyquan Thornton: 4.28 seconds
2. Velus Jones Jr.: 4.31 seconds
3. Calvin Austin: 4.32 seconds
4. Danny Gray: 4.33 seconds
5. Bo Melton: 4.34 seconds
6. Christian Watson: 4.36 seconds
7. Garrett Wilson: 4.38 seconds
8. Chris Olave: 4.39 seconds
9. Alec Pierce: 4.41 seconds
10. Skyy Moore: 4.41 seconds

Austin's blazing 4.32 40-yard dash ranked third among all wide receivers at the 2022 NFL Combine. Only Tyquan Thornton of the New England Patriots and Velus Jones Jr. of the Chicago Bears ran fasters 40 times.

In fact, the only other two players at the Combine to run faster 40-yard dashes were Minnesota Vikings cornerback Kalon Barnes and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen. Austin's 40-yard dash time ranked in the top five of all players at the NFL Combine.

That's the type of explosiveness the Steelers want to see out of Austin when he returns in 2023. The two-time former first-team All-AAC representative can provide the Steelers with an exciting, speedy playmaker in the slot.

Here's to hoping Austin returns healthy in 2023 and picks up where he left off prior to his injury.