As the Pittsburgh Steelers continue their way through training camp, their first ‘test’ of the preseason comes in the way of a Saturday evening matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. We’ve seen a flurry of reports and witness accounts of how rookie receiver George Pickens is lighting the field on fire on a daily basis. We’ve also seen the quarterback battle fall a bit short of the expectations across from a defensive unit, on the other side of the ball, that is looking to shoulder the brunt of the team’s success in 2022.
Steelers' receiver George Pickens makes an acrobatic catch over Levi Wallace in camp on Wednesday in Latrobe, PA (Twitter: Matt Freed/@mattfreedpghpg)
Head coach Mike Tomlin has had to keep his team flexible in camp that is seemingly unlike any camp in recent memory. With the unusual yet seasonal constant threat of thunderstorms in Latrobe, Tomlin has had to train his team to be ready when called upon fairly early in the process. With Wednesday’s practice being pushed up to a morning session as opposed to afternoon, Tomlin talked about how he’s handling the flexible timing of practice with the team:
“Another day for us to be light on our feet. Obviously, our preference is to work in the afternoon. We just enjoy working in the heat of the day," Tomlin said. "But work is the priority and so we had to get out in front of Doppler. I like the guys’ ability to be light on their feet, to turn it up, and they did that. I just love the energy that we’re getting from them and the competition.”
The Steelers' receiving corps participating in drills in camp (Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter))
With this week being the Steelers’ first ‘game week’, the preparation starts to introduce more of the regular season elements. This entails maximizing reps for the guys who are vying for playing time on Saturday while allowing appropriate rest time, too. Although we’ve already seen some minor camp injuries to Chase Claypool, Najee Harris, Alex Highsmith, and Pat Freiermuth, it is unlikely they’d be seeing a lot of playing time on Saturday, regardless.
But with Tomlin still evaluating several position battles and trying to get as much tape on each player as he can, he talked about what the week’s preparation is going to bring for the players and when he’ll craft the workload for the weekend:
“We’re introducing them obviously to some situational ball, as we prepare to go into a stadium this weekend. We finished with two minute today, and we’ll just continue to stack our chips in that regard in an effort for to gain some preparedness and to further get to know those guys," Tomlin said."We appreciate the plays being made out here, but really just sets the stage for what happens in stadium. And so that’s our focus as we lean in on the weekend. Friday we’ll start establishing some depth in terms of who’s playing and the division of labor for the weekend. We just like to stay where we are right now.”
Among several different positional battles in camp, the quarterback battle is getting more attention compared to others. However, the Steelers have an embarrassment of riches on offense within the wide receiver corps. With the Steelers typically carrying six receivers with a kick/punt returner included in that, there is talent at every level of the receiving depth chart who is looking to be one of those six names.
But if we look at some names who are presumed locked-in starters, they would be Diontae Johnson, Claypool, and Pickens. There is not a lot of space left for a return man and the necessary depth in the X, Y and Z spots along the formation. With the Steelers bringing a variety of different receivers into camp this year, Tomlin talked about what he’s watching in the receiver position battle:
“The skill sets are different, but depending on the circumstance and as you guys can see, we’ve got a bunch of different types of receivers- tall guys, small guys with great stop and go, and oftentimes those skill sets really dictate the nature of the matchup," Tomlin said."We were working in the red zone yesterday, in the tight red, and we focused on a lot of jump balls to the bigger-bodied guys. If you look at people working in the slot, you’ll see guys like 84 (Tyler Snead) and 19 (Calvin Austin III) and 89 (Gunner Olszewski), guys with great stop and go, trying to lean on those skills. And so a lot of the work, it’s the same cast of characters but there’s a different emphasis based on the skill set of the people involved.”
Steelers' Calvin Austin III makes a grab in drills (Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter))
If we think back to the earlier days of camp, we saw Claypool getting a lot of the first-team reps lined up inside the slot. Last year, it was Juju Smith-Schuster and Ray-Ray McCloud who occupied that spot, both of whom have left the team. Therefore, it looks like Tomlin hinted at a bit of a mixed dosage of who will be the true ‘slot receiver’; it may be someone different each play.
With Claypool having missed practice time, that obviously opens the door for the new guys. Albeit not necessarily an inside receiver, Pickens is one of those new guys who is lining up in Claypool’s previous spot with the first team. With Pickens also receiving a lot of preseason hype, Tomlin talked about what Pickens can improve on heading into his first preseason game.
Where can the Steelers' George Pickens improve in his game?
“Absolutely everything. He’s got talent, but there’s a difference between talent and skill. And that’s what we’re trying to educate him and others regarding," Tomlin said. "God gives him the talent. We develop the skill in settings like this relative to the positions that they play.”
Steelers' George Pickens makes a catch in drills during camp in Latrobe (Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter))
In typical Tomlin fashion, he isn’t quick to anoint any praises at this point in camp; for Tomlin to even create and release a formal depth chart is a stretch enough as it is. Therefore it is clear it is an open competition for the slim number of remaining receiver spots. With the Steelers using two of their 2022 draft picks on a pair of receivers while bringing in Olszewski and Miles Boykin, and maintaining solid depth from the 2021 practice squad in Anthony Miller and Cody White, there is a lot happening in the Steelers’ receiving room at camp.
With the weekly cut deadlines looming every week beyond the first preseason game, this position battle will continue to intensify with each day.
What are you watching in practice this week? Who do you think will be included in the final receiving corps in 2022? Let us know in the comments below!
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