2022 Steelers Season Recall: Role players, and another QB, taken on final day of the draft
Steel City Underground presents our 2022 Steelers Recall: a look back at Pittsburgh Steelers games and storylines from last season.
The final day of the 2022 NFL Draft yielded some intriguing prospects for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The first of those selections came in the fourth round, as the team opted for their second receiver in the same draft – this time the third-fasted among all of those entered.
Memphis’ Calvin Austin appeared to be a steal at the time, but hindsight is 20/20, as the speedy receiver never stepped foot on the field for any game, preseason or regular season.
Without a fifth round selection, the Steelers would have to wait from Austin’s 138th overall pick all the way to pick 208 in the sixth round before adding another player.
That pick would be Michigan State’s Connor Heyward, the younger brother of Steelers DE Cameron Heyward. Positioned as a hybrid fullback and tight end, the bowling ball style player would score at the Heyward brother’s old NFL home of Atlanta late in the season.
Connor would also contribute heavily on special teams and saw a decent amount of playing time for a rookie without a defined position or role.
Two seventh round selections would end day three of the draft, as Ole Miss’ Mark Robinson would be selected 225th. Robinson, who had all of one season as a collegiate linebacker, would see the field for the Steelers final two games, starting both. He was more heavily leaned upon in these division games to help stop both the Ravens and the Browns run oriented offenses in the cold January climate.
The Steelers final draft pick, FCS standout QB Chris Oladokun, was taken with pick 241. His selection sparked constant rumors that 2021 backup quarterback Mason Rudolph would be traded – or not make the team.
However, Oladokun rarely participated in what became a three-way battle for the Steelers newly opened starting quarterback position – to replace longtime franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger.
Oladokun was so rarely used during training camp, that he wouldn’t last on the roster through the team’s final preseason game – having not played a single snap in the previous two. Yet, the South Dakota State product would get a last laugh latching onto eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City’s practice squad. (Hey, a ring is a ring, right?)
