Upon Review: Grading the 2023 Steelers receivers
Steel City Underground presents it’s ‘Upon Review’ series of Pittsburgh Steelers positional group grades for the 2023 NFL season with statistical analysis and performance reviews.
Due to the overall struggles of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense, the wide receivers group waxed and waned depending on how well the quarterbacks operated in Matt Canada‘s system and their individual strength in handling frustration. 2023 saw a receivers group not completely unified with each other or their teammates throughout the season and into post-season play.
In this review, we look back at individual performances of the most active Steelers receivers and offer our grades of their season.
George Pickens
2023 was Pickens’ second season in the NFL and early hopes were that he’d elevate his game from the production he had his rookie season. Instead, coaches had to find ways to teach him how to keep his emotions under control and play through disappointments.
Compared to his rookie season, Pickens added just 11 more receptions in 2023 and one more receiving touchdown while hitting 1,000 yards for the first time his career (1,140).
Where he set himself apart was a league-leading 18.1 yards per reception; his two-year average YPR was a significant 16.9.
While Pickens did improve his route-running skills in 2023, he was hindered by not finding chemistry with the three quarterbacks that ran the offense through the season – Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph – and inconsistency from week to week.
Pickens recorded nine games with less than 50 yards receiving to five games over 100 yards. When Pickens struggled, the Steelers’ record was 3 wins to six losses.
His final grade: B-
Due to stretches of immaturity and an inability to adjust to team adversity, including a fan base that was livid when he failed to block on a potential touchdown run that could have led to a victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Pickens drew the “diva” moniker. His body language when not targeted on plays resulted in a needed coaching adjustment. The good thing to come from all of that was that Pickens did find a way out of the hole he’d dug for himself at the end of the season.
Diontae Johnson
As one of the best route-runners in the NFL, it came as a bit of a surprise that Johnson had the season that he did in 2023. He, too, struggled to find a way to get on the same page with the quarterbacks at times. He also missed four games due to a hamstring injury sustained in Week 1.
Johnson recorded a career low of just 51 receptions for 717 yards while posting a career-high 14.1 yards er catch. Johnson was able to find the end zone for five receiving touchdowns after failing to record one the season prior.
His final grade: C+
Taking into account the missed games, Johnson just was not consistent enough throughout the games he did play in to warrant a higher grade. Johnson had his own moments that illustrated a lack of focus and control; that included not playing through to the whistle on a teammates’ fumbled ball that was recovered by the opponents and getting into a locker room dust-up. His 2023 performance made him expendable to the Steelers during the free agency period a few months later.
Calvin Austin
Healthy but forgotten could almost be the byline on Austin’s 2023 season. There was excitement over his recovery from a rookie season injury that essentially stripped him of opportunity on the field entering 2023, but Austin was simply not highly utilized.
Austin’s 17 receptions for 180 yards and one touchdown, 11 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown, and 8.6 yards per punt return proved how little involvement he was given.
The sample size gave us little choice but to not offer Austin a grade. He did what he could with what he was offered.
Allen Robinson
Acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams ahead of the season, the 10-year veteran actually became WR2, playing the second-most snaps (771) among the Steelers receivers group. He recorded 34 receptions for 280 yards in a struggling offense, but his leadership and blocking skills were invaluable down the stretch.
Had the offense performed better earlier in the season, Robinson’s stats may have been a good deal better as he replaced Johnson on the roster during Johnson’s injury recovery.
What stood out about Robinson, especially as Pickens and Johnson fell into the funk that infuriated many fans, was his ability and willingness to get involved in trying to help the pair out as a mentor on and off the field. His stats may not be overly impressive on the season, but he was a team player that often was the most reliable receiver on the field.
His final grade, not joking, should be an “A” just for those reasons.
Miles Boykin
Similar to Austin, Boykin was not utilized much offensively. Playing just 121 offensive snaps, he did catch three passes fr 17 yards. Boykin was more often used to help block in the Steelers’ ground attack than as a receiver. Where Boykin truly stood out was on special teams as a gunner on punt coverage.
We did not offer a grade due to his lack of usage as a receiver
Position group grade: C
Pittsburgh’s 2023 offense was better than 2022’s offense, but not overly so. Yes, they improved in several areas but receiving was not as strong as it needed to be. With Pickens and Johnson really getting the most opportunities, they mainly affected the positional group’s grade. Blame play calling and scheme, the Steelers just did not have a high level of consistency or chemistry to earn a higher grade.
