LOOK: Pittsburgh Steelers rookie class bonds at Pirates game
Off-the-field bonding is critical for any football team to succeed at a high level. The Pittsburgh Steelers are well aware of that fact and that’s precisely why they had their rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett and the rest of the players from their 2022 NFL Draft class hang out at a recent Pittsburgh Pirates game. Check out the picture here.
The Steelers 2022 draft class has a good mix of players, with the highest profile pick being No. 20 overall selection in the first round, former Pittsburgh Panther quarterback Kenny Pickett.
In five seasons with the Panthers before entering the NFL Draft, Pickett threw for 12,303 yards with 81 touchdowns and 32 interceptions while completing 62.4 percent of his passes. Although not considered a major running threat, he also added 809 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns.
The Steelers also landed some wide receivers with plenty of upside, former Georgia standout George Pickens, who is blessed with plenty of size, leaping ability, and hands.
Then there’s the standout from Memphis who could truly end up being one of the bigger sleepers from the 2022 NFL Draft, Calvin Austin III. He shined at the 2022 Senior Bowl, consistently demonstrating his ability as an elite separator in one-on-one drills. The former Memphis Tiger was named the top wide receiver for the American Team in Mobile, Alabama.
He’s going to be an exciting prospect to watch over the next few years for the Steelers. His old head coach from Memphis likes how Austin will fit in the Steelers’ offense. Not only that, but he was also a two-time 1,000-yard receiver for the Tigers, demonstrating his ability to produce at a high level on a consistent basis. Austin was also clocked at a blistering 4.32 40-yard dash time at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.
In the third round, the Steelers went and grabbed former Texas A&M star DeMarvin Leal on the defensive side of the football. The gifted defensive lineman only played three years for Texas A&M, recording 133 tackles, 13 sacks, and 25 tackles for a loss. The Steelers will be trying to fully develop the youngster into the NFL monster some people think he can become.
For a full list of the Steelers’ 2022 NFL Draft selections, you can find that here.
On3’s Chandler Vessels and Griffin McVeigh also contributed to this article.