Steelers training camp Day 2 observations Calvin Austin III makes biggest play of practice presence felt

Wiki Article

LATROBE, Pa. -- is a pretty humble guy, but even he has to pay homage to his elite speed that has made him the fastest player on the .Austin, who ran a blazing 40 time of 4.32 seconds during the 2022 Combine, has parlayed that speed into an career. Austin showcased his speed during the Steelers' second training camp practice on Friday when he got behind the defense to secure a 46-yard pa s from .Austin, in case you were wondering, has always been fast."Yeah, I have," Austin said with a laugh during a post-practice interview with CBS Sports. "I ran my first track meet when I was 8, and I won it. And from then on, I was running track and have been fast ever sense." PIT WR #19 A second-team All-American in track during his time at Memphis, Austin was a fourth-round pick in the 2022 after posting consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons with the Tigers. But a season-ending injury during last summer's camp prevented Austin from contributing to the team as a rookie. The experience -- sitting out an entire year -- was life-changing. "Last year, camp didn't go the way I wanted because I had the injury," Austin said. "It put everything in perspective. I'm so ble sed to just be out here. I was watching 'Quarterback' and I was listening to whatsaid. He said he wanted to be a steward of his gift that God gave. God gave me a gift, so I'd be doing a di service to him if I didn't do my ultimate best to be the best that I can be."Austin is certainly making the most of his opportunity this summer. He's made several impre sive plays so far, none more impre sive than his big catch downfield on Friday. Along with finding a space in the defense, Austin was able to snatch the ball out of the air before securing Cody Bellinger Jersey it as he went to the ground."There's just been a big emphasis, I feel like, throughout this whole spring and now camp, just getting more routes down the field," Austin said. "That's what I'm trying to make my specialty. I'm just coming here each day, working, trying to improve on everything. "That was just one of many plays. That practice is over. It's time to look at what I could have done to get better, reevaluate and come back and have a big day."Austin is hoping to be an integral piece in Pittsburgh's offensive puzzle that also includes wideouts , and . And while his speed will surely be utilized, Austin will embrace whatever the Steelers ask him to do."Training camp is about defining roles," he said. "Whatever my role is going to be at the beginning, I'm going to be the best at that, and if there's another role that happens to come up, I'm going to do my best to be my best at that role, too." Here's a look at what else happened during what was a hot and muggy practice from Saint Vincent College.Diontae Johnson, tight end and defensive lineman mi sed periods of practice due to heat-related i sues, Tomlin told reporters following practice. While a breeze occasionally provided relief, it was a hot day with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees.Touchdowns by Pickett and Mitch Trubisky powered Pittsburgh's offense to a 5-2 win during camp's first Seven Shots, a seven-play drill pitting the offense and defense against each other from the 2-yard-line. The defense took an early lead when Pickett and Pickens were unable to connect on a throw to the left flat. Sandwiched between Pickett scoring pa ses to Robinson and running back was a nice breakup from safety on a pa s intended for tight end . The starting units played to a 2-2 draw before the second teams took the field.With Trubisky under center, the offense ran away with the drill. A touchdown run by Trubisky gave the offense the lead for good. Trubisky followed that up Fernando Valenzuela Jersey with impre sive completions to (who sold the slant before cutting back outside) and fellow wideout on a slant. wideouts. BryanDeArdo (@BryanDeArdo) Along with Austin, Allen Robinson has also had a strong start to camp. Following his score during Seven Shots, the former Pro Bowler made an impre sive, diving catch during an 11-on-11 drill. While it is early, initial signs would suggest that Robinson is going to have a significant role in the offense. While he is playing alongside , Alex Highsmith is performing (and is now being compensated) like a top-tier pa s rusher. He blew past . on a play that forced Pickett to leave the pocket. Speaking of pa s rushers, rookie also made his presence felt by batting down a pa s.Highsmith's succe s against Moore is notable given that Moore is trying to beat out rookie for the starting left tackle spot. Jones, who continues to practice largely with the second team, will undoubtedly lean on his physical attributes as he continues to adapt to pa s blocking at this level. He more than held his own Friday while going up against backup outside linebacker .Yes, the Steelers have been vocal about their desire to be more of a big-play pa sing offense. But let's not forget that Pittsburgh's second-half resurgence in 2022 was largely on the strength of the running game. The Steelers' running game once again took center stage late in practice after the pa sing game was stalled by near mi ses and the opposing pa s rush. looked good on an outside run while following the lead blocking of new starting left guard . While he's still learning his rebuilt line, Harris' movements looked fluid as he had no i sues finding the spaces his linemen were creating. Harris also made a nifty cutback that allowed him to get several more yards after he was already downfield.Warren followed that up with a strong run between the tackles. While Warren's quickne s and decisivene s was impre sive, what was more impre sive was the fact that Warren had gotten 10-plus yards downfield before he was touched.Yes, the offense won Seven Shots. But as Friday's practice unfolded, it became clear that the superior unit on the Steelers rests Andre Ethier Jersey on the defensive side of the ball. That shouldn't come as a surprise given that the Steelers' defense boasts four former first-round picks (Watt, , and ) who could each have a Hall of Fame case when their careers are said and done. That revelation, however, is not an inditement on Pittsburgh's offense. The unit is going to be good and, at a minimum, will be better than last year's group. More time together and figuring out who fits where within the offense is going to go a long way in the offense's overall growth and effectivene s. Pickett's growth, obviously, will also be big as far as how good Pittsburgh's offense is in 2023.It should also be noted that the offense may po se s the team's deepest unit: the offensive line. It's a big, physical group that should be able to tire opposing defenses out late in games. That unit includes newcomer , a former Eagle and Jet who is embracing his first camp in Latrobe. "I love this place," Herbig told CBS Sports following practice. "I love the fans. It's super cool to see how much the young kids are into it. It makes me proud to wear the Steelers logo on my chest. I want to wear it humbly and wear it the way it should be represented."
https://elliotbzrn05172.robhasawiki.com/10474296/steelers_2024_nfl_offseason_competition_for_kenny_pickett_najee_harris_option_among_moves_team_should_make