Steelers position-by-position: Wide receivers

With Johnson and Pickens returning, the Steelers know who their top two receivers will be in 2023. But who’s No. 3?

Obviously, in terms of targets, it’s tight end Pat Freiermuth, but what would happen if either Johnson or Pickens were injured?

Austin saw the majority of his playing time in college at Memphis on the outside, despite being 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds. He’s got the speed to scare opposing defenses, but because he missed the entire preseason as well as the regular season, the Steelers still haven’t seen him do it in a stadium.

Olszewski has 14 career catches in four seasons, while Sims is the most accomplished of the group with 75 career receptions, most of which came in his first two seasons with Washington.

Miller, a former second-round pick of the Bears, has had success in the NFL, recording 101 combined catches in 2019 and 2020. He’s also returned punts and kickoffs in the NFL.

A bounce-back season by Johnson would go a long way toward making this group more dangerous in 2023. He made the Pro Bowl in 2021, and while he doesn’t necessarily need to do that again next season, if he can be in that conversation, it would greatly improve the offense.

Johnson has taken a lot of heat for dropped passes, but he had just seven drops in 2022, which wasn’t anywhere close to the NFL lead of 13 by Jacksonville’s Zay Jones, 12 by Cleveland’s Amari Cooper or 11 by Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase.

Pickens should take a step forward in 2023. After all, he had just five receptions for 65 yards in the month of September to start his rookie season.