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3 Steelers breakout candidates, 1 player who will disappoint in 2023 season

By Cody Williams

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 02: Kenny Pickett #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers huddles with teammates during the game against the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium on October 2, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 02: Kenny Pickett #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers huddles with teammates during the game against the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium on October 2, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /
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Steelers breakout candidate, Allen Robinson
Sep 18, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Allen Robinson II (1) celebrates his touchdown scored against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Steelers breakout candidate No. 1: Allen Robinson II, WR

Okay, it’s probably a bit unfair to call Allen Robinson II, who the Steelers pulled off a coup of a trade for this offseason, a breakout candidate. But re-breakout candidate has a little bit less of a ring to it, though that’s the more apt descriptor of what the wide receiver could be for the Pittsburgh offense in the 2023 season.

Robinson is coming off of two of the worst seasons in his NFL career — a career, mind you, that has seen him spend ample time with Blake Bortles and Mitchell Trubisky throwing him the football. Last season, his lone year with the LA Rams, Robinson played in 10 games, hauling in just 33 receptions on 52 targets for 339 yards and three touchdowns. Over the past two seasons in 22 games, he has just 71 receptions for 749 yards and four touchdowns.

For a player who has three 1,000-yard receiving seasons to his credit, that’s quite the fall from grace. But there’s reason to believe that things could turnaround in this situation with Pittsburgh.

Not only will Pickett’s own breakout year help revive Robinson’s career, but the wideout was actually not as bad as you might believe in 2022. As Blaine Grisak of Turf Show Times pointed out, Robinson actually ranked 28th in the NFL in terms of open percentage (the rate at which a receiver got open when running a route). Unfortunately, an awful Rams offensive line limited the good opportunities that the wideout saw to actually get the ball.

With the improvements to the Steelers offensive line, Pickett’s progression, and a deep core of weapons around Robinson, if he can maintain that level of route-running and getting open, he could be in line for something close to his fourth 1,000-yard season.

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