**Can Calvin Austin III function as the Steelers’ WR No. 2 in Arthur Smith’s offense?**
After the Steelers traded George Pickens, Calvin Austin III is arguably the most qualified for the team’s No. 2 role. While he has had to do it in spots due to injury, it’s never a role he has owned. Yet he finished second last season in touchdowns on the roster, anyway, and there’s Arthur Smith to think about.
While Smith generally prefers bigger-bodied wide receivers, Austin is a willing blocker. The Steelers are going to run a lot of heavy sets, anyway, perhaps including additional linemen. In DK Metcalf, they already have a big, hulking wide receiver atop the depth chart, too.
What Calvin Austin can give to Smith and the Steelers is simply speed and dynamics. Nobody else behind him on the depth chart can really do that—but nobody has a smaller catch radius, either. In other words, a lot of this depends on how they use him, and how effectively.
If the Steelers believe Aaron Rodgers can consistently hit Austin’s window, then it can work. Austin can get open, and Rodgers can find the open man. At least, he can do it better than any other quarterback the team has had in a while.
Therefore, there’s an argument that having Rodgers makes Austin being an effective No. 2 WR for the Steelers a possibility. Perhaps with Mason Rudolph throwing the ball, he hits fewer windows, reducing Austin’s effectiveness. Regardless of his skill level, Austin due to his size simply has a small catch radius. There’s nothing anybody can do about that unless he hides a little jet pack under his uniform. And if he were to go too high, the officials would get suspicious, anyway, so that’s a slippery slope.
The thing is, the Steelers might have to use Calvin Austin as their No. 2 simply by default. Currently, their other options are Roman Wilson and Robert Woods. Woods is a 33-year-old veteran thoroughly past his prime and Wilson has essentially done nothing yet in the NFL. Then again, Wilson is essentially where Austin was after his rookie season due to injury, and now we’re talking about him.
_The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein._
_Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is_ [_the quarterback question_](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/04/schrager-thinks-steelers-passing-on-qb-in-1st-round-means-theyre-all-in-on-aaron-rodgers/)_. While they ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The_ [_2025 NFL Draft class_](https://www.steelers.com/draft/) _is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete._
_But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. Certain will-he-or-won’t-he situations remain in play, which we continue to monitor. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go._