It wasn’t that long ago when the Steeles were watching Antonio Brown jettison out of town, and what he left behind was a smoldering mess of a wide receiver room. JuJu Smith-Schuster was tasked with being the leader, when he probably wasn’t ready for such a role.

Talent has never been on short supply, with players like Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and Smith-Schuster providing plenty of skill, but the one thing which has always evaded the Steelers wide receiver room has been leadership. Some would even say it has been since Hines Ward retired that the team had a genuine leader at the position.

This past offseason Omar Khan decided to make a trade with the Los Angeles Rams for wide receiver Allen Robinson. The deal was a steal for the Steelers, and gives Robinson an opportunity to prove he still has it on a one-year deal. However, the room Robinson walked into in Pittsburgh was certainly filled with talent.

When Robinson recently went on the Jim Rome Show to talk about the receiver room, he spoke about how talented the group is from top to bottom.

“For our room in general, it’s one of the best rooms I’ve been a part of.” the 10-year veteran receiver said. “We have a ton of different skill sets. Calvin Austin, Gunner (Olszewski), Miles Boykin, Diontae Johnson, myself. You know, we have many different flavors.”

But there is one receiver who he didn’t list who seems to be on a different level. A player brimming with potential. Yes, that would be none other than George Pickens.

“But for George (Pickens),” Robinson said, “I think the sky’s the limit. He had a really good rookie season, and I think he’s looking to take his game to another level.

When Robinson was acquired by the Steelers, did he know they were looking for him to bring a level of leadership to a rather young position group? Robinson didn’t say they told him to do anything, but he did talk about how important it is for him to convey those messages to his teammates.

“The thing for me from the mental game standpoint with my group is make sure they stay locked in both day in and day out. It’s a long season, there will be ups and downs. There will be adversity. We have to treat prosperity and adversity the same. We have our highs, and we can’t get too high. At the same time when things aren’t going the way we want them, we have to lock in each and every day. Our approach can’t change.”

At this point Robinson has both stayed healthy and been the leader the Steelers, and their fans, hoped he would be when the team acquired him from the Rams. At this point, all that’s left is production on the field. Could Robinson have a Jerricho Cotchery type 2023 season? It’s possible, and it would really open up the offense for a player like Pickens to thrive.

Steelers fans are itching to see what the wide receiver room will look like in 2023, and it could be a variety of flavors…all which get the job done.

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 of the regular season.