When the Steelers selected Connor Heyward in the sixth round of this year's NFL Draft, some cynical fans thought they did so only because of his last name and bloodlines.
Why, after all, would the Steelers select a 6-foot, 230-pound tight end/fullback in the draft, unless it was because his brother happens to be star defensive tackle Cam Heyward and his father former NFL star Craig "Ironhead" Heyward?
But three weeks into training camp 2022, it's been obvious the Steelers have a plan for the youngest of the four Heyward brothers.
Those cynical fans will get their first opportunity to see what that plan entails Saturday when the Steelers host the Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium in their preseason opener.
"Watching Connor in the preseason is going to be fun," Steelers tight end coach Alfredo Roberts said. "He’s going to make a name for himself."
Connor Heyward has always had to live with being Cam's little brother. After all, he's more than a decade younger than his older, more decorated brother. But he's made his own way in the world.
He didn't follow in his father or brother's footsteps when it came to picking a college, choosing not to go to Pitt or Ohio State as they had, instead going to Michigan State.
It wasn't always rosy. The Spartans used him as a running back early in his career, and in 2020, he entered the transfer portal, flirting with the idea of joining his brother and transferring to Pitt at that time. But he decided to stay at Michigan State and was moved to tight end for the 2021 season.
He caught 35 passes for 326 yards and a touchdown in 2021, showing good hands and an ability to run good routes, prompting the Steelers to draft him in the sixth round despite his lack of ideal tight end size.
"In high school, I played receiver and a little quarterback and running back," Heyward said. "When I got to Michigan State, I played running back and transitioned to tight end this past year. So, I was always familiar with the route tree. I feel like at Michigan State, I could have been used more in the passing game, but everything worked out. Hopefully I’m able to show that at this level."
Roberts thinks he will. And he thinks he'll create matchup problems.
Heyward has been very active at Steelers training camp catching passes in 11-on-11 drills. He's a tough matchup for defensive backs, who he can simply outmuscle, while linebackers struggle with his route running, speed and agility.
Plus, when he's in the huddle, what's he considered? Do opponents look at him as a fullback or a tight end? If they see him as a fullback, do they keep a heavy package on the field? If they see him as a tight end, do they use a lighter defensive package?
"He’s so different that you don’t know yet," Roberts said. "But I’m encouraged. All the drills, he leans into (them). We had the one-on-ones yesterday and he ‘grabbed grass,’ as Coach (Mike Tomlin) likes to call it. You see him improve every day. I think it’s going to be fun because he gives us another dimension because he had so much time in the running back room. I’ll be watching how we’ll be able to do some other things with him and use his skillset.
"He’s not 6-5, 250. But he’s making it hard for us not to let him just play. He’s done some things and he looks different as a route runner."
So, the Steelers feel he can be a weapon in the passing game. They also feel if they had to use him as a running back, he could at least get them out of a game if they had a rash of injuries.
But can he block like a tight end?
"As he grows, he matures, he’ll get a little bigger," Roberts said. "He’ll play enough and position himself enough because he’s tough. He’ll do some stuff on the backside. But at the point of attack, that’s probably not going to happen, not because he’s not willing, but because he’s not a big guy like his brother. There’s just not a heavy dosage that you’re going to give him. As he grows, he’ll be like (Charles) Clay, who played in Buffalo. Charles came out of Tulane, probably a little taller, but a similar skillset. By the end of his career, he was a big dude."
Heyward feels that is a fair assessment.
"I definitely feel capable of doing it, but we have some bigger tight ends. That’s their thing, but I’m not shying away from it. I’m going to have to put my nose in it, and I’m more than willing to," he said of blocking. "It’s more technique things we’re working on. I’ve seen myself do it. I’ve just got to be more consistent with it. I think I have that element. If I can keep on adding to it, that will just get teams more on their heels. I’m always used more primarily as a second tight end in two tight end sets, on the wing in the alignment. I can be that point. I just need to get more comfortable at it and these reps in camp have helped me do that."
Now, he'll get those reps in a game, as well. With starting tight end Pat Freiermuth unlikely to play much if at all in this game, that will leave plenty of reps for Heyward, Zach Gentry, Kevin Rader and Jace Sternberger.
Big brother won't play in this game at all, so that means there will only be one Heyward on the field. He just wants to make sure he does what is asked of him to make sure there are two Heywards on the 53-man roster when the regular season begins.
After all, because there's more than a decade's difference between the two, they've never played in a football game together.
"Every time I touch the field, I want to ball out," Heyward said. "Obviously, I want to win, too. Whether it’s five snaps or 20 snaps, I just want to be out there and give it my all each play and try to win my one-on-ones.
"It will definitely be pretty cool. Obviously, (Cam) won’t play much or at all. He might just go out there in a hat or something. But I’m excited. I feel like this is all of the rookies’ debut. We’re just excited and we want to go out there and win and do our job."
THE ESSENTIALS
• Who: Steelers (0-0) vs. Seahawks (0-0)
• When: 7:02 p.m., Saturday
• Where: Acrisure Stadium
• Forecast: 75°, 5% chance rain, 3-mph wind
• TV: KDKA, NFL Network
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Streaming: Steelers Nation Radio
• Satellite: Sirius XM 225, online 828
• Media notes: Steelers | Seahawks
TEN TO WATCH
#10: Mitch Trubisky -- This goes without saying, but the starting quarterback bears watching. After a slow start the first week of camp, he's had more high-level throws of late. Can he carry that over to the game or should the Steelers start looking longer at Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett?
#30: Jaylen Warren -- If not for George Pickens, Warren would be the talk of this rookie class and perhaps even all of training camp. With Najee Harris, Benny Snell and Mataeo Durant all unlikely to play, Warren should get plenty of runs in this one. He's powerful and quick.
#17: Anthony Miller -- Miller has slowed down after a strong start, but he's still a physical slot receiver on a team perhaps looking for one of those. Can he hold off Miles Boykin for the fourth or fifth WR job -- depending on where Calvin Austin lands in that pecking order?
#45: Buddy Johnson -- The fact the Steelers waived/injured Ulysees Gilbert earlier this week was a sign they like what they're seeing from Johnson, a 2021 fourth-round draft pick. He's flashed and should get good playing time in this game next to rookie Mark Robinson.
#50: Delontae Scott -- A first-year player, Scott has outstanding length at 6-foot-5. He carries 246 pounds and still looks thin. Can he make plays and hold up against the run?
#53: Kendrick Green -- The team's starting center in 2021, Green has shifted to left guard and looked much more comfortable. Kevin Dotson won't play in this game, but Green was beating him for the starting job before Dotson suffered an ankle injury this week.
#55: Devin Bush -- This one is for obvious reasons. Bush hasn't been bad at training camp. He also hasn't made any plays that made you say "Wow!" Doing so in a game would go a long way toward showing he's back after struggling through a return from a knee injury last season.
#78: James Daniels -- Signed to a three-year, $26.5-million free agent deal in the offseason to help fix the line, Daniels has struggled a bit in this camp. It could be he's just not much of a one-on-one blocker -- much like Jeff Hartings when he was signed back in 2001. A good showing here would help alleviate some of those concerns.
#92: Isaiahh Loudermilk -- The coaching staff is raving about the second-year defensive end. He's been OK, but I'd like to see more splash.
#98: DeMarvin Leal -- The highest-drafted defensive linemen by the Steelers in 2014 — they selected Stephon Tuitt in the second round — this third-round pick will get plenty of playing time opportunities in this game.
