The countdown until the Steelers convene in Latrobe, Pa., for training camp is nearing single digits, and the first preseason game at Tampa Bay is 25 days away.
Until then, to go along with our Chris Halicke's position previews, beginning Monday with the quarterbacks, we're going to look at some breakout performers who could take a leap in 2023, beginning with the offensive side of the football today and continuing with the defense on Wednesday.
The obvious player to note as a "breakout" candidate is Kenny Pickett, who is widely expected to flourish in Year 2 alongside a reinforced running game, a fortified offensive line, and with the full confidence of Matt Canada to run the offense.
Here are four more breakout candidates for the Steelers' offense in 2023:
1. Allen Robinson II, wide receiver
Expectations for team and player are relative. The offense can only go up after spending the 2022 season in the basement of the NFL in yards and points per game. Whether that is an expectation reflective on Canada as a coordinator, Pickett as a quarterback, or the offense surrounding the quarterback -- or a combination of two or all three -- will be determined.
Remember the Robinson who caught 1,100 or more yards in each of the 2019 and 2020 seasons in Chicago? Any shades of that will be nothing but a plus for this offense in 2023, and there is reason to believe he can retain some of that form as the third receiver inside of this offense.
The 29-year-old has some unique play-making ability to him that would separate from Diontae Johnson or George Pickens because of his size, and he can be a pivotal weapon who gives this offense a new wrinkle it didn't have last season.
Robinson likely won't lead the Steelers in receiving this season, but his ability to go vertical or roam from sideline to sideline will be a key component in helping spread opposing defenses. His 2023 projection, per ESPN, posts 35 catches (on 55 targets) for 362 yards and four touchdowns across 14 games. His four touchdowns equal Johnson and Pickens' totals across 15 games, which could indicate via their model that Robinson will be a formidable weapon in the red zone, as well.
2. George Pickens, wide receiver
Pickens' ceiling is sky-high, but his floor can also be relatively low, depending on many variables.
He can get up and get it with the best of them, as we saw with his catch-of-the-year candidate on Thursday Night Football agains the Browns, but Pickens' ascent can only be quantified by how much more of a complete receiver he can become to go along with how much Canada's offense truly is set to expand this season.
"George played a lot last year as a rookie, made a lot of special plays, and we certainly expect for him to continue to ascend and continue to make those plays," Canada said during minicamp. "... Obviously the more you can do the harder you are to cover, and it comes back to what you're good at. There's only so many plays in a game, so you've got to find those plays to him in those spots to make plays. As he continues to do that, I think he'll continue to ascend and be an elite receiver. We do believe talent-wise he has that capability."
Per ESPN's projections, Pickens is expected to finish with 62 receptions on 98 targets for 797 yards and four touchdowns this season. The catches, targets, and yards would rank second on the team to Johnson's 78, 126, and 961, respectively.
3. Mason Cole, center
Cole is already one of the NFL's best centers, ranking 12th out of Pro Football Focus' 36 last season. His run-blocking grade finished at a respectable 14th among league centers, but there was much to be shored up on with regards to his pass blocking.
If the Steelers are going to let Pickett loose this season, the 27-year-old Cole will have to step up on that front. That said, he has a solid baseline to work off of as he had zero penalties accepted against him and 1.5 sacks allowed in 2022, all while remaining durable for the position. He already has Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels flanking him on he offensive line's interior as one of the NFL's best tandems of guards, and the addition of first-rounder Broderick Jones will only help Cole settle in as a pass blocker.
"His leadership, his intelligence, his knowledge of the football game, his study habits, the way he approaches the game, all those, you love having guys like that because you don’t have to spend as much time on with them," offensive line coach Pat Meyer said. "If they get it you tell them one time. You coach it, you show it, you do it, they get it. You see that same look or whatever two weeks later and they’re like, ‘oh, yeah I remember that from two weeks ago.’ Having that is beneficial for us.”
4. Pat Freiermuth, tight end
Again, with expectations being relative, this is where Freiermuth can make the leap from being a very-good NFL tight end into a great or elite one.
Data from last season reveals Freiermuth was the most effective in routes run from the slot, which would be a feasible spot for him to branch from this season given the in-line addition of Darnell Washington to go alongside Zach Gentry. Freiermuth was outside of the top 10 in NFL tight ends in pass snaps played last season, but he still finished second to Johnson in targets among Steelers and was tied for fifth among NFL tight ends in targets.
Per Pro Football Focus, Freiermuth was third among tight ends in receptions (28) and receiving yards (375) from the slot, his 2.22 slot yards per route run were second to Travis Kelce's 2.39, and his grade of 78.3 from slot and screen passes was fourth to Kelce, David Njoku, and George Kittle.
If Canada can figure out how to harness Freiermuth's strengths and improve upon them, Freiermuth could leap into a status as a top-five NFL tight end by season's end.
