Steelers' Players Who Won't Live up to Hype in 2023 Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers took a chance with their marquee offensive addition this offseason.

The Steelers brought in Allen Robinson from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a seventh-round pick.

Robinson's trade return speaks to how much his value has dipped since his last 1,000-yard receiving season in 2021.

Pittsburgh is hoping the 29-year-old rediscovers something close to that 1,000-yard form to help Kenny Pickett along with his development.

However, it may be the continued success of the wide receivers who were on last year's roster that help the second-year quarterback more than the offseason acquisition.

Allen Robinson

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Allen Robinson II stretches during the first day of the NFL football team's minicamp, in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Robinson does not need to be a 1,000-yard receiver again, but he has to put up solid numbers for his move to Pittsburgh to be viewed as a hit.

The Steelers' problem is that Robinson's production has not always been consistent.

The former Jacksonville, Chicago and Los Angeles wide out has a single spell of consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards. Those two years were with the Bears in 2019 and 2020.

Since then, he has dealt with injuries and poor quarterback play in Chicago and Los Angeles. He had 749 receiving yards over 22 appearances in the last two seasons.

Some could make a case that Robinson can thrive in a change of scenery with a young quarterback, but his success is not guaranteed.

Diontae Johnson and George Pickens could take up a majority of the targets, especially if Pickens progresses from his stellar rookie campaign.

A 400-500-yard season may be the realistic expectation for Robinson in 2023, which would be fine for the Steelers if Johnson and Pickens thrive, but it would miss the mark of expectations attached to the 29-year-old based on the numbers from earlier in his career.

Patrick Peterson

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - DECEMBER 24: Patrick Peterson #7 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after an interception during the fourth quarter against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Patrick Peterson is coming off a five-interception season with the Minnesota Vikings.

The 33-year-old also had 15 passes defended in 2022, which was the second-best single-season total of his lengthy career.

However, the assignments in the AFC North with the Steelers will be tougher than they were in the NFC North last season.

Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown was the only 1,000-yard receiver Peterson had to face in six NFC North contest last year. His former teammate Justin Jefferson led the league in receiving yards.

Three AFC North players (Amari Cooper, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins) eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. Three others (Mark Andrews, Tyler Boyd and Donovan Peoples-Jones) finished in the top 50 in receiving yards.

A healthy Lamar Jackson in Baltimore could push the total of top pass-catchers higher, especially if Odell Beckham Jr. returns to the form he was in before his ACL injury.

Peterson will face a tougher collection of wide outs across the six AFC North contests, and that could lead to the concession of more yards and touchdowns than his previous campaign in Minnesota.

Joey Porter Jr.

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Pittsburgh Steelers, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24), the NFL football team's second round draft pick, runs a drill during rookie minicamp in Pittsburgh, Friday, May 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

You can apply some of the same arguments for Peterson's potential struggles to Joey Porter Jr.

The rookie out of Penn State may face a different set of expectations for a typical rookie because he is a legacy player.

The son of longtime Steelers linebacker Joey Porter will be expected to make an immediate mark on the defense.

But the 32nd overall pick could go through some growing pains in his transition to the NFL because of the abundance of talent at wide receiver in the AFC North.

The Bengals, Browns and Ravens could all send their best wide outs at Porter to test him and potentially exploit a hole in the Steelers defense.

The opening stretch of Porter's rookie campaign could be especially tough since he has to face the San Francisco 49ers, Browns and Las Vegas Raiders in the first three weeks.

We will quickly learn how fast Porter can adapt to covering NFL wide outs because of those matchups.

There is no shame in growing pains happening at the start. He could improve as the season goes on, but he may not be dominant from the beginning of his NFL career.