Rounding Up Steelers' Rumors, Buzz Entering 2023 Training Camp

Potential may be the buzz word of the Pittsburgh Steelers' training camp.

They selected an offensive tackle and defensive back with their first two picks in the 2023 NFL draft, and they have the potential to be long-term starters.

Joey Porter Jr. could help shore up the defensive backfield immediately, while Broderick Jones will be in a fight to start at left tackle throughout training camp and could be the key to protecting Kenny Pickett for years to come.

The Steelers also have their eyes on a member of the 2022 draft class who could make his first major impact in the league this year.

Calvin Austin III has the potential to be a difference-maker at wide receiver, and if he stays healthy, he will have a shot to prove that in training camp.

Joey Porter Jr. Signs Rookie Deal

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., warms up during the team's NFL football practice in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The Steelers inked Joey Porter Jr. to his rookie contract just as training camp started.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported the deal is for four years and worth $9.618 million.

The first three years of Porter's contract are fully guaranteed and he will get just under $4 million as his signing bonus.

The 23-year-old's value may have been a bit difficult to figure out since the No. 32 selection typically occurs in the first round, but the Miami Dolphins' forfeiture of their 2023 first-round pick led to it opening the second round in April's draft.

Porter, whose father played linebacker for the Steelers, will compete for a starting spot with Levi Wallace.

The Penn State product will get to learn under the tutelage of veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson, which should help with his learning curve entering the NFL.

Left Tackle Competition

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle and first-round draft pick Broderick Jones participates in a drill during the first day of the NFL football team's minicamp, in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Broderick Jones will go head-to-head with Dan Moore Jr. for the starting left tackle spot in one of the most-watched positional battles at training camp.

The Steelers' likely intentions were to have the 22-year-old start as soon as possible because they spent a first-round pick on him.

Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted the Steelers could be cautious with throwing Jones right into the starting job because of the September schedule:

"This is the No. 1 camp battle the fans want to see because Jones is a first-round pick and is here because Moore struggled protecting Ben Roethlisberger and Kenny Pickett in his first two seasons in the league. But the Steelers will be careful in how they develop Jones, who was a full-time starter at Georgia for only one season."

Jones is undoubtedly the future at left tackle, but the Week 1 assignment against Nick Bosa and the San Francisco 49ers could be a difficult baptism for him.

The Steelers have an early bye in Week 6, so they could ease the Georgia product into the starting role before making him the full-time starter in mid-October, but that will depend on how he performs in training camp.

Calvin Austin's Potential Impact

AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III (19) makes a catch in a drill during practice at NFL football training camp in Latrobe, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

The Steelers do not know what they have in Calvin Austin III yet. He missed all of the 2022 campaign with an injury, so he essentially feels like a draft pick in 2023 training camp.

However, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com noted there are "big hopes" for the fourth-round selection out of Memphis:

"There are big hopes for Austin, though, and he could give the Steelers another dimension in the receiving game as a true slot receiver with much-needed speed. The 5-foot-8 Austin ran a 4.32 at the NFL combine after a standout career at Memphis that began when he joined the team as a preferred walk-on."

The 24-year-old's speed could be the attribute that gets him more snaps compared to other wide receivers beneath Diontae Johnson, George Pickens and Allen Robinson II on the depth chart.

Austin may even challenge Robinson's numbers if he emerges as a big-play threat, but his impact could be felt first on special teams, where the Steelers need return help after Steven Sims' departure.