Steelers Daily Links: Pickett over the Middle, Comparing Pickens to Hopkins

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson said on the “All Things Covered” podcast that George Pickens reminds him of All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

“Who George Pickens reminds me of is DeAndre Hopkins. He’s one of those guys who is going to catch everything that comes his way. From what I’ve seen at practice,” Peterson said.

🏈 Chad Reuter of NFL.com did a seven-round NFL mock draft with the concept of building a win-now team from active players for the 2023 season. Reuter had T.J. Watt going to the Buffalo Bills at 28th overall, while he had the Steelers selecting San Francisco 49ers All-Pro offensive tackle Trent Williams at No. 17.

“The soon-to-be 35-year-old Williams is still the league’s best offensive lineman, and the Steelers tab him to lock down the left side after they struggled there in 2022,” Reuter wrote.

Reuter had the Steelers selecting 49ers All-Pro tight end George Kittle in the second round. Cam Heyward was picked up by the New England Patriots in the second round and Minkah Fitzpatrick went to the Los Angeles Rams in the third round.

“This feels like a match made in football heaven, with Kittle’s receiving and blocking skills epitomizing what Steelers fans want to see at the position,” Reuter wrote.

🏈 According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football, Kenny Pickett was the 24th-best quarterback in the league at passing between the numbers last season. Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ranked No. 1, while Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals was No. 2.

🏈 Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III was recently back at Memphis to visit with his former head coach Ryan Silverfield.

Always great having another Memphis legend back home! @CalvinAustinIII is going to have a massive season with the Steelers. #HereWeGo #MadeInMemphis pic.twitter.com/lM2BOQ3WPe

— Ryan Silverfield (@RSilverfield) July 10, 2023

📅 Tuesday marked the 38th anniversary of Steelers Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert’s retirement. Lambert was named to nine straight Pro Bowls, was All-Pro eight times, and a team defensive captain for eight years. He played in six AFC Championship games and was a member of the Steelers four Super Bowl winning teams in the 1970s. Lambert was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 1990 and was a member of the Steelers initial Hall of Honor.

🎂 Happy Birthday to former Steelers linebacker Chad Brown, born on July 12, 1970 in Altadenda, California. Brown was a part of the “Blitzburgh” defense in the 1990s that possessed an elite linebacker group. He played alongside Levon Kirkland at inside linebacker, while Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd were the edge rushers. Brown moved to outside linebacker when Lloyd was lost for the 1996 season due to a knee injury, and he had instant success. He recored 13 sacks and was named first-team All-Pro and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl. His success would continue with the Seattle Seahawks, going to two more Pro Bowls in 1998 and 1999. He also was named first-team All-Pro in 1998.

After eight seasons in Seattle, Brown signed with the Patriots as a replacement for injured inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi in 2005. Things didn’t pan out for Brown, however, and he spent most of the rest of the season only on special teams. In September of 2006, after re-signing with the Patriots, Brown was released by the Patriots as one of their final cuts. He then signed with the Steelers and finished the season on their injured reserve.

Brown re-joined the Patriots in 2007, but was on and off the roster. He was released for the final time on Dec. 27, 2007, before the Patriots became AFC champions for the season in Super Bowl XLII. Brown is currently a sports-talk radio host in Denver on 104.3 The Fan.

🎥 Packers History on Twitter posted a throwback clip of the time when former Steelers wide receiver Yancey Thigpen dropped what would have been the game-winning touchdown on Christmas Eve in 1995.

Pain Week – Tuesday Cleanse

Dec. 24, 1995: For the first time in 23 years, the Packers win the NFC Central with a 24-19 victory over the Steelers. On fourth down in the final seconds, Pittsburgh's Yancey Thigpen drops what would have been the winning TD. pic.twitter.com/bG2RWwaYee

— Packers History (@HistoricPackers) July 11, 2023

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