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Martavis Bryant: Pittsburgh Steelers fourth Killer B

By Tiffany Oshinsky

Dec 21, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant (10) runs the ball after catching a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 21, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant (10) runs the ball after catching a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Killer B’s may be one of the best group nicknames of all time in the NFL. I rank it up there with the Triplets, the Purple People Eaters, and of course, the Steel Curtain. You have Ben Roethlisberger in the driver’s seat; Le’Veon Bell with the wheels; Antonio Brown through the air; and a young Martavis Bryant as Brown’s co-pilot.  And although Bryant is only in his second year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he is making a case to fly his own plane for the black and gold.

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On Thursday at St. Vincent’s College for Day 5 of training camp, Bryant reminded Steelers fans how freakishly good he is by snagging a ball for a touchdown down despite being held by a defender.

How about them apples?

Steelers fans know Bryant is no stranger to the red zone.  The 23-year old saw the end zone eight times last season.  That’s pretty good, especially when you see that Bryant only had 26 receptions in 2014.  For those of you who like percentages, that means almost 31% of his catches were for touchdowns.  Lest not forget, Bryant missed the first six games of the season on the inactive roster.  So to sum up this last paragraph: In 10 games last year, Bryant had 26 receptions, 8 of which went for touchdowns.

But that was last year.  The real question is:  How will he be in 2015?  While the answer is simply, “wait and find out,” we have gotten a taste of what Bryant can do in the first week of training camp.  And, if that Instagram video has anything to say, that taste is very good.

At the beginning of camp, Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley told Dejan Kovacevik for DKonPittsburghSports.com that Bryant is further ahead than last year.  After a season where the Clemson alum ran simple routes that were familiar to him, it looks like Bryant has graduated to a more complex playbook which means he could be even more dangerous to defenses than last year.

While being able to outsmart defenders is a huge part of a successful offense, Bryant is also prepared to beat them physically.  In the offseason, the 6-foot-4 receiver spent a lot of his time watching film and bulking up in the weight room.  He added 20 pounds to his body, much of it in his arms where he felt he needed to be stronger.  This is probably a good thing, considering he missed the first 6 games of the 2014 season due to a shoulder sprain he suffered in the final preseason game against Carolina.

So he’s got the brains and the body, but does he have brilliance?  According to USA Today, Pittsburgh wants Bryant to help take the attention away from Brown on the field, so they want him to become adept in tight spaces.  And what better place to practice these situations than training camp.  Of course, this will most likley mean Bryant’s average of 21 yards per reception could shrink this year.  But if he’s got the brilliance to allude defenders, he could still rack up those yards after catch.

Brains.  Body.  Brilliance.  Bryant’s own Killer B’s.  It’ll be exciting to watch what Bryant will learn and do on the field during the rest of training camp, but I think it’s fair to say Steelers fans will be even more excited to watch him when the games actually count.

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