Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant may have finished last season with just 26 receptions, but those 26 receptions went for 549 yards and a whopping eight touchdowns.
He posted those numbers in just 10 regular season games of work and also added five receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown in the playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Totals like that reveal a player with both immense, electrifying ability and a glaring lack of consistency to his game.
That's ok, though.
It's to be expected from a rookie wide receiver selected in the fourth-round of last year's NFL Draft that entered the league amid questions of his pro-readiness, hands and route-running ability.
Thankfully, Bryant showed in his shortened rookie season that while he may lack polish, he is not short on ability.
The Steelers and offensive coordinator Todd Haley expect even more out of the big wide receiver next season.
"We are looking for him to come in and make a push against Markus Wheaton for that No. 2 spot and continue give us big-time production, specifically in the red area where a big target like that can make a big impact," Haley said recently, per The Trib Live.
The Steelers went 3-3 without Bryant in the lineup. That switched to 8-3 once the big wideout began catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger.
"When young guys come in at the receiver position and contribute early like he did, it is a big thing," Haley said. "He took a lot of pressure off Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton ... he really had a big impact on our offense. He is a guy we are going to work real hard throughout the offseason and, like all young players, he should make progress from year one to year two."
With Bryant presumably progressing even further from year one to year two and Brown still one of the best receivers in the game, the Steelers passing offense, which posted nearly 5,000-yards passing and 32 touchdowns, could be even more formidable next season.
