Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and former Pittsburgh Panthers star, Kenny Pickett has added to his impressive resume over the past year or so. He's been named the 2022 ACC Male Athlete of the Year for his performances last season.
Pickett made a massive leap in his senior year, which catapulted his draft stock as a result. He completed 67.2 of his 497 passing attempts, for 4,319 yards along with 47 total touchdowns and just seven interceptions. The impressive season didn't stop there, as he was able to lead Pittsburgh to its first conference title since 2010, when they won the Big East.
Photo via JSKO_PHOTO (Twitter)
While they ended up losing in the Peach Bowl to the Michigan State Spartans, their 11 wins on the season were the most in team history since 1981. At the end of the season, Pickett was invited to New York for the Heisman trophy ceremony. He ended up finishing third, with 28 first-place votes as well. Pickett then went on to be the first quarterback selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. That selection took place in the first round at No. 20 overall, and he stayed in Pittsburgh.
As a result, Pickett's expectations are sky high for the NFL. It doesn't help matters that he was essentially selected to be the predecessor for future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who retired after the 2021 season. The signing of veteran QB Mitch Trubisky provides some competition for Pickett and in a way, helps take some pressure off him. Even Mason Rudolph does the same, as Pickett doesn't have to come in and perform right away.
As of now, it seems Trubisky will likely begin the season as the starter, while the Pittsburgh product can mature and learn from the sidelines. That may be the best possible result for him, as rookies are too often rushed into action right away. As a result, they have no period of learning and growing from a veteran presence. Look at guys like Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes, who have spent at least a year from the sidelines before starting.
Despite the unlikely result of him starting to begin the season, Pickett remains the odds-on favorite to win the 2022-23 NFL Rookie of the Year award. His odds sit at +500, before Atlanta Falcons WR Drake London sits in second at +700 odds. Behind Pickett, the next 10 players are non-quarterbacks. Quarterback is always the most likely to win these awards, due to their ability to put up stats the easiest. With that being said, Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase took home honors last season. It's looking possible again this season, with a weak draft class at quarterback.
Photo Credit: John McGonigal/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It's been a year many dream of for Pickett, and for he and Steelers fans, hopefully those accolades don't stop in the NFL. Congratulations to Kenny Pickett on another outstanding honor from the ACC.
Will Pickett's awards continue with the Steelers?
Will Pickett win any NFL awards like the one he just received? How do you feel about his NFL Rookie of the Year odds? Will a non-QB win the award again? Let us know all of your Kenny Pickett thoughts in the comments below!
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