It wasn't all sunshine and daisies for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett during his rookie season. After being selected in the first round by the organization in 2022, he had to wait until Week 5 to be named the team's starter. His numbers for the year are definitely not going to pop out and scream 'success' if one takes a look at his stats. He threw just seven touchdowns to nine interceptions, but he was much better down the stretch leading the franchise to a 6-2 record in the final eight games while only turning the ball over once.
Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett makes a throw on the run during 2022 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. | Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
There is certainly optimism surrounding the Steelers new leader as he heads into his sophomore year. He will have a full offseason as the unquestioned top guy on the depth chart and will get the majority of first-team reps throughout training camp and practices early in the season. He sure has a lot to work on, but one that won't be at the top of his list is his accuracy when it comes to throwing the ball downfield.
Johnny Kinsley, who runs a Twitter account known for what is called the 'Deep Ball Project,' released data from the 2022 season on Wednesday and Pickett was at the very top:
Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett were also the two most accurate deep passers on throws of 21-30 yards, Dak Prescott wasn't too far behind. pic.twitter.com/UhYQCDAIvG
— Johnny Kinsley (Deep Ball Project Is Out Now!) (@Brickwallblitz) March 8, 2023
Pickett lands at the top of the list when it came to throwing the ball 21+ yards downfield. He was known for his accuracy coming out of college and it's certainly encouraging to see he knows how to put the ball on the numbers and big plays are possible. A big contributor to deep ball in 2022 was then-rookie, George Pickens.
Steelers wide receiver, George Pickens catches a pass in warmups prior to a 2022 regular season game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. | Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (@JSKO_PHOTO on Twitter)
According to Marcus Mosher of Pro Football Focus, Pickens created the third most 'big plays' of any receiver in the entire NFL. He had a total of 18 total big plays out of 87 chances. He also set a rookie record (since the data has been tracked dating back to 2016) of contested catches with 19.
It's exciting to think about the potential of the Steelers using the deep ball again, but it is all in Matt Canada's hands in 2023. The hope is that he allows Pickett to be a bit more aggressive in his second season. Pickens proved that he could be a factor here, but others need to contribute with the big plays as well.
Although Pickett was the second most accurate quarterback when throwing the ball downfield 21+ yards (behind Seattle Seahawks signal-caller, Geno Smith), he only completed them at a 37.5% rate while his accuracy number, as shown above, was near 60% at 57.5%. The Steelers' receivers need to be making the plays when the ball is hitting them in the hands.
Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) throws a deep ball down the sidelines while warming up for a 2022 matchup. | Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers Must Take More Shots Down The Field In 2023
Some may say these kind of analytics don't matter, but the fact of the matter is, the Steelers can have success throwing the ball downfield if they want to. They have a young quarterback with a live arm who did more than prove he was capable of being accurate when throwing the ball deep. Canada needs to open up the playbook a bit more in 2023.
Are you impressed with Pickett's accuracy numbers from the Steelers 2022 season? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
