The Pittsburgh Steelers needed a quarterback in 2022. Ben Roethlisberger had retired, and a succession plan of Mason Rudolph was anything but a guaranteed recipe for success. The Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky on the first day of free agency and he immediately became the projected starter.
Photo Credit John McGonigal / Pittsburgh Post Gazette
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected quarterback Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The 2022 NFL Draft was considered the worst by many analysts in recent memory. The Steelers decided in the first round to take a chance on Kenny Pickett who was considered the most "pro-ready" prospect in the class. Experts predicted similar results to Mac Jones, high floor, low ceiling. Pickett started as a backup to Trubisky, but ended up making 12 starts. He went 7-5, including a four-game winning streak to close the season with multiple fourth-quarter comebacks.
Ray Fittipaldo covers the Steelers for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and he joined The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller on Thursday to discuss the Pittsburgh signal-caller. Andrew Fillipponi is a huge Pickett supporter and projected him as the 11th-best quarterback in the NFL by the end of the season. He asked Fittipaldo if he agreed with his projection.
“The qualifier being by the end of the season,” Fittipaldo replied. “So, you sort of project out, that’s not totally off base. If I had to rank him going into the season, I think he would be top 15 or so. You’re banking on Kenny having a good season and the Steelers getting to the playoffs. I can get on board with that.”
Steelers.com
Steelers' Kenny Pickett at OTAs in 2023.
Fillipponi often resorts to hyperbole when it comes to Pickett, so to hear his ranking validated is both surprising and encouraging. Chris Mueller followed up asking if the Steelers and Mike Tomlin might be conservative with Pickett at the beginning of the season and expand as the season progresses depending on his success in the passing game.
“I don’t even know if they know the answer to that question yet,” Fittipaldo observed. “We heard in the spring that they were much further along with the installments. They are going to be doing more in training camp than they did last season. I don’t necessarily want to say they are going to hold him back at the beginning of the season, but I don’t think they are going to open it up and throw the ball 40 times in September either.”
Pittsburgh has made a concerted effort to get bigger and stronger on the offensive line in 2023. They brought in Isaac Seumalo, Broderick Jones, and Darnell Washington to improve the power running game. If the Steelers are successful running the ball, it will open up play action on early downs when teams stack the box. Those opportunities should help Pickett gain confidence early in the season.
Locked On Steelers Podcast
Steelers' Broderick Jones and Isaac Seumalo.
“I don’t think he will be in Joe Burrow’s class,” Fittipaldo observed. “The discussion with Lamar Jackson, I think Kenny Pickett is already a better thrower of the football and a better passer. I would already put Kenny Pickett above him in that category. But as a complete quarterback the way the game is played today, I think Lamar Jackson still has the edge there. That’s a tricky one for me.”
The Steelers have had a lot of success against the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson. The Ravens quarterback has only beaten the Steelers during the 2019 season when Roethlisberger was injured. The other quarterback in the division, Deshaun Watson will be playing his first full season since 2020.
“Watson, listen, that guy has all the ability in the world,” Fittipaldo concludes. “Would anyone be surprised if he went back to 2018, 2019? I have my doubts because [Kevin] Stefanski’s the coach there and they always seem to screw things up. My short answer is [Pickett] won’t be in the same class as Burrow, but he has a chance to be in the same class as Watson and Jackson.”
Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, left, listens to offensive coordinator Matt Canada during the first day of the NFL football team’s minicamp, in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
Steelers' Kenny Pickett Disparaged By Former Colin Cowherd Co-Host Joy Taylor As Worst QB In AFC North
Pickett has been consistently ranked as the worst quarterback in the division, nationally. Many analysts, outside of the observers who saw Pickett practice recently, think it is a wide gap. If Pickett can play at or near the level of Watson and Jackson, the Steelers are going to win a lot of games in 2023.
If Pickett is indeed far behind the rest of the division, the organization can fall back on a foolproof backup plan. Blame Matt Canada.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Is Pickett ready to step into the top half of the NFL? Please comment below, or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
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