Steelers' Kenny Pickett Purposely Timed Visits With Higher Rated Recruits To Prove He Was Elite In High School

The Pittsburgh Steelers' competitive fire as a team is legendary. They've only had seven losing seasons since 1970. They have not had a losing season under the direction of Head Coach Mike Tomlin. There has not been much playoff success recently, and it is painful to admit, based on my previous musings, that Tomlin might have done some of his finest coaching since Ben Roethlisberger blew out his elbow in 2019, despite zero playoff wins since the 2016 season.

The Steelers watched Kenny Pickett mature into a first-round draft pick up close while he played for the Pitt Panthers. The Steelers scouts and Tomlin could plainly see his work ethic and knew he had an exceptional quality. The rest of the NFL passed on Pickett with the first 19 picks of the 2022 NFL Draft, allowing him to fall to the team and coach that always wanted him, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pickett is a fanatic for preparation. In retrospect, the Steelers might have made the playoffs in 2022 if they allowed the rookie to prepare as if he were the starter instead of Mitch Trubisky. Throwing him in cold against the New York Jets was a necessity, but the meticulous Pickett needed a more ample chance to prepare for his debut. He struggled until the bye week and then had a solid second half of the season that almost resulted in a playoff berth.

Pickett appeared on the Steel Here podcast with Kevin Adams and Jersey Jerry on Thursday night. Adams asked him to confirm a rumor about his competitive fire dating back to his college recruitment. The surprising story underlines the intensity of Pickett.

“I was reading an article,” Adams related. “When you were in high school, you would have your high school coach contact the colleges you were going to throw for and see if there were other more highly recruited players that were at those passing camps or whatever it was. You wanted to make sure you were in those groups so that you could prove you were better than them.”

The big knock on Pickett coming into the 2022 NFL Draft was his hand size and its subsequent effect on his arm strength. Only one quarterback since they have been measuring hand size at the NFL Combine has ever made a Pro Bowl with hands under 9 inches, and that was the fleet-footed Michael Vick. Pickett’s desire to prove he belonged among elite college quarterbacks is an impressive fact he did not dispute.

“That is accurate,” Pickett smiled slyly. “You are the second person to ask me about that today. So I’m assuming someone interviewed my high school coach recently.”

Adams astutely points out that most teams will take on the identity of their starting quarterback. Pickett’s attention to detail in preparation, paired with a fiery desire to prove he is an elite quarterback, bodes well for the AFC playoff future of the Steelers.

“The defense has that with the guys they have,” Pickett answered. “I want to bring that on offense. I want to lead that charge on offense. I think if we have two units that have that kind of mindset, we’ll be a tough out. You want to be hard to kill. I think we definitely have that. Guys are hungry this season for sure.”

The Steelers offense is very young and gelled in the second half of last season. Pickett’s desire to get better resulted in a step forward in the spring that began with a whisper. During training camp, Pickett’s play was good enough to be discussed as a significant factor in why Pittsburgh would be much better than anyone gave them credit for. 

Steelers Quarterback Kenny Pickett Is Best Developing Quarterback, According To 1 Former NFL GM

After a perfect preseason, the national media has caught on, and the Steelers are being talked about as a contender to make noise in a crowded AFC. Peter Schrager from Good Morning Football named Pickett as the number one breakout star in the NFL on Thursday morning. The Pickett and Steelers bandwagon is getting crowded. 

Pickett, for his part, does not seem to be buying into the hype, just like he did not buy into doubts about his ability. Unlike his predecessor, he goes about his business quietly, but with every bit as fierce as a competitive fire. The Steelers were looking for a replacement for a Hall of Fame quarterback and to excise the ghost of passing on Dan Marino. They found a determined leader focused on bringing Steeler Nation what it desires most: a seventh Lombardi Trophy. Art Rooney II and the Steelers found the right man for the job.  

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Does hearing about Pickett’s competitive fire in high school get you even more excited for his future? Let me know what you think. Please comment below or on my Twitter / X: @thebubbasq.

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