The Pittsburgh Steelers were the only franchise to select a quarterback in the first two rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. With the No. 20 overall pick, the Steelers selected Kenny Pickett out of Pittsburgh. It didn’t take long for him to break into the lineup, as he was named the starter ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Buffalo Bills, replacing Mitchell Trubisky.
Pickett struggled in the early going with turnovers being a major sticking point. He threw eight interceptions in his first six appearances, including two three-interception games against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. Both of those games were winnable had Pickett been able to take care of the ball.
But, following the bye week, he looked like a different player. Pickett would throw only one interception in the final nine games of the season, two of which he missed because of a concussion.
That improvement was a big reason that the Steelers were in the playoff hunt until the final week of the season. Pittsburgh won seven out of those nine games, including four in a row to end the season on a high note.
Heading into Year 2 and his first offseason as the locked-in starter, there is a lot of optimism surrounding Pickett. However, not everyone is as high on the 2022 first-rounder as the franchise may be,
One of the people who don’t seem to believe in Pickett as much is Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports. He did a power ranking of all the projected starting quarterbacks in the NFL and Pickett came in at No. 28.
“How far does “grit” get you? Certainly few young QBs are better-suited to grow thanks to an improved Steelers front and pass-catching group, but Pickett thrived more as a late-game fighter than efficient full-timer as a rookie.”
The only quarterbacks that Benjamin ranked behind Pickett were Mac Jones, Baker Mayfield, Desmond Ridder and Sam Howell. Ranked just ahead of him were 2023 first-round picks Anthony Richardson and C.J. Stroud, with the No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young, landing at No. 21.
A strong argument could be made that Pickett is way too low on that list. You know the Steelers and their fans certainly feel that way as he performed best when the lights were brightest. With an improved supporting cast and no turnover on the coaching staff, Pickett is in a great position for a Year 2 leap.
