The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team on the rise. They have what looks to be a dominant defensive unit and an offense that could reach new heights during the 2023 season. A lot of how high this team flies will be dependent on how big of a steal forward Kenny Pickett takes.
Heading into Year 2 of his career, Pickett looks poised to break out. Following the Steelers’ bye in 2022, Pickett looked like a different quarterback. After throwing eight interceptions in his first five appearances, he threw only one in the final nine games of the season.
While his statistics don’t jump off the page, he made some big-time throws to put the team in a position to win games. In his second season of Matt Canada’s offense, Pickett’s production should take a major step forward.
The Steelers front office has also done an excellent job of building up the supporting cast around Pickett. Want to air it out? Wide receivers George Pickens, Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson and tight ends Pat Frieirmuth and rookie Darnell Washington are a strong group.
Out of the backfield, Pickett has a dynamic duo in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to rely on. Harris, a first-round pick in 2021, has been productive for Pittsburgh despite some poor offensive line performances. A dual threat that gets the job done between the tackles and as a pass catcher, Harris is locked in as a key contributor offensively.
However, one NFL analyst wonders how long that will continue. Dan Graziano of ESPN made some predictions and surprises to keep an eye on for the 2023 season. For the Steelers, his prediction was don’t be surprised if it is Warren, not Harris, leading this backfield by the end of the season.
“But Warren’s performance in practice and games has demanded a larger role for him than what Pittsburgh had planned a year ago. He has shown the ability to spell Harris whenever asked, and he has actually looked more explosive in some areas. Unless Harris looks more like the 2021 version of himself than the 2022 version, Warren’s opportunity could increase dramatically as the year goes on. Warren, a 2022 undrafted free agent, took 77 carries for 379 yards last season.”
Warren went undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2022, signing on with the Steelers after the draft. He quickly ascended the depth chart, taking over the No. 2 role behind Harris before the regular season even got underway.
As a rookie, Warren saw his role increase as the season wore on. He recorded double-digit carries in two out of the last four games of the season, handling 35 carries overall. He turned that into 173 yards, adding eight receptions as well.
If Warren overtakes the Steelers backfield, something has gone terribly wrong for Harris. That is not what is best for the team. At the very least, Warren will have a larger share of the touches in 2023 to help keep Harris fresh.
