A lot of things have not panned out for the Pittsburgh Steelers to be in the position which they are. On the outside looking in of a playoff spot, they have no one to blame but themselves. Unable to take advantage of what was a soft spot in their schedule has them in jeopardy of missing the playoffs and giving head coach Mike Tomlin his first losing season of his career.
One of the biggest reasons for their struggles all season and during their three-game losing streak is the offense. The firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada looked to spark the team for one game as they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12 with a 426 yard performance.
But, starting quarterback Kenny Pickett was injured the next week facing off against the Arizona Cardinals and things have gone downhill. With Mitchell Trubisky leading the offense, things were actually worse than their regular season averages.
NFL News & Rumors: Michael Penix Jr., 2024 NFL Draft, Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers Updates
Trubisky started against the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, losing both games. In the fourth quarter of the loss to the Colts, he was benched and replaced by Mason Rudolph, who will be starting in Week 16 against the Bengals.
That, the opinion of some people, is the biggest hole the Steelers have; there is no answer at the quarterback position. In the latest mock draft done by Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports, he has Pittsburgh addressing that.
Projected to pick 16th, Wilson believes the Steelers will trade up to the No. 10 spot. With that selection, he has Pittsburgh selecting Heisman finalist Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington.
“The Steelers offense feels like it’s coming from the 1850s, not even the 1950s. And what you get from Michael Penix Jr. is a guy who can throw the deep ball. And guess what Diontae Johnson and George Pickens like to do? Run deep.
NFL News & Rumors: Michael Penix Jr., 2024 NFL Draft, Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers Updates
“Now, who knows what this roster looks like offensively a year from now. There’s so much going on in the locker, but Michael Penix Jr. is special. He’s one of the best, if not the best, deep-ball thrower in college football.”
The Steelers are a franchise that has been aggressive in the first round of the NFL Draft in recent years. As Wilson noted, in 2019, they traded up a few spots to select linebacker Devin Bush. They used a first-round pick to acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins. In the 2023 NFL Draft, they moved up to select offensive tackle Broderick Jones.
If there is a guy they like, they go and get that guy. In Wilson’s opinion, that guy in the 2024 NFL Draft should be Penix, who would help modernize this offense and presumably raise the ceiling above what Pickett has been able to provide up until this point.
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