Steelers Appear Set On Selecting QB Kenny Pickett In 2022 NFL Draft

It appears the Pittsburgh Steelers may be sold on one quarterback prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft.

As we inch closer with the draft less than a week away, it’s no secret that the Steelers are seeking their next franchise quarterback. Following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh will be looking for a new quarterback for the first time in 19 years.

According to one prominent draft analyst, it looks like the Steelers have found that guy. According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, Pittsburgh is only sold on one quarterback out of the top prospects and it’s hometown product Kenny Pickett.

“It might just be a late draft-season smoke screen, but there is a lot of chatter about the Steelers not being sold on quarterbacks other than Pitt’s Kenny Pickett in this class,” said Miller. “The Steelers famously attended several pro days and had the top quarterbacks on their radar this offseason, but the rumors dominating the text lines this week have Pittsburgh potentially going offensive tackle in Round 1 if Pickett isn’t available.”

As noted by Miller, one league source told him that the University of Pittsburgh quarterback being selected by the Steelers at No. 20 is the only Round 1 quarterback he’d bet on.

“I’m not so sure,” said Miller. “As the draft nears, the momentum that swung Kenny Pickett (Pitt) and Malik Willis (Liberty) up the board seems to be swinging back the other way. In conversations with league sources this week, one told me that Pickett to the Steelers at No. 20 is the only Round 1 quarterback on which he would bet.”

While it may very well be a smoke screen maneuver by the Steelers, the idea of them favoring Pickett isn’t exactly a surprise. Many consider Pickett a perfect fit for Pittsburgh due to his above-average athletic ability and his propensity to be able to complete passes while on the run.

Many observers are focusing on some of Pickett’s flaws — his small hand size at 8 1/2 inches and his lack of high-end ceiling of other prospects such as Liberty’s Malik Willis — but he may be the most pro-ready of the major quarterback prospects (Willis, Matt Corral, Desmond Ridder and Sam Howell).

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah noted Pickett’s ability to complete passes on the run — something that will come in handy behind the Steelers’ mediocre offensive line — is what sets him apart from the other quarterback prospects.

During a media conference call held earlier in the week, Jeremiah called the Pickett “the best fit” for Pittsburgh.

“Obviously somebody they’d be a little bit familiar with,” Jeremiah said of Pickett. “He’s my No. 1 quarterback. I’ve kind of stuck with him through this whole process. If it was up to me, looking at that team and the best fit, I actually would probably lean towards Kenny Pickett.”

The Steelers relied on a quick-passing game plan with Roethlisberger to negate their lack of quality pass blocking. According to Pro Football Focus, Pittsburgh posted a 68.3 pass-blocking grade last season, ranking 15th among all teams in the league.

Having a mobile quarterback — Pickett’s 4.67 40-yard-dash time was the third-highest of any QB prospect, behind Ridder and E.J. Pery — that can prolong plays will only do wonders for a Steelers offense featuring talented wideouts in Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool.

Pickett — who will be 24 years old when the season begins — could realistically step in as the Steelers’ starting quarterback in Week 1. Pittsburgh faces one of the most questionable QB situations of any contending team in the league, with Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph considered the top quarterbacks on the depth chart.

Neither player served as starters during the 2021 season. Furthermore, both quarterbacks have either been benched or moved on from due to disappointing stints as starting quarterbacks.

Again, the Steelers could very well be using this as a ploy to lead teams to believe they’re going in a set direction with their quarterback plans.

But realistically speaking, Pickett is likely the “best fit” for Pittsburgh as they look to contend immediately in the post-Roethlisberger era.