Much like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ record in 2022, QB Kenny Pickett’s play progressed in a big way from start to finish. After throwing three INTs in his first regular-season NFL game, Picket was able to find his groove after the bye week, helping lead Pittsburgh to a 7-2 record. He only threw one INT during that stretch while throwing TD passes in four of his final five games (Pickett missed most of Week 14 due to a concussion).
His stat line wasn’t anything gaudy after his rookie season concluded, but Pickett did show a progression throughout the season in terms of taking care of the football as well as making key plays when the offense needed it most. Nick Akridge of Pro Football Focus recently published a piece highlighting the ways Pickett flashed as a rookie as well as the areas where he can most improve heading into his second season. Akridge points out after a rough start to his rookie season, Pickett was able to find his groove and come up clutch in several notable statistical categories.
“Overall, the season was a mixed bag of results, with your typical rookie moments followed by some moments that have Steelers fans excited for the future,” Akridge wrote of Pickett. “There were some early growing pains, but he clearly began to pick it up in the second half of the season, posting some eye-popping numbers.”
| Weeks 4 – 11 | Weeks 12-18 | |
| Passing grade (rank) | 58.7 (31st) | 88.9 (1st) |
| Big-time throw % (rank) | 2.7% (27th) | 6.9% (2nd) |
| Turnover-worthy play % (rank) | 3.3% (t-25th) | 1.1% (1st) |
As you can see from the table above Pickett vastly improved in several statical categories, going from second-to-last in passing grade to first in the league down the stretch. He also immensely improved his big-time throw percentage as well as his turnover-worthy play percentage, going from throwing eight INTs in his first five games played to one the rest of the year.
However, throughout the entire 2022 season, Pickett showcased the ability to create outside of structure when the play broke down, ranking highly in several categories based on Akridge’s study:
Kenny Pickett: PFF passing grade and rank in different situations (rank among QBs who dropped back 50 or more times)
| Situation | PFF passing grade | Rank |
| Under pressure | 69.2 | 3rd of 44 |
| Outside the pocket | 72.6 | 3rd of 30 |
| Against the blitz | 69.9 | 18th of 42 |
| Third and fourth down | 72.5 | 12th of 40 |
Pickett ranked top three in the NFL in PFF passing grade under pressure as well as outside the pocket in 2022, impressive marks considering Pickett was in his rookie season. In fact, after his debut Week 4 against the Jets, Pickett ranked first in the league on “scramble drills.” earning a 91.9 grade from PFF for being able to extend plays out of the pocket and find open receivers down the field.
This drastic improvement from the start of Pickett’s rookie season to the end as well as his top-tier ability to create outside of structure are encouraging signs that Pickett is trending upward as Pittsburgh’s potential franchise QB. The Steelers were able to pull out close victories against the Raiders and Ravens at the end of the season thanks to his playmaking, staying calm under pressure and making plays when it mattered most. Hopefully, Pickett can keep that trend going in 2023 and rank near the top of the league in several of these categories again, taking that next step as a passer as Pittsburgh’s offense attempts to take off in Pickett’s second season.
