As Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett looks to grow as an NFL quarterback, he’s gone to his defense for advice. During report-day of training camp at Saint Vincent College, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick detailed how Pickett goes to the defense to learn their perspective to help him prepare.
“He’s a guy that likes to ask a lot of questions. I think it’s kind of cool that he asks defensive guys questions too. Not just the offensive coaches or the receivers. He asks linebackers, d-linemen, myself, questions just about how we see the game. And I think that helps him know what to expect from a safety or from a linebacker or from a d-lineman,” Fitzpatrick said via Steelers.com.
Any avenue you can go to in order to develop and improve should be pursued, and it’s clear that Pickett values the opinions of guys across the board. He and Fitzpatrick both grew up in New Jersey so they have a little bit of a prior connection. But Pickett is seemingly going across the defense to understand their perspective to help him develop.
That’s what you want to see out of your potential franchise quarterback and, hopefully, the information he’s gaining from his defenders can help him read a defense better and know more what to expect and prepare for.
Pickett struggled with interceptions early in his tenure as starter last season, and while he was much better when it came to taking care of the football in the second half of the year, it’s not an issue that can’t come back. Learning from the defense and becoming more knowledgeable about what those guys look for or how they might prepare for him can help him get ready for different defenses week in and week out.
It also helps that Pittsburgh’s defense is among the best in the league, with multiple All-Pros across position groups. So, Pickett is learning from high-IQ guys who are among the best in the game at their positions, not a group of guys who have struggled. It should make him a better quarterback and help him see the game from all angles.
Pickett is expected to take a leap in his second season in the league, and if he does, the Steelers will be better for it. They should be a playoff team, and the help that Pickett is getting from his defense could be a factor that helps him develop and lead them to the postseason.
