It may have been a weak quarterback class in the 2022 NFL Draft, but early returns show that the Pittsburgh Steelers not only got the best of the bunch but might have also landed a true franchise quarterback in Kenny Pickett.
Discussing the Steelers Wednesday morning on Good Morning Football, co-host and NFL insider Peter Schrager was effusive in his praise of Pickett entering his second season, stating that he believes that the Steelers “got a guy” at the position who can be among the elites. He shamed the rest of the NFL for letting Pickett — coming of a Heisman Trophy-finalist season and historic final year at the University of Pittsburgh — fall all the way to the Steelers.
“I look at all that and you think of [Patrick] Mahomes and you think of [Aaron] Rodgers and you think of [Josh] Allen and [Joe] Burrow and [Justin] Herbert and you’re like, ‘Is he that guy?’ And all I can think of is shame on the rest of the NFL,” Schrager said regarding Pickett and the Steelers, according to video via Good Morning Football’s YouTube page. “They let Kenny Pickett slip to 20th overall, to Pittsburgh, there was a window where the Steelers could have been bad and like could have had a weird transition and had to bounce from veteran quarterback and reclamation project.
“They had a 20th pick in the draft last year, and I think they got a franchise guy. … I think that they have a dude. Can they put up those huge numbers? Well, we’ll see. We’ll see what Matt Canada’s offense looks like. But like the most important thing is having a guy and I think if you’re looking at December and January, they have a guy and that’s a lot more than a lot of teams in this league can say.”
The numbers from Pickett’s rookie season weren’t all that impressive. Pickett threw for just 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. However, following the Week Nine bye, Pickett was very solid overall, turning the football over just once while leading the Steelers to a 7-2 record overall, narrowly missing the playoffs.
Those numbers, on the surface, aren’t all that impressive. But here are some numbers that are for Pickett: 7-5 as a starter, four game-winning drives and three fourth-quarter comebacks.
Pickett continues to be much of the focus in the offseason for the Steelers, and rightfully so, as a lot rides on him entering his first full season as a starter in 2023. If he takes a sizable step forward, so too will the Steelers offense. If not, it could be more of the same this season on the offensive side of the ball for the Black and Gold, which struggled to score points last season, was a bit of a mess in the red zone and really lacked splash plays.
Entering Year Two, the expectations are rather high for Pickett, considering the work that the Steelers did in the offseason under GM Omar Khan, adding pieces along the offensive line and bringing in Allen Robinson II to shore up the wide receiver depth chart.
Building off that stretch in the second half of the season will be key for Pickett moving forward. He might not be highly regarded from his pre-draft grade compared to other quarterbacks of the last half decade, but he’s shown time and time again that he’s a winner and finds a way. That matters. That’s why Schrager is so high on him, believing the Steelers have a guy at the position.
It wasn’t just Schrager, either.
Kyle Brandt is all aboard the Pickett and Steelers hype train, too.
“I think that they’re the most slept on team in the NFL. … And this is the year they finally get over. The Steelers are gonna be in the playoffs this year. I believe it. I’ll predict it now,” Brandt said on Good Morning Football, according to the show’s YouTube page. “I’ll predict it again. When we get to prediction time, you know I’m looking around the table, and I don’t know if you guys have ’em in the playoffs. There’s seven spots in the AFC. Seven in one of the best AFCs ever. Maybe the best ever. I think the Steelers will have one. They’re gonna be a surprise conversation team.”
Brandt is always high on the Steelers, respecting their consistency and believing in Mike Tomlin as an elite-level head coach in the NFL.
His praise for the Steelers and overall belief also comes from what he’s seen from Pickett. With the Steelers adding around the young quarterback, too, the roster looks very strong top to bottom.
Pickett might not find himself in the national conversation with the likes of Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson in the AFC North, or even Deshaun Watson. That’s fine. The Steelers are built so they don’t have to rely on the quarterback as much as the other teams in the division are.
Pittsburgh feels more complete than some of the others, and while they might not win the AFC North in 2023, there’s a very good chance they’re a playoff team.
Brandt and Schrager believe.
Time to get aboard.
