Prior to the start of the NFL regular season, many analysts publish their power rankings to try and get fans engaged, whether it be their favorite teams being ranked higher than anticipated or having their teams ranking lower than they feel is right in their own eyes.
Derrik Klassen of The 33rd Team recently published his Week 1 Quarterback Rankings, setting a baseline spot for every starting quarterback in the NFL where they can rise or fall down the ranks as the season goes on based on their performance. Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett was placed at No. 21, with Klassen stating that Pickett has good traits that can win games but needs to be a more consistent passer on a down-to-down basis in order to rise into the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks.
“As a rookie, Kenny Pickett proved that he belongs in this league,” Klassen wrote. “The question now is what his ceiling is. In his first season, Pickett did his best work either in the quick game or way late in the down as a scrambler. Pickett’s next step is filling in everything in between. Last season, Pickett’s eyes and footwork were all over the place as soon as he moved off his first read, severely hindering his ability to throw the intermediate area. Pickett can jump up this list if he becomes a more consistent and complete drop-back passer.”
The question of what Pickett’s ceiling is has followed him since the pre-draft process prior to the 2022 NFL Draft. Several analysts have gone on to compared Pickett to Jimmy Garoppolo of the Las Vegas Raiders or Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings, stating that he has great intangibles but lacks that physical upside and impressive arm strength the likes of Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes have.
Still, Pickett has looked notably better during the preseason, showing better zip and ball placement on his throws down the field while also utilizing the middle of the field effectively, putting the ball right on the money to his receivers while in coverage. He’s also looked more poised in the pocket, operating with a sense of confidence as Pittsburgh scored five touchdowns on five drives in which Pickett was the quarterback out there.
Klassen is right in stating that we can’t anoint Pickett just yet as the next great quarterback, but what Pickett’s shown us this far gives room for optimism heading into 2023. He looked more consistent across the five drives he played in preseason action and displayed the traits you want to see in a franchise quarterback. Klassen’s ranking of Pickett is fair given how his rookie season went. But we should expect him to push to surpass names like Jordan Love, Mac Jones, and Derek Carr ranked ahead of him on this list if Pickett takes what he did in exhibition play into the regular season.
