There was only one quarterback who went off the board in the opening round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and that was Kenny Pickett. This is not a major surprise as this draft has been regarded as fairly weak at the position. In fact, this was just the second time in the last 20 years that only one quarterback went off the board in Round 1. Luckily for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it appears they got their guy by selecting Pickett with the 20th overall pick.

 

It will be strange to watch anyone other than Ben Roethlisberger take snaps from under center for the Steelers. The newly retired QB was a cornerstone member of the franchise for the past 18 seasons. Big Ben etched his name in a variety of QB records for the franchise and will leave large shoes to fill.

The addition of Kenny Pickett is a promising move for the Steelers. He will be set to compete with Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph for the starting job. Pickett will be able to stay in the city after spending his college days at Pitt. The rookie was clearly filled with emotion after the selection and will be ready to start carving out his own NFL legacy:

Predictions for new Steelers QB Kenny Pickett

Kenny Pickett will be the starter by Week 8

It is too soon to begin projecting who the starting quarterback will be. The Steelers face uncertainty at the position for the first time in nearly two decades. It seems likely that Pittsburgh will enter into the season with a true QB competition and allow the best man to take the reins.

There has been a notable trend around the NFL to give rookie quarterbacks a chance to watch before being thrown into the starting lineup. Each situation is different, but it should not be a surprise if this is the case with Kenny Pickett. There has been a fairly optimistic outlook on Trubisky’s chances as a starter with the Steelers. Pittsburgh inked Trubisky to a two-year deal this offseason. While he has had his struggles as a pro, the former No. 2 overall pick has had his moment. Trubisky is expected to benefit from the more structured system in Pittsburgh after being run out in Chicago, and his season behind Josh Allen surely helped him.

Even if Trubisky gets the starting job to begin the season, it should not be expected to last. Pickett possesses a fairly advanced understanding of the game and is certainly the most NFL-ready QB prospect. The areas that he needs to improve are ones he can work through, so having him sit on the sideline is not the best developmental technique in Pickett’s case. Expect him to become the Steelers' starting quarterback sooner rather than later.

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Pickett will throw 8+ interceptions

While there is a lot to like about Pickett's game moving forward, there are adjustments he still needs to make. He has some work to do on his body and the questionable level of competition is a concern. Pickett can appear too jumpy in the pocket at times and must learn how to handle the ball under center.

The Pitt QB was in shotgun formation for all but four snaps during his time in college. This is typically something guys are able to learn and was worked at the Senior Bowl, but is important to note nonetheless. Even with him being considered the most NFL-ready QB in the draft, there will be a learning curve for Pickett. Expect him to need to make some adjustments to the pace and level of play of the NFL early on. Pickett will be unable to rely on his arm strength in the same way he did in college, and this is a lesson he will be taught quickly.

Steelers have found a long-term QB solution

It will likely be years from now until the Steelers will be able to confidently say Kenny Pickett is the franchise quarterback. However, Pittsburgh would not have used a first-round pick on him if it did not believe this could be the case. It is a feel-good story for the Pitt product to be able to stay in the city, and he has the early feel of a long-term fit.

Pickett received time as the starting quarterback with Pitt all five seasons at the school. He tallied over 12,000 yards passing along with 81 touchdowns and 32 interceptions with the program. Pickett also is an underrated athlete who ran for 809 total rush yards and 20 touchdowns in college. The 6-4 QB penciled his name in the Pitt record book and is ready to attempt to do the same at the next level.

He may lack the eye-popping plays that separate true game-changing QBs and is no Dan Marino (another Pitt legend), but Pickett checks a lot of the boxes you look for in a starting quarterback. He is not a guy who raises the ceiling of others around him by a massive margin but can confidently make the right reads. With a solid offensive line and a good scheme around him, there is a real chance Pickett is exactly what the Steelers need.

It is unfair to compare him to Big Ben given how much success the future Hall of Fame QB had with the franchise. However, there are some stylistic similarities in Pickett’s game. The rookie is a sneaky athlete who looks comfortable in the pocket and is calculated in the risks he takes. There is plenty to keep an eye on in the future development of Kenny Pickett, but expect him to get a real chance as the long-term starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers.