The Pittsburgh Steelers have some big shoes to fill this offseason with the departure of Ben Roethlisberger. They didn't go very far to find his replacement.
With their 20th overall selection in the NFL Draft, the Steelers selected local product Kenny Pickett who played five seasons as a quarterback for the University of Pittsburgh. His was granted an extra year of eligibility due to the NCAA COVID-19 waiver.
The Steelers looked long and hard for a replacement for Big Ben, but apparently could have saved themselves the plane tickets to scout beyond Ohio. The irony was not lost on head coach Mike Tomlin.
Via Brooke Pryor:
“It's funny, we circled the globe, or the united states, and we ended up with the guy next door,” said the Steelers coach.
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert was equally ecstatic about the move. The hometown pick certainly brings some sentimental flavor as the team moves on from the longtime tenure of Ben Roethislberger.
“To get that player at 20 was certainly a pleasant surprise,” said the Steelers GM.
We're super, super excited to be able to draft Kenny Pickett with our first round pick. Never thought he would make it to us at 20. “Exciting times for us, for Kenny, for the university of Pittsburgh and pittsburgh in general.”
At the end of the day, the Kenny Pickett selection will be defined by how well he performs on the field. If he can turn into the next franchise quarterback for the Steelers, his legacy in Pittsburgh will truly be immortalized.
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