3 reasons why the Steelers should draft QB Kenny Pickett

The Steelers are in need of a quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger retires. I believe Kenny Pickett could be the next guy for this franchise. He has all the right tools to be the next leader for this offense and organization.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have lacked production in the quarterback position for the past 2 years now and it seems to me that Ben Roethlisberger is on his last leg. There are plenty of routes the Steelers could go to replace him next year, but I truly believe the answer is in their own backyard with University of Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett.

Pickett has proven to be an NFL-caliber quarterback and could be the right fit for this franchise. Here are three reasons why the Steelers should select Kenny Picket in next year’s draft.

Reason 1: Deep Ball Accuracy

Kenny Pickett has shown this year he can sling the pigskin downfield. He has attempted 32 passes this season that has gone 20+ yards, completing 21 for a current 65.6% completion percentage when throwing downfield. Pickett has 10 touchdown passes to 0 interceptions for 730 yards when throwing the deep ball.

This has helped his yards per attempt for the 2021 season, as he is averaging 9.2 yards a throw this year compared to last year when he only threw 7.2 yards an attempt. Pickett has especially been effective when throwing deep down the middle of the field. He is currently 14-of-18 with 7 touchdowns and 0 interceptions when he throws the ball 20+ yards between the numbers.

In comparison, Ben Roethlisberger has only averaged 6.4 yards an attempt and has not been very accurate down the field. Besides a few good throws to Diontae Johnson, it has mostly been very short to intermediate passes, and that will not cut it in this league anymore. Kenny Pickett has shown he has great accuracy with the football, especially on deep passes. This is one reason why the Steelers should draft Pickett.