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.

Reason 2: Can Handle the Pressure

This year, Pickett has shown he can handle pressure when the opposing defense goes after him. Pickett has stayed calm and collected in the pocket and has been clean on the stat sheet so far this year when under pressure and when being blitzed.

When under pressure against defenses this year, Pickett has thrown 47 times and has only completed 19 of those throws. This only gives him a 40.4% completion percentage. Looking on the outside, those numbers look bad, but you have to take into consideration that some of those are throw-aways, he doesn’t force anything that is not there. He has thrown 4 touchdowns to 0 interceptions for 267 yards in 7 games when under pressure by the opposing defense.

When blitzed by defenses, Pickett has been stellar. He has been blitzed 36.8% of the time and has completed 55 of his 85 passes thrown. This gives him a 64.7% completion percentage when blitzed by the opposing defense. He has thrown for 738 yards averaging 8.7 yards per throw with 12 touchdowns to 0 interceptions. These stats are hard to overlook because of his efficiency when under pressure in the pocket.

The Steelers need a quarterback that can handle pressure situations and Kenny Pickett is that guy. Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t have the quickness to adjust to defenses and Mason Rudolph has already shown he cannot handle that type of pressure from NFL-caliber defenses. This is another reason why the Steelers should draft Pickett.

Reason 3: Smart Decision Making

Pickett is a completely different quarterback this year when it comes to his decision-making under center. Last year he only had 13 touchdown passes to 9 interceptions, this year has been the total opposite. He has made excellent decisions on the field and has limited the turnovers for the Pitt offense.

This is one of the reasons why Pittsburgh is ranked in the top 20 in all of college football. In 7 games, Pickett has thrown 23 touchdown passes to only 1 interception, ranking him 4th in college football for touchdown passes thrown and 2nd in limiting interceptions. Pickett also has 3 rushing touchdowns this season.

He has thrown 244 times and completed 168 of those passes. This currently has him at an impressive 68.9% completion percentage which ranks him 18th in all of college football. Pickett can make all of the necessary NFL-type throws as well.

With his smart decision-making and excellent arm, I believe this will translate well at the next level. He has made great strides and progressed well over the off-season to boost his stock for next year’s draft. Pickett is your prototypical NFL-sized quarterback, at 6’3” and 220 pounds, and can be mobile when needed. I believe these are the three reasons why the Steelers should draft Kenny Pickett next year in the 2022 NFL draft.