5 NFL Draft prospects Steelers who could consider to replace Roethlisberger

Steelers could consider Pickett

This one won’t come as a surprise to anybody. Kenny Pickett has laced his cleats at Heinz Field for five straight years. He’s already well familiar with the city and probably some of the coaching staff.

In addition to his obvious ties, Pickett might be the most pro-ready quarterback in this draft class thanks to his 52 games of college experience in a Power 5 program at Pitt. Based on his performances over his first four seasons, Pickett was considered to be nothing more than a late-round pick when he declared for the draft. However, he changed that notion with a phenomenal season in 2021.

Much like Joe Burrow (but to a lesser degree), Pickett put up astronomical numbers in his final collegiate season — earning 4,300 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions to go with 9.7 adjusted yards per attempt.

Pickett doesn’t have a big arm like Ben Roethlisberger coming out of college, and he’s not a duel threat the team could be looking for. However, he excels at making the first defender miss, keeping his eyes down the field, and extending the play.