5 early first-round draft targets for Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022
By Tommy Jaggi
Steelers could target Kenny Pickett
Since the Senior Bowl, Kenny Pickett has come with a mixed bag of reviews from fans, but the former Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback makes sense for a number of reasons. Pickett has five years of playing experience at Heinz Field, he displayed great leadership skills, and he strung together one of the most impressive 2021 seasons in college football after an otherwise pedestrian college career.
Perhaps the most intriguing trait about Pickett is that he is pro-ready. If the Steelers selected him in the first round this year, Pickett should be able to beat out Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins for the starting role very early in the NFL season (if not by day one).
However, Kenny Pickett isn’t exactly the prototype QB candidate. While he meets my size and athletic thresholds, Pickett will be 24 years old long before training camp, and it’s a bit concerning that it took him so long to break out in college.
In addition, Pickett’s hands are rumored to be just 8 1/4”. This would be the smallest we have ever seen at the QB position in the NFL, and no quarterback has had NFL success with under 9” hands. Regardless, Pickett has connections with the city and is starter-ready. He’s certainly on the radar this April.