3 reasons Kenny Pickett should win Steelers starting QB job from the gate

Pickett has the most big-play ability

In terms of pure athleticism and arm talent, Trubisky still probably has the best of the group in Pittsburgh… but that doesn’t mean that he puts it to good use. While Trubisky can escape the pocket, he struggles to keep his eyes down the field.

Trubisky’s Achilles heel in the first five years of his NFL career is his inability to create big plays. This doesn’t have much to do with his arm talent; rather, his willingness to look down the field and deliver an accurate ball.

This is an area of Pickett’s game that could prove to translate quite well. In 2021, Pickett was brilliant when rolling to his right and throwing on the run. Despite not having an elite arm, his tools are plenty good enough to layer throws and deliver accurate strikes down the field at a high rate.

Additionally, Pickett tested as a 95th percentile athlete, according to his Relative Athletic Score. He recorded a 99th percentile 10-yard split to bolt out of the pocket at a moment’s notice and he could even offer a little something as a runner at the next level.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of taking Kenny Pickett in the first round, but now that he’s here, it makes much more sense for him to start from the gate than it does to start Trubisky. Pickett will be on the old side for a rookie and has more big-play ability. He’s the future of this team, and if the battle in camp is even close, the Steelers need to roll with Pickett.