The Pittsburgh Steelers wouldn’t change their first-round pick from 2022, but here’s why Kenny Pickett goes before their selection in a recent NFL re-draft.
Even after showing improvement in the second half of his rookie season in 2022, there is a wide range of opinions on quarterback Kenny Pickett. Many believe he will be a franchise QB while others are still convinced the team made a mistake selecting him. However, I can assure you that the Pittsburgh Steelers wouldn’t do anything differently in the first round in a do-over… at least not at this point in time.
Recently, the panel of reporters at ESPN collaborated to re-draft the first two rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. Needless to say, the selections weren’t exactly the same for all 32 teams the second time around.
In this re-draft, ESPN had 49ers QB Brock Purdy being the first quarterback selected in a re-draft. Before the Steelers could make their selection at pick 20, ESPN had the New Orleans Saints taking Kenny Pickett with the 16th overall pick in the 2022 re-draft. With Chris Olave already off the board and without a trade-up, the Saints nab their QB of the future.
In addition to Pickett being selected, ESPN has George Pickens already off the board as well. This hypothetical decision forces the Steelers to look in a different direction with the 20th overall pick this time around.
Because of this, ESPN has the Steelers filling a position of need and taking cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. Here’s what reporter Brooke Pryor had to say about the selection:
"In this scenario, both Pickett and receiver George Pickens are off the board, leaving the Steelers to address another position of need. With corner near the top of the their 2023 offseason wish list, drafting Stingley would check a major box in shoring up a spot that lacked a true lockdown player after the retirement of Joe Haden. Stingley finished the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, but he didn’t allow a touchdown as the nearest defender in coverage and showed potential. — Brooke Pryor"
Stingly would give the Steelers a quality cornerback and another player to pair with CB Cameron Sutton in the secondary. However, even if he turns out to be a great player, this wouldn’t be as important as having the quarterback — especially if Pickett really does turn out to be the franchise guy.
Should Kenny Pickett go before pick 20 in NFL re-draft?
It’s not shocking to see that the panel has both Kenny Pickett and George Pickens going ahead of their initial first-round pick in the 2022 draft because of what they were able to do during their rookie seasons. While I do believe that multiple teams would be willing to gamble on Pickens this high, would Pickett be selected before the 20th pick if teams could really do the draft over again?
From a statistical standpoint, Pickett was not impressive as a rookie. He ranked near the bottom of the league in yards per attempt and adjusted yards per attempt and had just 7 passing touchdowns to go with 9 interceptions in 13 games played, per ESPN stats.
However, Pickett’s impact stretched beyond box score numbers. This was evidenced by his ability to mount game-winning drives in primetime in back-to-back weeks on Christmas Eve (against the Raiders) and New Year’s (against the Ravens). It was his moxie and ability to lead his offense when it matters most that caught the attention of the league.
For this reason, there would be a team or two that would be willing to select Pickett before the Steelers are on the clock with the 20th pick if a 2022 draft do-over were possible. Pickett’s team went 7-2 since the bye week, and he has the character and leadership that teams covet at the position.