Ranking the AFC North Quarterbacks: Where does Kenny Pickett fall?

The AFC North is projected to be one of the tougher divisions in the NFL this season, with all four teams believing they can make the playoffs. But how do these four teams stack up with each other at each position?

In this series, I'll be ranking each team in the division at every position and seeing how they stack up with each other. In the first part of this series, we'll take a look at the quarterback position. Here's where the Pittsburgh Steelers currently stack up to the competition.

4. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers

Unfortunately for Steelers fans, I have Kenny Pickett as the worst quarterback in the division entering the 2023 season. This is less about Pickett himself and more about the talent of other quarterbacks in the division.

Pickett's rookie season had lots of ups and downs, like most rookie quarterbacks. His stats don't look super impressive on paper. He started 12 games, threw for 2,404 yards, 7 touchdowns and 9 interceptions while completing 63% of his passes. While the overall numbers were lackluster, Pickett's performance in big moments late in the season give many fans reason for optimism.

With the Steelers playoff hopes on the line late in the season, Pickett put up back-to-back game-winning drives against the Raiders and Ravens in Weeks 16 and 17, keeping the Steelers alive in the hunt. In both games, he threw the game-winning touchdown pass with under a minute left, to George Pickens and Najee Harris respectively. The drive against the Ravens in Baltimore showed what Pickett is capable of.

Trailing by 4 with four minutes to play, Pickett took the field in a hostel environment against one of the best defenses in the league. Pickett went 5-5 for 64 yards and a touchdown as he led the offense down the field and into the end zone for the lead. Those moments were flashes of what Pickett can be. If he can be more consistent and take that second year leap, he could easily move up this list by the end of the season.