Kenny Pickett

2022 - 4 - 28

Malik Willis

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Touchdown Wire"

Pittsburgh Steelers select Pitt QB Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick ... (Touchdown Wire)

GRADE: B. The Steelers needed to hit it down the fairway with their quarterback search ,and Mitch Trubisky wasn't going to do it. Pickett is that solid double — ...

Pickett is an accurate passer who throws with touch, rhythm and anticipation, things that still matter at the position. However, if the pressure comes in an unexpected manner, then his response to the pressure is a bit more erratic. Pickett played his home games in Pittsburgh, and this past season you did not see issues with him losing the football in clean pockets due to weather conditions. Pickett is an accurate passer, and that continues even when he is on the move. During his time in Pittsburgh Pickett displayed the ability to attack all levels of the field, to layer in throws around defenders and over coverage, and to work through concepts and get the football where it needs to be, when it needs to be there. In that victory, Pickett hit on 18 of 29 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, and ran for two more scores.

QB Kenny Pickett stays in Pittsburgh, picked by Steelers in 2022 ... (ESPN)

Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett was selected 20th overall in the 2022 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.

"I feel like I do a really good job of getting outside the pocket and making plays, and he does that with his play design naturally. "He has a quarterback in the pocket, he gets the guy on the move, and I feel that's underrated in my game," Pickett said. "It just talks and preaches about what you can do when you stay and continue to develop and turn into a first-round pick. I'm so excited to get started and get to work with the guys who are next door to me my whole career in Pittsburgh." "I'm pretty familiar with the area code," Pickett said with a laugh. "And it's funny, we ended up with a guy from next door."

Home Sweet Home: Kenny Pickett, Once a Pitt Panther, Now a Great ... (Sports Illustrated)

Few teams deserve the benefit of the doubt more than Pittsburgh, which got its top choice at quarterback to fall in the team's lap.

Had they waited until round seven, trading up for the rights to Mr. Irrelevant, we would watch the player’s collegiate highlight reel through a strained set of eyes and convince ourselves that, maybe, in Pittsburgh, they’ll get the best out of him. The Steelers are one of those teams, and they understand that the plan is never to pick in the top 10. And, with all the excitement of a short, ho-hum slog to the refrigerator, they took a quarterback they’ll probably have running their offense capably for the next decade.

What to like about: Kenny Pickett (Steelers.com)

Pickett initially committed to Temple as a three-star recruit coming out of high school but eventually wound up at Pitt. He comes from an athletic background.

It all came together for him in his final season at Pitt. He was healthy, I thought the accuracy was outstanding and I thought the play-making went to another level this year." "I know how to win, that's the No. 1 thing in this game." WHAT HE'S DONE: Pickett played in 52 career games and started 49 at Pitt and left the Panthers in possession of several school records, including completions (1,045), passing yards (12,303) and passing touchdowns (81). He also rushed for 809 yards and 20 touchdowns in his Pitt career. It was a plus for (Pickett) to be coming in that ready-made mode." Dane Brugler of The Athletic noted Pickett's father (Ken) was an All-American linebacker at Shippensburg and his mother (Kasey) played soccer at Kutztown. Pickett graduated with a degree in marketing and is working toward his MBA. He's also engaged (Amy Paternoster). 📸: Kenny Pickett in pictures

Steelers take Kenny Pickett in 2022 NFL Draft: Fantasy Football and ... (CBSSports.com)

After five years at Pitt, Kenny Pickett will level up to the NFL. Will he have meaningful Fantasy value?

- The level of competition was strictly fair. - Not quite a "dual-threat" quarterback but would improvise with his legs to pick up yardage. A lot of bad decisions in late 2021. He isn't the type of quarterback who will make an average receiver good and a good receiver great. Pickett may have hoped to hear his name earlier in the first round, but in the long term, there might not be a better fit for him than joining the Steelers and staying in the state of Pittsburgh. The Steelers are also one of the best possible fits for Pickett from a Fantasy Football standpoint. - Mobility was a key part of his game. Would on occasion make a seemingly predetermined throw regardless of coverage and wouldn't connect. Converted plenty of short-yardage downs with his legs and wasn't shy to burrow at the goal line. Not only does he join a wide-open quarterback competition against Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph, but he also joins a team that has an excellent defense in place, an alpha workhorse running back in Najee Harris (with the ability to make an impact in the passing game for easy check-down options early for Pickett), and an offensive line that took a major jump in 2021. Pickett is a Jersey Shore kid, growing up less than 10 minutes from the beach in Northern New Jersey and an hour's drive on the Garden State Parkway from New York City. He started playing football at age 6 and developed into "a smoother athlete," according to his coach at Ocean Township High School. It was there he led the Spartans to the state's regional semifinal game as a junior. Pickett only missed four starts over the next four years, finishing his collegiate career with an outstanding 62.4% completion rate, 12,303 yards, 81 touchdowns and 32 interceptions along with 809 rush yards and 20 rushing scores on the ground. Pickett was the first quarterback to come off the board -- all the way at No. 20 overall.

Steelers tab Pitt QB Kenny Pickett as Big Ben's successor (USA TODAY)

Now all the Pittsburgh Steelers' newest quarterback has to do is replace a future Hall of Famer, beat out two veterans for the starting job and do it all while ...

He entertained the idea of entering the 2021 draft before ultimately deciding to return to the Panthers for a fifth season. Pickett was the first quarterback selected in what is widely considered an unimpressive class. “You know, nothing really changes in terms of my mindset and how I go about my business. Look no further than his 58-yard touchdown run against Wake Forest in the ACC championship game for proof, a sprint highlighted by a fake slide so good the NCAA outlawed the move almost immediately. The legend of “Kenny Perfect” was born, though his production was only so-so over 2018-20 while playing for middling Pitt teams that essentially spun their wheels in the ACC. Coach Mike Tomlin said Pickett will “certainly” be given the opportunity to start right away.