For the Steelers to say they are giving themselves the best chance at a Superbowl with this defense, Kenny P must be the starter week one. Kenny Pickett is not the rookie QB of todays NFL norm. He was a 5 year player in college and the most NFL draftee at QB. The pressure for a replacement for Big Ben Roethlisberger is immense. The fans in Pittsburgh want to win and they expect to win now. Regardless of who starts at quarterback winning is the expectation in Pitt.
Why Kenny was selected
To understand the Kenny Pickett selection you have to understand the context behind the 2022 NFL Draft. Understandably the Steelers, or more so Kevin Colbert, wanted the first round pick to be the heir apparent to Ben and be the next franchise defining pick that leads them into the future. There may not have been a worse draft in the last five years to pick a QB in round one.
The 2022 draft class at quarterback was suspect at best, spearheaded by three guys that 12 months before hand, were projected late round guys. Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis, and Desmond Ridder. All three coming from schools that are often overlooked. A year after we saw Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, and Justin Field go off the board. There is quite the falloff from the 2021 and 2022 QB classes. Five first round QBs, to just one. The Steelers picked that one QB. We will see if he is the correct choice moving forward.
Best Case Scenario
All speculation may mean nothing if the best are to happen. There will be no need to look further if Kenny plays the way that he is expected. He comes in and locks down the starting role and shows why he shot up the boards his final season at Pitt. He replaces Ben and continues the tradition of winning football set in place by those in front of him and gives the team a shot at the Superbowl for years to come.
Worst Case Scenario
What if Kenny shows not to be ready, and the Steelers do hold off on him playing? Do you look at another three way position battle next season between Him, this seasons starter, and a draftee? Lots of unknowns surround the Steelers if you do not see your top pick in year one. Nobody knows how this years starter will play. If you do not see your pick, do you bring in another high profile arm to challenge him? Not playing him leaves you with more questions unanswered than solved.
Make a Decision
You have to see what Kenny has. You can not afford to wait and see with the abundance of talent that is coming in the 2023 NFL draft. If it is remotely close, Kenny should be getting the reps and showing he has what it takes. Five years in college. Deemed the most NFL ready in his class. Taken with the expectation of playing day one. You can not wait for a guy like this to come around or give him a year. The Cardinals did this years ago with Josh Rosen and Kyler Murray. They let their round one guy play, saw that he was not their guy, and went on to pick their franchise cornerstone the very next draft. Do not be shocked if the Steelers are right back in this situation in a years time.
On the Horizon: 2023 QB Class
Look ahead to next years class. Talent, and plenty of it. CJ Stroud and Bryce Young are probably selected before Any of the 2022 QBs and most likely in the top ten. If you need a QB, this class has it. Levis, Anthony Richardson, Hendon Hooker among the tier two guys. They all look to be better prospects than Kenny Pickett. You have to take a look at them if you are concerned with a miss with the Pickett selection.