Time will tell if the Pittsburgh Steelers were right to draft rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Selecting him at 20th overall meant that the organization believed he was a franchise-caliber player who could be playing for the city years down the road. While he didn't begin the season as first on the depth chart, it was a pretty quick wake up call as the first-year signal caller replaced veteran, Mitchell Trubisky at halftime of a Week 4 matchup against the New York Jets. There's no turning back now. Pickett is the guy in Pittsburgh.
Steelers starting quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) prepares to take a snap at Acrisure Stadium in his first regular season action against the New York Jets. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Everyone has his/her own opinion on whether or not the organization should have even drafted him, but there has been a specific group of people being questioned on a national scale regarding the quarterback's play thus far. Former players of the franchise, who know what it takes to win on a consistent basis, have been consistently probed about the team and the conversation always turns around to the new guy running the offense.
After the helm was manned by Ben Roethlisberger for 18 years, it's a bit odd not seeing #7 out there. Ryan Shazier, the Steelers former speedy and dominant linebacker, joined NFL Network on Wednesday afternoon to discuss his podcast, Don't Call It A Comeback, as well as the current state of the team that he played for his entire career that was unfortunately cut short due to a spinal cord injury. He noted that he is really liking what he is seeing from Pickett to this point:
"I'm really excited with what I'm seeing from Kenny Pickett right now. After this bye week, he's been playing really well," Shazier said. "At the beginning of the season, he had a few turnovers, but that's what happens when you get thrown in in the middle of the season. You don't have a lot of chemistry with your guys."
Oct 8, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Ryan Shazier (50) gestures as he takes the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Shazier referred training camp and the start of the season and insinuated that it may have been a mistake for Trubisky to take all of the reps with the first team. Pickett was thrown in the fire without having much of a connection with anyone.
"In camp, he really didn't play with them. At the beginning of the season, he wasn't really practicing with them very much and the only guy he had chemistry with was George Pickens," Shazier said.
The former linebacker believes it's not just starting to develop with this receivers, but rather, with the entire offense as a whole:
"Now, he's starting to get more chemistry with the o-line, with the running backs, with the receivers and you can see the last two or three games, he hasn't really turned the ball over and that's putting us in a position to win."
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett warms up in preparation for the team's Week 5 game in Buffalo. | Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickett is currently 79/128 for 835 yards and two touchdowns during the team's 3-1 stretch since the bye week. Shazier is absolutely spot on pointing out the lack of turnovers. As long as that piece continues, the young first-rounder will continue to grow and as time passes, develop a strong on field rapport with the entire offense. Rookie seasons are never perfect, but Pickett has the opportunity to finish strong the last month of the regular season and build momentum heading into 2023.
Do you agree with Shazier's comments about Pickett? Let us know in the comments below!
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