Steelers' Kenny Pickett Disrespected By Dumb NFL Quarterback Rankings From CBS

Just like that, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is entering his second season in the NFL. The expectations are much higher than they were a year ago, as he now knows the offense and has 12 career starts under his belt. Furthermore, the front office completely revamped the roster this offseason. The postseason is well within reach of this season's expectations, and it begins with Pickett.

By now, the fanbase seems completely onboard with him as the team's heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger. He has a natural confidence and moxie that you don't often see out of a young quarterback. His stats in 2022 weren't exactly appealing for modern-day standards, as he threw for 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Because of those middling numbers, he still has something to prove.

Steelers QB slots below a few questionable choices

That's evident after a few different sites recently updated their QB rankings. On Wednesday morning, Good Morning Football's Kyle Brandt gave out his seven AFC QB tiers, and Pickett slotted into the sixth tier. He reserved the seventh tier for the new trio of rookie quarterbacks in the AFC South. Brandt curiously included Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa, along with Mac Jones, in that sixth tier.

Now, that's not the only recent list that has been released. CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin ranked all 32 projected starting quarterbacks, and Pickett was all the way at No. 28. There are some interesting names ahead of him, including the trio of rookie quarterbacks, as well as an unproven one in Jordan Love with the Green Bay Packers. Benjamin explained why he isn't exactly as high on Pickett as some others.

"How far does 'grit' get you? Certainly few young QB's are better-suited to grow thanks to an improved Steelers front and pass-catching group, but Pickett thrived more as a late-game fighter than efficient full-timer as a rookie."

While Pickett did thrive more in late-game scramble modes in 2022, that's seemingly more of a testament to the team's offensive coordinator than it is to the quarterback. As we know, Matt Canada has faced a ton of criticism in his tenure in Pittsburgh, and most of it, rightfully so. The Pittsburgh product doesn't yet have the stats to back up the city's confidence in him, but that time will hopefully come.

Pickett showed an improvement over his last few starts, particularly cutting down on the turnovers that he struggled with early on. He was also able to show his clutch gene, most notably in the winning drive to beat the Las Vegas Raiders in frigid temperatures. The quarterback has been working on a few different things this offseason, including a want to throw it harder and run faster. He's also bulked up a little bit, which should be able to help him withstand more of the hits on a weekly basis.

What are your thoughts on these recent rankings of Pickett? Do you think he's facing more disrespect than any other NFL quarterback? How big of a jump do you expect him to take in 2023? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

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