The Steelers took quarterback Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick in the draft and that means the big question on offense in Pittsburgh for the rest of the offseason will be when he takes over the starting job.
During an appearance on NFL Network during the sixth round of the draft, Steelers quarterback Mike Tomlin didn’t throw much cold water on the chance of Pickett being in the lineup right away. Tomlin was asked about the perception that Pickett was the most pro-ready quarterback in the draft and whether that made him a strong contender to beat out Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.
“He certainly has a chance,” Tomlin said. “I agree with that sentiment of his readiness from a professional perspective. It was two things that really attracted us to him from a floor standpoint. We thought he had pro-level anticipation, we thought he had pro-level accuracy. Oftentimes, those are two variables that really require a lot of adjustment from a quarterbacking standpoint. We felt he came ready-made in those ways and hopefully that’s an asset to him in terms of being able to compete and being ready if performance dictates it.”
While there’s general agreement about Pickett’s floor, there are differing opinions about his ceiling. That’s also the case for his competition, however, and his readiness might lead the Steelers to see what he can do right out of the gate.