The Steelers drafted the first and only quarterback of the first round of the 2022 NFL draft on Thursday night when they selected Kenny Pickett from Pittsburgh.
This wasn’t the only offseason quarterback move from the Steelers as they try to replace Ben Roethlisberger, who remained their starter for the last 18 years. He retired after the 2021 season.
In March, the Steelers signed former Bears starter and Bills backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky to a two-year deal. The team already had Mason Rudolph in the quarterback room, a three-year backup for Pittsburgh. It was originally expected that these two players would be competing for the starting role.
Dwayne Haskins was also on the roster, but he tragically died earlier this month after being hit by a dump truck on a highway in Florida. He was honored with a moment of silence at the draft.
So, now that the Steelers picked up their third quarterback, the question is, who will be the starter?
Coach Mike Tomlin is still unsure of that answer. Following the draft selection, Tomlin said that Pickett will compete against Trubisky and Rudolph for the starting position, per The Athletic. All three quarterbacks have a fair chance.
The Steelers organization was extremely excited to select Pickett, as they originally thought the No. 1 quarterback prospect would be picked much earlier than the No. 20 spot. There was speculation the team would select Liberty quarterback Malik Willis instead.
“Honestly, never thought he would make it to us at 20,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said. “Exciting times for us, for Kenny, for the University of Pittsburgh and for Pittsburgh in general. It’s great. We couldn’t be more excited.”
So, only time will tell which quarterback will be the new face of the Steelers’ new era.
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