When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett in 2023, he was put in a position where he would be asked to replace a legend in Ben Roethlisberger. Things were rocky in the beginning but by the end of the season, Pickett looked like a player Pittsburgh could build a winner around.
But the folks at Pro Football Focus don’t seem to agree. They put out their initial quarterback ranking ahead of the start of the 2023 NFL season and the best they could do for Pickett is No. 22 overall.
The best quarterback in what was deemed an awful quarterback class, Pickett performed admirably in his rookie season even though the statistics weren’t necessarily pretty. His PFF passing grade was good enough to rank 16th in the league, but he finished the season with more interceptions (nine) than touchdowns (seven). Pittsburgh’s scheme was toothless and predictable in 2022, and that might be the biggest obstacle standing between Pickett and real improvement in these rankings.
Pickett went 7-5 as a starter in his rookie campaign. After starting off 0-3 in his first three starters, Pickett went 7-2 down the stretch and really took command of the offense.
