When you draft a quarterback in the first round, the hope is that the guy you take can become your franchise quarterback for the next decade-plus, leading your team to the playoffs and giving you a shot to win a Super Bowl. That’s the bet Pittsburgh made when it decided to take QB Kenny Pickett 20th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, selecting him to take the place of Ben Roethlisberger, who had just retired, as Pittsburgh’s potential heir to the throne.
We’re nearly two seasons in, and the results from Pickett are a mixed bag. He’s posted a 14-10 record as a starter, having gone 7-5 in both seasons to this point while showing the intangibles you look for in a franchise quarterback.