The Steelers had one big advantage over every NFL team last offseason and now it's paying off
The Pittsburgh Steelers had one big advantage over every NFL team last offseason and now it's paying off in a big way. On Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens, Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett showed the entire nation that he's for real. Pickett's game-winning drive against the Ravens in prime time solidified his standing as […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers had one big advantage over every NFL team last offseason and now it's paying off in a big way.
On Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens, Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett showed the entire nation that he's for real.
Pickett's game-winning drive against the Ravens in prime time solidified his standing as a potential future star in the NFL.
The throw that Pickett made to Najee Harris to give the Steelers the lead was one of the best plays I've seen this season.
The 2022 NFL Draft class didn't have any sure things at quarterback, yet the Steelers are the one team that managed to hit on a quarterback in the first round.
And there's a reason for that — Pittsburgh was deeply familiar with Pickett due to being in the same building with him for the last several years (Pickett played college football at Pitt).
Mike Tomlin acknowledged on Sunday night that being in the same building with Pickett led to a certain comfort level with him as a draft prospect.
“I just think we benefited so much from close proximity in the evaluation process," said Tomlin after beating the Ravens. "None of us are surprised by what he does from an intangible standpoint. In the proximity to him at Pitt really kind of gave us that comfort.”
Before the draft, there were a ton of rumors connecting the Steelers to Malik Willis. Tomlin even took Willis to dinner during the draft process.
But that was all for show. It made Pittsburgh look more interested in Willis than Pickett. And it might have cast doubt on Pickett as a draft prospect because other teams knew how well the Steelers knew Pickett.
Whether or not that was Pittsburgh's exact plan is up for debate. We may never know for sure. But either way, it worked out perfectly for the Steelers. They got their guy and their guy looks like the real deal.
Featured image via Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
