Steelers tab QB of future with Pickett at No. 20

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, No. 20 overall.

Pickett is the first signal-caller off the board in 2022. It's the latest an NFL draft has gone without a quarterback selection since 1997, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

The 23-year-old is the highest-drafted quarterback out of Pitt ever, topping Dan Marino (27th overall in 1983), according to The Athletic's Matt Brown.

Pickett was one of the top passers available in what experts described as a weak quarterback class. He enjoyed a decorated career with the Panthers, tossing 81 touchdowns across five seasons. Pickett completed 67.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns against seven interceptions last year.

The Steelers began looking for a new franchise signal-caller after Ben Roethlisberger retired in January. Roethlisberger, the franchise's all-time passing leader, spent his entire 18-year NFL career with Pittsburgh.

Pickett joins a depth chart that also features Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.

Scouting profile: Kenny Pickett

Despite being a four-year starter, Pickett didn't truly break out until his last season at Pitt when he finished sixth in the nation in passing yards (4,319) and fourth in passing touchdowns (42). That's led some to compare him to Joe Burrow or Kyler Murray, who also made massive statistical leaps during their final college campaigns. But Pickett doesn't project to be a superstar in the NFL. Though his leadership and command of the offense were impressive in 2021, the 23-year-old doesn't have the most powerful arm. Plus, he'll likely need a good system around him to excel as a pro. And while we don't want to overstate the risk with his hand size (8 5/8 inches), ball security has been a problem for him and will be something to monitor moving forward.