Pickett vs 2023 QB class

While I think the Steelers will do fine this year, there is still a chance we land at the top of the draft board. Even if you like the team, we’re just one serious injury (to Cam or Minkah on top of Watt) away from the worst record on the NFL.


1. How does Pickett stack up vs the top (Young, Stroud, etc) as prospects?

2. Would you take them with the first pick and trade Pickett?

3. What, if anything, would Pickett do this year that would change your mind?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

I think we're better off comparing Pickett to the 24 or 25, perhaps 26 class. Even if the Steelers draft in the top 3, they're not selecting a QB. They're going to give Pickett every chance to sink or swim, regardless of what the board wants.

 

How many games does it take to figure out if a player is who you want? KP is going to start 13 games this season. Not enough? After next year he'll have started 30 games for us. Still not enough? You get the picture if you're considering waiting until the '26 draft. You're talking like maybe give him over 50 games before we look at drafting another QB. KP played sparingly during preseason, and everyone thought he should be starting immediately, or at least after our 3rd game which is giving Trubisky much fewer games than you're willing to give KP. Mason started 10 games and was 5-4-1 and everyone wants to sh1tcan him yesterday even though he did better than Mitch. IMO, if there is any doubt, then there is no doubt and after this year if you need to get someone to lead this offense, you do it, unless you want to spend the next 3 years figuring it out. JMO>

 

Although.....a lot(not I) on here wanted to give Trubisky time...., and He had over 50 starts before He got here. I think You won't really know what You have until His 3rd year.....so unless He freaking sucks, and never shows any signs of improvement....He should get at least 3 years.

 

The mistake was taking a QB last year... But that is done and over. Kenny will need to ball out and show he is worth a second contract in Pittsburgh... He will be 28 years old at that point.

 

Hello there @Steelersfire! Glad you asked that question. I being a fan of CFB year round will be more than happy to answer these questions for you; starting with your first one.


1. How does Pickett stack up vs the top (Young, Stroud, etc) as prospects?


There are multiple, and I mean multiple categories to this question as there are many upon many attributes overall. However, I can identify the Top 5 QBs and then add Pickett to the list to see where he stands. Bear in mind that there are many categories to look upon but the ones that matter to me are as follows; Accuracy, Arm Talent (includes arm strength here as well), Field Reading, Decision Making, Mobility and Intangibles (more difficult to evaluate here) .. all in no particular order. Now that we have attributes to judge these young signal callers on, we are almost at the finish here. However, we have yet to identify there Top 5 Signal Callers... so let us do that quickly before we begin!!


C.J. Stroud: Ohio State University

Bryce Young: University of Alabama

Will Levis: University of Kentucky

Tyler Van Dyke: University of Miami

Anthony Richardson: University of Florida


Accuracy:


1.) Bryce Young

2.) CJ Stroud

3.) Kenny Pickett

4.) Will Levis

5.) Tyler Van Dyke

6.) Anthony Richardson



Long story short here, Kenny's accuracy is great but both CJ and Bryce have him beat here... though not by due to lack of anticipation of throws or placement. Kenny can easily hang with both Stroud and Young in that regard. It is the other aspect of throwing that lets Kenny down and one that will be discussed soon. Will Levis should have great accuracy but more often than not either sails passes or throws them at the most inopportune moments in games. Tyler's accuracy woes stem from very poor footwork and mechanics; that lack of experience kicking in there. Anthony Richardson has the tools but is severely raw as a prospect and needs some serious coaching up to do.



Arm Talent:


1.) Will Levis

2.) Bryce Young

3.) CJ Stroud

4.) Kenny Pickett

5.) Anthony Richardson

6.) Tyler Van Dyke


This is the one category that REALLY lets Pickett down... and I mean bad. Mind you, it is not due to lack of quality arm strength or capabilities to deliver on multiple platforms or even areas of the field; Kenny has above average NFL Arm Talent. However, compared to the rest... oof. Will Levis definitely has his eye brow raising moments from time to time; some more infuriating than others. However, when his accuracy is on?! Coupled with that arm of his?! Yeesh... some of the throws he can make are Josh Allen-esque for certain. Bryce Young, despite his stature is not far behind in this regard either. While not the howitzer that Levis possesses, Young's arm is still great; all three levels of the field being little to no problem for him. Much of the same can be said for Stroud though Stroud throws the best deep ball of any QB in this class and thus far, it is not even close. That said though, much of the game will be based around the short to intermediate aspects of the field which again, Stroud has little to no issue here. It is just that his talents are literally designed for the "No Risk It, No Biscuit" rule here. Kenny, as stated before, can hit the areas needed on the field as the other three. However, not nearly as easily or as effortlessly as the other three; Levis and Young making no wasted effort or motion to do so in the short to intermediate levels. Stroud has Pickett beat soundly on the deep ball and is better than Pickett on both short to intermediate as well.. though not nearly as much as others believe. Now, as for Richardson and Van Dyke, they have the Arm Talent but boy oh boy are they as inconsistent as one will get; doubly so in Richardson's case. For every wow throw he makes, a yuck throw is bound to happen. Van Dyke is last as he is shown to be more wild inconsistent than even Richardson is in this area.



Field Reading:


1.) Bryce Young

2.) Kenny Pickett

3.) CJ Stroud

4.) Will Levis

5.) Tyler Van Dyke

6.) Anthony Richardson


While many can debate between the likes of CJ Stroud's ability to Field Read versus Kenny Pickett, one aspect I would like to point out is how consistent it must be for young QBs to look through their progressions just as important as how quickly... well.. that is two of the three aspects. A new aspect for me is how many ways can young signal callers read the field for it is more than just going through progressions and the speed needed to do so; other platforms of the field being this new element I referred earlier. Bryce Young is the number one of the bunch; no question about that. Not just within structure this is evident but out of it to. That said though, Kenny, again, is not too far behind. Bryce's ability to speed read through his progressions are a result of his ability to make multiple progressions on multiple points of the field at a better rate. Kenny can operate like this as well but not nearly as efficient as Young can. Stroud is not too much of a QB who will change his position to increase his ability to scan the field. Then again... he does not need to. If anything, Stroud is arguably the best pocket based field reader in the class... and that includes Young. Like Pickett, everything is near instant or is instantaneous overall; his performances being a direct reflection of this. It does not take long for Stroud to identify who is open and how quickly they can get either. Will Levis' abilities in this area are best described as "close but no cigar". Will's progressions can be smooth at times, even at multiple points but can also be shaky; inconsistent decisions as a direct result. Van Dyke and Richardson are in dire need of improvement here for differing reasons but both mentioned already; Van Dyke due to lack of experience and Richardson due to lack of proper fundamentals.



Decision Making:


1.) CJ Stroud

2.) Kenny Pickett

3.) Bryce Young

4.) Will Levis

5.) Tyler Van Dyke

6.) Anthony Richardson



Again, Pickett holds his own very well here. If anything, he and Stroud are 1a and 1b here. Bryce is very close and I mean VERY CLOSE here. My only major complaint in this regard is that, despite possessing the superior accuracy and arm talent, he is looking more for that perfect pass as opposed to the best pass available. Yes, things need to be pinpoint in the NFL but more often than not, settling with the best given to you is never a bad thing here. I would love to reiterate on Levis, Van Dkye and Richardson but sadly, much of what I have stated about the aforementioned three in regards to other attributes can be applied here.



Mobility:

1.) Anthony Richardson

2.) Bryce Young

3.) Kenny Pickett

4.) Tyler Van Dyke

5.) Will Levis

6.) CJ Stroud



Oh my!! Look at that! A category in which Anthony Richardson literally laps everyone... and I mean everyone and it is not even close. Young is a great runner but Richardson is by far and away the most dynamic runner among the six. Kenny is very good overall in this area; Van Dyke as well. Levis is rock solid and can be efficient in extending plays; further augmenting his already ridiculous arm capabilities. Stroud can be mobile but sadly, this is where he is hurt the most among all QBs; a dynamic Pocket Passer but only such.



Intangibles:


1.) Bryce Young

2.) Kenny Pickett

3.) CJ Stroud

4.) Will Levis

5.) Anthony Richardson

6.) Tyler Van Dyke




As stated before, this one is very difficult for me to nail for there are so many sub types to this; Leadership, Overall Command, Character, Confidence and most of all, Clutch Factor. Judging by these alone, it should be simple at a glance; seeing the body language of a QB as they enter the huddle, what they look like during pre snap, how they respond to adversity, etc. However, the process is much more complicated than that. Over the course of a game and, over a season, multiple instances shall arrive when things do not look well and it is up to the QB to not only overcome these challenges but do all he can to deliver the win. While Bryce Young sadly did not overcome a historically great College Defense (best of all time in my opinion), Bryce showed that not only was the moment not too big for him but did all he could have against Georgia to give Alabama a shot to win. If anything, much of the same can be said for Kenny Pickettl; perhaps more so. Unlike Alabama, the University of Pittsburgh is not a Powerhouse Level Football Program; not to the same level of Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson or even LSU within the last decade anyways. However, in Kenny's 5th Season, not only did Kenny overcome a suspect Offensive Line with an inconsistent defense (see North Carolina) to win games but also assist in being the main reason as to why Pitt won the ACC Championship in 2021 to becoming the first ACC School not named Clemson or Virginia Tech to do so.


While this might sound as a slight to CJ Stroud... it is not I assure you. Stroud's command of Ohio State's Offense, Football IQ, Instincts and Processing are second to none among the six. My only problem is that while he is an integral part to Ohio State's success, he has yet to be pushed to the same level as Bryce Young or even Kenny Pickett. I seriously doubt he has any character concerns or lacks confidence but the ability to come from behind?!... that is something that definitely is something to monitor as that trait is very rare but is the major component that determines even the great NFL QBs to the All Time NFL QBs. Will Levis' gunslinger mentality will no doubt keep his team in close games. That said, until his consistency with accuracy improves, he cannot be placed in the same tier as Young, Pickett or Stroud. Richardson does have the clutch gene built in but the issues stem from his overall rawness to the position itself. He needs serious coaching to unlock his immeasurable potential. Van Dyke is much of the same minus one aspect. Unlike Richardson who has repeatedly shown he has a knack for making big time throws or even make big time plays, Van Dyke knows what he does not know. He has shown flashes of such intangibles but lacks the experience to showcase them.




Overall and, to wrap this up?! Where does Pickett place overall where I stand?!


1.) Bryce Young

2.) Kenny Pickett

3.) CJ Stroud

4.) Will Levis

5.) Anthony Richardson

6.) Tyler Van Dyke



Kenny does beat Stroud for me but only due to the superior mobility. Kenny has far more options and his far more capable of beating opposing defenses in multiple ways that Stroud can. CJ Stroud is by far and away the best pocket passer not just among the six but in the entire class. However, the Modern NFL Offenses need to have plays to manipulate the field at multiple points and/or require their QBs to create plays off script and at multiple levels of the field. While some may argue that Stroud does possess the better arm... its not by much. Such a small discrepancy is minimal compared to what a QB can provide while on the move. Be that as it may, Stroud will definitely be going in the First Round come 2023 and no doubt likely Top 10. However, teams expecting him to be mobile are in for a rude awakening. Levis and Richardson have the tools to be much better than they are now but both need improvements stemming from two areas; Levis needs better consistency against better competition and Richardson needs to continue to grow on the basics and fundamentals. Tyler Van Dyke has shown he is much improved from 2021 but needs to continue overall himself in terms of not just gaining more experience but using that experience and turning those lessons into stacking wins.



Now, onto your second question..


2. Would you take them with the first pick and trade Pickett?



Hmm.... this question ultimately appears to be an add on to the third question of "What, if anything, would Pickett do this year that would change your mind?" For me to trade Kenny, either Kenny seriously bombs out and that forces me to or a team is offering me a kings ransom for him due to performance; I suspect neither being an outcome at all. Kenny is not one that has shown he slacks off on anything football related. Within this same vein, I do not believe that Kenny alone fixes a large set of Pittsburgh's current problems; many of which now ironically being on the side that was supposed to be the strength of the team heading into the 2022 Season.



3. What, if anything, would Pickett do this year that would change your mind?




As stated before, either he seriously bombs such to a point that I would take a QB or a team offers me the proverbial "The Sun, The Moon, The Earth and The Stars". Kenny Pickett though is not my current problem here as of present; Matt Canada is. The play calling has been very, very unimpressive. What is even worse is that it places ridiculously gifted athletes like Pickens or Claypool in unwinnable situations more often than not. Whether Canada can improve the play calling will go a long way in determining how well Kenny Pickett can do. More often than not, Quarterbacks rely on their Offensive Coordinators to place their Offenses in winnable situations; changing plays/assignments being one that is of necessity and not due to requirement. My personal hope is that Canada can place both Pickett and the Offense into winnable circumstances for the Steelers to never mind just score points but also sustain drives.






That will do it for my answers good sir! Hoped you liked it and I hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions related to any of the 2023 NFL Draft Prospects, just shoot me a DM and I will get back to you as quickly as I can! Take it easy and hope to chat with you again!!

 

28 Years old is still plenty young for a QB; doubly one of Kenny's type. Kenny is not the second coming of Russell Wilson; not even close to the same level of athletic gifts but also not the same level of over-reliance on them. Unless Kenny suffers multiple injuries at that point, he will be fine.

 

This.


Just because Kevin Colbert left does not mean AR 2 rescinded his captaincy of the ship. For that matter, Omar Kahn was Kevin's understudy and has seen the benefits of patience with First Round Picks; Dupree and Edmunds included here. Andy Weidl may be an outside hire but was with the Steelers when they drafted Alan Faneca back in 1998 (hint hint for 2023). In addition and, AR 2 included, Pittsburgh does not allow one person to oversee everything; a unified, consensus agreement being the final deciding factor (some exceptions apply here). However, none of this is a factor compared to the most important aspect here; Kenny himself.


Unless Kenny truly flames out, the bolded simply is not gonna happen. Given what I did observe not just on Sunday but through the All 22 Tape, I seriously doubt the bolded will. Kenny simply has too many intangible skills to work off of in addition to his improving overall abilities. For that matter, Kenny is not my problem nor concern.



Matt Canada... on the other hand..??

 

Jesus. Can we please stop with the "take one of the QBs next year" or "Trade Pickett and take a QB next year" fantasy talk.

I swear some people are auditioning for when the Browns have their next GM opening.

It's absurd...ridiculous...silly...stupid....moronic....and just about every other negative adjective that you could apply.

This isn't Madden and the Steelers aren't the Browns.

 

I take it Ben was the first QB you've seen for the Steelers. The average yellow jacket qb didn't take off until their 4th season. In this new age, yes guys like Allen, Burrow and Mahomes became stars as their 2nd year, but historically that's not the case. Look at the stats of Troy Aikman; he threw 36 INT's his first two seasons. Hell, Peyton Manning threw 28 his first season and was an above average QB until 2004 when he became elite. The guys show flashes in those average to above average seasons. But not, 30 games isn't enough sample size to determine whether or not Pickett is a long-term solution or not. The good thing about the Steelers is stability. Pickett is probably in the best place for him to succeed. So if he ultimately doesn't, he simply wasn't good enough. I honestly didn't want Pickett; I was quite fine with Trubisky and Rudolph and if either failed, I'd draft Stroud in the first round. We don't want to become the Eagles and drafting a QB every 3 years post McNabb. That hurts your ability to build a sound team. Very dumb to habitually draft a singular position, regardless of the position.

 

Thank you @AskQuestionsLater for the excellent write up.

@BobbyBiz get off your high horse. It’s a totally legit question to ask. If 1998 Peyton Manning, or Rookie Luck, Elway, etc are available, it’s an easy decision to draft them. Doesn’t make us the Browns, that makes no sense.

But I authentically want to hear high quality answers about the 2023 QBs vs Pickett so I’m not going to respond anymore to derail the thread. You get the last word on your topic.

Watt is probably out until after the bye now. I still think we can even make the playoffs (crazy, I know) but we’re 1 or 2 more injuries away from the first pick in the draft.

 

3rd year stats:

327 comp 605 att 54% completion rate 3891 yards 22 TD's 23 INT's sacked 38Xs

Would you yinz give up on this player or carry on?

 

A QB won't change this fact,...... Bottom line is that we have our QB, and need to turn our weaknesses into strengths (ilb, LT, NT, CB, olb depth etc.)... Constantly flipping the QB won't make any difference until these things are done

 

Being fine is not good enough and this is not about injury. This is about knowing the guy you have is the franchise guy you can make multiple super bowl runs with.

 

this right here

 

Not saying you're wrong, but if the Steelers end up with a top 5 pick next year and there's a highly ranked QB at that spot, we would be dumb not to take him. That doesn't mean we are giving up on Pickett, not at all, we're just taking the best possible player. Backup QB's can be traded. Not that we should mimic Washington, but they drafted Cousins even though they had already drafted Robert Griffin. GB drafted Love while Rodgers is still at the top of the league. I'm not saying trade up to get a QB, although if the guy appears to be an elite prospect then that's not a bad idea either. Just saying that if a highly ranked QB is there, we should draft him. Let Pickett continue to earn the job, and if he falters, then we have another guy waiting. If Pickett thrives, then we trade the other guy.

I know that's unlikely though. We don't seem to trade players, even when we probably should (such as Mason).

 

Guys, Kenny Pickett will be the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the next 12+ years. He’s the man, write it down (to slightly paraphrase Bubby Brister). His floor is a more mobile Neil O’Donnell and his ceiling is Aaron Rodgers with a slightly weaker arm. He’ll probably fall somewhere in between which is plenty good enough to be successful in the NFL.

 

This! We need to focus on the trenches in the next two drafts!

 

Seems to me, there is a modern-day example of what you are talking about. Let's look at the Arizona Cardinals. In round 1 of the 2018 draft, they took a QB. In round 1 of the 2019 draft, they took a QB.

Since then, they are 0-1 in playoff games and are currently 3rd in the standings of their division.

This team has more immediate drafting needs than a QB. OL, DL, ILB, DB

In his first appearance, KP led the team for two touchdowns. IMHO, we should give him some time before calling for his replacement. Expecting the team to tank is a very NY Jets and D Lions fan base thing to do. We don't blink.

 

Yes, you can't win without the horses in the trenches, but once you build up the rest of the team, it's hard to get a franchise QB. Most are taken at the top of the draft, and if you're an average team, it's very hard to ever end up with a QB. So that's why Arizona did what they did. They have their QB and now they can focus on the rest of the team. They'll be fine long term, although I don't think Murray is one of the truly elites like some think he is

 

To answer your question about Richardson, it has much more to do with as you said; Super tools but super raw. Arm Talent, by itself, is something Richardson excels it. How consistent he can flash it in sucession?! That is another aspect all together; something that Kenny does a much better job at in my opinion.


Overall, Richardson's potential is immense for what he can become. That said, Will Levi's is not too far behind him. Therefore, if a QB can showcase such traits not just in succession but on a consistent basis, there is much more to tap into in that regard.


Mind you I am only ranking them per the time of the OPs post. All rankings are subject to change.

 

You absolutely take Bryce Young if you can get him. He’s 5X better than Ken Pickett

 

CB please