On Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2022 NFL draft with a clear need at quarterback.
For the first time in nearly two decades, Ben Roethlisberger won’t be back on the field. After he announced his retirement following the 2021 season, that left Pittsburgh with a massive hole to fill.
The Steelers hoped that one of the draft’s top quarterbacks would still be on the board when they were on the clock at No. 20. Well, every quarterback was still on the board.
Top prospects Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis were connected to the Steelers throughout the draft process. Both were on the board when the Steelers stepped up to the podium for their pick.
So, who did the Steelers take? Former Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett.
“Kenny Pickett is a Pittsburgh Steeler,” Pitt insider Johnny McGonigal said. “The moment he gets the call and finds out he’s being selected with the 20th overall pick in the NFL Draft.”
Kenny Pickett is a Pittsburgh Steeler
The moment he gets the call and finds out he’s being selected with the 20th overall pick in the #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/Zk38Gi2Ey9
— Johnny McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) April 29, 2022
Pickett showed potential as a freshman, but struggled over the next few seasons. However, when the 2021 season kicked off, Pickett emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
He threw for over 4,300 yards and had 42 touchdowns against just seven interceptions last year.
Now he’ll take over for Ben Roethlisberger.
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