Kenny Pickett's performance proves Steelers have a potential answer but not solution for Ben Roethlisberger's replacement

Kenny Pickett was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was the organization's choice to take over as their future franchise quarterback following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger during the 2022 NFL offseason. Roethlisberger retired after spending his entire 18 year career with the Steelers.

While Pickett would be tasked with filling big shoes, he didn't open the season as the starting quarterback. Instead, the Steelers named Mitchell Trubisky the Week 1 starter after signing him during the 2022 free agency period.

Trubisky struggled in his short time as the starting quarterback for the Steelers, losing two of his first three games. He entered a favorable match-up at home in Week 4 against the New York Jets, but failed to impress. By the end of the first half, the Steelers were trailing by a 10-6 score. This triggered head coach Mike Tomlin to make a change, bringing in rookie Kenny Pickett to replace Trubisky.

Pickett's NFL career got off to the roughest of starts as he threw an interception on his very first passing attempt ever. He would go on to complete ten of his 13 passing attempts for 120 yards, but all three of his incompletions were intercepted by the Jets defense. On a more positive note, Pickett recorded two rushing touchdowns.

It was a mixed performance for Pickett, who failed to complete the comeback against the Jets. Instead, the Steelers lost their third consecutive game. While it was only one half, Pickett will need to play much better moving forward. Especially if he's going to follow in Ben Roethlisberger's footsteps, which include two Super Bowl rings.

It's unclear at this point if Kenny Pickett will be named the starting quarterback moving forward or if the Steelers will give Trubisky another shot first, but an announcement by Mike Tomlin can be expected sometime prior to the Week 5 game. It will be a tough task for whoever gets named the starter, facing off against the Buffalo Bills, one of the best teams in the NFL with the top-ranked defense from a season ago.

Which teams passed on Kenny Pickett?

Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett

Pickett was the only quarterback selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, going to the Steelers with the 20th overall pick. Several teams ahead of the Steelers in the draft order were rumored to be interested in drafting a quarterback in the first round, but ultimately decided to pass on Pickett.

The Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Seattle Seahawks all decided to pass on quarterbacks, filling other roster needs instead. Other teams that passed on Pickett in the first round drafted quarterbacks later. These were the Atlanta Falcons (Desmond Ridder), the Carolina Panthers (Matt Corral), and the Washington Commanders (Sam Howell).

The Tennessee Titans also decided to take a quarterback later in the draft when Malik Willis fell to them in the third round. They weren't necessarily in the market for one, so didn't really pass on Pickett, but capitalized on drafting Willis for value where they got him. The New England Patriots similarly drafted Bailey Zappe in the fourth round, before a trio of speculative quarterbacks were selected late in the seventh round.

Does Kenny Pickett really have small hands?

Kenny Pickett at the 2022 NFL Combine

Kenny Pickett's hands measured in at just 8.5 inches during the 2022 NFL Combine. He officially has the smallest hands of any quarterback currently playing in the NFL, making his grip on the football a potential issue moving forward. While his hands are extremely small compared to other NFL quarterbacks, it's debatable how much of an impact that really has on a player's abilities.

It's certain that the Steelers would have drafted him if they had any concerns about this. They scouted him thoroughly and would have watched endless tape of his college days before reaching a decision.

It was great to see the rookie get on the field, although his debut didn't quite go to plan. We will see him develop and perhaps start some games in the near future.