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The Pittsburgh Steelers went quarterback in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, selecting Kenny Pickett from the University of Pittsburgh. Two rounds later, in round three, they also selected Texas A&M standout defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Leal was asked to share his thoughts on the rookie signal-caller. He asserted that the pressure is there for Pickett while highlighting his efforts to create relationships with other teammates:
“Kenny's definitely got some pressure on him being a first-round pick, and the ceiling for him is extremely high. You can see everything. He keeps getting more and more comfortable throwing the ball to the different wide receivers that he has now.
"He talks to the guys, tries to get to learn about you, try to get some type of relationship going with all the guys. He’s just feeling it, going to his role that he knows he wants to play.”
To Leal’s point, the pressure is on Pickett as he was drafted to be the heir apparent to the recently-retired Ben Roethlisberger. Pickett had an exceptional career at Pittsburgh, especially in his senior season last year for the Panthers.
The quarterback was both the ACC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
His 42 touchdowns led the ACC and he was the fourth-most in all of college football that season. What’s more, Pickett also won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award in 2021 as the nation’s top senior quarterback. The question is will he be the starter for the Steelers under center in his rookie season?
Can Kenny Pickett win the Steelers starting job at QB?
Kenny Pickett is competing for the Steelers' starting job with Mitchell Trubisky, whom the team signed to a two-year contract this offseason. Trubisky has a clear advantage as he’s started more games in the NFL than Pickett.
The second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft started 50 games for the Chicago Bears in four seasons (2017- 2020). He spent last season as Josh Allen’s backup with the Buffalo Bills.
The one thing that’s certain is that head coach Mike Tomlin will give Pickett every opportunity to win the starting job. However, the 24-year-old knows that it won’t be handed to him.
We’ll see if the former Pitt quarterback, who finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting last year, can win the starting job for the Steelers in 2022.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit H/T Sportskeeda.
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