Steelers: 3 Ben Roethlisberger replacements playing on Championship Saturday

This just makes too much sense for the Steelers. Why look wide and far for Roethlisberger’s successor when he is playing right in Pittsburgh? Of course, we are talking about Kenny Pickett of the Pitt Panthers.

Pickett is having perhaps the best season among 2022 NFL Draft eligible quarterbacks, and the reason why he has risen up to the top of the class rankings.

While he did lead the Panthers to a huge 27-17 win over the Clemson Tigers, the senior’s most monumental came last week against the Syracuse Orange. In the game, Pickett threw 28 completions for 298 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. That helped Pickett break the school record for most touchdown passes in a single-season, a record previously held by the great Dan Marino (37).

On the year, Pickett recorded 4,066 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and seven interceptions on a 67.7 completion percentage.

The Steelers should be all-in on Pickett, regardless of the final result of the ACC Championship Game. But, that is all depended on if they have a high grade on him. There are rumors that they are more in on Sam Howell of UNC than Pickett. But, things change, especially when they evaluate the quarterback class in the pre-draft process.

If the Steelers want Pickett, they may have to move up in the first round to ensure they get him over other quarterback-needy teams like the Washington Football Team and New Orleans Saints.