Steelers: 3 worst moves of the 2022 offseason

1. Drafting Kenny Pickett

Pittsburgh’s missteps at the guard position pale in comparison to the mistake they made at quarterback this offseason. Making Pickett the first quarterback off the board at No. 20 will haunt the Steelers for years to come.

Pickett does have a chance to become a decent starter at the NFL level, but his lack of upside makes the pick a mistake for Pittsburgh. They should have been looking for a signal-caller who can help elevate the players around them. Instead, they took a guy who needs a really good ecosystem to be productive.

For the record, the criticism here has little to do with questions about Pickett’s hand size. Instead, it’s a criticism based on how much he struggles to operate from anything other than a clean pocket. That, combined with his average (at best) arm strength really keeps his ceiling as a player very low for a first-round pick.

The Steelers should have been content to play the season out with Mitchell Trubisky before committing big resources to acquire a new quarterback next year. Instead, they reached for the hometown hero that has a real chance to keep them mired in mediocrity for years to come.