3 Pittsburgh Steelers who have to take the next step this season

Steelers who need to step up: 1. Kenny Pickett

Pickett did a nice job of being a caretaker quarterback for the Steelers last season. The coaching staff didn’t ask him to do too much and he managed to win seven of his 12 starts. That was enough to qualify as a modest success for his rookie campaign.

This year it’s fair for everyone to expect Pickett to shoulder more responsibility. Specifically, he needs to find a way to push the ball further down the field. A repeat of last season’s mark of 6.2 yards per attempt would serve as a major red flag for Pittsburgh’s front office.

Pickett also needs to improve his touchdown to interception ratio. His nine picks last season aren’t a horrible number for a rookie, but comparing that to just seven touchdown passes paints a more troubling picture. The Steelers have high-quality talent at wide receiver. An average NFL starting quarterback should post far superior numbers than Pickett did as a rookie.

It’s almost certain that Pickett will be better in his second season, but the question of just how much he improves will go a long way toward determining the Steelers’ win total. He doesn’t need to be a superstar for this team to win, but he does need to find a way to blossom into a solid starter at the game’s most important position.