Kenny Pickett trade grades: Steelers put all their eggs in Russell Wilson basket

Russell Wilson joining the Pittsburgh Steelers always made a ton of sense as he would come in to compete with 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett. As it turns out, though, it might not be a competition at all, at least for now.

On Friday, the Steelers completed a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for Kenny Pickett that will send the much-maligned signal-caller to the City of Brotherly Love for a pick swap, as reported by ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter.

Talk about an absolute stunner.

Kenny Pickett trade details: Steelers get third-round pick from Eagles for QB

It's essentially a swap of picks for the Steelers and Eagles with the former moving up into the third round while Philadelphia drops to the fourth round in this year's draft. The two seventh-rounders going to Pittsburgh next year are ultimately inconsequential. Now, let's hand out grades for both of these teams.

Kenny Pickett trade grade for Pittsburgh Steelers

It's shocking to see the Steelers already parting with Kenny Pickett, but it also feels a bit justified. Not only do they have other potential avenues to bring in competition for Wilson, but the former first-round pick also reportedly handled the Wilson trade awfully.

Even still, it doesn't fully diminish the shock value, especially with Mason Rudolph now on the Titans. The Steelers quarterback room now looks like Will Smith in that episode of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" with Russ at the center of the living room.

This trade could ultimately be graded higher for the Steelers based on what's next, but we're keeping it out of the "A" range for now, simply because having Wilson as the team's only plan at quarterback is a bit disconcerting. However, if they truly believed Pickett was a lost cause, then cutting ties and moving up some 20+ picks in the draft is going to be beneficial in the long run.

Steelers Trade Grade: B+

Kenny Pickett trade grade for Philadelphia Eagles

Quarterback depth is always crucial and buying low on a former first-round pick does make some sense for the Eagles, who did not have a proven backup on the roster with Tanner McKee being the likely backup for Jalen Hurts. At the same time, giving up a Day 2 pick, even if they get a fourth-rounder, is still somewhat perplexing. All told, it's a move that could ultimately benefit Philadelphia, but still leaves you scratching your head just a bit.

All told, though, the cost was still relatively low and the Eagles are replacing Marcus Mariota with a commodity that they at least know what they're getting if he needs to take the field, which wouldn't be the case entirely with McKee. So it does make some sense, even if the surprise might take a fair amount of time to wear off.

Eagles Trade Grade: B-