NFL trade regrade: Steelers fleeced Eagles for Kenny Pickett and Howie Roseman knows it

In 2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers believed they had their quarterback of the future when they selected Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round. Pickett was a homegrown kid that the Steelers had watched up close and personal for years. The front office liked him. It was a match made in heaven.

By either the curse of Matt Canada or the fact that Pickett just wasn't that good, the young signal caller never found his footing with the Steelers. Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin, and the team's top defense was able to schematically keep the team above .500 with Pickett at the helm.

Still, the Steelers decided to completely flip their offense around during the 2024 offseason. They shipped Pickett away to the Philadelphia Eagles and let Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky go. Pittsburgh replaced this quarterback room with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.

Speaking of trading Pickett, let's look back at that trade, less than a year into the future.

NFL Trade Regrade: Steelers fleece Eagles in Kenny Pickett dump

If you're not familiar with the complete trade, here it is:

In this deal, the Steelers were sending Pickett to the Eagles to move up from pick No. 120 in the 2024 NFL Draft to pick No. 98. Pittsburgh also received two seventh round picks in the deal.

Since the 2024 NFL Draft has been completed, we can look at how these top picks were used.

The Steelers selected linebacker Payton Wilson from NC State with their third-round pick that they acquired in the deal. Wilson is a well-respected member of the Steelers rookie class and many have high expectations for the young man because of his tenacity and motor.

The Eagles dealt the 120th overall pick to the Miami Dolphins rather than selecting a player in the draft.

Since the deal, Pickett has shown it clearer than ever that he isn't an NFL-caliber quarterback. Not even a backup-level quarterback. He often looks overwhelmed, and his arm talent lacks tremendously. The Eagles would have been better off if they never dealt for him.

I think Steelers fans would have been okay if the team was able to acquire one pick in the draft to get Pickett off their hands. With Wilson and Fields now in the black and gold, they have two signal callers that have higher floors and higher ceilings than their former first round pick.

This trade, while just in its infancy, looks like a highway robbery for the Steelers. Pickett is still young, so he has the chance to turn his career around. But he really doesn't look like much more than a career backup rather than a former top pick.