Former Steelers GM Kevin Colbert defends Kenny Pickett draft pick
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 3: Kenny Pickett #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Acrisure Stadium on December 3, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesThe Pittsburgh Steelers have been searching for their answer at quarterback ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season.
Their first swing of the bat came in the 2022 NFL Draft when they selected Kenny Pickett from the University of Pittsburgh in the first round. Pickett had 42 touchdowns in his fifth and final year at Pitt and led the Panthers to the ACC Championship. However, Pickett was a bust with the Steelers.
In 24 starts for the Steelers, Pickett threw just 13 touchdowns along with 13 interceptions. Of the 57 quarterbacks to play 200+ snaps from 2021-22, he ranked 37th in EPA. He also holds the lowest touchdown percentage in NFL history for quarterbacks with at least 500 pass attempts.
Despite all of those results, former Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert - the GM who drafted Pickett - still believes he was the right pick.
We projected Kenny to be a start-and-win NFL quarterback, and quite honestly, he lived up to that in his first two seasons with us," Colbertsaid via Jack Markowski. For us, he was 14-10 and trending in the right direction. So that's what we thought we had in Kenny."
Since Pickett's brief time in Pittsburgh, the Steelers tried the likes of Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers, with Mason Rudolph serving as a spot starter and appearing in multiple games in 2025. Wilson and Fields combined for 21 touchdown passes, seven rushing touchdowns, and six interceptions. Rodgers threw for 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season, with Rudolph adding two touchdowns and two interceptions.
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