Kenny Pickett Is a Worthwhile Gamble for the Steelers
Kenny Pickett wasn't the betting favorite to be the first quarterback picked -- listed at +200 on FanDuel Sportsbook -- but he ended up being just that as the Pittsburgh Steelers nabbed him with the 20th overall pick.
Pickett logged a whopping 51 games with at least 10-plus pass attempts at Pittsburgh, which is significant, and among the signal-callers in the mix to be taken early in this draft, he led this year's class in adjusted yards per attempt and QBR.
Will Pickett be the next franchise quarterback in Pittsburgh?
Player Comparisons
numberFire's Jim Sannes breaks down Pickett's profile and gives his top comparison.
"Pickett has a lot of overlap with Andy Dalton."@JimSannes believes Kenny Pickett is a good football player, but has a capped ceiling in the NFL pic.twitter.com/x8BWzREFEh
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) April 29, 2022
Brandon Gdula's draft database has found these 10 prior prospects to have the most similar statistical profiles to Pickett's. Keep in mind that these are based not on play style or traits but age, athleticism, draft equity, experience, efficiency, and production.
| Rank | Kenny Pickett Profile Comparisons | Similarity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andy Dalton | 88.7% |
| 2 | Colt McCoy | 84.0% |
| 3 | Christian Ponder | 83.2% |
| 4 | Charlie Frye | 82.8% |
| 5 | Ryan Tannehill | 80.9% |
| 6 | Colin Kaepernick | 80.7% |
| 7 | Russell Wilson | 80.7% |
| 8 | John Beck | 79.4% |
| 9 | Kevin Hogan | 78.9% |
| 10 | Joey Harrington | 78.6% |
Gdula's Take: Pickett's profile suggests a high floor due to a lack of red flags. There aren't specific areas where he shines, however, and his late (fifth-year) breakout doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. That's not to say there aren't hits in his comp list, of course. Does he have true high-end upside? That is the question he'll need to answer.
Kenny Pickett's Fantasy Football Outlook
The Steelers inked Mitchell Trubisky this offseason, and Trubisky will likely be under center in Week 1. How long will he hold that job? It's anyone's guess.
Pickett, when he does get on the field, should benefit from having a lot of talented pieces around him, including Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Pat Freiermuth and Najee Harris. But as a quarterback who isn't likely to run much, Pickett's fantasy football upside isn't very high.
On FanDuel Sportsbook, the Steelers are listed at +8000 to win the Super Bowl and have the worst odds (+850) to prevail in what should be a very stout AFC North. They have a win total projection of 7.5 on FOX Bet.
