Steelers Made Worst QB Pick Since 2021

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers' decisions in the NFL Draft have been less than stellar in the last decade.

With their franchise quarterback retiring after the 2021 season, the Steelers have been unable to replicate the success that Roethlisberger had at the position. They attempted to do so immediately after by drafting Kenny Pickett out of Pitt, but the experiment did not work out.

Recently, ESPN's Matt Miller rated all of the quarterbacks selected since the 2021 draft in the first round, giving Pickett the worst ranking of the eighteen quarterbacks picked.

"The opinions on Pickett were mixed when asking evaluators to grade his game. He ended up being the only quarterback taken in the first round of a weak 2022 class, and the only one drafted in the first 73 picks (the best 2022 QB, Purdy, was selected with the final pick of the draft). Pickett threw 42 touchdown passes during his final season at Pitt, but he also lacked arm strength." Miller wrote.

Miller then spoke about the troubling statistics from Pickett's time with the Steelers, further emphasizing why the plan did not work out for the team.

"He completed only 63% of his throws and threw nine interceptions over 13 games as a rookie. Pickett wasn't able to establish himself as the long-term answer in Pittsburgh, losing his starting job in 2023 before getting traded to the Eagles in 2024. He was traded twice more in 2025, from the Eagles to the Browns in the spring and from the Browns to the Raiders in the preseason."

A Doomed Pick From The Start

Pickett's tenure also overlapped with Matt Canada's offensive coordinator stint, and both made clear that they were not the right option at their respective roles. Now, Pickett has bounced around the league and will need to make a Sam Darnold-esque turnaround for his mid-first round draft selection to make any sort of sense.

Dec 3, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) passes against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The only other quarterback taken outside of 2024 and 2025 anywhere near Pickett is 2021's Mac Jones, who has now seen a career renaissance as a backup with multiple teams, including running the San Fransisco 49ers offense with ease during the 2025 season amidst injuries to Brock Purdy. Jones could even be an interesting name to watch for the Steelers, who enter another offseason as one of the more quarterback needy teams across the league.

With no strong options outside Fernando Mendoza, the Steelers likely will not go for a passer in the first round, and are likely much better off that way.

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