CBS Sports: Steelers Best Offseason Move Drafting Kenny Pickett

CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin has identified each AFC team’s best offseason move, and believes the Pittsburgh Steelers hit a home run drafting quarterback Kenny Pickett.

While he certainly likes the Pickett selection, Benjamin views it as just the cherry-on-top of an outstanding offseason.

“Pittsburgh quietly had a tremendous offseason, bolstering an iffy line with ex-Bears offensive guard James Daniels and finding another draft-day wide receiver gem in George Pickens,” Benjamin wrote. “But nothing matters more than QB, and while Pickett may very well project as more of a safe signal-caller than a spicy one, he’s got the hometown roots and all-around toolkit to keep Mike Tomlin in the playoff mix.”

Pittsburgh selected Pickett with the 20th-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft following the retirement of longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger earlier this year. While Mitchell Trubisky has taken the lion’s share of first-team reps through OTAs and minicamp, there is no question that Pickett is the team’s long-term plan at the position.

Pickett passed for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns in his final season at neighboring Pitt, a campaign which earned him an invitation to New York as a Heisman finalist in December.