UNITY TWP., Pa — Steelers camp expectations for Kenny Pickett were not met until Monday. The Steelers had him running with the third team for most of training camp. However, on Monday that changed. Pickett got his first second team reps of the entire training camp session and took advantage of those reps.
While with the third-team offensive line Pickett ran for his life, he was allowed to be more natural today. Not only did Pickett have time in the pocket to scan and make the right reads, but Pickett made a few nice plays himself. The first of the big plays he made was a quick read off of a play-action pass where he hit Myles Boykin on a 15-yard dig route.
Throughout his college days, Pickett was able to make magic occur with his legs. That might be what drew the Steelers to him more than anything. When off-platform and working out of structure. Pickett can make some things happen that most quarterbacks simply can not.
On Monday, Pickett scrambled outside of the pocket after being pressured. However, it was enough to where he would have escaped cleanly. Pickett kept his eyes downfield and fired a 15-yard strike to Boykin on the sideline for a first down. That was the classic type of stuff that Pickett can make happen with his legs.
Was he perfect? No. On one play, Pickett missed Gunner Olszewski badly on a skinny post when he probably should have put it right there on his chest. Instead, he skipped it in front of Olszewski. However, on the very next play, Pickett stepped up in the pocket and escaped through the right side. He fired it to Olszewski about twelve yards downfield for a completion.