Steelers Daily Links: Comparing Pickett to Stafford, Mock Draft OT

By Alan Saunders

·November 17, 2022

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected a tackle with their first-round pick in a recent mock 2023 NFL Draft and Kenny Pickett is being compared to an early-in-his career Matthew Stafford.

? Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports has the Steelers selecting Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski at third overall in his latest 2023 NFL mock draft. “Skoronski has been a brick wall in pass protection at Northwestern. He’s exactly the type the Steelers need,” Trapasso wrote.

? Through his first six career games, Kenny Pickett has completed 66.7% of his passes for 1,161 yards, with five total touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 39.1. Pickett has received a lot of flak for his play, but his stats actually match up with Matthew Stafford’s first six career games in 2009 when he was with the Detroit Lions. Stafford completed 53.8% of his passes for 1,265 yards with seven total touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 32.4.

? The slew of pigeons that have been at the last two Steelers’ home games are likely to be absent on Sunday. The National Aviary told Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan that the later kickoff means the birds will have already eaten by the time the game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. The pigeons were there in the first place to feed on grass seed. The Steelers were 2-0 with the pigeons on the field.

? Wednesday marked the five-year anniversary of when Antonio Brown made a helmet touchdown catch in the Steelers’ 40-17 win over the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football.

? The Steelers will face a different kind of Joe Burrow on Sunday. “Just healthier, one. I’m not coming off an appendix surgery,” Burrow told the Cincinnati media. Along with being healthier, Burrow said he’s not going to throw four interceptions like he did in the Week 1 matchup.

? San Antonio Brahmas head coach Hines Ward selected former Florida State running back Jacques Patrick in the first round of the 2023 XFL Draft. Ward picked former Hawaii wide receiver Calvin Turner Jr. in the second round.

? George Pickens continues to impress as a blocker, as he put New Orleans Saints defensive end Payton Turner on his back this past Sunday.