Rapoport: Kenny Pickett 'A Name to Watch' for Steelers Replacing Ben Roethlisberger

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TheRobGoldberg is the featured Columnist for January 17, 2022.

AP Photo/Chris Carlson

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network said that the Pittsburgh Steelers could look to start fresh at the quarterback position by selecting Kenny Pickett in the 2022.

Rapoport said on Good Morning Football that Kenny Pickett was a name to watch. They've done a lot of homework on him, and it's easy to have those conversations, they've seen him in person. There's a lot to like between those two parties, but not saying that's gonna be the guy.

Roethlisberger hasn't officially announced his retirement, but he and others indicated Sunday's 42-21 playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs was his last game.

"As we move from one chapter to the next, it's going to be different, but it's going to be fun," he said after the game.

Rapoport stated that the Pittsburgh Steelers will not trade their picks for a star such as Russell Wilson or Rodgers, and that they will give both Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins a chance to earn the starting job next year.

The best place to find a long-term replacement is in the draft.

There are several players who could go in the first round, including Pickett, Ridder, Corral, and Willis. The latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Scouting Department projected Ridder going ninth overall, followed by Pickett at 11.

The 20th pick is set by the Steelers.

No one had a better season than Pickett in 2021. He was 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 He finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, behind Alabama's Bryce Young and Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson.

The biggest concern is whether this was a one-year blip after he totaled just 38 touchdown passes in his previous three seasons as a starter.

The local product should be assessed by the team heading into the draft.