Drafting QB Kenny Pickett named 'best move of the 2022 offseason' for Steelers

What a difference a day — or in this case, a month — can make. 

It was only back in July when selecting Georgia wide receiver George Pickens in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft was referred to as the "best offseason move" made by the Pittsburgh Steelers this year. At the time, Pickens was dazzling in practices while catching passes from presumed starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and first-round draft choice Kenny Pickett, while Pickett was third on the depth chart and seemingly in danger of beginning the regular season as an inactive spectator behind both Trubisky and backup Mason Rudolph.

Pickett has flipped a figurative switch since the start of preseason action, though, and reportedly gets "better at practice every single day." Trubisky has seemingly noticed Pickett's improvements and publicly campaigned to start the regular-season opener at the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 11 via comments he made this week. 

For a piece published on Wednesday, Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine explained why the Steelers drafting Pickett is truly the club's best move of this past offseason. 

"The Steelers were the only team to use a first-round pick on a QB this year," Ballentine noted. "Pickett already looks like their most exciting option. He's gone 19-of-22 for 171 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the preseason.

"Most importantly, he's shown command of the huddle and calm under pressure, throwing a game-winning touchdown in the first week and leading a successful two-minute drive in the second week." 

Even Trubisky can no longer deny that he'll be competing for the starting job when Pittsburgh hosts the Detroit Lions in Sunday's preseason finale held at Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers originally hoped in March that Trubisky would be an upgrade over the version of Ben Roethlisberger who struggled throughout the 2021 season, but they may have instead found Roethlisberger's immediate successor in Pickett.