Why Kevin Stefanski thinks Kenny Pickett can 'thrive' in Browns' offense

Cleveland Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer recently noted that the team believes former Pittsburgh Steelers castoff Kenny Pickett can follow in the footsteps of Sam Darnold, who resurrected his career while with the Minnesota Vikings last season. 

On Monday, analyst Lance Reisland of the Cleveland Plain Dealer shared why Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is confident he can bring the best out of Pickett amid a four-way competition for the club's starting job that also features veteran Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

"Pickett is big and athletic, he can throw from different launch points, he is smart and can find advantageous matchups, and he has enough arm strength to stretch the field both horizontally and vertically. Stefanski sees a guy who can thrive in his scheme," Reisland wrote. "...By using play-action to create passing lanes, Pickett can make quick, decisive throws to his receivers, especially in the short-to-medium range. Building chemistry with key targets like (receiver) Jerry Jeudy and tight ends David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. will help him take advantage of mismatches."

The Steelers made Pickett the 20th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, and he went 14-10 as a starter with Pittsburgh. However, he tossed 13 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions over the first 25 regular-season games of his pro career before the Steelers signed Russell Wilson last offseason. Pickett reportedly handled that move poorly, and the Steelers ultimately traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2024. 

Pickett spent the majority of last season serving as a backup. In total, he completed 25-of-42 passes (59.5 percent) for 291 yards with two touchdowns and one interception with the Eagles. 

Some within the Browns reportedly "want" the 27-year-old Pickett to win the team's starting job over the 40-year-old Flacco. That said, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested on Monday that Flacco will begin training camp practices in the QB1 spot on the depth chart. As of Monday afternoon, FanDuel Sportsbook had Flacco as a +110 betting favorite to start Cleveland's Week 1 game versus the Cincinnati Bengals over Pickett (+200 odds). 

The Browns invested in their rushing attack when they grabbed running back Quinshon Judkins in the second round of this year's draft and ball-carrier Dylan Sampson in the fourth round. Judkins, Sampson and Jerome Ford could help to make life easier for either Pickett or Flacco when the season gets underway.

"Stefanski wants to rely on a strong run game with play-action, especially on early downs," Reisland added. "The Browns' play-caller wants to get into 12 and 13 personnel and dictate what defensive personnel is in the game."

Flacco's mastery of Stefanski's play-action offense is a big reason the one-time Super Bowl MVP allegedly has a "big edge" in the Browns' quarterback battle. If Pickett can close the gap over the next two months, Stefanski may decide it's better for the team if he starts the younger option of the two non-rookies in Cleveland's quarterback room.