"We got Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, the nasty guy in Cleveland" - NFL analyst assesses how Steelers rookie Kenny Pickett fits in AFC North QB battle

No. 8 at a press conference at the NFL Combine

Kenny Pickett would likely agree that at one point, Ben Roethlisberger ruled the AFC North. However, with Roethlisberger out, Kenny Pickett in, and Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Deshaun Watson lining up under center on the opposite side, the Steelers could be the odd man out.

At least, that is how one NFL analyst sees it. Speaking on the Mina Kimes podcast, NFL analyst Charles McDonald saw the AFC North with the Browns, Ravens, and Bengals in one group and the Steelers in another.

“I just find it funny, man. I just find it funny. Like, all right, we got Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, the nasty guy in Cleveland. Coming up with Kenny Pickett like really? I don't know, it just doesn't seem that exciting to me."

Love seeing our guys @kennypickett10 @Tipton_05 @PineStar11 right next door chasing their dreams at Steelers Mini Camp. Proud of them‼️ #H2P #WEnotME https://t.co/XwzTBjTGlv

He continued, conceeding that the Steelers will still be able to pull out an entertaining season.

"But this is the Steelers, like they always figure out some way to just scrape by and like we started off with there's almost no way that this team is like as bad as they were pet throwing the ball last season. I was just looking at Ben Roethlisberger game log from the end of the year. It's not very pretty."

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He went on, explaining his assessment.

"He averaged 4.5 yards per attempt the week before, like, based on the last thing that we've seen on the Pittsburgh Steelers passing game, Kenny Pickett has a very, very low bar to clear to get the Steelers fans excited and honestly like they were a fringe playoff team last year with Ben Roethlisberger."

McDonald added that he doesn't expect Pickett to endure as hard a time as Roethlisberger.

"But man, I would be really surprised if Kenny Pickett has like, basically as bad of a season that Ben Roethlisberger [had] because I know Ben Roethlisberger didn't throw a whole lot of interceptions, but his QBR for the season was 35.8. That's not very good.”

Kenny Pickett's college career

No. 8 throws a pass in Pittsburgh vs. Syracuse

At this point, the only data one has to go by in evaluating Pickett is to look at his college record. The quarterback played in college for five seasons. His freshman year was essentially a redshirt year, according to Sports Reference. In his second season, he played in 14 games, throwing for 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

In 2019, the quarterback saw his stats jump despite playing in fewer games. In 2019, the quarterback threw for 3,098 yards, 13 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, in 12 games. In 2020, the quarterback played just nine games, throwing for 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions once again.

With four seasons under his belt at this point, the NFL was looming as the next step of his career. However, with his current stats lacking oomph, the quarterback decided to return for one last shot to raise his stock. Put simply, it worked.

In his final year in college, the quarterback played in 13 games, throwing for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Just a few months later, he was the lone first-round quarterback selection.

Now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, many look at the quarterback as the successor to Ben Roethlisberger. Will he fill those shoes admirably?

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