Pittsburgh invested in the running back position before the offensive line. They have had elite linemen like David DeCastro, Maurkice Pouncey and Alejandro Villaneuva in the past. It would benefit them to get back to that point.
Pickett wins with ball placement and a decent anticipatory feel for when his receivers will get open. He has decent mobility and usually does a credible job running for positive yards when the pocket breaks down. A four year starter in college, Pickett improved and developed into a solid NFL prospect. His 6:1 touchdown to interception ratio ( 36/6) peaked enough interest from scouts for him to be considered a possible franchise quarterback. The Steelers are looking for an "heir apparent" at quarterback, to supplant the aging, future Hall of Famer, Ben Roethlisberger. If Pickett is available he'd make an interesting selection.
The search for Pittsburgh's heir apparent to Big Ben is long overdue. They could trade up to go after one of the big three, but for our purposes they stay put and grab Strong, who is carving up defenses in the Mountain West Conference to the tune of 350 passing yards and three TD per game.
The Ben Roethlisberger era is over, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have offensive pieces in place with good WRs and a dynamic RB. This will make the transition from Roethlisberger to a rookie QB a little bit smoother. With this pick, they select the hometown kid Kenny Pickett. Pickett started the year off as an unknown to the casual college football fan but has put together a great resume this year. He has the best arm of all the quarterbacks in this draft and has made good decisions with the football all season long.
Cross is one of the most improved players in college football. After allowing 44 pressures in the Bulldogs' Air Raid offense in 2020 -- his first year starting at the Power Five level -- he has given up just 14 in 2021. The 2019 five-star recruit has earned a grade above 85.0 as a run- and pass-blocker this year and even kept a perfectly clean slate in pass protection against Alabama.
This Steelers pick will likely be a common landing spot for quarterbacks in other mock drafts, but I believe the team will look to acquire a veteran instead of a rookie. From the exchange of sideline smirks between Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers, reports of not wanting to start over with a rookie and a roster that is built to contend for a playoff spot, Pittsburgh could instead go after Rodgers, Russell Wilson or an alternate option if Ben Roethlisberger retires. And with expected holes along the interior offensive line in 2022, Green could be a strong option. He has been a stalwart for the Aggies this season, playing more than 85 snaps apiece at left tackle, left guard, right guard and right tackle.
