With the draft right around the corner, the question remains: will the Pittsburgh Steelers be drafting a QB and, if so, then who?

The general consensus right now is that the Steelers really like Liberty’s Malik Willis. Most seem to think if he is there when the Pittsburgh picks in the first round that they will go with him. 

Cincinnati’s Desmon Ridder has always started to come up in the conversation as a good second round option for the Steelers. He is not one of the best prospects in the draft, but he has a high ceiling and if he pans out, he’d be a steal.

But there is one quarterback who is falling out of favor with Pittsburgh fans that should be reconsidered. And that is Pitt’s own Kenny Pickett. 

Some mock drafts still have him going early, as early as the top 10, but others have him sliding late in the first round. Should he fall in the draft order, it would be an amazing turn of events for the Steelers.

People love to bring up that the last time a Pitt quarterback had this much hype going into the draft, the Steelers passed on him. Dan Marino went on to have a Hall of Fame career while Pittsburgh struggled throughout a majority of the 80s. 

It’s a fun comparison to bring up, but of course that isn’t the main reason the Steelers should pick Pickett. 

Let’s assume he is there when it is Pittsburgh’s time to pick at the 20th spot in the first round. The discussion around how this year’s draft order will play out is complex and a hot debate, and that is an article for another day. 

It would be asinine for the Steelers to pass on Pickett if he is sitting there. He is a big, athletic player who is still a mobile quarterback. All offseason the Steelers have been shouting from the rooftops that they want a mobile QB, after the last few years of Ben’s career were the complete opposite of mobility.

Pickett has a great throwing arm, he has a smooth passing motion and the ball always has a clean spiral in the air. A main critique of mine for Mason Rudolph is how often his passes wobble in the air and are off target. Pickett can launch a ball and place it perfectly to his receiver.

He has great footwork; he knows how to set his feet and shoulders and deliver a strike. Pickett is also a clutch quarterback, something Steelers’ fans grew used to with Ben and his famous fourth-quarter comebacks. He is a great leader and knows how to rally his teammates around him.

Pickett, like any other NFL prospect, does have his negatives. While he does have a good throwing stance, he does sometimes fail under heavy pressure. Sometimes he doesn’t see the pressure until it’s too late or he makes a poor decision when feeling it. 

The biggest pro of Pickett is his improvement. His best season was his senior one, and while some people may argue that it was a fluke, many others point out that it wasn’t just his stats that got better. His mechanics and football IQ all improved, he is going into the draft literally at his very best.

The Steelers don’t need to trade up for him, the other quarterbacks aren’t the worst option and with Mitch Trubisky there it isn’t a glaring need.

But, if Kenny Pickett is there and the Steelers do not take him, it might be Dan Marino all over again.