ALTOONA, Pa. -- Former Pitt coach and alum Dave Wannstedt raved about quarterback Kenny Pickett during a recent conversation, and he made this declaration.
"He's one of the best in the country. He could end up drafted higher than Dan Marino. Think about that," Wannstedt, an analyst for FOX Sports, told DKPS last week.
On Monday, the lead NFL draft analyst for Pro Football Focus, Mike Renner, made this prediction on Twitter:
QB landing spots in the 2022 NFL Draft, per @PFF_Mike 👀 pic.twitter.com/OCxT6UHDib
— PFF (@PFF) November 1, 2021
Renner has Ole Miss' Matt Corral as the No. 1 quarterback for the draft, followed by Liberty's Malik Willis and then Pickett.
Could the Steelers really be interested in drafting Pickett? It would make sense in a lot of ways that the team would take a quarterback given that this is expected to be Ben Roethlisberger's final season. Whether they do or not, and whether Pickett is that quarterback, remains to be seen.
Marino was the 27th pick in the first round by the Dolphins in 1983 and enjoyed a spectacular career in Miami. As Wannstedt said, Pickett has a chance to be taken higher in the draft than that Pitt superstar.
Wannstedt recalled the first time he noticed Pickett a few years ago, while doing halftime highlights for FOX.
"Matt Leinart and I were talking, and we were both saying this kid is a true freshman and there's something about him," Wannstedt said.
"I've talked to Pat (Narduzzi) about him, and he talked about the toughness."
We talked with Wannstedt last week, prior to Pitt's upset loss against Miami. Some of his comments were about how impressed he was by the Panthers heading into that game. Of course, Pitt wound up taking a bad loss, but we'll still share what Wannstedt said about the team.
"I guess the word would be impressed," Wannstedt said. "I'm excited and I'm happy for them. I know the commitment that the administration has made from a facility standpoint, and I know the commitment that Pat Narduzzi and his staff and how hard they've been working.
"When you see the players, I'm happiest for the players and excited for those kids. They chose to go to the same school that I did, and I feel a connection to the players. I'm excited that they're having success. It's going to be a good story for them when they leave."
PODCAST: Check out our in-depth discussion below about whether Pickett would be a good choice for the Steelers in the NFL draft.
