The Pittsburgh Steelers will feel the weight of their 2022 draft picks for a while. It’s too early to judge some of them after just two seasons, but the book is already closed on first-round pick Kenny Pickett’s time in Pittsburgh.
Missing on a first-round pick stings. It was a weak quarterback class, and the argument can certainly be made that the Steeler personnel weighted team needs too much when taking Pickett and should have instead just gone with whoever they thought the best player available was.
However, they made up for it in the second round, taking WR George Pickens, who looks like a steal and has established himself as the clear wide receiver in Pittsburgh. The rest of the draft has been pretty “meh” so far, but there’s still time for guys like LB Mark Robinson or WR Calvin Austin III to step up to the plate.
While the Pickens selection may prevent the Steelers from wanting a hypothetical full re-draft, it’s still an interesting exercise. Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team took a look at what would have happened if the 2022 draft took place today. Pittsburgh missed out on Pickens but came away with another big-play receiver, taking current Green Bay Packer WR Christian Watson at 20th overall.
“Everyone knew this quarterback class stunk, and if the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to swing on a risky first-round addition, Kenny Pickett made little sense due to his lack of physical traits.” Mosher wrote. “The class doesn’t have a good alternative with Purdy long gone, so Pittsburgh cuts the cord even earlier on Chase Claypool and adds the raw but naturally gifted Christian Watson.”
Chase Claypool was coming off a decent season in 2021, and it’s a bit of hindsight bias to say that they could have just moved on from him earlier without a second thought. However, taking a wide receiver still makes a lot of sense here.
George Pickens would be a viable candidate to use this pick on, but he was already off the board to the Lions at No. 12. Fellow receivers Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Drake London were also all taken before the Steelers’ re-draft selection.
As far as consolation prizes go, Watson isn’t a bad one. He’s struggled to stay on the field over his first two seasons, but he’s been productive when available. Watson originally went 34th in 2022 and has had a real nose for the end zone with the Packers, racking up 12 touchdowns in his 23 career games. Even with his missed time, he currently leads the draft class in receiving touchdowns. He also fits the Steelers’ mold of being a tough-minded player and willing blocker.
Watson would look good in the black and gold, but he doesn’t quite have the ceiling that Pickens does. The Steelers would likely still be in the market for a guy who they could view as their true WR1 going forward if they had Watson instead of Pickens. The Pickett pick is a tough pill to swallow, but I’m sure most Steelers fans feel a little better about this draft overall each time they watch Pickens break off a big play.