Passing on Kenny Pickett could be 1983 all over again for the Steelers

Chances are slim, but some mock drafts — like one of Pro Football Network‘s latest — project Kenny Pickett to still be on the board for the Indianapolis Colts to select at No. 47.

Let’s pretend for a minute that Pickett falls.

The Steelers would be crazy not to take him, right?

This season, Pickett put his name out there with his stellar play and broke Pitt Panthers legend Dan Marino’s all-time passing touchdowns record with 81. Oh, and he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

Through 13 games in 2021, Pickett completed 67.2-percent of his passes for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Overall, Pickett accumulated 12,303 passing yards and 81 passing touchdowns in his five seasons.

Bringing in Pickett makes sense for the Steelers, considering he played his home games at Heinz Field and they’re familiar with his body of work. But, given that the Steelers will be picking in the middle of the first round, they will have to trade up to get him. Pickett may be worth moving up for or he may not. There’s no sure-fire way to know.

Revisiting the 1983 Draft

Every team has drafts or draft selections they wish they could do-over. But perhaps none as badly as the Pittsburgh Steelers 1983 draft. Their need for a quarterback was abundantly clear — Terry Bradshaw, on the downside of his career, played the entire strike-shortened 1982 season with torn muscle and tendons in his elbow which he had surgery to repair in the offseason.

Yet with quarterback Dan Marino still on the board at No. 21, the Steelers selected defensive tackle Gabe Rivera who played in just one game after an alcohol-related car wreck left him paralyzed.

Fresh off elbow surgery, Bradshaw played just one game in 1983 after re-aggravating his injury and retired that offseason.

Meanwhile, Marino played in had nine starts as a rookie with a 7-2 record. He threw for over 2,000 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. The following season, he set the single-season passing yards record with 5,084 in 1984. Marino finished his 17-year career with the Dolphins with 61,361 yards and 420 touchdowns.

No one knows whether Pickett has a Dan Marino-like career ahead of him, but if Pickett is still around for the Steelers taking at No. 20, they’d be wise to grab him.

Otherwise, it could be 1983 all over again.