Former Steelers' GM Kevin Colbert Uncovered A Few Special Talents In Final Days In Pittsburgh

After a rough time during Ben Roethlisberger's final seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers went into the 2022 draft, looking for the players that could be their future instead of guys that would fix short-term problems. This was also Kevin Colbert's final draft with the Steelers before stepping away and taking a lesser role with the team. This was a critical offseason for the Steelers, and overall, they did well, as well as avoiding some draft traps.

2022 Steelers' Draft Class

1st round: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh. While Pickett was older at 24 years old, he was also the most pro-ready quarterback in the class. Since entering for Mitch Trubisky in week four, he has shown that he's a capable starter in this league. His pocket presence is excellent, as he always knows when and where to escape, or if he just needs to throw the ball away. His accuracy leaves some to be desired, but that can be fixed over time.

He oozes confidence and has shown that he doesn't get rattled, like when he completed a pass over the middle and took a big hit from Quinnen Williams. Instead of lying there and begging for a flag, he smiled and talked a little smack to Williams. Even though Pickett had some concussion issues this season, he wasn't afraid to take some hits to make some plays.

2nd round: George Pickens, WR, Georgia. The Steelers continue with their tradition of drafting stud receivers and upsetting the rest of the league in the process. Pickens can make all the insane catches that Chase Claypool tried and failed to make. Unfortunately, he does have a little bit of a drop issue, but hopefully that gets fixed soon enough. He also has some attitude issues that he needs to clean up, but those issues will solve themselves as Pickens matures. As long as his attitude and drops become less of an issue, Pickett to Pickens will be a constant threat for a long time to come.

3rd round: DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texan A&M. Leal looked very similar to Alex Highsmith in Highsmith's rookie year. While Leal didn't get many of the sexy stats, he was a major force on the line that allowed other players to get the stats. He helped get pressure and made opposing quarterbacks run into the arms of his teammates. If he develops like Highsmith did, the Steelers will then have their Stephon Tuitt replacement.

4th round: Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis. To the dismay of the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers were able to snag him before they could in the 4th round. Austin unfortunately missed the whole season due to a foot injury, but was still an active participant during team meetings. Hopefully, Austin has been increasing his football IQ while waiting for the chance to get on the field. We'll see what happens in 2023, but the hope is that Austin becomes yet another stud receiver for the Steelers.

6th round: Connor Heyward, TE, Michigan State. There were a lot of complaints about this pick, with speculation that Heyward was only picked due to nepotism. Heyward surprised many when he was able to haul in a huge touchdown to help beat the Atlanta Falcons on the road. Heyward didn't see a ton of playing time as the #3 tight end, but he was impressive when he was on the field.