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Former University of Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett won't have to travel far after the 2022 NFL Draft, at least according to NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah.
In his final mock draft updated hours before the first-round on Thursday (April 28) night, Jeremiah has the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Pickett at No. 20 overall.
"The Steelers should know everything there is to know about Pickett, the former Pitt star. He could come right in and compete with Mitchell Trubisky for the starting position this fall," Jeremiah wrote.
In February, the former Pitt standout told reporters during the opening day of Senior Bowl week that he's aware of the possibility of staying in the Steel City with the Pittsburgh Steelers needing a long-term replacement for recently retired quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
"The possibility of getting drafted there would be unbelievable," Pickett said via SI.com. "Pittsburgh is really my second home, so that would kind of be a dream. It started when I got recruited to Pitt and maybe at the next level. We’ll see what happens."
The New Jersey native said he developed relationships with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Mike Tomlin during his high school and collegiate careers, which culminated with a stellar redshirt senior campaign that included winning the ACC Player of the Year award and finishing as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
"[Coach Tomlin] is a great guy," Pickett said via SI.com. "I’m obviously very familiar with Coach Canada, as well. He recruited me to Pitt. So I have a great relationship with them."
Pickett opted to forego the Chick-fIl-A Peach Bowl in December in order to prepare for the 2022 NFL Draft.