Steelers Take QB of the Future with Their First Pick in the NFL Draft

Steelers Take QB of the Future with Their First Pick in the NFL Draft
Fact Checked by Pat McLoone

The NFL Draft loomed large for Pittsburgh Steelers and Pennsylvania sports betting fans.

After all, a key position the Steelers sought to fill in last week’s draft was quarterback, since future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger retired after last season.

It was a position the Steelers haven’t worried about filling for many years, since Roethlisberger’s first snap in 2004.

In 2022, the Steelers went ahead and picked two QBs and went for a hometown favorite with their No. 1 pick.

Kenny Pickett, a New Jersey native who quarterbacked the University of Pittsburgh, stays at home. He was the only QB chosen in the first round (20th overall) of the NFL Draft last Thursday.

A popular choice among its fanbase, Pickett will be competing against former Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills quarterback Mitch Trubisky (also a first-rounder) and Mason Rudolph, Roethlisberger’s former backup, for the starting spot.

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Steelers History with Quarterbacks in First Round

Roethlisberger was the last quarterback the Steelers selected in the first round, going back to 2004.

Other previous first-round QB choices included: Mark Malone (1980, 28th); Terry Bradshaw (1970, 1st); Len Dawson (1957, 5th) and Ted Marchibroda (1953, 5th)

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NameYearPick No.Pro Bowls
Ben Roethlisberger2004116
Mark Malone1980280
Terry Bradshaw197013
Len Dawson195757
Ted Marchibroda195350

 

Who The Pittsburgh Steelers Took in The NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers made seven picks over three days of the NFL Draft (five on offense, two on defense) and are the first team to take two quarterbacks in one draft since 2012.

The Steelers selected another quarterback, 24-year-old grad transfer Chris Oladokun, in the seventh round. Oladokun played one season for South Dakota State.

  • Round 1 (20th overall):Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh QB)
  • Round 2 (52nd overall): George Pickens (Georgia WR)
  • Round 3 (84th overall):DeMarvin Leal (Texas  A&M DL)
  • Round 4 (138th overall): Calvin Austin III (Memphis WR)
  • Round 5 (208th overall):Connor Heyward (Michigan State TE)
  • Round 7 (225th overall): Mark Robinson (Mississippi LB)
  • Round 7 (241st overall): Chris Oladokun (South Dakota State QB)

Steelers Not Among Super Bowl Favorites After Draft

Despite the choice of the heir apparent, the Steelers find themselves in the bottom half of the odds to win the Super Bowl, in the eyes of DraftKings Sportsbook.

The Steelers are +6500 to win the Super Bowl, +4000 to win the AFC and +800 to win the AFC North.

Here are the Steelers’ odds, along with the top 10, according to DraftKings:

TeamSuper Bowl oddsConf. title oddsDivision odds
Buffalo Bills+650 +330 -175
Tampa Bay Buccaneers+700 +350 -280
Los Angeles Rams+1000 +450 +125
Green Bay Packers+1000 +500 -175
Kansas City Chiefs+1000 +550 +160
San Francisco 49ers+1400 +700 +205
Los Angeles Chargers+1600 +850 +250
Denver Broncos+1600 +850 +250
Dallas Cowboys+1700 +750 -110
Cleveland Browns+1700 +900 +175
23. Pittsburgh Steelers+6500 +4000 +800

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Author

Lou Monaco had been East Coast Scene columnist for Gaming Today in Las Vegas since June 2019, covering the East Coast sportsbook scene with emphasis on NJ and PA. He also currently is a part-time writer for the high school sports department for NJ Advanced Media (NJ.com) in Iselin, NJ. Lou has over 30 years sports experience with previous stints at ESPN SportsTicker, Daily Racing Form and Oddschecker.

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