Who Will be Kenny Pickett's Go-To-Guy?

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Dylan Stamper

There have been many Quarterbacks in the league who had the fortune of finding that unbreakable connection with one of their skill players. Many will say that Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown proved to have the best statistical connection in Steelers History. I'd agree.

Sometimes, you will see teams' pair former NCAA teammates on the same NFL team because of the growth they can make with someone they just played with for four years religiously. Look at Joe Burrow and JaMarr Chase in Cincinatti.

It was unfortunate the Steelers weren’t able to snag up Former Pittsburgh Panthers WR Jordan Addison to pair with Kenny Pickett, and build upon the success they accomplished. With all young depth surrounding Pickett, we have the big question: Who will be that standout guy for Kenny to lean on?

Last year, Pickett began finding rhythm with guys like George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, and Diontae Johnson as the season progressed. To go all in on an incredible college phenom like Pickett after moving on from a storied franchise quarterback like Roethlisberger comes with patience in terms of timing for the correct opportunity placement. Kenny did have a series of turning the ball over continuously during his first two weeks starting, which scared many people. But you can say he was developing an idea of who he would rely on. The Steelers have a lot of key pieces - it's a good problem to have.

My gut is telling me that Diontae Johnson, even with all the criticism, will stand out amongst all the others.

I do have to be very upfront and say I’m a huge advocate for George Pickens. But I wanted to be unbiased and tactical with my decision on this. I believe Pickens and Freiermuth have a much higher ceiling in their futures compared to Diontae respectfully. I think the major factor is the physical height aspect with those two. Will they ever be able to catch 80-90 passes like DJ has in the past? Or will they be utilized more as deep threats and red-zone targets?

Diontae can surprise the critics with his speed on huge key plays. The difficult hump for Diontae to get over is his decision making mid-play on how to be aggressive and finish a rep with determination. If he can improve on things like that, it will be very difficult to keep track of those three standout talents. Pickens and Freiermuth attract many double coverages that opens up more opportunities for Johnson to showcase his explosion.

Lastly, my Diontae Johnson stat prediction is this: 95 Receptions, 1200 Yards, and 9 Touchdowns.

And the honor of being Kenny Pickett’s new best friend.