Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. predicts Pitt's Kenny Pickett will go to Steelers in 1st round

Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett is considered a first-round talent in the upcoming NFL Draft, and two noted prognosticators have the Pittsburgh Steelers taking him with the No. 20 overall pick.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein each kept Pickett in his adopted home city in their respective mock drafts. Kiper released his latest mock draft Tuesday, one day after Zierlein.

Kiper has Pickett being the second quarterback selected, with Liberty’s Malik Willis going to Carolina with the No. 6 overall pick. Zierlein also has Willis going ahead of Pickett, but to the New Orleans Saints at No. 16.

Kiper explained his rationale for the Steelers taking Pickett:

“I’d feel much more comfortable taking Pickett here than I would in the top 10. Best-case scenario is that he’s Derek Carr, and his floor is as an Andy Dalton-type, which isn’t a bad quarterback by any means. Pittsburgh can win with that. Still, those two were taken in Round 2 and didn’t have Round 1 expectations surrounding them. If Pickett falls into the Steelers’ laps here, he’d be tough to pass up. And he has a little more upside than Mitch Trubisky.”

Wrote Zierlein: “Outgoing general manager Kevin Colbert might be salivating over the prospects of adding Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis here, but Pickett is an ascending talent who could compete for a starting spot this season.”

In Kiper’s mock draft, Willis and Pickett are the only two quarterbacks listed in the first round. Zierlein has Mississippi’s Matt Corral going to the Detroit Lions at No. 32.

Will Brinson of CBS Sports, in his latest mock draft, has Corral going to the Steelers at No. 20, after Pickett and Willis are off the board.

“Even with a lack of teams who need QBs there are still tons of teams willing to reach for them,” Brinson wrote. “Maybe the Steelers prefer Willis, but Corral has a hose and Matt Canada loves some RPOs.”

Kiper’s mock draft also included a second round. He has the Steelers selecting Alabama wide receiver John Metchie III with the No. 52 pick even though Metchie tore his ACL in December.

“He can play in the slot and make a difference in the middle of the field for the Steelers, which let JuJu Smith-Schuster walk in free agency,” Kiper wrote. “Metchie should be able to recover to play in Week 1 — and potentially help Kenny Pickett.”