Mark Madden: Comparing Kenny Pickett to Ben Roethlisberger is unfair but will constantly happen

The Steelers took Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick in this year’s NFL draft.

The Steelers took Ben Roethlisberger with the 11th pick in the 2004 NFL draft.

Pickett was the first quarterback taken. The next QB didn’t go till the third round.

Roethlisberger was the third quarterback taken. Eli Manning went first overall, Philip Rivers with the fourth pick. J.P. Losman also got chosen in the first round (22nd overall).

Pickett is 24. Roethlisberger was 22 his rookie season.

This space recently detailed how/why Pickett will open the season and likely spend most of it as the third-string quarterback, just as Roethlisberger was destined to do in 2004 until starter Tommy Maddox and No. 2 QB Charlie Batch both got hurt.

But otherwise, there’s no comparison between Pickett and Roethlisberger.

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Pickett gets the local rub because he went to Pitt.

But Roethlisberger came to the Steelers with more talent, more pedigree, more everything.

If Pickett has Roethlisberger’s career, it will be a surprise. What Roethlisberger did was impressive, but not shocking or unexpected.

Roethlisberger recently told Pickett to be himself, to not try and be Roethlisberger. That’s good advice on a lot of levels, not least because the latter is impossible.

Roethlisberger went 11th in a draft that was loaded with quarterbacks. If Roethlisberger then gets drafted now, he goes top five.

Pickett went 20th in a draft bereft of QBs. If Pickett now gets drafted then, he goes in the third round, maybe later. (Matt Schaub went in 2004’s third round, 90th overall.)

Pickett needed five years and 52 games with Pitt to build his draft stock. If he had come out for last year’s draft, Pickett goes in the third or fourth round.

Roethlisberger played three years at Miami (Ohio) and 38 games. He was more highly regarded at 22 than Pickett at 24, partly because younger is better.

In 2004, one scouting report projected Roethlisberger as “everything you look for in a franchise quarterback.” Another said Roethlisberger had “the highest upside of this year’s QB crop.” Another projected him to be “a star veteran big-game quarterback.”

Roethlisberger did all that.

Pickett’s potential is Kirk Cousins-level. He’s seen as high floor, low ceiling. Pickett is safe. The one guy who keeps raving about him is Pickett’s personal quarterbacks coach.

This isn’t meant to knock Pickett. Just don’t go overboard.

Pickett will be good. He’s accurate and athletic. But he won’t be Roethlisberger.

Pickett’s one advantage is having competed in the ACC, a superior conference to the MAC where Roethlisberger played. But if Pickett is plug and play, how come he won’t be playing?

Pickett was a Heisman finalist. Roethlisberger wasn’t. But the Heisman has little to do with pro potential. Anyway, there’s never going to be a Heisman finalist from a MAC school.

Comparing Pickett to Roethlisberger is unfair to Pickett. But it will happen constantly.

Roethlisberger was compared constantly to Bradshaw, still is, and their careers were separated by 21 years.

Yinzer apoplexy will be reached if Mitch Trubisky gets hurt and Mason Rudolph plays. But Rudolph is undoubtedly next man up at quarterback. He’s had a good offseason, and the Steelers like him more than you think, or you do.