Steelers QB Camp Notebook: Kenny Pickett Leads First-Team for First Time
LATROBE, PA -- The Pittsburgh Steelers seemed to have made a switch to their quarterback depth chart. After coming into training camp as the third-string quarterback, Kenny Pickett may have surpassed Mason Rudolph as the No. 2.
Pickett has taken solely second-team reps for the last two days since his impressive performance in the Steelers' preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks. And today, for the first time, he ran a two-minute drill with the first team.
Statbook
Mitch Trubisky: 11/15
Trubisky had two nice completions to Pat Freiermuth to start practice, after running in a touchdown on his first play of seven shots. From there, it was a lot of one-on-one drills before Pickett and Rudolph took the field for two-minute drill.
Kenny Pickett: 8/10
Pickett went eight passes in a row without an incompletion, which is becoming a theme for the rookie. After an inconsistent firs three weeks, he's started back-to-back practices with nearly double-digit competitions before an incomplete pass.
Mason Rudolph: 10/15
Rudolph got one play during seven shots, finding Tyler Vaughns on a quick pass to the endzone. He worked with the threes until two-minute drill when he ran with the second team.
Two-Minute Drill
Pickett worked with the first-team in two-minute drill, operating with one timeout and 1:01 left on the clock at their own 47-yard line.
His first pass was a quick six-yard gain by Chase Claypool. He followed that up with another quick pass to the sideline to Najee Harris.
An incompletion to Pat Freiermuth left the offense with 19 seconds left before a 25-yard deep ball to George Pickens on the sideline. With 11 seconds on the clock, Pickett had 14 yards to win the drill.
An incompletion out of the back of the endzone set up a second down with five seconds. In less than dramatic fashion, the next pass was also incomplete, intended for Chase Claypool, as the clock struck zero.
Rudolph lined up next looking at the same minute and a second on the clock with 53 yards to go.
He started with a nine-yard completion to Steven Sims, followed by an incompletion to Gunner Olszewski. On the next play, he found Miles Boykin for a 13-yard gain with 37 seconds left on the clock.
An throw away on the next play left the offense with 27 seconds and secon and 10. A six-yard dump-off to Anthony McFarland was followed by a timeout with 19 seconds left.
On the next play, Rudolph went deep and found Tyler Vaughns for a 25-yard gain on the sideline. That set the offense up on the 11-yard line with 17 seconds left and a first and 10.
Looking at four chances to score from 11-yards out, Rudolph threw four incompletions, all out of the endzone. On his final play, he went for the sideline in the front of the endzone to Christian Blake but it was just out of reach for the wideout.
Overreaction
There's going to be a lot of talk about Pickett taking his first first-team two-minute drill. It's important to remember that Mitch Trubisky did not participate in the drill and that he's been the only QB to take first-team reps through the entire training camp.
It's still Trubisky's job and it's becoming harder for him to lose it. Pickett might be the No. 2 moving forward, but he has a ways to go before he beats out Trubisky for the starting job.
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