There’s a reason teams don’t just hand starting jobs to first-round picks.
Thus far, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett has struggled his way through his first training camp. Hailing from the University of Pittsburgh has accelerated certain aspects of his rookie transition, but he does not yet look ready to start. All of his practice reps have been taken with the third-stringers. He’ll have to beat out backup Mason Rudolph before challenging Mitchell Trubisky for the starting role.
It is unlikely Pickett starts Week 1 for the Steelers, but the betting odds don’t reflect that. On DraftKings, he’s still the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, at +600. Perhaps it’ll be a matter of Trubisky losing the job, rather than Pickett winning it.