Andrew Fillipponi may be more stoked about the Steelers drafting Kenny Pickett than the quarterback himself.
Poni went on an incredible tweeting spree Thursday night, expressing pure elation about the Steelers selecting the Pittsburgh product with the No. 20 overall pick.
"This is going to be one of the greatest stories in Pittsburgh sports history," he tweeted. "Kenny Pickett leading the Steelers back to the top of the NFL."
Now that is one bold proclamation. While Pickett may not be ready to lead the Steelers back to championship contention yet, it's apparent the organization trusts him to start on day one. Mike Tomlin confirmed Thursday night Pickett will compete with Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph for the starting role in training camp.
Poni, for one, predicts Pickett is going to beat them out.
Widely considered the best QB in the draft — hand size be damned — Pickett burst into tears when the Steelers selected him, along with his family and fiancee. "I was speechless," he told the Post-Gazette. "It's my life's work, and it felt awesome. It was unbelievable to spend that moment with my family and my fiancée and everyone that was important to me. It was just really special."
Pickett dominated his senior season, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns. He's the first Pitt quarterback to be selected in the first round since Dan Marino in 1983, and the first to be selected in the first round since Aaron Donald in 2014.
Those are some high expectations to meet. It's fair to say Poni is confident Pickett can reach those heights.
Listen to Andrew Fillipponi's and Chris Mueller's full reaction to the Pickett pick on "The PM Team" Friday at 2:00 p.m. ET.
