Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith recently turned heads in the NFL by saying the Steelers could have the best defensive unit in the league this season.
Steelers star cornerback Patrick Peterson, speaking on The Jim Rome Show, concurred with Highsmith’s bold expectations before declaring that quarterback Kenny Pickett would ultimately determine how far the team goes.
“I do [believe the Steelers will have the best defense], and what it’s going to come down to is we have all the pieces that we need on defense,” Peterson said.
“We know defense wins championships. We have talent across the board on the offensive side of the ball. I believe the front office did a great job of getting what we needed in the draft as far as getting Broderick [Jones] in the first round, a left tackle, young pup who you should expect to see play a lot. You added Allen Robinson, you got Diontae Johnson, you got George Pickens, you got Najee [Harris]. You know it’s all going to come down to how well Kenny can play and can he put the ball where it needs to go.
“I believe he is a guy that we can rely on, a guy that we can count on. Now it’s all going to fall on him if he can go out there and show us what he’s capable of doing.”
The Steelers selected Pickett, a local product out of the Pittsburgh Panthers program, with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was the only quarterback selected in the first round, so the Steelers certainly believe he has the tools to carry the team as he enters his second season in the league.
