Pittsburgh saw a flash in the pan and deemed it too tempting to pass up.

The way I see it, soon-to-be-departed Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert opted to go out with a bang. He wanted so much to be remembered that he pandered to his fan base and made a draft decision based more on emotion than reason.

Kenny Pickett has drawn scouting comparisons to pros that would bring on yawns if made the face of the Steelers’ franchise. Guys like Taylor Heinicke – who went undrafted – and Andy Dalton. Andy Dalton! The average-at-best passer that Pittsburgh fans were so happy couldn’t make a star turn in Cincinnati!

It was Dalton that the Bengals had to move on from to get where they are now. Please, don’t even start with the Joe Burrow “resemblances.” Burrow had one of the best seasons of any college football triggerman, in the Southeastern Conference. Not in a league where Wake Forest made the title game.

Burrow’s best performances yardage-wise in that 2019 campaign came against the likes of Texas and Oklahoma. Pickett’s were against FCS New Hampshire and a Miami defense that wound up placing No. 102 in the nation in passing yards allowed.

Wipe away Pickett’s effort this past season and he’s just another fifth- or sixth-round pick. If the Steelers felt so inclined to take a quarterback, why did they take the one whose ceiling they’re aware of?

Better yet, both Pickett and Liberty’s Malik Willis were passed over with 19 other picks. I would’ve rather had a first round like Baltimore had – filling two positions of need with some of the best at their positions – than be quarreling over this.

Pitt fans will defend the choice with their lives. They have googly eyes for Pickett as the one who stayed an extra year and helped them back into relevance.

Don’t let your feelings get in the way.

Give me the storybook ending over the storybook start.