Steelers Compare Bills QB Josh Allen to ... Kenny Pickett?!

"He reminds me a lot of Josh,'' said former Buffalo Bills defensive back Levi Wallace, who was a teammate of Allen's and is now a teammate of Kenny Pickett's in Pittsburgh.

"Comps'' are part of the way the NFL - and NFL scouts - do their business. "Who does this guy remind you of?'' is a shortcut to explaining the talents of a prospect. It's a handy tool ... but maybe we should be a bit more careful with the tool when we start comparing Kenny Pickett, as he enters his second season as a starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers, to MVP candidate Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.

"He reminds me a lot of Josh,'' said former Buffalo Bills defensive back Levi Wallace, who was a teammate of Allen's and is now a teammate of Pickett's.

To be fair, Wallace could be talking more about some "intangible'' things than he is talking about how Pickett is destined to be "The Next Josh Allen.'' Remember, in Allen's first full year as a starter, he demonstrated star quality, helped the Bills to a 10-6 record, and threw for 3,089 yards with 20 touchdowns to just nine interceptions.

And since that time? Team leader Allen and the Bills haven't experienced a losing season. They have won three straight AFC East titles. Allen has been named to two Pro Bowls and is commonly considered a top-tier QB.

Pickett has some pedigree; he was the No. 20 overall pick in 2022. In his 13 games, he totaled 2,404 yards, with seven TDs and nine interceptions. So ..."intangibles.'' That's gotta be it.

"I’ve seen him come in and just be hungry and just wanna learn the game. And obviously, there’s a transition period when you’re a rookie ... He just wants to win so bad," Wallace told NFL Network's Good Morning Football. "The guy, he just always wants to keep doing it, right? And if we could be out there for three hours and keep doing reps on offense, I know he would."

. @steelers CB Levi Wallace joins us to comment on the Steelers offseason defensive additions, and tell us what he thinks makes Kenny Pickett so special #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/7NasRAn7Cy

— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) June 30, 2023

Again, Wallace would know, he and Allen played four seasons together in Buffalo. Additionally, Pickett - who played at Pitt and gets to "stay home'' with the Steelers - has long been complimented for his level of self-motivation.

Is he Josh Allen? That seems unlikely. Should Josh Allen be flattered that he is now one of the "comps'' that pop up when people want to praise young QBs? That's probably the best way for Bills Mafia to take this. 

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