I watched every Pitt game this season as well, and a lot of CFB in general. Pickett is not the 2nd best QB in the ACC. He is a one-read guy on a poorly designed (Whipple) offense. If his first read isn't there, he immediately tucks it and takes off.
TLaw and Howell are clearly better. I'd take King over Pickett in a heartbeat. Pickett might get drafted late, but the kid at BC looks just as good in a small sample size (and beat him head to head).
Being that Pickett is a 4-year starter, I will give him the nod, but talent-wise I don't see him as that much of an upgrade over Cunningham, Leary or Hooker.
The WRs on the outside are worse than ours. Addision in the slot has some talent. But the total lack of a running game makes them totally one-dimensional, and that simply doesn't work in the P5 with average talent.
That is all to say that IMO Pickett wouldn't have made much of a difference. The Pitt run game got stuffed, and Addison threw for 270 (?). Pickett averages 2.6/per on 46 carries (King 5.2/per on 53 carries for reference). He hurt us with his legs in 2017, but he isn't a running threat on a weekly basis.
The line moved from -10.5 to -13.5 when Pickett went out. The game ended Miami by 12. I think that tells you all you need to know about what Pickett was worth... about 2 points (which is in line with a starting QB of his caliber IMO, will turn to
@Poptimus for thoughts on this).
Last, I said all this same stuff about Pickett's limitations in multiple posts during gameweek. I am not saying it in hindsight. He isn't that good.