A Heisman finalist last season and hailing from Oakhurst, NJ, Kenny Pickett has one of the most unique rises of any quarterback in this draft class.
Being only a three-star recruit coming out of high school, the odds of Kenny Franchise ever hearing his name as a first-round pick would have been the biggest afterthought during his first few years at Pitt. At the beginning of his time at the school, his numbers were not so great, throwing for less than 20 touchdowns in 2019 and 2020.
But come time for his senior season, Pickett blew away all expectations and went on to lead Pitt to an 11-2 record and their first ACC Championship in program history. During his senior season, Pickett threw for over 4,000 yards (hitting 67% of his targets) for a staggering 47 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions.
Although his small hand size has been a major talking point, Pickett was an accurate quarterback during his time at Pitt and progressively got better each and every season. He may also have history on his side. Since 1995, Pitt players that were drafted in the first round, a list that includes Reuben Brown, Aaron Donald Darrelle Revis, and Larry Fitzgerald all went top 15, combining for 35 Pro Bowls throughout the course of their careers.
Measurables: 6'3" 220 LBS
School: Pittsburgh
2021 stats: 42 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 4,319 yards, plus 5 rushing touchdowns
Accolades: Heisman Finalist (2021), First Team All-American (2021), ACC Player of the Year (2021), First Team All-ACC (2021)
Strengths: Pickett has a strong arm and can make any throw that is necessary for today's NFL. He is very mobile (rushing for over 700 yards in 18 touchdowns in his college career) and deceptive as noted by his viral "fake slide" run during the 2021 ACC Championship game. He has the ability to be a field general which will make him an easy like for coaches and will command everyone's respect in the locker room from day one. Pickett is also competitive when in the pocket and fighting for extra yards and is not scared to take a hit or two. He has a solid frame that should fair well in terms of taking punishment from stud pass rushers like T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett.
Weaknesses: Production is a huge red flag as his first years at Pitt weren't all that great. Once we toss in the fact he played in a weak conference in college (ACC) with only one legitimate team at the time, (Clemson) it makes his first few seasons that much more concerning. It also wouldn't be right for me not to bring up the hand size issue. The talk about his hand size has been a point of emphasis for experts ever since the start of the draft process. I don't see this as an issue, as many QBs like Joe Burrow and Russell Wilson have succeeded in the league despite not having "bear claws" for hands. Not to mention that Pickett has already played in a cold-weather environment in Pittsburgh.
NFL Comp: Pickett plays eerily similar to Tony Romo. He was one of only two quarterbacks with hands just as small as Picketts to play a lengthy career in the NFL (the other being Mike Vick.) The current CBS broadcaster was also sneakily deceptive as a runner and is just as accurate as Pickett was in college, swinging a completion percentage that never dropped below the mid to high 60% mark.
What experts are saying:
Here's what I like about Pickett: Even when everything is wrong (rushed, frenetic, off balance) he can make plays/throws. A bunch of the other QB's in this class can have everything right (on balance, eyes/feet connected) and still miss targets. That's why he's my top guy. - Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network
"One thing I would be concerned about if I’m the Panthers and draft Kenny Pickett...once they get on the practice field, they’re gonna say “Whoa, the guy we draft #6 doesn’t have as good of an arm or as quick a release as Sam Darnold. That’s a reality you have to handle. For those who think I'm endorsing Darnold here, I’m not. He’s made too many mistakes to be counted on. But he can still outshine Pickett on a practice field, which is a hurdle when you’re trying to get your locker room to buy into the rookie." - Chris Simms-NBC Sports
Tape:
Follow Jasper Jones on Twitter: @jonesj2342
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram