Kenny Pickett will, very likely, become the second Pitt quarterback to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft when names are announced Thursday night in Las Vegas.
Pickett’s rapid climb up draft boards throughout Pitt’s 2021-22 season not only benefitted him greatly, but also the school’s program and athletic department for years to come.
“It’s a huge night for Pitt football, and it says a lot about where the state of our football program is and the culture that coach (Pat) Narduzzi has built,” said Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke on Wednesday. “It’s as good as you could want it.
“It also says a lot about the quality of development with our players.”
With Pickett, the Panthers won their first ACC title this winter, a monumental accomplishment for the program, but one that’s impact reaches throughout the school.
“It’s a lift, there’s no question that football lifts all of our programs more than you can imagine,” Lyke said. “But we believe in comprehensive excellence. We have 19 teams and football having the success they’ve had certainly contributes to the success of everybody else. It becomes contagious.”
The 23-year-old from New Jersey banked on himself a year ago, electing to forgo the draft to return to Pitt for a final season. His goal, in coming back, was motivated by a chance to increase his draft stock and to win a conference title for the Panthers. He accomplished both goals.
“There’s value in coming back and being a part of a championship team,” Lyke added. “Kenny said it, and he did it. I think he’s a great role model from that standpoint.
“He wanted the team on his back in a sense. Every quarterback has to lead, innately, by the position. So I saw him grow as a leader, a confident leader, as an unselfish guy and as a tremendous teammate.”
Pickett with likely become the 26th first-round pick out of Pittsburgh and first quarterback since Dan Marino, was taken 27th overall in 1983.
The influence of that, particularly if Pickett — already a beloved figure in Pittsburgh sports history — can have a strong NFL career, will be forever felt through the athletic department.
“He’s special,” Lyke said. “The maturity, the confidence that you saw grow in him over the time that he was here is extraordinary. He’s a leader. He’s probably one of the greatest teammates that I’ve seen.
“We really appreciate all that he’s done… I think he’s a Pitt man, for life.”