Steelers first pick: Three things to know about first-round pick QB Kenny Pickett
The Steelers stayed put and addressed their quarterback situation, taking arguably the best quarterback in the draft in Pitt product Kenny Pickett.
He will eventually take the reigns and replace Ben Roethlisberger, who retired after last year. But what can you expect from the newest Steeler?
Here are three things to know about Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett
Fifth Year Phenom
An argument can be made that no player in college football benefited more from an extra year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic than Pickett. After taking over as the Panthers’ starter at the tail end of his freshman season in 2017, the 6-foot-3 New Jersey native was decent, but far from a first-round talent. Then… the 2021 season happened. Pickett threw for an ACC record 42 touchdowns in 2021, which was more than he had combined in the three previous seasons as a starter (39). As his success continued throughout the year, so did recognition. Pickett was named the ACC Player of the Year, received All-American honors and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp, Maxwell, and Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Awards. After leading Pitt to its first ACC title in program history, Pickett elected to not play in the Peach Bowl, knowing that an injury could hurt his recently sky-rocketed draft stock.
Bullseye!
The reason many like Pickett over other quarterbacks in the 2022 draft class is because of his accuracy. Last fall, the Panthers’ start completed 334 of his 497 pass attempts (67%) with an average pass going 8.7 yards. The tape shows Pickett isn’t afraid to throw the ball in the middle of the field and can find receivers through tight windows of defenders. Pickett’s accuracy allows him to be viewed as a quarterback who won’t turn the ball over, something all NFL coaches love to hear, especially when speaking about a rookie.
“Kenny two-gloves”
If you’ve been following along with this year’s NFL draft news at all over the past few months, you’ve probably heard about Kenny Pickett’s hand size. For years, there is seemingly always at least one highly touted quarterback who gets the “small hands” tag. The idea is with bigger hands comes a better ability to grip the football; better grip means better throws and less turnovers. In recent years, players like Joe Burrow and Kyler Murray both were given the “small hands” tag, but still managed to go first overall. However, Pickett’s hands measured at 8.5 inches from thumb to pinky at the combine, which is the smallest out of any current NFL quarterback. Thanks to hand yoga, Pickett was able to measure in at 8 ⅝ inches at his pro day, which is of course better, but still far from the commonly accepted size of 9 inches. Will Pickett’s tiny paws hurt him at the highest level? Most seem to think not. In college, Pickett notoriously played with gloves on, leading to some on social media calling him “Kenny two gloves.” Although a bit rare, Pickett won’t be the first NFL quarterback to play with gloves on both hands and he won’t be the last either. Having played college ball in Pittsburgh, he’s shown the ability to play well in poor weather, even with hands that are smaller than most. With his draft journey now over, the hand comments will likely end as well – at least until he fumbles for the first time in an NFL game.
Contact Noah Hiles at nhiles@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @_NoahHiles.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Steelers draft Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett. Here's what to expect
