QB, Pittsburgh
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 220 lbs
Class: rs-Senior
As a three-star recruit in the 2017 class, Pickett was not the most sought-after quarterback coming out of high school. He received just three offers from Power Five schools, committing to Pitt over North Carolina and Iowa. He became the starter for the Panthers in 2018 and leaves college as the school’s record holder in passing yards, completions, and touchdowns.
Pickett was widely regarded as a day three prospect ahead of the 2021 Draft, but chose to take advantage of his extra year of eligibility and return to school. He went on to have a breakout redshirt senior season, throwing for 4,308 yards and leading the team to their first ever ACC conference title.
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Strengths
The biggest strength to Pickett’s game as a prospect is his mental processing. Pitt operate a diverse passing attack that asks a lot of their quarterback. Many of the concepts they run are staples in NFL offenses. Pickett’s ability to operate this kind of offense already is hugely impressive and stands him in good stead ahead of his transition to the NFL. He routinely executes full or half field reads and displays excellent decision making when doing so.
Unlike a lot of college quarterbacks, Pickett is quick to process through his progressions and his internal clock is very impressive. He is quick in identifying favourable matchups for his receivers, but won’t linger for long if his first read is not viable. He is also adept at recognising when there are no sensible throws to make, and will instead look to create outside of structure rather than forcing a risky pass.
Another of Pickett’s strengths is his accuracy. He is adept at working all three levels of the field and delivers the ball on time and in the right location. He also demonstrates a good understanding of leverage and will adjust his ball placement to maximise his receiver’s chances. Pickett finished the season with an adjusted completion rate of 78.8%, which ranked fourth amongst Power Five quarterbacks.
Whilst Pickett’s main strengths are as a passer, he also offers some upside from an athleticism standpoint. Pitt often used him on designed quarterback runs or zone reads and he was able to thrive in this role. He finished the season with 440 rushing yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Pickett might not have the elite athletic tools to be a designed runner at the NFL level, but he will still be a threat to pick up yardage as a scrambler. He has also routinely shown the ability to create outside of structure.
Weaknesses
The biggest concern with Pickett is his pocket presence. He has the frustrating tendency to bail on clean pockets and will seemingly sense pressure when there is none there. This cost Pitt a number of big play opportunities, and he needs to be more consistent on this front if he is to become an NFL starter. There were also a number of times when he could be overly conservative, checking down instead of taking opportunities to open receivers downfield.
There are some other concerns with Pickett as a prospect. Many will question why it took him until his fifth year to show this kind of form. His previous three years as a starter were nothing special and he was widely regarded as a day three talent prior to the 2021 season. There will also be questions about his hand size. Pickett’s hands reportedly measure 8 1/4 inches, which would be the smallest of any quarterback prospect in over 20 years. Whilst the importance of these measurements can often be overstated, it is a significant outlier at the position.
Bottom Line
Pickett is an intriguing prospect. He is already comfortable running a pro-style offense and displays great processing quickness. When coupled with his accuracy and ability to create outside the pocket, it is easy to buy into his potential. His issues with pocket presence and previously mediocre college production will be a cause for concern, but he has the potential to be a solid starter in the NFL.
Ideal role: Starting quarterback in a spread offense
Round projection: 1st round
