2022 Senior Bowl Quarterbacks Preview

Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh

Kenny Pickett comes in as the person that many want to be the Baker Mayfield of past Senior Bowls. Mayfield showed up after a strong Senior season and dominated the events. He was a leader from the second he stepped on the field and made the event look small for him.

Kenny Pickett is expected to do the same after he made a huge leap before his fifth season of collegiate football. Many want to make the Joe Burrow comparison because Pickett is older, has small hands, and waited until his last year to break out.

However, Burrow was at Ohio State and had to wait behind a five-star recruit before transferring and dominating the SEC once he got his chance. Pickett started for four seasons and things finally came together against a down ACC. Pickett could just as easily show at this event that is he is closer to Gardner Minshew, or Will Grier, two quarterbacks who dominated their last season, but were more products of their environment with limited overall skill sets.

Still, Pickett can create the buzz that saw Burrow and Mayfield go number one overall if he does dominate this event and show that his physical attributes are not limited, his mental processing in the pocket is advanced, and that his age makes him way too prepared for a practice showcase.

Pickett needs to show that he is NFL-ready because he is working with fewer gifts than the other people he faces off with. His pocket presence brings questions and you want to see how fast he can go through his reads without rolling out to his right. Pickett is not comfortable rolling to his left either, and this is typically when arm strength questions come. That, and being late on throws can make you wonder if he is a tick slow to get off of his first read, or if his velocity is limited. This is something we will be able to see more clear next to other quarterbacks of his skill level.