Kenny Pickett addresses questions about hand size prior to being drafted

The No. 1 question Kenny Pickett was asked ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft wasn’t about throwing mechanics, arm strength or decision-making. Instead, Pickett’s hand size was the biggest worry for most NFL teams who were hesitant to select him.

The Pittsburgh Steelers overlooked that minor weakness and it has seemed to work out for both parties ever since.

“If I’m worried about what people say about my hand size, I’m probably in a good spot,” Pickett said on Green Light with Chris Long. “All they talk about are first-rounds guys. They don’t talk too much about the people who go undrafted’s hand size. Me and my dad always joked about it, saying I’m in a pretty good spot if all they’re talking about are my hands.”

Before Pickett, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was given the same criticisms for his 9-inch hands, which has turned out to be an afterthought in the mind of fans and the franchise after leading the Bengals to a Super Bowl in 2021 and an AFC Championship game appearance in 2022. Who’s to say Pickett and his smaller hands can’t do the same?

While the hand-size situation was discussed extensively during his pre-draft process, Pickett said that he was doing daily exercises to “stretch” his hand in the hopes he could add some extra length before the final draft measurements.

Pickett’s hand size ended up increasing from 8.5 inches at the NFL Combine to 8 5/8 inches by his pro day thanks to the stretching. His hands are the smallest out of any active NFL quarterback.

“[Teams asked me] why do I care so much. We don’t care. I’m like, well you don’t but 10 other teams have told me they care,” Pickett said. “I was trying to be [drafted] as high as I can go. I appreciate that, but there are some teams out there that care more than others, so you want to put your best foot forward in that process. You only get [drafted] once.”

Pickett’s hand size hasn’t seemed to get in the way of his job, however. As the Steelers’ primary quarterback last season, Pickett was able to help lead his team to a 9-8 season during his rookie year. He threw for 2,404 yards but had a hard time finding the end zone, throwing seven touchdowns compared to nine interceptions. He added an additional 237 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Pickett started in 13 of the Steelers’ 17 games, sitting behind Mitch Trubisky for the first four games of the season while still getting acclimated to the NFL. He would lose four of his first five starts, but ended the season on a hot streak, leading Pittsburgh to five-straight wins when he was able to play the full game.