Mike Tomlin explains biggest factor in decision to draft Kenny Pickett

Following the 2022 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin dished on the behind-the-scenes details surrounding their No. 1 selection Kenny Pickett. The Pittsburgh Steelers chose the Pittsburgh Panthers star with the No. 20 overall pick on night one, placing high hopes on the quarterback who could take over after the long Ben Roethlisberger era.

“First of all, he had a couple of elements of his game that were really attractive,” Tomlin said on The Rich Eisen Show. “His ability to anticipate and his professional-level accuracy. Oftentimes, the college guys have a ways to go in those areas. When we talked about a high floor it’s usually because they’re pro ready in those areas and he was.

“We also had the proximity angle and a bird’s eye view of his growth and development. He does the things that come with the quarterback position in a very natural way whether it’s dealing with and leading his teammates or talking to the media. None of that appears to be a chore for him.”

Pickett and Tomlin got to know each other in passing over the course of four years while the young quarterback was with the Panthers. That comfortability was a big reason why the Steelers are taking a chance on Pickett for the future of the franchise.

Kevin Colbert shares if Kenny Pickett hand size caused any concern

There was a lot of talk about Kenny Pickett’s hand measurement heading towards the 2022 NFL Draft but as he became the No. 1 quarterback off the board, it’s clear that talk was just wasted breath.

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert, who is retiring after the dust settles on the draft, discussed how much of a factor the organization considered Pickett’s hand size of 8.5 inches to be before drafting him.

“Honestly, I never paid attention to that,” Colbert said to ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio. “We look at the results. We watch Kenny play in our environment. . . . Can he throw the football? Absolutely. Did he have an excessive fumble rate? No, he didn’t. We just judge it on how he played.”

Although Pickett does have the smallest hand size of any active NFL quarterback, his 67.3% completion rate in 2021 speaks for itself. Although he had 26 career fumbles at Pitt, he only had three in his final season.

Pickett has a massive battle coming up versus more veteran Steelers quarterbacks Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.