Getty Kenny Pickett drops back to pass at Heinz Field.
It would be mildly surprising to see the Philadelphia Eagles take a quarterback in the first round of April’s draft. If they did go out on that limb, though, it’s looking more and more like Kenny Pickett might be their guy.
The Eagles wined and dined the former University of Pittsburgh standout ahead of his Pro Day workout on Sunday night. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder conducted pre-draft meetings with nine teams, then Philadelphia brass took him out to dinner (via NFL Media’s Aditi Kinkhabwala) sometime after 9:30 p.m. It’s not unusual for teams to pick up the tab for guys they intend on drafting.
Kenny Pickett’s effort today was for all intents flawless. He ran through a 56-throw script, one that ran from anticipation throws to those that showed off his arm strength. He had meetings w/ eight teams from 9am-9:30pm yesterday (dinner was on the #Eagles!) and has more today.
The other franchises showing interest in Pickett included the Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans. You could argue that the Eagles are the only squad on that list not looking for a quarterback upgrade. Maybe the Titans, too.
Pickett is expected to be the first signal-caller to come off the board and could go as high as No. 6 overall. The biggest controversy surrounding the New Jersey native (he grew up a card-carrying Eagles fan) had been over his hand size. Nine inches is the standard for NFL quarterbacks, but Pickett measured in at just 8 1/2 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine. Low and behold, he turned in a measurement of 8 5/8 inches at his Pro Day.
“Yeah, hopefully put the questions to bed,” Pickett told Kinkhabwala. “If people have more questions, I don’t know what else to say, what else to do. But yeah, it is what it is.”
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Eagles’ Interest in Pittsburgh QB Ongoing
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman’s interest in Pickett dates back to November 2021 when he sat in the press box of a Pittsburgh-North Carolina game to watch him and Sam Howell square off in a prime-time matchup. That scene went viral and Philly fans roasted Roseman at the time.
Either way, there is smoke to the Pickett rumors and seeing him in midnight green wouldn’t be shocking. The Eagles sent quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson to Pickett’s Pro Day on Monday, according to Jim Nagy. Again, it could be a team just doing their due diligence.
Big NFL contingent of coaches & execs in attendance for Kenny Pickett’s pro-day:
OC- Falcons, Panthers, Steelers, Commanders
QB- Falcons, Panthers, Lions, Saints, Giants, Eagles, Seahawks, Titans, Commanders
GM: Falcons, Panthers, Steelers, Commanders
Or, for those who enjoy plot twists, Philadelphia could be feigning interest to get a quarterback-needy team to jump them in the draft. That would be a sneaky good way to move up and land an impact cornerback, safety, or wide receiver. Make the trade, Howie.
Pickett Wows Scouts, NFL Executives
Pickett – a fifth-year senior at Pitt – is coming off a masterful season where he threw for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions. He finished third in Heisman Trophy voting while earning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. He left Pitt as the school’s all-time leader in passing yards (12,303), pass completions (1,045), and total offense (13,112).
On Monday, Pickett wowed scouts and NFL executives when he completed a 56-throw script during a throwing session. According to NFL Media’s Dan Parr, he offered NFL teams “a reminder of his ability to throw with timing and touch both from the pocket and on the move.”
Pitt QB Kenny Pickett’s hand measures larger at pro day than at NFL Scouting Combine. (via @AKinkhabwala)
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Eagles Entertain ‘Flawless’ QB Prospect at Pittsburgh Pro Day: Report