NFL Draft: Star QB Opts-Out of Bowl Game - Will Enter 2022 NFL Draft

Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett will forgo the Peach Bowl to prepare for the 2022 NFL Draft. Can he be the first-overall pick? Click here to read more.

Robert Gregson | Dec 17, 2021

Pittsburgh Panthers Quarterback Kenny Pickett will Enter the 2022 NFL Draft

Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett will forgo the Peach Bowl to prepare for the 2022 NFL Draft. Can he be the first-overall pick? Click here to read more

The wait to see if one of this year's premier passers would declare is no more. Heisman finalist and Pittsburgh Panther's quarterback Kenny Pickett has decided to forego his bowl game and begin training for the NFL draft. Pickett burst onto the scene this year after mediocre seasons before 2021, and he leaves Pittsburgh as an ACC champion.

The six-foot-three, 220- playmaker from Oakhurst, New Jersey, lit up college football in 2021. Pickett threw for 4.319 yards and 42 touchdowns to pair with 241 yards rushing and another five scores. Pickett quickly started getting recognition as every week was a highlight show in the ACC.

READ THE FULL KENNY PICKETT SCOUTING REPORT HERE

On tape, Pickett is a unique study with plenty of NFL traits. A beautiful passer, Pickett has excellent mechanics that translate to his deep ball accuracy and ball placement. He can play within the rhythm of the offense but also does well out of structure and on the move. Pickett makes plays off-platform and can extend the play in the face of pressure.

What separates Pickett is his processing speed. A quick thinker, Pickett is as good pre-snap as he is post-snap. His recognition and understanding of taking what is being given are impressive. Questions arise during his evaluation concerning certain measurables and being a one-year wonder. A strong pre-draft evaluation paired with his intelligence and playmaking ability could make Pickett the first quarterback selected come April.

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