Steelers: Kenny Pickett went all out to increase his hand size before getting drafted
The Pittsburgh Steelers got their franchise quarterback almost exactly one year ago. Not only was Kenny Pickett the first quarterback taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, he was the only quarterback to go off the board in the first round. Pickett stood out from the crowd for his history of production at Pitt. Having made […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers got their franchise quarterback almost exactly one year ago. Not only was Kenny Pickett the first quarterback taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, he was the only quarterback to go off the board in the first round.
Pickett stood out from the crowd for his history of production at Pitt. Having made a collegiate career in the Steel City only made things better for the Steelers, but his pre-draft process was definitely memorable for one aspect: the size of his hands.
Officially, Pickett measured in with 8 1/2" hands at last year's NFL Scouting Combine, which fell below the standard 9" threshold most league evaluators use for quarterback prospects.
It ultimately didn't matter in the end considering Pickett went well before any other quarterback in last year's class, but he exhausted all efforts to negate concerns. In an appearance on The Pivot Podcast, co-hosted by former Steelers defensive back Ryan Clark, Pickett explained just how far he went to enlarge his hands.
"I stretched them out a little bit," Pickett said. "I was doing some exercises. I was 8 1/2" at the Combine. I got them to 8 5/8" at [my] Pro Day. I was trying everything I could. I was sleeping in a splint to stretch my hand out. I'll do whatever it takes."
Now that's extreme dedication. That Pickett actually managed to measure in with slightly larger hands just weeks after the combine is actually impressive. Whether or not the splint had anything to do with it remains to be seen.
8 5/8" still fell short of the coveted 9" threshold, but Pittsburgh still made Pickett their next quarterback of the future. As a rookie, he threw for 2,404 yards and seven touchdowns in just 12 starts.
Pittsburgh will look to continue building around Pickett as they have already this offseason. Additions at offensive line and wide receiver are expected in this week's NFL Draft.
Pickett's hand size will forever be linked to his football story, but hey, no one can say he didn't do everything it took to make it a non-issue.
