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- Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett is refusing to have his hands measured at the Senior Bowl.
- You know what they say about small hands.
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Hand size is once again in the headlines, which means that it is officially NFL Draft season. With college football All-Star games underway, scouts have already started to prepare their draft boards for April.
Although Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett will likely be at the top of some organizations’ lists, he is already causing controversy. He is set to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl this weekend, but is refusing to have his hands measured.
Hand size, particularly with quarterbacks, is one of the intangibles that NFL scouts look for. You know what they say — big hands mean …
… that a quarterback can grip the ball better, has more control of the football and can get more spin and velocity on a pass. At least, that’s what they say, right?
Regardless of whether it really matters or not (it doesn’t), NFL Draft prospects have their hands measured every year.
Pickett will not.
The 23-year-old, projected first round pick declined the measurement for now and is making excuses. He will try again at the NFL Combine.
Pitt QB Kenny Pickett didn’t have his hands measured here in Mobile, but he has a good reason: He’s double jointed, so his thumb naturally points an odd direction, and he’s doing extra exercises to get an accurate measurement at the combine in March. pic.twitter.com/KLMdraG9AC
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 31, 2022
Last spring, NFL scouts measured Pickett’s hands at 8 1/4 inches. That would put him in the 0th percentile amongst NFL quarterbacks. There is literally not one single quarterback in the NFL with hands that small.
Nine is a common floor amongst NFL organizations because some teams worry about ball security, especially in poor-weather cities. Pickett wears two gloves when he plays, just like another smaller-handed quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater.
He spoke with the media after his decision and had some very tongue-in-cheek comments.
“I think that’s the No. 1 thing you hear for quarterbacks in the draft process, is their hands size,” Pickett said. “Anyone who has been to Pittsburgh knows it’s not the nicest place to play in October and November. I have experience playing in tough weather. So I’ve had experience playing in tough weather and I didn’t measure in this week. I just want to give the most measurement I can. I’m working on mobility things.”
Regardless of why he declined or what his experience looks like, Pickett did not have his hands measured. You know what they say about small hands!