Kenny Pickett Went To Great Lengths To Increase His Hand Size Ahead Of NFL Draft

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett

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NFL teams take a number of intangibles into account when evaluating players ahead of the draft, but they also rely on a number of tangible metrics and measurements when it comes to scouting potential picks.

That includes an almost fanatical obsession with size—especially when it comes to quarterbacks.

This year, Bryce Young became the latest QB who’s had to address concerns over the supposedly diminutive height that could put him had a disadvantage in the pros. However, being “vertically challenged” isn’t the only size-related red flag associated with people at that position.

Kenny Pickett may stand at 6’3″, but the Pitt product found himself facing a bit of an uphill battle ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft due to the similarities he shared with the guy in a Burger King commercial who was worried about his tiny hands.

Pickett initially declined to have his hands measured at an early predraft workout, although he confirmed the fears of some scouts when they clocked in at 8.5 inches at the NFL Combine.

That number increased an eighth of an inch at a pro day with the Panthers, and it turned into such A Thing that former Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert was forced to downplay the concerns after Pittsburgh selected him with the 20th overall pick.

Pickett also had to address his hand size on multiple occasions, and he did so once again in a recent interview where he revealed he went to great lengths to try to increase the measurements in the lead-up to the draft.

Channing Crowder asked Pickett if he gets annoyed about discussions about his hands during an episode of The Pivot where the QB revealed he went out of his way to try to boost his numbers.

Here’s what he had to say:

“I stretched them out a little bit. I was doing some exercises…

I was trying everything I could. I was sleeping in a splint to stretch my hand out. I’ll do whatever it takes. But like you said, it’s something you can’t really control. At the end of the day, I’m just going to go throw.”

At least it worked out in the end.

Connor Toole avatar and headshot for BroBible
Connor Toole is the Deputy Editor at BroBible. He is a New England native who went to Boston College and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. Frequently described as "freakishly tall," he once used his 6'10" frame to sneak in the NBA Draft and convince people he was a member of the Utah Jazz.