Pitt QB Kenny Pickett's stock drops in latest Pro Football Focus mock draft

Former Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett had been a consensus first-round pick in most mock drafts ahead of the NFL Draft that begins April 28.

At least until Pro Football Focus released its latest mock draft.

In the latest mock draft released Monday, Pickett isn’t even selected in the first two rounds.

PFF, known for its player grades, ranks Pickett as the fifth-best quarterback available in the draft despite earning the top spot among college quarterbacks for his 2021 regular-season campaign. PFF’s top-rated quarterbacks are North Carolina’s Sam Howell (No. 22 overall), Liberty’s Malik Willis (No. 25), Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder (No. 43), Mississippi’s Matt Corral (No. 44) and Pickett (No. 48).

Their mock draft has Ridder going No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons and Willis going at No. 20 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round. In the second round, Howell goes to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 40 and Corral lands with the Saints at No. 49.

Pickett led the Panthers to their first ACC championship after throwing for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdown passes and seven interceptions in 2021. But the size of his right hand — which measures 8.5 inches — has seemingly been a sticking point among draft gurus. Pickett dismissed that talk at the NFL Combine in early March.

“There wasn’t much talk about that in all the formal interviews and informal interviews I’ve had so far this week,” he told reporters. “It is what it is.”

To illustrate the diversity of opinions on this year’s draft, Pro Football News has Pickett going No. 6 overall to the Carolina Panthers (after the Steelers trade up to No. 5 overall to snag Willis).

Related:

• Getting chance to stay in Pittsburgh would be 'unbelievable' for former Pitt QB Kenny Pickett
• Hand measurement comes up short for former Pitt QB Kenny Pickett at NFL Combine