Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

QB Kenny Pickett posts hand measurement of 8.5 inches at NFL Scouting Combine

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 3/3/22

Former Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback and projected first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett sounded on Wednesday like a man who knew he was going to receive less-than-happy news regarding his hand measurement at the NFL Scouting Combine.

"Whatever it measures, it measures," Pickett said at that time after he didn't have his hands measured at the Senior Bowl so he could work on exercises that, ideally, would improve that number by the combine. "I'm sure that won't be the end of it, but that'll be the last measurement I'm sure I'll take of it."

Per Dan Parr of the NFL's website, Pickett's hand measured 8 1/2 inches on Thursday. ESPN's Jeff Legwold notes that would be the smallest measurement for any signal-caller currently active in the league.

Cincinnati Bengals starter Joe Burrow was able to laugh off such concerns after his hand measured nine inches roughly two years ago and has since helped guide his club to a Super Bowl appearance:

Considering retirement after I was informed the football will be slipping out of my tiny hands. Please keep me in your thoughts.
— Joey Burrow (@JoeyB) February 24, 2020

As The Athletic's Dane Brugler tweeted, though, Thursday's development will do nothing to silence worries teams allegedly have about Pickett fumbling the football while facing professional defenses, particularly during cold-weather games.

Joe Burrow was 9" - for a lot of teams, that is the threshold.

IMO, Pickett's smaller hands don't really show with him as a passer (most teams feel the same). Ball security is another story (38 career fumbles at Pitt). https://t.co/gRB3qcGdTS
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) March 3, 2022

According to Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk, Michael Vick delivered a hand measurement of 8 1/2 inches back in 2001 and nevertheless quickly developed into a Pro Bowl talent. The combine process is an inexact science, and it's far too early to tell if Thursday's news will impact mock drafts shared by handfuls of experts over the next week or so.

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