INDIANAPOLIS — The New England Patriots drafted quarterback Mac Jones 15th overall last April, named him the starter after the training camp and leaned on the NFL’s second-ranked scoring defense and eighth-ranked running game to support Jones during a 10-7 season.
Can the Broncos be this year’s Patriots and Kenny Pickett this year’s Jones? Can new coach Nathaniel Hackett draw up game plans to equal parts support Pickett and accentuate his strengths? Would Pickett, if selected ninth overall by the Broncos, be ready to start in Week 1?
If he isn’t able to trade for Aaron Rodgers and isn’t enamored with the free-agent options, general manager George Paton should make the bold move to take Pickett, who played at Pittsburgh and support him with a Javonte Williams-led running game and needs-to-be-improved defense.
“(Most) ready to play right now, I would say Pickett,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said last week during a media conference. “To me, he is somebody, when you watch all these guys and you kind of watch them one after another, he’s just different in how quickly he operates just getting through his progressions and getting the ball where it needs to be.”
Meeting with reporters here Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine, Pickett believes he should be the first quarterback off the board instead of Liberty’s Malik Willis, Mississippi’s Matt Corral and North Carolina’s Sam Howell.
“I do and and I think knowing how to win is key,” Pickett said. “Thatap the No. 1 thing at this position. And all my hard work over the years culminated in last season. It wasn’t an overnight thing. I didn’t wake up and all that fell into my lap.”
No, it didn’t automatically fall into place for Pickett, who turns 24 on June 6. He had only 14 more touchdowns (38) than interceptions (24) from 2018-20.
But then a thunderbolt-of-a-2021. In leading the Panthers to an ACC title and an 11-2 record (the most wins since Dan Marino in 1981), Pickett had 42 touchdowns, only seven interceptions and improved his completion percentage from 61.1% to 67.2%.
“You saw somebody whose confidence began to grow,” Jeremiah said. “We’ve seen a lot of these late-bloomers. Obviously, (Cincinnati’s) Joe Burrow is the poster child, but (Pickett) isn’t Joe. But (Pickett) is somebody that got it figured out with the benefit of having reps and health. You saw the guy’s ability start to come out and shine.”
The Broncos, who need their quarterback play to shine to end their six-year playoff drought, are doing their work on Pickett. Paton attended the North Carolina-Pittsburgh game last season and they met with Pickett here on Monday night.
Pickett started 49 games (33-16 record) and his 1,674 attempts are more than last year’s first-round quarterback class of Trevor Lawrence (1,178), Zach Wilson (837), Trey Lance (318), Justin Fields (618) and Jones (556). All went in the top 15. The Broncos pick ninth and would be wise to stay put or even move up because quarterbacks generally rise above their grade during the process.
All of Pickettap game video makes him easier to evaluate, right?
“But some years weren’t as good with different coaches,” Paton said. “Sometimes, itap not as easy, but itap good to see there were some highs and lows and (that) he finished as strong as he did. Each quarterback, you evaluate them differently. Some guys, one year (is enough). Some guys, their whole career (is required).
“Joe Burrow — one-year guy. He was easy to evaluate. You didn’t need the other years because he was that good. Every quarterback, every cornerback, every player is different and you evaluate them the best you can.”
Pickett feels his college scheme will accelerate his NFL starting path.
“Coming from a pro system, I feel like I’ll be able to adapt well into whatever system,” he said. “Hopefully, itap a West Coast system. Thatap what I came from with (offensive coordinator Mark Whipple).”
Hackettap background is rooted in the West Coast system that his father, Paul, learned from San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh.
Pickettap hand size (too small?) will be overblown leading into the draft, but evaluators can’t overlook his production.
“He doesn’t have ‘wow’ arm strength,” Jeremiah said. “He doesn’t blow anyone away with that, but he’s got really good vision and he throws with anticipation and timing. I think he’d be ready to come in and play right away.”
