Perhaps the Strangest Story of the 2022 Draft....

[NewColtsFan]

 

It's about Pitt QB Kenny Pickett and his allegedly very, very small throwing hand.    

 

As you may or may not know,  9 inch hands are generally considered the smallest acceptable hand size for NFL quarterbacks.     There have been a number of recent QB's taken very high, including first overall who have small hands.    Goff has 9 inch hands,  Baker has 9 1/4,  Burrow has 9 inch hands.  And there are others.    Most teams want at least 9 3/8th or more.   Some prefer 9 5/8ths.   The Gold Standard is 10".    FWIW,  Luck had 10 inch hands.     Remember EJ Manuel the only first round QB taken in 2013 by Buffalo.    It is said they took him because he had 10 3/4 inch hands which is important for a QB playing in the winter in Buffalo.   For a reference,  Josh Allen has 9 7/8ths hands. 

 

Now to Pickett.    On the NFL Scouting circuit the buzz is....  Pickett's right hand has been measured at.....   8 1/4".    That's it.   Not a typo.  The buzz from the Senior Bowl is that Pickett turned down the standard hand measurement part of the physical because he heard that one other NFL QB got his hand messaged for a number of weeks before the combine and his hand measurement improved 3/8th's of an inch.    I don't know who that QB is, or if it's even true.   But that's what Pickett is telling everyone --- he's going to get his hand messaged to hopefully help expand his size.   He will get it officially measured at the Combine at the end of the month.

 

Some are saying this isn't a big deal.   I don't buy it for a minute.   All I know is plenty was made of Burrow's hand and Goff's hand and their hands were 9 inches.  

 

But WAIT!!     There's even MORE!!

 

So, how has Pickett thrown the ball so well?     Here's where this story gets stranger and weirder....    Pickett says his right THUMB,  is double-jointed!!    No lie!!

 

That allows him to put his thumb at a unique angle that the rest of us can't, and it allows him to grip the football well enough.    In doing my reading on this, I've also learned that an NFL football is slightly bigger than a college football,  making hand size even more important.

 

Here's a good story that talks about hand size and the double-joined thumb!

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10025469-espns-mel-kiper-jr-kenny-picketts-hand-size-isnt-concern-for-some-nfl-insiders

 

 

[Shadow_Creek]

2 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

It's about Pitt QB Kenny Pickett and his allegedly very, very small throwing hand.    

 

As you may or may not know,  9 inch hands are generally considered the smallest acceptable hand size for NFL quarterbacks.     There have been a number of recent QB's taken very high, including first overall who have small hands.    Goff has 9 inch hands,  Baker has 9 1/4,  Burrow has 9 inch hands.  And there are others.    Most teams want at least 9 3/8th or more.   Some prefer 9 5/8ths.   The Gold Standard is 10".    FWIW,  Luck had 10 inch hands.     Remember EJ Manuel the only first round QB taken in 2013 by Buffalo.    It is said they took him because he had 10 3/4 inch hands which is important for a QB playing in the winter in Buffalo.   For a reference,  Josh Allen has 9 7/8ths hands. 

 

Now to Pickett.    On the NFL Scouting circuit the buzz is....  Pickett's right hand has been measured at.....   8 1/4".    That's it.   Not a typo.  The buzz from the Senior Bowl is that Pickett turned down the standard hand measurement part of the physical because he heard that one other NFL QB got his hand messaged for a number of weeks before the combine and his hand measurement improved 3/8th's of an inch.    I don't know who that QB is, or if it's even true.   But that's what Pickett is telling everyone --- he's going to get his hand messaged to hopefully help expand his size.   He will get it officially measured at the Combine at the end of the month.

 

Some are saying this isn't a big deal.   I don't buy it for a minute.   All I know is plenty was made of Burrow's hand and Goff's hand and their hands were 9 inches.  

 

But WAIT!!     There's even MORE!!

 

So, how has Pickett thrown the ball so well?     Here's where this story gets stranger and weirder....    Pickett says his right THUMB,  is double-jointed!!    No lie!!

 

That allows him to put his thumb at a unique angle that the rest of us can't, and it allows him to grip the football well enough.    In doing my reading on this, I've also learned that an NFL football is slightly bigger than a college football,  making hand size even more important.

 

Here's a good story that talks about hand size and the double-joined thumb!

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10025469-espns-mel-kiper-jr-kenny-picketts-hand-size-isnt-concern-for-some-nfl-insiders

 

 

mmm humm mmm hum mmhum so what your saying is we need to trade up and get this guy asap got it... Make It Happen CB!!

 

[stitches]

It's interesting to me what can he do in 1 month time to get his hand size from barely over 8" to 9+... This would be a wild outcome... 

[NorthernColt]

It makes more sense that he wears 2 gloves instead of the one on his off hand.

[Fluke_33]

On 2/2/2022 at 3:53 AM, NewColtsFan said:

 

It's about Pitt QB Kenny Pickett and his allegedly very, very small throwing hand.    

 

As you may or may not know,  9 inch hands are generally considered the smallest acceptable hand size for NFL quarterbacks.     There have been a number of recent QB's taken very high, including first overall who have small hands.    Goff has 9 inch hands,  Baker has 9 1/4,  Burrow has 9 inch hands.  And there are others.    Most teams want at least 9 3/8th or more.   Some prefer 9 5/8ths.   The Gold Standard is 10".    FWIW,  Luck had 10 inch hands.     Remember EJ Manuel the only first round QB taken in 2013 by Buffalo.    It is said they took him because he had 10 3/4 inch hands which is important for a QB playing in the winter in Buffalo.   For a reference,  Josh Allen has 9 7/8ths hands. 

 

Now to Pickett.    On the NFL Scouting circuit the buzz is....  Pickett's right hand has been measured at.....   8 1/4".    That's it.   Not a typo.  The buzz from the Senior Bowl is that Pickett turned down the standard hand measurement part of the physical because he heard that one other NFL QB got his hand messaged for a number of weeks before the combine and his hand measurement improved 3/8th's of an inch.    I don't know who that QB is, or if it's even true.   But that's what Pickett is telling everyone --- he's going to get his hand messaged to hopefully help expand his size.   He will get it officially measured at the Combine at the end of the month.

 

Some are saying this isn't a big deal.   I don't buy it for a minute.   All I know is plenty was made of Burrow's hand and Goff's hand and their hands were 9 inches.  

 

But WAIT!!     There's even MORE!!

 

So, how has Pickett thrown the ball so well?     Here's where this story gets stranger and weirder....    Pickett says his right THUMB,  is double-jointed!!    No lie!!

 

That allows him to put his thumb at a unique angle that the rest of us can't, and it allows him to grip the football well enough.    In doing my reading on this, I've also learned that an NFL football is slightly bigger than a college football,  making hand size even more important.

 

Here's a good story that talks about hand size and the double-joined thumb!

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10025469-espns-mel-kiper-jr-kenny-picketts-hand-size-isnt-concern-for-some-nfl-insiders

 

 

I read an article a few years ago about one of those nfl combine  prep programs and they had hand stretching exercises as part of it.  Seems crazy but could be the difference between hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions. 
 

EDIT:

this isn’t the article I remember but does discuss it:

 

https://www.secsports.com/article/28770715/why-nfl-combine-built-myth-qb-hand-size-measurement-mean-anything

 

After the 2016 Senior Bowl, Allen began preparing for the combine at the XPE Sports training facility in Boca Raton, Florida. When the program's masseuse overheard him lamenting his tiny mitts, and with signing bonuses hanging in the balance, Allen began receiving deep tissue massages to relax and elongate the connective tissue in his right hand. A month later, when he showed up in Indianapolis, Allen's hand had magically grown to 8⅞ inches (the same as Tony Romo's once measured)

 

 

[stitches]

In general I'm of the opinion that it's not a problem unless it's a problem on tape. The thing with Pickett is that it kind of is a problem on tape. He had 26 fumbles in 4 years in college and he had some problems with under center exchanges in the rain at the Senior Bowl. 

[Jackie Daytona]

On 2/2/2022 at 3:53 AM, NewColtsFan said:

 

It's about Pitt QB Kenny Pickett and his allegedly very, very small throwing hand.    

 

As you may or may not know,  9 inch hands are generally considered the smallest acceptable hand size for NFL quarterbacks.     There have been a number of recent QB's taken very high, including first overall who have small hands.    Goff has 9 inch hands,  Baker has 9 1/4,  Burrow has 9 inch hands.  And there are others.    Most teams want at least 9 3/8th or more.   Some prefer 9 5/8ths.   The Gold Standard is 10".    FWIW,  Luck had 10 inch hands.     Remember EJ Manuel the only first round QB taken in 2013 by Buffalo.    It is said they took him because he had 10 3/4 inch hands which is important for a QB playing in the winter in Buffalo.   For a reference,  Josh Allen has 9 7/8ths hands. 

 

Now to Pickett.    On the NFL Scouting circuit the buzz is....  Pickett's right hand has been measured at.....   8 1/4".    That's it.   Not a typo.  The buzz from the Senior Bowl is that Pickett turned down the standard hand measurement part of the physical because he heard that one other NFL QB got his hand messaged for a number of weeks before the combine and his hand measurement improved 3/8th's of an inch.    I don't know who that QB is, or if it's even true.   But that's what Pickett is telling everyone --- he's going to get his hand messaged to hopefully help expand his size.   He will get it officially measured at the Combine at the end of the month.

 

Some are saying this isn't a big deal.   I don't buy it for a minute.   All I know is plenty was made of Burrow's hand and Goff's hand and their hands were 9 inches.  

 

But WAIT!!     There's even MORE!!

 

So, how has Pickett thrown the ball so well?     Here's where this story gets stranger and weirder....    Pickett says his right THUMB,  is double-jointed!!    No lie!!

 

That allows him to put his thumb at a unique angle that the rest of us can't, and it allows him to grip the football well enough.    In doing my reading on this, I've also learned that an NFL football is slightly bigger than a college football,  making hand size even more important.

 

Here's a good story that talks about hand size and the double-joined thumb!

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10025469-espns-mel-kiper-jr-kenny-picketts-hand-size-isnt-concern-for-some-nfl-insiders

 

 

What kind of message do you even send a hand to get it to grow in a few weeks?  And how does it get delivered?  Morse code via acupuncture would be my guess!

[NewColtsFan]

18 minutes ago, Jackie Daytona said:

What kind of message do you even send a hand to get it to grow in a few weeks?  And how does it get delivered?  Morse code via acupuncture would be my guess!

I had never heard of this until I stumbled into the story.   Totally bizarre.   But I think in the next month or so,  Pickett had the potential to lose a fair amount of money. 

[stitches]

3 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

I had never heard of this until I stumbled into the story.   Totally bizarre.   But I think in the next month or so,  Pickett had the potential to lose a fair amount of money. 

Reports are that he was the most impressive QB in meetings and interviews with teams. Maybe him delaying the hand measurement is trying to get those teams to fall in love with him first in person and then hope the first impression will carry him through the news of his measurements at the combine? 

[twfish]

Remember, its not the size of the boat, its the motion of the ocean..........................

[chad72]

On 2/2/2022 at 7:10 AM, stitches said:

It's interesting to me what can he do in 1 month time to get his hand size from barely over 8" to 9+... This would be a wild outcome... 

 

It would be like a scene from Mission Impossible, except that instead of Tom Cruise using Jon Voight's face for impersonation, here you will use someone else's hand size for impersonation, grafting more skin on top of your existing skin. Yikes!!! 

 

11 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

I had never heard of this until I stumbled into the story.   Totally bizarre.   But I think in the next month or so,  Pickett had the potential to lose a fair amount of money. 

 

...and Steelers will be happily waiting for him in the middle of Round 1 there.

[stitches]

8 minutes ago, chad72 said:

...and Steelers will be happily waiting for him in the middle of Round 1 there.

Newest reports are that the Steelers are very high on Malik Willis. In fact if I am team that loves Willis, I'd definitely try to trade above the Steelers on draft day. 

[NewColtsFan]

10 minutes ago, chad72 said:

 

It would be like a scene from Mission Impossible, except that instead of Tom Cruise using Jon Voight's face for impersonation, here you will use someone else's hand size for impersonation, grafting more skin on top of your existing skin. Yikes!!! 

 

 

...and Steelers will be happily waiting for him in the middle of Round 1 there.

Maybe.  But that doesn’t make Pickett good enough.   He could still be a bust.  His hands might still be an issue.  Then again, as the draft proves every year….   It only takes one team to believe in you.  

[chad72]

1 hour ago, stitches said:

Newest reports are that the Steelers are very high on Malik Willis. In fact if I am team that loves Willis, I'd definitely try to trade above the Steelers on draft day. 

 

If the Steelers want to run the ball and play D with a short passing game, Bailey Zappe would be a good fit there too, could wait all the way till Day 2 to get him. There is always the occasional shot down the field to stretch the field but I don't see the Steelers moving up all the way to No.7 or No.8 to draft Malik Willis but maybe they do. 

[John Hammonds]

What I can tell you is that I have 8" hands, and that I have difficulties gripping a football well.  And when I threw it, I always needed to put an index finger on the back point of the ball, because I couldn't throw it with just the outside grip.

 

What does this mean for Kenny Pickett?  Dunno.  But given what I know about my hands, I would have concerns.

[Four2itus]

So, getting a message can get take something from 8" to 8 & 3/4".

 

 

Who'd a thunk it!