4 big observations the Panthers can take from Kenny Pickett’s pro day
By Dean Jones
Kenny Pickett has a live arm
Much has been made about Kenny Pickett’s arm strength during the evaluation process. Although it is nothing compared to how rapid the football comes out of Malik Willis’ hands, the quarterback proved that he is more than capable of making every possible throw at the next level.
Pickett demonstrated this to full effect during his pro day. He appeared confident in making deep throws look easy and also caught the eye with sideline throws that came with velocity and poise either under center or on the move.
The Carolina Panthers were paying close attention and the roundtable will now gather in the coming days to assess what they saw. Pickett cannot do anymore right now, but if Carolina doesn’t take him it’s unlikely he now makes it out of the top-10 when the time comes.
Bucky Brooks of the NFL Network stated that there is a “sizeable gap” between Pickett and the other quarterbacks in this class. Players like Willis, Sam Howell, and Matt Corral would disagree, but the analyst might be right when it comes to starting right out of the gate.
Carolina cannot go another game with Sam Darnold after his erratic production in 2021 and their actions so far this offseason. Not landing Deshaun Watson was a body blow – especially for team owner David Tepper – so getting a prospect on a rookie contract could be a blessing in disguise as the Panthers look to finally build themselves a competitive roster.