Mobility in quarterbacks almost seems like a 'must' in today's NFL. Before this modern era of football, teams got away with tall pocket passers with limited mobility. With how quickly the game is played today, it seems like there's a whole element of a quarterback's game that is missing if they can not move around the pocket, throw on the run, or even move the chains with their legs.
After a 2021 season with an aging Ben Roethlisberger in the final year of his career, the Pittsburgh Steelers made it a point to prioritize a quarterback with mobility. After hitting the scouting trail to visit all of the top QB prospects in the 2022 draft class, they ultimately settled on the local Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Pickett hasn't been what the team was hoping for, but the struggles early in his career weren't due to limited mobility. Every so often, Pickett puts his athletic traits on display. So how fast does Pickett run?
Was was Kenny Pickett's 40-yard dash time?
Unlike many quarterbacks, Kenny Pickett had no issue in taking part in athletic testing at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. This included the 40-yard dash. After trial runs of 4.67 and 4.69, Pickett's official 40-yard dash time came in at 4.73 seconds after adjustment.
This is still quite fast for a quarterback, as it puts Pickett in the 87th percentile among all QBs who have participated in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine (or recorded at their Pro Day) since 1999, according to Mockdraftable's database.
How does Kenny Pickett's 40 time compare to the fastest at the 2022 NFL Combine?
The 2022 draft class was widely regarded as having one of the worst groups for quarterback prospects in years, but that doesn't mean that these signal-callers weren't athletes. Here is how Pickett's 40-yard dash time compared to every other QB who participated at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine:
- Desmond Ridder: 4.52
- E.J. Perry: 4.65
- Kenny Pickett: 4.73
- Dustin Crum: 4.75
- Brock Purdy: 4.84
- Bailey Zappe: 4.88
- Jack Coan: 4.90
- Skylar Thompson: 4.91
Pickett proved to be the third-fastest quarterback at the 2022 NFL Combine, but there are a few caveats to consider here. Seven quarterbacks who were at the Combine in 2022 did not participate in the 40-yard dash. Moreover, several of these players -- like Malik Willis, Matt Corral, and D'Eriq King -- were projected to run faster had they participated.
It's easy to see that Kenny Pickett checks the box when it comes to athleticism. It's other facets of his game in which he has fallen short. Steelers fans are hoping to see him put this speed to good use as he attempts to salvage his career as a starting quarterback.