Maybe I was wrong about KENNY PICKETT after reading these evaluations.

[BlitzMonster]

1 hour ago, ForJimmy said:

Agreed you need a little of both. Kirk Cousins is great at reading defenses, but lacks some ability that could really make defenses pay. But you are right reading a defense is more important than raw ability. These coaches get overexcited about raw ability because they think they can coach/develop them into reading the defense/the X’s and O’s and sometimes they can (see Allen), but more than not they can’t. Since you can’t coach/develop a QB into having raw ability like arm strength, speed etc they get caught up in the pure potential of these athletically gifted QBs. 

 

Obviously you need a QB who can make all the normal throws.  That's a given. 

But at the end of their careers Drew Brees and Tom Brady weren't zipping frozen ropes all over the field.  They used their many years of experience to read defenses pre snap and instantly pick them apart.  Even with average arms these guys could succeed against almost any formation.  

So the big arm is a nice to have.  And I can see how attractive it would be for prospects.  But fundamentally the QB position is about understanding defenses and how to attack them.  So it's much more intellectual than physical. 

[ForJimmy]

3 minutes ago, BlitzMonster said:

Obviously you need a QB who can make all the normal throws.  That's a given. 

But at the end of their careers Drew Brees and Tom Brady weren't zipping frozen ropes all over the field.  They used their many years of experience to read defenses pre snap and instantly pick them apart.  Even with average arms these guys could succeed against almost any formation.  

So the big arm is a nice to have.  And I can see how attractive it would be for prospects.  But fundamentally the QB position is about understanding defenses and how to attack them.  So it's much more intellectual than physical. 

Burrow is another example as well. Not an elite arm, small hands, not super fast but can read a defense and is dedicated to get better each offseason. If you can capture both like a Mahomes/Rodgers it gets real fun. 

[firefox1234]

30 minutes ago, Lets go get it Canes said:

Hell no to Murray or Cam 2.0. Running QBs don’t work in today’s NFL. Get a pocket passer

 

[KatsAzz]

13 hours ago, Immaculate said:

Herbert was a talented QB with a strong arm. His problem coming out of college was that he is introvert and not a good leader. Kenny Pickett isn’t Herbert. If you want a QB that has the best chance to be a franchise QB, it’s Malik Willis. I’ll always go with the guy with the arm talent. 

I would love to see the Panthers draft Liberty QB Malik Willis and let him sit behind Darnold for a year  refining  his obvious skillset, while adjusting to  the NFL style of play.

This would be a big step in building  the Panthers foundation for long term success  by securing the starting QB position .

However, it would require temporary patience, something the Panthers seem to presently lack.

[LinvilleGorge]

1 hour ago, kungfoodude said:

This is kind of funny given the Herbert take.

But, Pickett is not nearly the otherworldly talent that Herbert was.

Like I said earlier, I always acknowledged that Herbert had all the talent in the world and that my read on him was based entirely on what he was able to show in that Oregon offense and that coaching staff showed zero confidence in him in key game situations. Turns out they were just morons.

Josh Allen is the QB I was wildly wrong about. I've never seen a guy improve so dramatically as a pure passer. I honestly didn't think it was possible.

[Panthers Rhule]

In what other year would a QB with over 4,500 total yards, 47 total tds, and only 7 int be considered a 2nd round QB??? That makes zero sense to me and to suggest that Willis, who only did half of that at Liberty and not in the ACC, is somehow the better choice is just beyond ridiculous for me. You guys really need to explain how you could justify that opinion to me or anyone else. Pickett should be considered a top 10 QB in any draft over the last 5 years. 

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by Panthers Rhule

[Lets go get it Canes]

53 minutes ago, firefox1234 said:

 

Laugh all you want buttercup. Look at the all the running qbs. They get hurt and don’t win Super Bowls. Cam. Vick. Lamar. RGknee. None stay healthy. They ones that wins Super Bowls aren’t running qbs. That read defenses and stay in the pocket. Only moving to shift around.  This ain’t college ball boy. They got brown mean just as fast and weigh twice as much. 

[Lets go get it Canes]

12 minutes ago, Panthers Rhule said:

In what other year would a QB with over 4,500 total yards, 47 total tds, and only 7 int be considered a 2nd round QB??? That makes zero sense to me and to suggest that Willis, who only did half of that at Liberty and not in the ACC, is somehow the better choice is just beyond ridiculous for me. You guys really need to explain how you could justify that opinion to me or anyone else. Pickett should be considered a top 10 QB in any draft over the last 5 years. 

 

This^^^. Thank you. Willis was “ok” against bottom level FBS. Pickett did work with double stats. Willis is Jordan Love 2.0

[BlitzMonster]

1 minute ago, Panthers Rhule said:

In what other yearwould a QB with over 4,500 total yards, 47 total tds, and only 7 int be considered a 2nd round QB??? That makes zero sense to me and to suggest that Willis, who only did half of that at Liberty and not in the ACC, is somehow the better choice is just beyond ridiculous for me. You guys really need to explain how you could justify that opinion to me or anyone else. Pickett should be considered a top 10 QB in any draft over the last 5 years. 

 

I've come to like Pickett more as the evaluation process goes on.  His good showing in the Combine interviews (where he's quizzed about his offense) counts for a lot.  And he performed well in the high pressure situation of the passing drills.   

But I do understand reservations about him.  Why didn't he do much in his first 4 years at Pitt ?  And Pickett was fantastic in his 5th year but he also had the benefit of some really skilled WR at Pitt (Including the 2021 Fred Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison).  So was it Picket being great or his WR ?  There are some obvious questions.  

 

[Panthers Rhule]

2 minutes ago, BlitzMonster said:

I've come to like Pickett more as the evaluation process goes on.  His good showing in the Combine interviews (where he's quizzed about his offense) counts for a lot.  And he performed well in the high pressure situation of the passing drills.   

But I do understand reservations about him.  Why didn't he do much in his first 4 years at Pitt ?  And Pickett was fantastic in his 5th year but he also had the benefit of some really skilled WR at Pitt (Including the 2021 Fred Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison).  So was it Picket being great or his WR ?  There are some obvious questions.  

 

Those are fair points. However, very few QB dominate for 4 years. Players need to play at that level to learn and develop their games just like Burrow did. He literally only started 1 season but it was great. What's important is that he DID learn and develop into that QB which is why in was playing on college. His final season was fantastic. There just aren't that many players who play the QB position who ever have a season like that. QB is different than other positions that way. Most never "get" it at any level but when drafting a QB you have to choose the ones who did even if it was their last season.

SF drafted a QB with pick 3 with only 1 great season and at a low level of competition. Most people around here loved that player including myself but at 3? Same could be said about Wilson at 2. Teams do it all the time so imo to say that Pickett is somehow a bad pick because of that is not consistent with past drafts. Last season, the QB with the second best career was picked 5th among QBs. No one wanted him.

For me, Pickett demonstrated that he could play against top college talent and dominate it. That's all anyone can ask for in a QB being considered for their first pick. To get a guy with that kind of season coupled with his excellent post season workouts with the 6th pick should have this base jumping up and down with excitement instead of looking for reasons to hate it. But that's just the way I see it. Perhaps I'm wrong but I really don't understand why he's being treated so differently than most other QBs in every other draft process. 

 

[ForJimmy]

49 minutes ago, Panthers Rhule said:

In what other year would a QB with over 4,500 total yards, 47 total tds, and only 7 int be considered a 2nd round QB??? That makes zero sense to me and to suggest that Willis, who only did half of that at Liberty and not in the ACC, is somehow the better choice is just beyond ridiculous for me. You guys really need to explain how you could justify that opinion to me or anyone else. Pickett should be considered a top 10 QB in any draft over the last 5 years. 

 

Bailey Zappe had even more yards and TDs. If you are going off that he is your guy. 

[firefox1234]

16 minutes ago, Panthers Rhule said:

Those are fair points. However, very few QB dominate for 4 years. Players need to play at that level to learn and develop their games just like Burrow did. He literally only started 1 season but it was great. What's important is that he DID learn and develop into that QB which is why in was playing on college. His final season was fantastic. There just aren't that many players who play the QB position who ever have a season like that. QB is different than other positions that way. Most never "get" it at any level but when drafting a QB you have to choose the ones who did even if it was their last season.

SF drafted a QB with pick 3 with only 1 great season and at a low level of competition. Most people around here loved that player including myself but at 3? Same could be said about Wilson at 2. Teams do it all the time so imo to say that Pickett is somehow a bad pick because of that is not consistent with past drafts. Last season, the QB with the second best career was picked 5th among QBs. No one wanted him.

For me, Pickett demonstrated that he could play against top college talent and dominate it. That's all anyone can ask for in a QB being considered for their first pick. To get a guy with that kind of season coupled with his excellent post season workouts with the 6th pick should have this base jumping up and down with excitement instead of looking for reasons to hate it. But that's just the way I see it. Perhaps I'm wrong but I really don't understand why he's being treated so differently than most other QBs in every other draft process. 

 

As previously mentioned, why did it take till his 5th year(4th year of a starter) to put in these numbers at an age where he is way older than his peers and competition. His prior years he did little to write home about. Maybe he just figured it out but I wouldn’t come close to comparing him to other one year wonders like Burrow and Cam.

Pickett:

 

Burrow:

 

Cam:

[Panthers Rhule]

8 minutes ago, ForJimmy said:

Bailey Zappe had even more yards and TDs. If you are going off that he is your guy. 

True, but I'm not only going off that. I'm just not going to repeat every reason why he's my guy in every single post I make. Things like size, arm, competition as well as systems are important too. Pickett checks all the boxes and has the stats against high level competition which make the difference. 

[BlitzMonster]

24 minutes ago, Panthers Rhule said:

To get a guy with that kind of season coupled with his excellent post season workouts with the 6th pick should have this base jumping up and down with excitement instead of looking for reasons to hate it. But that's just the way I see it. Perhaps I'm wrong but I really don't understand why he's being treated so differently than most other QBs in every other draft process. 

I think Carolina fans see a draft class very strong at LT, a position the team has flailed on for a long time.  And choosing one at #6 would give the Panthers an instant starter who's probably going to be very good for many years.  

The QB class overall is much less of a sure thing according to almost every scout.  That includes Pickett.  And even those that do like him question his ultimate upside.  I think the belief is he's a good  prospect but doesn't have elite physical skills.  So how far can he take a team ?

As a consequence I think the Huddle's consensus is more about going for the sure thing (LT) instead of a choice with higher risk (Pickett).   

Also there's the opportunity cost  - if you choose Pickett you have to pass on the guaranteed starter at LT.  So the OL stays funky, which will negatively affect Pickett's play and decrease his ultimate value.