There were more than a few New Orleans Saints fans hoping their team would select Kenny Pickett in the 2022 NFL draft’s first round, bringing a promising quarterback prospect to a team that could use one. Instead, the Saints passed on Pickett twice, moving up to select wide receiver Chris Olave (who is making a strong case for his Rookie of the Year candidacy) at No. 11, then taking left tackle Trevor Penning (who just took a big step towards returning from the injured reserve list) at No. 19. Pickett wound up going to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 20.
And there was plenty of smoke surrounding the situation. Pickett met with New Orleans ahead of the 2022 draft, and Saints head coach Dennis Allen recently said that he was their top-graded quarterback in the rookie class. Pickett’s college coach Pat Narduzzi even thought the Saints had selected Pickett on the night of the draft, when New Orleans was on the clock, and broke the bad news to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on a phone call.
But Pickett hasn’t exactly lit the NFL world on fire in his pro debut. He took the reins from Mitch Trubisky three and a half games into the season, and currently leads the league with an interception rate of 4.8%. Pickett has scored just 2 touchdown passes against 8 interceptions, also fumbling 3 times while scoring 2 touchdown runs. He’s been sacked 12 times across 5 games, going 1-3 as a starter. His 3.19 adjusted net yards per pass attempt (which accounts for touchdown passes, interceptions, and sacks) also ranks last in the NFL. Pickett’s longest pass completion has gained 30 yards.
So it’s not like the Saints are kicking themselves for passing on him. To be fair, neither Andy Dalton nor Jameis Winston have been effective this season, but while Pickett may have been an alternative he likely wouldn’t have been a better alternative. We’ll see how his career develops this week and in the future.
For his part, Pickett isn’t thinking about what-might-have-been. When asked this week if he carries a chip on his shoulder from having been passed over by teams like New Orleans, he responded: “No, man, I’m happy as hell to be here. You know, everything works out for a reason. Incredibly proud to be the quarterback of this team and go out there and play on Sunday.”
So it’s good to see the rookie is keeping his chin up amid a rough start to his NFL journey. He’ll be looking to get right against a Saints defense that has only intercepted a pair of passes all season, while New Orleans is hoping to take advantage of that same matchup versus a young turnover-prone quarterback. Something has to give.
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