Is Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett the 2022 version of Mac Jones?

In the 2021 NFL Draft, we saw five quarterbacks go in the first round. The last quarterback selected among these five was Mac Jones who went to the New England Patriots with the 15th pick. While none of these five players have had outstanding rookie seasons, it can be argued that Jones has been the best quarterback out of this class so far, and a player in the 2022 NFL Draft class that reminds me of Jones is Kenny Pickett from Pittsburgh.

These two players share a variety of common traits as passers including a high football IQ, outstanding accuracy, primarily pocket passers who can maneuver throughout the pocket, and displaying slightly above average arm strength.

When looking at both Jones’ and Pickett’s football intelligence one thing that stands out is their ability to run a pro-style offense at a high level. In Pittsburgh’s offense, Kenny Pickett is asked to make multiple reads on a consistent basis and is also asked to read the whole field at times. Along with his ability to read a defense, Pickett also does a great job of not forcing the ball into tight coverage evident by the fact he has only thrown three picks this year. These were the same exact traits scouts loved about Jones when he was coming out of Alabama.

Another trait both of these players have in common is their outstanding accuracy. One of the things that has helped Jones win the starting quarterback job in New England and become one of the more productive rookies in the 2021 class is his ability to consistently deliver an accurate pass. Kenny Pickett displays this same ability as well having completed 69% of his passes this year. Like Jones, Pickett has also displayed outstanding accuracy in all areas of the passing game including short, intermediate and the deep passing game.

Another trait these two players share in common is that they are pocket passers who move well in the pocket. While Pickett might be a little more mobile than Jones, both players display outstanding pocket presence and do a great job of sliding in the pocket to keep plays alive. Neither of these players is a prospect you are going to factor much into the run game either, so like Jones, Pickett will need to go to a system that prefers the pocket quarterback.

Both of these players will likely be drafted around the same point in the NFL Draft as well. In two recent mock drafts, Pro Football Focus had Kenny Pickett going to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 21st pick and the Sporting News had him going 18th overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers as well. This draft position would put him in the same range as where Mac Jones went in the 2021 Draft when he went 15th overall.