If I am Sean Payton I’m worried about whether any of these QBs will be my QB of the future. I know Payton has said many positive things about Hill, and Jameis had a really good game early this season, but I would still be skeptical of any of these QB’s could lead the Saints in the future.
Before the season started, everybody knew that this QB class would be one of the weaker QB classes in recent memory. Being that this class was considered a weak one before the season even started, it allowed QBs that weren’t thought of highly to shoot up draft boards, and it’s more than fair to say that Pickett skyrocketed up draft boards.
Pickett came to Pitt as a three-star QB from New Jersey and didn’t do much as he was the backup to then-senior Max Browne and current Cowboys legend, Ben DiNucci. DiNucci would transfer out of the program, which led to Pickett taking over the starting job full-time in 2018. Pickett didn’t do a whole ton in his first couple of years in college football and likely wasn’t going to be a high draft pick after his senior year, but then things took a drastic change.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Pittsburgh and other college teams played in a shorted season, which resulted in the NCAA offering an extra year of eligibility to all fall athletes which Pickett took. Now, to the shock of many, Pickett has rocketed up draft boards and has seen a drastic improvement in his play.
Pickett will certainly be a QB that Payton will love. He has clean mechanics, good pocket awareness, goes through his progressions like a seasoned veteran, and is a great decision-maker, all things that will help him thrive in a Payton offense.
While he does have some negatives going his way, namely some accuracy issues at times and the fact that will be 24 years old by the time of the next NFL season, he still is a QB that could lead the Saints into the future.
Other Players Considered: Sam Howell, Treylon Burks, Jameson Williams