Pitt's Pro Day brings Kenny Pickett, Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule together again

Kenny Pickett and Matt Rhule were reunited Monday at Pitt’s Pro Day, but this time they weren’t talking about a scholarship, academics or the Temple football program.

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said it best while addressing his team in the morning: “This was business out there.”

Before he committed to Pitt in 2017 and launched one of the greatest football careers in school history, Pickett told Rhule, who was Temple’s coach at the time and now is head coach of the Carolina Panthers, he planned to attend his school.

Kenny Pickett meets the press … pic.twitter.com/rgePY6k4WL

— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) March 21, 2022

In the end, Narduzzi stepped in and flipped Pickett to Pitt. No hard feelings, though. Narduzzi and Rhule, old friends, greeted each other warmly inside Pitt’s weight room before workouts began.

Later in Pitt’s indoor facility, Rhule, Carolina general manager Scott Fitterer and offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo were among the 66 coaches, scouts and executives who showed up to watch Pickett and 12 of his teammates, all of whom have hopes to draw an NFL paycheck later this year. The Los Angeles Rams, who do not have a first- or second-round pick, were the only team not represented

The Carolina contingent met with Pickett for several minutes before he went through a workout that included 56 throws of varying depths to several of his former teammates.

“Of course, I reminded him (about their shared Temple experience),” Pickett said, laughing. “We talked about that. It was great catching up with him. Hopefully, I’ll see him down the road.”

How, where, when — and if — that occurs depends on so many variables.

Pickett is considered the best quarterback available in the NFL Draft, and the Panthers may be in the market for one in the first round. Carolina’s trade last year for quarterback Sam Darnold didn’t work out well — the Panthers finished 5-12 — and, actually, might have forced Fitterer and Rhule to bypass Justin Fields and Mac Jones in the 2021 draft.

Do they want to make that mistake two years in a row?

Holding the sixth overall choice, Carolina may have a shot at Pickett, but the Panthers must figure out if he is worth such a premium pick. Also, several of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ top people walked across the parking lot to check out the prospects. They included coach Mike Tomlin, general manager Kevin Colbert, offensive coordinator Matt Canada and linebackers coach Jerry Olsavsky. The Steelers own the 20th pick in the first round.

Pickett said it’s too early to guess where he might land.

“It’s a crazy process,” he said. “Every day I wake up there’s some new news going on, guys moving around, guys getting traded. When free agency settles down, you’ll have a clearer picture.”

Pickett looked sharp Monday, going through every imaginable throw, including in the red zone, rolling out and throwing on the run and deep to Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison and several others. Addison has another season to play at Pitt, but he should be a highly coveted wide receiver in 2023.

Kenny Pickett draws a crowd pic.twitter.com/BewkbPMxCm

— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) March 21, 2022

“I really wanted to have him out there,” Pickett said, “a guy I had a lot of reps with, stretch the field a little bit. He looked great. He helped me just as much as he helped himself.”

… and here’s who everybody is here to see. pic.twitter.com/eY7EaS0eiP

— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) March 21, 2022

Meanwhile, former Pitt wide receiver Melquise Stovall said Pickett’s throws had a bit more velocity than they had during the season.

Then, there’s the matter of Pickett’s hand size, measured at 8 ½ inches at the NFL Combine. After several weeks of hand stretching exercises, Pickett’s hand measured 8 5/8 inches Monday.

If Pickett’s hand size is considered small by NFL standards, the issue is considered laughable by those inside the Pitt locker room.

“Look at the tape,” former Pitt tight end Lucas Krull said.“You want to find something to knock a guy on in the media. You can’t find it on the game film, so maybe you think he has small hands. He showed he can throw it 65 yards on the dot.”

Krull was on his own mission Monday, hoping to show the NFL that it was a mistake neglecting to invite him to the Combine.

Krull, 6-foot-6, 253 pounds, said he was told he ran the 40-yard dash in the 4.5-second range — good for a man of his size.

“I did what I came here to do,” he said. “I feel like people have kind of been not really looking my way as I thought they would. No disrespect to anybody, but I thought I should have been (at the Combine). I knew I had to come here and prove everyone wrong.”

Krull, who caught 38 passes for 451 yards and six touchdowns last season, said he didn’t mind being put on display.

“It’s what I signed up to do,” he said. “It’s what I love.”

The best showing may have belonged to cornerback Damarri Mathis, whose vertical leap Monday was measured at 43 ½ inches. He didn’t jump at the Combine, but the best effort there was 42 inches by Texas-San Antonio cornerback Tariq Woolen and Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall.

“I wanted to jump higher than 43 ½, but I’ll take it,” said Mathis, noting his personal best is 45 inches.

He also ran a 4.39 40 at the Combine.

“I just know my ability and I’m very confident in that,” he said. “I feel like everybody was impressed. When I jumped everybody went, ‘Whoooo.’ ”

Said Narduzzi: “He’s going to play for a long time in the NFL because he’s tough. He’ll hit you. He’s got ball skills.

“He might be the most talented corner we’ve had here in seven years.”