2022 NFL Draft QB's: A Motley Crew

Draft Week is officially upon us, and as you know by now, I am thoroughly excited. The NFL Draft is one of my top two favorite sporting events of the year, the other being March Madness. This draft is particularly interesting because it is not a top-heavy class. You could argue there are no home-run selections anywhere in this class. This draft class is one where GM’s around the league are really going to make their money, if they can find the players in this draft that are going to be stars. The quarterback class is particularly interesting, because there is not even a consensus top quarterback in this class, and some people say none of the quarterbacks are worthy of a top-10 selection. It is not that these guys lack talent, it is just that they all have very evident shortcomings. I wanted to do something a little different this year and dedicate a post to the quarterback class for two reasons. First, as I already alluded to, it is very interesting to look at these guys and try to figure out which one will end up being the best of the class. Secondly, the Detroit Lions may finally be looking for a new quarterback, after dealing longtime starter Matthew Stafford last offseason. Jared Goff is a fine bridge quarterback, but he does not have the talent to be the answer at quarterback for us. I will get into whether or not I think the Lions will take a quarterback in my annual Draft Preview post, but for now let’s just look at the quarterback class as a whole.

The Top Tier

These are the six guys that are definitively “the best” of the class. I personally believe that at least one of these guys will be a successful starter in the NFL, but figuring out which one is certainly a challenge.

Malik Willis – Liberty – 6’1”, 219 lbs.

Willis has undoubtedly the highest ceiling of all the quarterbacks in this class. On tape, he consistently flashes big play ability both with his arm and with his legs. He is the most athletic quarterback in the class, and may also have the biggest arm in the class. While he has all the physical tools, he also has a relatively low floor. The concerns with him are things like accuracy, reading defenses, decision making, and his mechanics. I had the chance to watch him a few times, including against Eastern Michigan in The LendingTree Bowl where he ran all over the field, and there were a number of throws this year where he flat out missed an open receiver. That cannot happen at the NFL level, where the windows are even smaller. I could also see him being what I call a “read-and-run” quarterback, where he looks at his primary target, and if that guy is not open, he tries to take off and run. In the NFL, one difference between good and bad quarterbacks is the ability to go through progressions. If a guy is unable to do that, he will not succeed, no matter how much physical ability he has. I personally think Willis can do it, but he definitely has some things he has to work on if he is going to.

Kenny Pickett – Pittsburgh – 6’3”, 217 lbs.

Often referred to as the most “pro ready” quarterback in the class, Pickett is viewed as the “safe” pick here, and for good reason. He finished third in Heisman voting behind Bryce Young and Aidan Hutchinson (Go Blue!) this past season, and had a great season at Pittsburgh. He is very collected both in the pocket and rolling out, throws the ball with nice touch, and demonstrates great accuracy. While he is not a great athlete like some of the other quarterbacks in this class, he is a very capable runner who ripped off a number of long runs this past season. While he does not seem to have a lot of weaknesses, he does have a tendency to be a bit eager to roll out of the pocket. He will need to learn to be more comfortable in the pocket in the NFL, or he will become predictable. Pickett is definitely the safest pick in the draft among the quarterbacks, but his ceiling is considerably lower than that of many of the other options. His development at the next level would most likely be minimal, I think he is kind of just going to be what you see now for his entire career.

Desmond Ridder – Cincinnati – 6’3”, 211 lbs.

The face of one of the more exciting Group of 5 teams, and the first such team to make the College Football Playoff, Ridder’s draft stock has greatly risen recently. He is a plus athlete, has good pocket presence, and a decent arm as well. I would describe him as a “gamer,” which is a term I like to use to describe guys that are tough and willing to do whatever it takes to win. Some people even argue that Ridder is the top quarterback prospect in this class. I am in a bit of a weird place with him. I like what he brings to the table, but when I watch him he just comes across as a bit unimpressive. He does not pass the eye test for me, which I think is a criminally underrated aspect of scouting. For example, when I was watching film two years ago, Jeff Okudah did not pass the eye test for me, despite what everyone else was saying about him, and he has been one of the worst draft picks in recent memory, maybe of all time. I feel like Ridder is going to underperform at the NFL level. He has similar accuracy concerns to Willis, but has a weaker arm, which adds additional concern. A guy with a weaker arm cannot get the ball to the receiver as quickly, giving time for the defensive players to make up ground and make a play. I am lower on Ridder than a lot of guys in this class, even though a lot of people seem to like him a lot.

Matt Corall – Ole Miss – 6’2”, 212 lbs.

Another guy to file in the “Certified Gamer” category, Corral is tough as nails. For some reason, he appears small when you look at him on the field, but he always pops back up after taking huge hits. I think Corral is a very interesting prospect, I see him as a poor man’s Russel Wilson. He buys time behind the line of scrimmage effectively, demonstrates the ability to go through progressions, and is always willing to tuck it and run when necessary. One concern with him is his maturity, as in college he was a very intense player that could be seen jawing at opponents, but I personally just see that as him being a competitor. I think he also needs to learn to dial back his aggressiveness. He took a lot of chances on throws in college that NFL secondaries will absolutely devour, and often took hits he had no business taking in an attempt to get a few extra yards. If he can scale that back and learn to make reads at an NFL level, I think he could surprise a lot of people.

Sam Howell – North Carolina – 6’1”, 218 lbs.

Before the college football season, Howell was a foregone conclusion to be a top 2 pick along with Spencer Rattler from Oklahoma. While Rattler had a mess of a season where he got benched and has now transferred to South Carolina, Howell underwhelmed a bit. While it is not a flattering comparison based on recent events, I see him as Baker Mayfield with the ability to run. Howell throws some of the more beautiful deep balls you will ever see, dropping them right in stride for his receivers, and also had a number of runs where he had defenders just falling off of him somehow on his way to the end zone. Will that happen in the NFL? Probably not, but it still demonstrates his confidence in running the ball. It is easy to see why he was thought of so highly before the season started. Despite how much he does flash, he also makes questionable decisions, takes bad sacks, and misses receivers. His mechanics could certainly use some work as well, as his throwing motion is a bit unique, which I think causes some of his inconsistencies. Slightly unrelated, but in watching film one thing that stood out is one of his receivers, Josh Downs, who is not in the draft this year, but keep an eye out for him in the future. Going back to Howell, I think he has his work cut out for him. Keep in mind, Mitch Trubisky came out of this exact same offense and largely struggled in the NFL. I like Howell’s physical tools a lot more than I liked Trubisky’s, but I do think Howell will need quite a bit of development before he is ready to see the field.

Carson Strong – Nevada – 6’3”, 226 lbs.

Seemingly the consensus “bottom” of the top tier of quarterbacks in this class, I think Strong has the toughest path to being an impact starter at the NFL level. If you are a huge fan of Matthew Stafford’s playing style for whatever reason, Strong is your guy. He fits more of the pocket passer archetype and has a big arm that is capable of completing deep balls and threading the ball through tight windows. He is, however, a limited athlete that does not handle pressure well, and has a tendency to stare down his receiver and not go through progressions. His injury history partially contributes to his lack of mobility, but he was not exactly a great athlete to begin with. His arm has no shortage of talent, but it will be a matter of being able to consistently throw accurately and make the reads necessary to succeed.

The Other Guys

Outside of that group of six at the top of the draft, there are a few guys that have potential to at least make some noise at the NFL level, although this group is also a bit underwhelming compared to previous draft classes. I will highlight just a couple of them.

Kaleb Eleby – Western Michigan – 6’1”, 210 lbs.

A local guy to the state of Michigan, I had the opportunity to watch Eleby in person three times this past season. Once in the Big House against Michigan, once at Rynearson Stadium against Eastern Michigan (one of the best college football games of the year, in my opinion), and then at Ford Field for the Quick Lane Bowl against a Carson Strong-less Nevada team. He is a solid athlete with a decent arm, but I do question his ability to make what is known as “The NFL Throw.” One example of an NFL throw is the 10-yard out route from the opposite hashmark. Based on what I have seen, particularly in person, I do not believe he has the ability to make that throw. Keep an eye out for his top receiver, Skyy Moore, who I think will be a great second-round pickup for a team.

Bailey Zappe – Western Kentucky – 6’1”, 215 lbs.

My favorite prospect from this tier, Zappe lit up the competition at WKU this year, breaking both of Joe Burrow’s records from 2019 for passing yards and passing touchdowns in a season. I do not care if the level of competition he faced is less than that which Burrow faced, that is still impressive. Zappe is a bit of a jack-of-all trades, master of none. He has a good arm, quick release, some mobility behind the line of scrimmage, and seems to go through progressions nicely, but I would not say he does anything at an elite level, which is certainly a concern for his ability to perform at the NFL level. He also utilizes the pump fake, which is such an underrated skill in a quarterback. I could see Zappe as a late-round pick who is drafted as a backup and then comes in due to an injury and proceeds to light it up.

EJ Perry – Brown – 6’2”, 211 lbs.

The last quarterback I will discuss in detail is perhaps one of the more interesting prospects. Most people, myself included, had never heard of Perry before, mostly because he played in the Ivy League, but then he proceeded to show out at the East-West Shrine Bowl. Perry is a sneaky athlete, and throws a solid ball. I could easily see a team taking a flier on him late in the draft, and if he does I think it would be pretty cool seeing an Ivy League quarterback get drafted.

While I think only a few of the following guys will get drafted, here is a brief list of other names to keep an eye out for in the late rounds of the draft:

Dustin Crum – Kent State – 6’1”, 210 lbs.

Another solid athlete from the MAC.

Skylar Thompson - Kansas State – 6’2”, 217 lbs.

Decent, but never impressive during his time with the Wildcats

Jack Coan – Notre Dame – 6’3”, 218 lbs.

No, thank you.

Brock Purdy – Iowa State – 6’1”, 212 lbs.

At times thought to be a first-round talent, but failed to impress this past year.

Cole Kelley – Southeastern Louisiana – 6’7”, 249 lbs.

Physical freak with a big arm, he originally played at Arkansas but transferred out. Also was hit with a DWI back in 2017.

Aqeel Glass – Alabama A&M – 6’4”, 233 lbs.

Essentially a poor man’s Cam Newton. Big, athletic, and has a nice arm.

Levi Lewis – Louisiana-Lafayette – 5’10”, 184 lbs.

Loved watching him with the Ragin’ Cajuns. He has some left-handed Kyler Murray looks to his game, although he is not nearly as fast as Murray.

Tre Ford – Waterloo – 6’1”, 192 lbs.

Yes, he played college football in Canada, where he won the Hec Creighton award, which is essentially the Canadian Heisman. He showed up to the University of Buffalo’s Pro Day and ran a 4.45 40-yard dash and displayed a 39” vertical. There is buzz that NFL teams are taking a serious look at him. He most likely will go undrafted and may not even get an NFL contract, but I wanted to bring up one of the more interesting storylines in draft history.

As you can probably see, there is a ton of uncertainty with this quarterback class. For everything positive you can say about any of these quarterbacks, there is also a negative. As I said at the beginning, I believe at least one of these guys will be a solid starter at the NFL level, but it is difficult to point at one guy in particular and confidently say it will be him.

I’m sure you’re all wondering, which one would I pick if I were a QB-needy team? I think at the end of the day, the ceiling of Malik Willis makes him the one to take a shot at. Will he be the best quarterback in the class? It is hard to say, but I think he has the best chance to be.