Five 2022 NFL Draft Storylines for the Quarterback Class
The 2022 quarterback class might not be quite as good as its 2021 counterpart, but it’s a whole lot interesting. We knew heading into last season that Trevor Lawrence was always going to be the first overall pick, and Justin Fields and Trey Lance were already extremely highly touted prospects going into the season. Besides Zach Wilson, the top guys were pretty much known. This year’s a bit different. There is no clear-cut #1 quarterback. There are a bunch of highly intriguing prospects who are all trying to prove to NFL teams that they are worthy of being their franchise quarterback. With a lot of questions to be asked about the prospects in the 2022 class before the season, here are the top five storylines surrounding five of the top quarterbacks in 2022.
Can Spencer Rattler Put All Of His Tools Together?
Spencer Rattler has some of the best moments on film in the 2022 NFL Draft class. Lincoln Riley’s first truly recruited quarterback at Oklahoma, Rattler has a first overall caliber arm and is able to effortlessly throw very deep and generate a ton of velocity on throws. He's an elite level of effortless arm strength that’s reserved for players such as Patrick Mahomes and Matt Stafford. In his best moments Rattler looks like he could be the next Mahomes/Stafford level star, but those moments are just that: moments.
For Spencer Rattler all of the pieces to the puzzle are there for him, he just has to figure out a way to put them all together. There are a lot of the small but important components of the quarterback position that Rattler must learn in order to hit his true potential. As with most quarterbacks, he has to grow on the mental side of the game. He has to be able to read defenses better and diagnose defensive coverage. Rattler looks for the big play a lot and will be better off as a quarterback being ok taking what the defense gives him at times. A one-year starter, Rattler improved a ton as the season went along, and it will be interesting to see if the Arizona native can put it all together in his sophomore campaign.
How Well Will Sam Howell Develop With a New Support Cast?
Sam Howell is another contender for QB1 in 2022, and for good reason. The Tar Heel quarterback statistically lit up college football, finishing the season with 30 touchdowns and 3,586 passing yards, all while completing his passes at a 68.1 percentage. North Carolina had one of the most vaunted offenses in college football, averaging over 40 points per game. The big problem, most of those players around Howell are gone.
Dyami Brown. Dazz Newsome. Javonte Williams. Michael Carter. All four of these players were drafted this past year. All four were the top two receivers and rushers at North Carolina this year. Dyami Brown hit over 1,000 receiving yards for his second straight year. Both Williams and Carter rushed for over 1,000 yards each, and Williams scored 19 touchdowns on the ground. All of the top players around Howell are gone in the year where his development is key.
Sam Howell has a lot to work on with his overall game. There are good moments on Howell’s film. He has good arm talent and when it’s on, his deep ball is one of the best in college. He is very accurate and shows good instances of performing well off-script. There are far too many inconsistencies and down moments though for Howell, including bad decision making. Howell has to take steps forward in his game and it will be interesting to see if he does so with an entirely new supporting cast around him.
Which Kedon Slovis Will We Get in 2021?
USC’s Kedon Slovis is an interesting case. He was seen as one of the front runners to be selected first in his class after an impressive freshman campaign. Sure there were some down moments as a true freshman, games against BYU and Oregon were rough, but ultimately Slovis looked a lot more advanced than you’d expect as a true freshman. Everyone looks for players that are flashy on script, so much they forget that performing on script is just as important, if not more. Slovis as a drop-back quarterback went through reads and progressions more often than even a lot of senior quarterbacks. The Slovis train was at runaway speed, only to be derailed during last year’s pandemic impacted season.
There was a very different Kedon Slovis on display during his sophomore year last year. Just looking at the stats, Slovis had nearly as many interceptions despite playing half of a season less. Despite most of his receivers returning, you saw a lot more of the down moments that you saw previously from his freshman campaign.
Whether it was a reported shoulder injury, the very “will they or won’t they play?” nature of the PAC-12 last season, or just a bit of a sophomore slump that he didn't have enough time to work out of, it was evident that something was off with the USC signal-caller. Which version of Kedon Slovis will we get in 2022? Will we see a return of the freshman year Slovis, a not so welcome return of his sophomore campaign, or will we see him take further strides and show an improved Kedon Slovis in 2022?
Will Malik Willis Be Allowed To Grow?
Malik Willis has the opportunity to be this year’s big grower at quarterback. It seems every year now we see a prospect come out of almost nowhere and establish himself as a top quarterback. Malik Willis of Liberty has that opportunity, but only if allowed to grow.
When looking at physical tools, Willis is someone to watch out for. Just like Rattler, Willis has one of the strongest arms you will find. Reminiscent of New York Yankees heat hurler Aroldis Chapman, Willis throws 100+ mile an hour fastballs. He can make any throw on the field in terms of arm strength, and his deep ball never seems to lose velocity. His trainer Quincy Avery, who worked this past year with 3rd overall pick Trey Lance, said that Willis had “the strongest arm of anybody I have ever seen.” On the ground, Willis has elite escapability and a great ability to make magic with his legs.
In terms of physical gifts, Malik Willis is one of the best in college football. He has a lot of questions about his game. Can he play a more traditional quarterback role that will be asked at the next level? Can he operate in a script, dropping back making reads and accurate throws? He wasn’t asked to do so a lot from Liberty. Much of the Flames offense was RPO heavy and had an emphasis on getting Willis moving out of the pocket. Willis needs to show that he can be more than just a college quarterback with NFL-level physical tools and traits, and it will be up to Liberty to see if they’ll allow their quarterback that opportunity to grow his game this season.
Can Desmond Ridder Take His Game To Another Level
Desmond Ridder is one of the most fun players in this class. Most are already familiar with the Cincinnati quarterback, with many expecting Ridder to enter the draft last season. Desmond Ridder decided to go back to college for one more year, and it was probably for the best.
Ridder might have the most appealing physical traits in the class. Ridder has grown every year as a passer and hopefully will continue to do so this year. He has a great amount of arm talent, but that overall accuracy and ball placement need to be more refined. He’s a big-arm quarterback with big size. On top of that, Ridder is an extremely good runner, rushing for over 500 yards each year in college. There is a lot of raw potential, but it’s just that: raw. He has some of the most up and down tape in the class, with flashes as bright as the sun, and down moments that will make you want to throw the first object you find. Just remember, he has steadily improved every year and still has one more extremely important year upcoming.
I see a lot of parallels between Desmond Ridders and a quarterback from this past 2021 draft class: Kellen Mond. Both Mond and Ridder seemed to be in college forever. Ridder is now entering his fourth season as a starter, something that’s almost a rarity in college today. Both Mond and Ridder have great moments that make you think they have the potential to be a big-time draft steal. There is great evident upside in both as prospects. The physical traits and arm talent are highly appealing. There are also equal moments where you aren’t sure if they are good or not. A big thing with Mond was that he never really took his game to that next level in his senior year. The big question for Desmond Ridder will be if he can elevate his game to the next level in 2022.
Writer
-By: Jacob Keppen