This quarterback class is viewed as a down year to many, a step down from previous years of top prospects being fought over as prizes by fledgling teams looking to turn around their misfortunes. 2022 has the potential to be the first year to not have a quarterback be the first player off the board since 2017 when Myles Garrett was selected first overall by the Cleveland Browns.

The 2022 quarterback class doesn’t necessarily lack talent. Almost all of the top prospects have intriguing traits, many just lack polish and have big question marks about their overall games. The Senior Bowl has been a great showcase for quarterbacks in recent years, Justin Herbert and Josh Allen are just two examples of top quarterbacks who helped raise their stock in Mobile. This year nearly every top quarterback in the 2022 class minus Matt Corral is going to be participating in the Senior Bowl, and a big week in Mobile could be the first step in taking over the quarterback #1 mantle.

Sam Howell is the name that stands out the most on the roster. The North Carolina junior graduated in time to attend the Senior Bowl, and he may be the player that needs a big week more than anyone. Sam Howell put the world on notice early on, throwing for over 3,500 yards and over 30 touchdowns in both of his first two seasons. The raw traits Howell possessed such as his great arm strength were very apparent. There were some concerns about his game though. Howell would unravel at times under pressure, looking panicky in the pocket. His pocket presence needed work and the UNC offense really limited the reads he made. 

In his junior season, nothing really improved from Howell, the UNC offense definitely feeling the weight of losing two 1,000 yard rushers and two drafted wide receivers. For Howell, the 2021 NCAA season did not go quite as well as he would’ve hoped for, due to factors both in and out of his control, but he still has a chance to show why many pegged him as the #1 quarterback in this class before the season. Without the limitations of his offense and in front of the entire football world, Howell can put on display enough of his traits to push himself back into first-round talks.

Kenny Pickett is the other name that stands out on the roster. The 5th year senior out of Pittsburgh was someone on the Senior Bowl’s radar before the season, but certainly not as one of the main attractions of the event. For most of his collegiate career, Pickett was just a solid quarterback. Nothing really stood out about him or screamed “NFL prospect.” Now Pickett is a Heisman candidate and a potential first-round pick after his stellar 2021 season. Pickett threw for over 4,000 yards and 42 touchdowns, and his film improved in every way too. Can Pickett be the next breakout senior in the mold of Joe Burrow?

Nevada’s gunslinger Carson Strong has become THE internet darling of this draft. With no real standout quarterback, many have flocked to the lesser-known quarterback out of the Mountain West. Strong’s name describes his game, Strong. He is a big arm pocket quarterback who can make every throw on the field physically. He is generally accurate and will be a good fit for a vertical passing game. If you want a quarterback who can stretch the field, Strong is that guy and undoubtedly his arm will impress viewers down in Mobile.

There’s a potentially massive problem with Strong’s game though, his mobility. Strong is not a great athlete one bit. He’s not a guy you want running the ball or to run many option plays with. He is limited outside of the pocket, and will not offer the escapability that others do, and that is going to be a problem for some teams. The biggest thing that is going to be monitored is how well Strong can manage the pocket. The league has seen below-average athletes thrive as pocket passers thanks to their ability to navigate the pocket. Can Strong be mobile enough and smart enough to be a master of the pocket, to negate his below-average athleticism, and to best utilize everything he does well throwing the ball?

Desmond Ridder and Malik Willis both enter Hancock-Whitney Stadium in similar situations. Both have some very intriguing tools at their disposal. Ridder is big, can run, and has a good arm. Malik Willis is a dynamic running threat and arguably has the best arm in the class. Both have not shown to be complete quarterbacks yet, able to consistently make accurate throws and go through reads. The traits for both are enough to have interest in them, potentially early. 

Malik Willis is a player whose college system did his pro evaluation no favors. The Liberty offense was so RPO-heavy that Willis never really got a chance to show that he can make reads. There was also a ton of questionable play-calling, and the talent surrounding Willis was not the best. We have no idea just how good Willis is as a quarterback yet. The player 

For Ridder, he has to show at the Senior Bowl that he can consistently make every throw asked of him. He has the arm power to make the throws, he just has to consistently throw an accurate throw. After four years of college ball Ridder looks like a good college quarterback with some NFL-level tools, can he be just a legitimate NFL quarterback?

Nobody in the NFL draft world knew who Bailey Zappe really was before the season, and nobody expected him to enter the Senior Bowl as one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country. The senior quarterback had success at FCS school Houston Baptist but nobody expected Zappe to lead the nation in touchdown passes with 61, breaking Joe Burrow’s NCAA record. Zappe was the perfect quarterback for Western Kentucky’s system, linking up with fellow Houston Baptist transfer Jerreth Sterns to make the Hilltoppers offense one of the best in the country. 

Zappe doesn’t have physical tools that jump off the screen. He isn’t going to run like Willis or have the arm strength of Howell. Zappe is a smart quarterback who makes good quick decisions and throws good accurate passes. Just how high can Zappe go after his stint at the Senior Bowl?

Senior Bowl Final  QB Roster:

Sam Howell, North Carolina

Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh

Carson Strong, Nevada.

Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati

Malik Willis, Liberty

Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky

Writer

-By: Jacob Keppen

The 2022 NFL Draft class is posing the question, “Just because you are the worst team in football, are you obligated to take a quarterback?”

Since 2000, only six non-quarterbacks have made the walk to shake the commissioner's hand before anyone else. Twice in the 2000s, the Cleveland Browns opted to take a defensive end first overall a year after taking a quarterback high in the draft, Courtney Brown in 2000 after drafting Tim Couch the year prior, and standout Myles Garrett in 2017 after selecting Deshone Kizer in the 2nd round in 2016.

The Dolphins after going 1-15 in 2007 won the Chad Pennington sweepstakes in the offseason and decided to grab him protection in the form of a standout tackle prospect Jake Long. Pennington would have a career resurgence, leading the Dolphins back to the playoffs and winning comeback player of the year. The Chiefs also went a similar route in 2013, bringing in former first overall pick Alex Smith and taking Eric Fisher first overall. The final example was the Texans taking Jadeveon Clowney in 2014, Clowney one of the highest touted pass-rushing prospects in recent memory.

Quarterbacks have dominated the first overall position over the past four years, the idea of finding your franchise quarterback at any cost more important than ever. In 2019 the Arizona Cardinals, despite drafting Josh Rosen the year prior 10th overall, took Kyler Murray first overall. If you are bad enough to be first overall, you are expected and nearly obligated to take a shot at a franchise quarterback.

Is the supply of quarterbacks in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft good enough to meet the demand of QB-hungry organizations vying for the next superstar signal-caller? With premium talent headlining the college ranks such as Oregon’s exceptional pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and Notre Dame’s super safety Kyle Hamilton, is there a gunslinger worth potentially missing out on a blue-chip prospect?

For a team such as the Houston Texans who are going through a complete long term rebuild and need help everywhere, is there a quarterback this year even worth taking over a player who can potentially change your defense? The Philadelphia Eagles will most likely be selecting high in the draft, whether it be with their own pick or one of the first-round picks they acquired over the offseason. With the defense in shambles, are any of these quarterbacks enough of an upgrade over Jalen Hurts, a player they selected just a season ago in the second round, to justify fixing a massive hole in the secondary?

So far, this quarterback class has not done enough to answer yes to answer any of the above questions, at least not compared to classes in the past. For the past two years, there have been top quarterbacks known coming into the college season. Trevor Lawrence was already written on a card for the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, the lucky team to grab him the only thing still to be decided on. While Joe Burrow captured the hearts of the football world, rising from relative unknown to college legend and first overall pick, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon’s Justin Herbert were still known commodities who most likely would’ve gone first. There isn’t really one of those guys who has established himself as that frontrunner to go first overall, at least not five weeks into the season.

There are intriguing quarterbacks in this class. There is undeniable talent of course, but each prospect comes with a lot of questions for them. North Carolina’s Sam Howell has struggled at times in his junior year, in a year where he really needed to improve on certain parts of his game. 

There is a lot of intrigue in Howell, his arm is really nice and he can make big NFL level throws anywhere on the field and he’s willing to challenge the middle of the field a lot more this year, but there’s a lot of growing he still needs to do. North Carolina’s system uses a frustrating amount of RPOs, really taking any decision-making or field reading out of Howell’s hands. He is going to have a pretty big adjustment going into an NFL offense that will ask him to read the field a lot more. While his offensive line has been less than ideal, Howell puts himself in danger a lot by being generally frantic in the pocket. At times he gives off Carson Wentz vibes, running around the pocket like a chicken without its head. Howell is a good prospect, but nobody’s quite sure if he’s at that franchise quarterback level of prospect.

Another quarterback-needy fanbases hoped would take more strides this year is Oklahoma’s, Spencer Rattler. The former five-star quarterback and star of Netflix’s QB1: Beyond the Lights series has some immense talent. He can make throws that remind you of Patrick Mahomes. His arm talent is off the charts, able to effortlessly fling the ball down the field. He’s a big-time player when he’s on, and showed it down the stretch last year.

For Rattler, the problems were well known coming into the year. Yes, he had some of the highest highs in the class, but he also had some of the lowest lows as well. He lacked any real consistency at all, and it hasn’t really changed this season. Rattler has been very hot and cold this season, showing off the great arm while also frustrating viewers with head-scratching decision-making. Despite being a big arm quarterback, his downfield accuracy has been a lot more spotty this year compared to last. The sense of risk management hasn’t really developed yet for Rattler either. He has a ton of potential, he could be an amazing quarterback, but he could also be a monumental bust who turns the ball over a ton as well.

Malik Willis has made a great case for himself this season to be the top quarterback in this class. He has quickly become the darling of the internet, wowing fans with his big arm and great rushing ability. The sky's the limit when it comes to Willis. He has the ability to take over the league with his great deep ball and ability to extend plays, there is also a ton of risk as well. He is someone who goes for the big play a lot. Whether that’s airing it out deep downfield very often, or trying to extend the play as much as he can. This can lead to errors at the next level where the game is much faster and punishes bad decisions. Willis needs to show he can work within a system, and make the easy things look easier. It should be noted that while he is putting on an impressive show this season, the toughest defense he faced is Troy, a team that held the Liberty offense to only 21 points.

For Willis, he has to still prove that he can do more basic quarterback things. He has to show that he can drop back, make reads, and make accurate passes. Can he work the short game and the middle of the field? Will his highly entertaining playstyle hold up in the NFL? Can he transition from a very RPO-heavy system to more of a pro-style system, and will his offensive coordinator be able to cater to his specific set of skills? Is a team willing to risk the top selection on a quarterback who has questions to answer, development to do, and will be 23 by the time the season starts? The high ceiling is there.

Some other candidates making their case to be selected high are Nevada’s Carson Strong and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral. Carson Strong has been the underrated internet darling all summer and has a lot going for him. He has a big arm and throws a pretty deep ball. He’s generally accurate, but has shown some cases of missing throws and missing the mark on ball placement. The big problem is mobility. While these other quarterbacks can refine their games potentially, you can’t really make Strong more mobile. He’s pretty much a pure pocket passer and doesn’t offer a ton in terms of play extension.

Matt Corral has been the breakout star of the 2022 quarterback class, having a great college season so far. Corral had a lot of impressive moments last year, marred by some terrible decision-making. He turned the ball over 14 times, including a six-interception game against Arkansas and a five-interception game against LSU. This year Corral has 0 interceptions, taking much better care of the ball. Corral could potentially be the breakout star who does convince a team to take him high, but he has to prove it over the rest of a very long college football season.

The 2022 quarterback class has guys with talent. These aren’t just some scrubs who flat out can’t play. Guys such as Howell, Rattler, Willis, Strong, and Corral can have really good moments on film, they also have massive problems and question marks. There isn’t a guy in this class five weeks in that you can point to and say “He’s the guy! That’s the guy who’s going to change this franchise!” at least not with certainty. There is a very good shot that if you take one of these guys, they burn you and you lose your job. You could have a diamond, but you also could have a fast track to the unemployment line if they bust. 

No player in the draft is a certainty, but teams can feel a lot more confident on a player hitting than some others. There are some seriously talented players on defense this year. Are you willing to pass on a guy like Thibodeaux or Hamilton who can help transform a defense for a lottery ticket at a franchise quarterback? So far into the season, I don’t know if you can. Just because you need a quarterback doesn’t necessarily mean you have to take one. There’s nothing worse than ending up with a mid-level quarterback while more promising and certain prospects appear in better classes to come just because you felt you needed to take one. The Jaguars went through the QB conundrum for years after taking Blake Bortles 3rd overall in 2014.

Writer

-By: Jacob Keppen

After the Jaguars drafted QB Trevor Lawrence with the number one overall pick in this year's draft, it was very apparent that previous starting QB Gardner Minshew was going to be headed to the bench. In the preseason, there was a competition between the two, but Lawrence was expectedly named the starter. With no place to go but the bench, the Jaguars decided to trade Minshew to the Philadelphia Eagles. Let us look at the details of the trade and why exactly the trade even happened.

Trade Details

As far as the trade details go, there were not many moving parts. The deal was straight up Minshew to the Eagles for a pick. This pick going to Jacksonville is a conditional sixth-round pick in next year's draft. If Minshew plays 50% of the snaps in three games this year, the sixth-round pick turns into a fifth-rounder for the Jaguars. The Eagles also released QB Nick Mullens to go along with the trade.

Minshew’s Role in Philly

In the two years, he has been in the NFL, Minshew has proven to be a more than capable quarterback in the NFL. It does not help that he has not been on very good teams, but you see his flashes of talent and his flair for the dramatic on the field and even off the field. In two years, Minshew has a 7-13 record with 37 TD and 11 INT with a CMP% of 62.9. Those numbers are not pro bowl level but are competent enough to be in the NFL. Now the question is, where does he fit in on the Eagles. QB Jalen Hurts is the clear starter with Joe Flacco being the backup. If anything, this move might prove how the Eagles feel about Hurts and might have Minshew as a safety blanket. If Philadelphia was sold fully on Hurts, I am not sure if this move is even made. With just a little over a week left until the season starts, Minshew might not even dress Week 1. Regardless, it is a low-risk deal that gives the Eagles security if needed.

Who Won the Trade?

Most trades are even, but the clear winner in this trade is the Eagles. Minshew brings more value than a sixth-round pick and immediately adds depth to the QB room at worst with the ability to start if you need him to. As for the Jaguars, the trade does not make much sense. With QB Trevor Lawrence and HC Urban Meyer both in their first years, Minshew could have been the leader in the locker room and a guy that mentored Lawrence. Minshew is still young but has experience in the league already. It was a move that did not have to be made for Jacksonville, while the Eagles just added depth for a late-round pick.

Trade info from sportingnews.com

Stats from profootballreference.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas