2022 draft preview: quarterbacks
April 22, 2022
by Steve Thomas
A couple of months ago, it appeared as though drafting a quarterback was going to be the Redskins’ Washington Football Team’s Commanders’ Washington’s top draft priority. With Taylor Heinicke being the only quarterback on the roster, it was obvious that the team needed to do something, and the best course of action appeared at the time to be to burn a high draft pick on this need. That all changed, of course, with the arrival of Carson Wentz via one of the more lopsided trades we’ve seen in awhile. Washington gave up both multiple draft picks and swallowed the entirety of Wentz’s contract, resulting in a $28M cap hit. It is what it is, though, and the team’s need at starter is now filled. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the team isn’t going to draft a quarterback, but it probably does indicate that the team’s first round pick will be spend in other areas. The fact of the matter is that 2022 simply isn’t a very good draft year for quarterbacks. Regardless, though, let’s take a look at some of the draft eligible quarterbacks, in my rank order from the best to the worst prospect. This isn’t intended to be a complete list – there are a few others who I left out for word length issues.
1) Kenny Pickett, 6’3” / 220, Pittsburgh: Pickett spent five years at the University of Pittsburgh and started 4 seasons, playing a total of 52 games, completing 1045 of 1674 pass attempts for 12,303 yards and a 62.4% completion percentage, 81 touchdowns, and 32 interceptions. In 2021, he played 13 games and completed 334 of 497 pass attempts for 4,319 yards, a 67.2% completion percentage, 42 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions, and was named as a First-team All American, and was the ACC Player of the Year. Pickett is a very experienced collegiate quarterback who has the look of a classic NFL pocket, dropback passer. His arm strength is sufficient, albeit not great by NFL standards, and his throwing mechanics are solid. Pickett is the best in the draft class at consistently reading the entire field. He can be inconsistent at times and has a gunslinger mentality, which can lead to mistakes. Another concern is that, for all of his experience, 2021 was the only year in which he had elite production. Regardless, he’s the most NFL-ready quarterback this year by far, but he’ll need to rein in his Brett Favre-like tendencies. He has the potential for a high-quality NFL career.
Projected draft round: 1
Where Steve would draft him: top 20
2) Matt Corral, 6’2” / 205, Mississippi: Corral played for Ole Miss for 4 seasons, starting 2, and played a total of 37 games, with 614 completions in 912 attempts, 8287 yards, 67.3% completion percentage, 57 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. In 2021, he played 13 games and completed 262 of 386 pass attempts for 3349 yards, a 67.9% completion percentage, 20 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, and was a Second-team All SEC selection. As a rusher, he had a total of 334 carries for 1338 yards, and 4.0 yards per attempt. In 2021, he rushed for 614 yards in 152 attempts for 4.0 yards per attempt. Corral looks a bit undersized, and has questionable deep-ball arm strength. However, he’s an athletic dual threat quarterback with potential to succeed in the NFL. As a passer, he appears to have a quick release and compact throwing motion and is accurate short, but less so deep. Ole Miss’ offense had quite a few RPOs out of shotgun and pistol, which should translate to many NFL teams’ schemes. Corral can progress through his progressions and typically makes good decisions. He may not be an immediate starter but has potential to be a solid NFL quarterback.
Projected draft round: 2
Where Steve would draft him: rd 2
3) Desmond Ridder, 6’3” / 207, Cincinnati: Ridder is a redshirt senior, having spent 5 full years at the University of Cincinnati. During that time, he played a total of 50 games in 4 seasons, going 810 completions for 1304 attempts, 10,239 yards, 62.1% completion percentage, 87 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions. As a runner, Ridder had a total of 501 carries for 2180 yards, and 4.4 yards per attempt. In 2021, he had 251 completions in 387 pass attempts, 3334 yards, 64.9% completion percentage, 30 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, and was a 2x First-team All-AAC selection in 2020 and 2021. Ridder has average arm strength by NFL standards, but his real talent is that, when he’s on, he’s highly accurate in tight windows and can throw with anticipate at an NFL level. Ridder can be inconsistent, so there are times when his mechanics and footwork are off, but overall, he’s a quality NFL quarterback prospect. The combination of those two traits means that he will occasionally make dangerous throws. He’ll need to develop consistency early in his NFL career with the right coaching staff. Ridder also has a high football IQ and has been praised as a leader. He’s fairly athletic and a decent runner, but he’s not at an elite level in that regard. Ridder has continually improved at Cincinnati.
Projected draft round: 1 – 2
Where Steve would draft him: rd 2
4) Malik Willis, 6’1” / 225, Liberty: Willis spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons at Auburn, but then transferred to Liberty, sitting out 2019 to comply with the NCAA’s then-existing transfer rules, then started for the Flames in 2020 and 2021. In total, he played in 35 games, and had 388 completions in 618 pass attempts, 5176 yards, a 62.8% completion percentage, 48 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. As a runner, Willis had a total of 366 carries for 2131 yards, 5.8 yards per carry, and 29 touchdowns. His passing stats at Auburn are virtually non-existent, with just 14 pass attempts; however, he did have 28 carries for 309 yards. In 2021 at Liberty, Willis completed 207 passes in 339 attempts for 2857 yards, 61.1% completion percentage, 27 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, plus 197 carries for 878 yards, 4.5 yards per carry, and 13 touchdowns. Willis didn’t run the 40 yard dash during the pre-draft process, but he’s rumored to be in the high 4.3 to low 4.4 second range. Willis has a cannon for an arm – definitely NFL-elite level, and as a runner, he’s at least in the neighborhood of Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. The problem with Willis is that he’s inexperienced, very inconsistent, not a pocket passer, and only excelled when he left the bright lights of Auburn for FBS-level Liberty. He only had 23 starts in college, all at Liberty. Willis’ passes typically have no touch whatsoever – he only has a fastball. He’s also inconsistent as a passer and has problems with his mechanics. Willis can sometimes go through a few read progressions but usually does not do so. The truth is that, as a pure NFL passing prospect, Willis isn’t a particularly good risk. It’s his athletic ability, amazingly strong arm, and outstanding leadership qualities that have some scouts drooling. He’s not unlike 2021 first round pick Trey Lance in this regard. Willis needs to go to a very specific coaching staff who can put him in the right system and who is willing to wait a few seasons for him to develop. He’d be better off being drafted below round 1 so as to keep huge immediate expectations from being heaped on him. Lamar Jackson was a much more developed passer coming out of college. Willis has extremely high boom or bust potential.
Projected draft round: top 10
Where Steve would draft him: rds 2 – 3
5) Carson Strong, 6’4” / 226, Nevada: Strong spent 4 years at Nevada, playing 32 games, starting 30, and making 852 receptions in 1251 attempts for 9369 yards, a 68.1% completion percentage, 74 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. In 2021, Strong played 12 games, with 366 completions in 522 attempts, 70.1% completion percentage, 36 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He was selected as the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year in both 2020 and 2021. Strong is a classic NFL dropback quarterback who has a great arm. His main negative is his medical history – he’s already had multiple knee surgeries. Strong has the ability to progress through his reads.
Projected draft round: 3
Where Steve would draft him: Depends on medicals. With clean medicals, round 1; as is, low round 2
6) Sam Howell, 6’1” / 220, North Carolina: Howell is a true junior, having spent three years at North Carolina, starting each season. In total, he played 37 games, with 713 completions in 1117 attempts, 10,283 yards, a 63.8% completion percentage, 92 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions, plus 1009 rushing yards in 369 carries, for an average of 2.7 yards per carry. In 2021, Howell made 217 completions in 347 attempts, 3056 yards, a 62.5% completion percentage, 24 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He earned Second-team All-ACC honors in 2020. Howell has a strong, although not elite arm by NFL standards. He reads the field well a fair bit of the time and can sometimes make amazing throws into tight windows. The problem is that at other times, he looks awful. Inconsistency is Howell’s trademark. He has a habit of rotating between amazing throws and either bad throws or risky decisions. Howell is a good athlete and can at some level be a dual threat quarterback in the NFL. He wasn’t helped by an offensive line that allowed significant pressure at times, and some substandard receiving play.
Projected draft round: 1 – 3. Projections vary widely.
Where Steve would draft him: low round 2
7) Jack Coan, 6’3” / 223, Notre Dame: Coan spent 4 years at the University of Wisconsin from 2017 to 2020, but sat out the 2020 season with a foot injury, then transferred to Notre Dame as a graduate student in 2021. In total, he played 35 games, with 31 starts, and made 550 completions in 823 attempts for 6428 yards, a 66.8% completion percentage, 48 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. In 2021, he played 13 games for the Fighting Irish, and had 253 completions in 386 attempts, 3150 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. Coan has the look of a classic, immobile NFL pocket passer who has the ability to read the full field. He has good arm strength. He needs to get better at accuracy in scrambling situations. Coan is viewed by many as a future backup.
Projected draft round: day 3
Where Steve would draft him: day 3
8) Bailey Zappe, 6’0” / 213, Western Kentucky: Zappe played 4 years at Houston Baptist University, then transferred to Western Kentucky for the 2021 season. For Western Kentucky, he played 14 games, with 475 completions in 686 attempts, for 5967 yards, a 69.2% completion percentage, 62 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He was named Conference USA’s Most Valuable Player. Zappe obviously produced huge stats at Western Kentucky, but is viewed as having a weak arm by NFL standards, and scouts question his decision making. He’s also a couple of inches shorter than the classic NFL quarterback. Zappe can be inaccurate at times.
Projected draft round: day 3
Where Steve would draft him: day 3
9) D’Eriq King, 5’11” / 195, Miami: King spent four years from 2016 – 2019 at the University of Houston, then transferred to the Miami for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In total, he played a total of 48 games, with 661 completions in 1048 attempts for 8378 yards, a 63.1% completion percentage, 76 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. In 2021, he played just 3 games as a result of a shoulder injury. In 2020, he played 11 games and made 211 completions in 329 attempts for 2686 yards, a 64.1% completion percentage, 23 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. As a runner, he had a total of 423 carries for 2055 yards, a 4.9 yards per carry, and 32 touchdowns. King began his collegiate career at Houston as a wide receiver. King’s biggest problem is his size – at 5’11”, he’s shorter than all but a handful of NFL quarterbacks. Obviously a quality athlete and runner, his destiny probably isn’t as a pocket passer, and will need to be placed in a specific offense to succeed.
Projected draft round: day 3
Where Steve would draft him: day 3
10) Dustin Crum, 6’3” / 207, Kent State: Crum spent a full 5 years at Kent St., playing a total of 47 games, and made 576 completions in 864 attempts for 7420 yards, a 66.7% completion percentage, 55 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. In 2021, he played 14 games, and made 244 completions in 381 attempts, 3206 yards, a 64.0% completion percentage, 20 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions, and was named as the MAC Most Valuable Player. Crum has good size, but average arm strength by NFL standards, and he can struggle with accuracy. He doesn’t often progress through his reads. Crum’s mechanics can be inconsistent.
Project draft round: back of the draft
Where Steve would draft him: 7