2022 NFL Draft Prospects: Quarterback

4/26/22: Team sources liked that Pickett did all of the workouts and throwing at the combine. They felt he had a good workout and interviewed well with teams. At the Senior Bowl, Pickett had a solid, but unspectacular, week of practice. After the movement of veteran quarterbacks, Pickett stands a good chance of going in the top 10 and should be safe in the top 20.

Pickett caught fire in 2021, ripping up opponents on a weekly basis and leading Pittsburgh to impressive wins over Clemson, Tennessee and its first ACC Championship. Pickett is an accurate rhythm passer in the short to intermediate part of the field while also having excellent deep-ball accuracy. On top of his arm talent, Pickett is a willing and tough runner.

Pickett completed 67 percent of his passes in 2021 for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He had five rushing touchdowns as well. While Pickett generally makes good decisions, there are 2-3 passes per game where Pickett makes poor choices and looks the part of a gun slinger. That issue could be worked on as a pro. Pickett has small hands, which is why he wears gloves.

While Pickett is not a freak athlete with running ability, like a Lamar Jackson or Cam Newton, Pickett has some functional mobility and toughness as a runner, similar to Joe Burrow. Pickett does not have a cannon for an arm, like a Josh Allen or Matthew Stafford, but he has a capable arm that can make all the throws, similar to Derek Carr. What Pickett has that really stands out is excellent accuracy. He also throws a very catchable ball, processes information quickly, makes good decisions, and is an aggressive passer who challenges defenses at all levels. Some team sources say they would have liked to see Pickett show more anticipation, instincts, and natural feel as a passer.

Sources like the intangibles with Pickett as he is a leader, a hard worker, a good teammate and a competitor. Thus, Pickett has the skill set to be a starter in the NFL. Team sources believe he will be the first quarterback taken in the 2022 NFL Draft.

6/24/21: Pickett has been an efficient game manager for Pittsburgh the past two seasons. In 2021, he needs to increase his playmaking and point producing while cutting down on interceptions.

4/26/22: Willis impressed teams with his arm strength at the Senior Bowl, where he showed off his powerful throws and ripped the ball through the rainy and windy conditions in Mobile. Willis really helped himself with his week at the Senior Bowl and could be a potential first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Team sources also like how Willis interviewed with teams at the combine and Senior Bowl.

In 2021, Willis completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,857 yards, 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also had 13 rushing touchdowns and 878 yards on the ground. Willis was doing a good job of avoiding turnovers until mid-October when he had three interceptions per game in back-to-back weeks.

For the NFL, Willis has a good skill set with a cannon for an arm and plenty of physical talent to work with. His dangerous mobility makes him a threat to make plays off schedule, plus he is hard to sack. He really helps his offensive line with his escapability and is a tough runner. Willis also has a powerful arm capable of firing the ball downfield. He also can throw a good deep ball with impressive strength, touch and placement. Team sources say Willis has issues with his height and gets blinded sometimes by the line. They feel Willis is a second-day prospect because he needs a lot of development as a pocket passer, but he easily could have a team fall in love with his arm and mobility and take him in the first round.

6/24/21: Willis started out his career at Auburn before transferring to Liberty. He broke out in 2020, completing 64 percent of his passes for 2,260 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for 14 touchdowns with 944 yards on the ground. While Willis (6-1, 215) does not have great size, he has a very good skill with arm and running talent.

4/26/22: In 2021, Corral completed 68 percent of his passes for 3,349 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. He rushed for 11 touchdowns and 597 yards as well. Corral has been solid in the pre-draft process, although not overly impressive.

Corral was an accurate passer in 2021, showing off a strong arm, developed field vision, mobility, and toughness as a runner. He did a better job of managing the game in 2021 than in previous seasons, plus showed improved decision-making and ball security. Corral has makeup concerns, however, and Corral himself has said he had maturity issues early in his college career, but now is focused and putting in 12-hour days. Some team sources are not high on Corral and feel he is comparable to Case Keenum or Taylor Heinicke.

6/24/21: Corral showed good development under Lane Kiffin in 2020, starting to realize the potential that made him a top recruit. On the year, Corral completed 71 percent of his passes for 3,337 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The sophomore also ran for 506 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Corral threw interceptions in bunches last season, and cutting down on turnovers will be a point of improvement in 2021. Still, he showed big strides from his 2019 season for Corral, in which he completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,362 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. Corral has a really good skill set with arm talent, dangerous running ability, and upside.

4/26/22: Howell had a mixed final season for North Carolina, but he had lost a lot of his supporting cast to the 2021 NFL Draft. As a junior, Howell completed 63 percent of his passes for 3,056 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Howell was decent, but unimpressive, at the Senior Bowl. Team sources felt Howell threw the ball better at the combine than he did in Mobile.

For the next level, Howell is a poor man’s Baker Mayfield. Some team sources from around the league feel Howell belongs on Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft, but with the way teams reach on quarterbacks, Howell has a shot at going in Round 1. Howell is a natural passer who some evaluators think could be a quality starter in the NFL.

6/24/21: Howell is a very interesting player. Some NFL advance scouts have him as a third-day prospect in his initial projection, but NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said Howell reminds him of Baker Mayfield, the No. 1-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Thus, Howell could be a bit of a love/hate prospect at this point.

Howell took advantage of his excellent supporting cast in 2020 to light up the scoreboard for the Tar Heels. The sophomore completed 68 percent of his passes for 3,586 yards and seven interceptions. Howell also put together a tremendous 2019 season, throwing 38 touchdowns and only seven interceptions while completing 61 percent of his passes for 3,641 yards. As a passer, Howell has some accuracy and skill, but he has some raw limitations. He will need to stay productive because he is not a big quarterback and size is a consideration for the next level.

4/26/22: Ridder led the Bearcats to blowouts over Miami of Ohio and Murray State before having some ugly moments in a back-and-forth game against Indiana. Ridder came back to play well overall in leading Cincinnati to a road win over Notre Dame, but he struggled against and almost gave the game away to a bad Navy team. He also struggled against Alabama. In 2021, Ridder completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,334 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Some team sources like Ridder more than other prospects who will probably go ahead of him, but he is getting a lot of backup grades from evaluators. He did not impress at the Senior Bowl, but he worked out well at the combine.

6/24/21: Ridder made strides as a passer from his sophomore to junior year while showing improvement in ball security and decision making. He has a quality skill set with some athleticism to move around and not be a statue in the pocket. Some scouts had him as a potential mid-rounder or day-three pick for the 2021 NFL Draft before Ridder decided to go back to the Bearcats. He could rise with a strong senior year.

4/26/22: Strong completed 70 percent of his passes in 2021 for 4,186 yards, 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions. At the end of 2021 two NFL scouting directors told WalterFootball.com that Strong was a legit prospect, but they did not have him graded as a high first-rounder like some in the media were projecting. They had him on Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft at the highest. He played injured in 2021. Strong did not have an impressive week at the Senior Bowl and looked more like a second-day or mid-round prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft who is most likely a backup at the next level.

6/24/21: Strong has quality size to him and some arm talent that he put on display over the past two seasons. In 2020, he completed 70 percent of his passes for 2,858 yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions. That was a big improvement from 2019, when he completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 2,335 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Strong could be a mid-round prospect who has backup potential for the NFL.

4/26/22: Purdy helped Iowa State avoid a big upset with a narrow win over Northern Iowa in Week 1, but he struggled against Iowa and was benched in the fourth quarter. Purdy returned to start against UNLV and led a blowout, but he did not impress in the loss to Baylor prior to playing well versus the two Kansas schools. Purdy looks like a third-day pick and backup-caliber player.

6/24/21: Purdy had an ugly start to the 2020 season with a bad game against La.-Lafayette. He missed some deep balls, threw an interception, took a bad sack, and struggled with pressure. His performance against TCU was better, but he struggled against Baylor, throwing three interceptions. Beating Oklahoma in the Big XII Championship could have provided a nice boost for Purdy, but he struggled versus the Sooners, tossing three bad interceptions. He looks like a potential backup in the NFL.

In 2019, Purdy put together a big stat line. He does not have typical NFL size, so he will need to dominate the Big XII and show arm talent as a senior.

“No, he’s not a high pick for sure,” said one director of college scouting. “He’s an excellent decision-maker with accuracy to facilitate everything well, but more of a dink-and-dunk type rather than a big-time playmaker. He does not have an elite trait, is stumpy looking, and doesn’t make many off-schedule plays. He can’t escape blitz pressure. He’s not even fully a mid-rounder yet, but the quarterback position always gets overinflated.”

Another area scout was a bit higher on Purdy, “I don’t see him as a first-rounder, but I liked the kid when I was watching [Iowa State’s] games. He showed anticipation, accuracy and poise. I think he’s more of a Day 2 guy.”

4/26/22: Coan could top out as a No. 2 quarterback in the NFL. He was an effective game manager in college at times, but overall, he did not play impressive football despite good supporting casts at Wisconsin and Notre Dame.

4/26/22: Zappe was a quality college quarterback who produced against weaker competition. In the NFL, Zappe has the potential to make a team as a third-string quarterback and might grow into being a potential No. 2 backup.

4/26/22: Kelley helped himself at the combine, where he showed off a powerful arm to go along with his big size. In 2021, Kelley completed 74 percent of his passes for 5,124 yards, 44 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. After his strong performance in Indianapolis, Kelley could be a third-day pick who receives consideration as a developmental backup.

4/26/22: Oladuokun generated some buzz by breaking out for South Dakota State in 2021. He completed 62 percent of his passes on the season for 2,697 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for two touchdowns. The Tampa, Florida product has a quality arm while checking in with enough size and athleticism. Oladuokun is a sleeper who could be a riser. He had a strong performance at a smaller all-star game in January.

4/26/22: Glass is a big quarterback with running ability. There was some buzz about him in the scouting community coming into the 2021 season, but Glass did not dominate enough to rise. He’d played well against in all his games during 2021 until a four-interception outing in the loss to Grambling, but Glass ended the year in superb fashion with 19 touchdowns and zero interceptions over his final four outings.

In 2021, Glass completed 63 percent of his passes for 3,568 yards, 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He completed 56 percent of his passes in 2020 for 2,421 yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. In 2019, Glass connected on 61 percent of his passes for 3,600 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

4/26/22: Crum had a decent senior year. He helped himself with a quality performance at the combine.

6/24/21: Crum put up gaudy numbers in Kent State’s four-game 2020 season. He completed over 73 percent of his passes for 1,181 yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. He also notched four rushing touchdowns and 240 ground yards. Crum broke out for Kent State in 2019, completing just under 70 percent of his passes for 2,622 yards with 20 touchdowns and only two interceptions. His performance earned him a spot on NFL teams’ 2020 preseason watch list. Crum needs to add weight and fill out his frame for the next level.

4/26/22: King was under relentless pass rush from Alabama in Week 1 and did not impress. A week later, Miami barely beat Appalachian State. King then had some struggles in the loss to Michigan State. King was out with a shoulder injury after that and didn’t play again in 2021.

6/24/21: King had some moments for the Hurricanes in 2020, but multiple team sources project him as a late-rounder despite some media hype. King is small, but he is a competitor and leader. King started out his collegiate career at Houston before transferring to Miami. He has real speed and running ability, so switching positions to running back or wide receiver could be a consideration for the NFL.

4/26/22: Morgan looks like a third-string backup competitor for the NFL.

6/24/21: Morgan had a tough 2020 opener against Michigan, throwing for 197 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He was sacked five times by the Wolverines. Morgan was better, but not impressive, in the following games. He looks like a potential backup quarterback in the NFL.

Morgan threw the ball well for Minnesota in 2019, using a talented set of receivers to move the ball consistently. Overall, he was pretty accurate and made good decisions, but given his skill set, he may only top out as having backup potential for the NFL.

4/26/22: Garbers looks more like an undrafted free agent for the NFL.

6/24/21: Garbers is a solid college quarterback who has limitations for the NFL. He is undersized for the next level, but he flashed some potential in 2019 and upside to grow as an upperclassman.

4/26/22: Hatcher and Arkansas State blew out Central Arkansas in Week 1 and lost a close game to Memphis in Week 2. Hatcher had an opportunity to impress against Washington, but he struggled.

6/24/21: Hatcher threw for over 2,000 yards in 2020, notching a nearly 10-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Arkansas State utilized a quarterback rotation, so Hatcher split reps with Logan Bonner. Hatcher did enough as a redshirt freshman in 2019 to make NFL teams’ 2020 preseason watch list. Given his undersized stature and level of competition, Hatcher is going to have to be a dominant performer to end up rising.

4/26/22: Lewis played well for La.-Lafayette, leading them to a conference title, but he faces limitations for the NFL.

6/24/21: Lewis was a dual-threat quarterback over the past few seasons for the Ragin’ Cajuns. Lewis needs to show improvement as a pocket passer in 2021 to rise.