This week’s NFL Draft Notebook starts its preseason position preview by taking a look at the quarterback position. The 2022 NFL Draft does not have any sure-fire top-five picks like we saw this year in Trevor Lawrence or the year before in Tua Tagovailoa. However, this year’s class does have some potential as Spencer Rattler has looked like the real deal in limited playing time. North Carolina’s Sam Howell is another prospect who is being projected as a high first-round pick.
Along with taking a look at the top quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft this week’s NFL Draft Notebook also discusses the following
- An ACC quarterback who could be a sleeper in this year’s class
- Quarterbacks who are seeing their stock rise or fall going into the 2021 season
- A couple of quarterbacks who might have to switch positions in the NFL
- All the latest draft news including several draft prospects who have recently transferred
- And much more
Top Five Quarterbacks in 2022 NFL Draft
Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma
Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler goes into the season as the favorite to be the top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and after watching his film it is easy to see why. The first thing that stands out with him is his impressive arm strength. He has the arm to easily make any throw in an NFL offense and also enough power to throw when off balance.
He shows incredible accuracy as well and consistently hits his target whether he is in the pocket or on the move. He also does a great job of keeping his eyes downfield when forced to move in the pocket. The biggest concern with him is his lack of ideal size coming in at only 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds.
Sam Howell, North Carolina
Sam Howell has been one of the better quarterbacks in the ACC the past two seasons. He was named the 2019 ACC Rookie of the Year after throwing for 38 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. This past season he was named to the All-ACC second-team behind 2020 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence. His top asset is his ability to throw the deep ball as he displays outstanding accuracy and timing in this area.
Jayden Daniels, Arizona State
Perhaps no other place ranks Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels as high as he is ranked here, but that will likely change by the end of the season. Daniels has the skill set to be a first-round pick and a long-time starter in the NFL.
To start with, he has terrific arm strength and can easily flick the ball 50 yards downfield. He has the mobility needed to succeed in today’s NFL and can easily pick up yards on the ground. One thing he will need to do though in order to be a first-round pick is add some size to his 6-foot-3 185-pound frame.
Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
One of the main reasons Cincinnati has become a powerhouse Group of Five program is the play of quarterback Desmond Ridder. Ridder is an athletic pocket passer who displays the arm strength to play in the NFL.
One area he will need to improve on this year is the rate at which he makes his reads. He was slow to get rid of the ball at times last year which caused him to be sacked 18 times. He also needs to do a better job of finding his outlet receivers which will help him get rid of the ball quicker and avoid getting sacked.
Kedon Slovis, USC
A quarterback who might be a little overrated going into the season is USC’s Kedon Slovis. While Slovis was one of the better quarterbacks in the Pac-12 the past two seasons there are plenty of concerns with him.
The top concern is his 16 interceptions over the past two seasons. He also is only an average athlete who has trouble getting away from pressure. On the positive side, he is an accurate passer who has the arm strength to play in the NFL.
2022 NFL Draft Sleeper of the Week
Two of the past three seasons we have seen quarterbacks come out of nowhere and end up being high draft picks. Last year, we saw Zach Wilson go from a late-round pick going into the 2020 season to the number two pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and in 2019 we saw Kyler Murray go from a backup to the number one pick in that year’s NFL Draft. This year a player who could make a similar rise is Boston College’s Phil Jurkovec.
Jurkovec started his career off at Notre Dame where he saw very limited playing time. Due to his lack of playing time he decided to transfer to Boston College where he would play in new coach Jeff Hafley’s pro-style offense. This move was definitely the right move for Jurkovec as he excelled in this offense throwing for 2,588 yards and 18 touchdowns compared to only five interceptions.
When scouting Jurkovec it is evident he has all the skills to play in the NFL. To start with he has ideal size coming in at 6-foot-5 and 226 pounds. He shows impressive athletic ability for someone this size as well and is very reminiscent of Ben Roethlisberger when he was coming out of Miami of Ohio. In terms of his ability as a passer, he displays a strong arm and has the ability to throw the deep ball easily.
Unfortunately, one area he must get better at as a passer is accuracy. He had his struggles in this area last year especially against the tougher teams he faced completing only 45% of his passes vs. Notre Dame and 50% of his passes vs. Clemson. The biggest issue when it comes to accuracy is not setting his feet when throwing the ball. He tends to throw off his back foot and other awkward positions at times and also has trouble throwing accurately when throwing under pressure.
Going into the 2021 season Jurkovec carries a late day two too early day three round grade. He earns this grade due to the fact he has the potential to be a starting quarterback in the NFL, however, to live up to that potential he is going to need to improve his accuracy.
Stock Up
A look at some of the quarterbacks who are seeing their stock rise going into the 2021 season.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson is a player who started to look like a legitimate NFL prospect last season. Over his first three seasons in college, he struggled with accuracy, making quick decisions in the pocket, and ball security.
However, he improved in each of those areas last season. His completion percentage jumped from 60% in 2019 to 65% this last season. He also saw a drop in turnovers throwing only four picks this last season compared to 12 in 2019. This ball security also showed up when running with the ball as he had seven fumbles as a sophomore to only one as a junior.
Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma
While Spencer Rattler is the top quarterback going into the 2021 season his career did not have the greatest start. In his first four games of the season, he threw five picks including a nightmare performance against Kansas State where he threw three picks on the day. Thankfully he was able to turn around his season by throwing only two interceptions compared to 15 touchdowns in the final seven games of the season.
Matt Corral, Ole Miss
Perhaps no player benefited more from a coaching change last season than Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral. Under new coach Lane Kiffin, Corral had a breakout season going from a player competing for the starting job at the end of the 2019 season to one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football this past season. If Corral can cut down on the picks and improve his pocket presence this year he could sneak into the second day of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Malik Willis, Liberty
Liberty quarterback Malik Willis had a breakout season in 2020. After having to sit out the 2020 season Willis became one of the biggest dual-threats in college football. He ended up passing for 2,260 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 944 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. While his draft stock might be a little overinflated currently, he definitely shows the potential to be a playmaker at the next level.
Kaleb Eleby Western Michigan
2020 was a breakout season for Western Michigan quarterback Kaleb Eleby. During his first two seasons at Western Michigan, he saw very limited playing time and in fact did not take a snap in 2019. This past season though he became one of the more productive Group of Five quarterbacks in college football throwing for 1,715 yards and 18 touchdowns in just six games.
Stock Down
A look at some of the quarterbacks who are seeing their stock fall going into the 2021 season.
Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
Expectations were high going into the 2020 season for Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan, after a stellar 2019. In 2019 Morgan set school single-season records for passing yards, touchdown passes, and pass efficiency. Unfortunately, his performance had a significant drop last season though as his completion percentage went down eight points and he was only able to throw seven touchdowns compared to five interceptions.
Kedon Slovis, USC
USC quarterback Kedon Slovis had two of the worst games of his career in his last two games of the 2020 season. In these games, his completion percentage was the lowest of his career against Oregon and the third-lowest of his career against UCLA. He also threw five interceptions in these games and was sacked a total of six times. Another reason his stock is currently falling is that he had offseason shoulder surgery.
D’Eriq King, Miami
Miami quarterback D’Eriq King is coming off a torn ACL he suffered in the Cheez-It Bowl. This is the second major knee injury for King as he suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee in 2018.
While King is a proven playmaker he is more of an athlete than a pure quarterback at this point. As a passer, he lacks outstanding arm strength and shows only average accuracy on his deep ball. His lack of size is also a concern for NFL teams and might be a reason why he projects best as a wide receiver at the next level.
Jack Coan, Notre Dame
Jack Coan is another player who is coming off a significant injury. He missed the entire 2020 season with a broken foot he suffered in practice last fall. At the time of the injury, he was competing to be the starting quarterback for the Wisconsin Badgers despite coming off an impressive 2019 season where he completed close to 70% of his passes and threw 18 touchdowns.
This offseason Coan transferred to Notre Dame where he is competing to be the starting quarterback for the Irish.
Brandon Peters, Illinois
Last season was a tough year for Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters. He saw a significant drop in his completion percentage going from 55% to 49% and also missed three games due to Covid.
While there is no doubt Peters needs to become a much more accurate quarterback he does have the tools to be brought in as an undrafted free agent developmental quarterback. These tools include idea size (6-foot-2 220-pounds), good mobility for a player his size and decent arm strength.
- While the first-round talk that Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy got going into the 2020 season was way too high he should be a good day three quarterback. He is a smart leader who shows outstanding toughness. He can also make plays with both his arm and by moving around in the pocket and shows good pocket awareness overall. One area he must improve on is not forcing his passes as he has thrown 18 interceptions over the past two seasons.
- A quarterback who is being underrated is Drew Plitt of Ball State. All Plitt has done over the previous two seasons is lead the MAC in touchdowns passes in 2019 and finish second in the conference in this category last season. He also finished in the top five both years in passing yards per game. Some of the traits he shows on film that scouts will like include his accuracy, zip on the ball, and ability to move in the pocket.
- If Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett can cut down on his turnovers this season he could see a big rise up the draft board. What is impressive with Pickett is his combination of leadership ability, strong arm, and his ability to move around in the pocket. Unfortunately, though he does try and make too much happen at times which has led to him throwing 18 picks over the past two seasons. If he can cut down on the turnovers he could be a player who gets looks at the end of the second day of the 2022 NFL Draft.
- It would not be a shock if Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez gets more of a look at wide receiver than quarterback by NFL teams. Martinez is far from an NFL-level passer who has an awkward throwing motion and spotty accuracy. However, he is a good athlete who has the quickness to possibly make the transition to wide receiver. He has the size to be a good outside receiver as well coming in at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds.
- Another quarterback who might be asked to switch to wide receiver in the NFL is Levi Lewis. However, unlike Adrian Martinez this is not due to his ability as a passer but instead due to his lack of ideal size. Lewis is listed at only 5-foot-10 and 184 pounds which is too small for a quarterback even in today’s more spread based NFL. While Lewis might not have the physical traits to make it as a quarterback, his open-field running ability and overall agility make him an intriguing slot receiver prospect at the next level.
Most underrated: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
Earlier in this article, we talked about how Dorian Thompson-Robinson is seeing his stock rise because of a strong junior season. However, he is still one of the more underrated players in this year’s quarterback class. What makes him such an intriguing prospect at the next level is his combination of athletic ability and overall passing skills.
He does a good job of accurately delivering the short to medium passes with great touch yet still has the ability to be a threat in the running game. If he can improve his processing speed and throws downfield more often this year he could earn a third or fourth-round grade going into the 2022 NFL Draft.
Most Overrated: Tyler Shough, Texas Tech
Perhaps no player is more overrated going into the 2021 season than Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough. Shough played last season at Oregon and didn’t look anything like a potential high first-round pick. Despite this though he enters the year as a 10 to 1 odds of being the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
If he wants to hear his name called at all on day one of the draft next year he is going to need to improve his accuracy and cut down on the turnovers.
Quarterback that should significantly improve his stock: Emory Jones, Florida
The player who will be expected to replace Kyle Trask at Florida is Emory Jones. While Jones is not the same level of passer that Trask was, he does open up the offense with his running ability. He has rushed for over six yards per carry the last two seasons and it would not be a shock if he was one of Florida’s leading rushers this season.
As a passer, he needs some work on his technique, but Dan Mullen has proven he can develop his quarterbacks in this area.
Biggest risk: McKenzie Milton, Florida State
One of the best stories in the 2021 college football season will be McKenzie Milton returning from a gruesome knee injury in 2018, that caused him to miss two years of college football.
Unfortunately, this knee injury also makes him one of the riskiest draft prospects in this year’s class. Even if Milton has a strong final season at Florida State, it is hard to imagine at least a few teams won’t take him off their draft board due to medical concerns.
Top small school quarterback: Cole Kelley, Southeastern Louisiana
Southeastern Louisiana quarterback Cole Kelley won the Walter Payton Award which is the FCS version of the Heisman this spring after an outstanding season. He finished the year completing 69% of his passes for 2,662 yards and 18 touchdowns in just six games.
When evaluating Kelley the first thing that stands out is his size. He is listed at 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds which might make him too tall, although he does move well for someone his size. As a passer, he shows good accuracy and enough arm strength to play at the next level. If he has another strong season this year he could be a sixth or seventh-round pick in 2022.
Overall Rankings
1. Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma
2. Sam Howell, North Carolina
3. Jayden Daniels, Arizona State
4. Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
5. Kedon Slovis, USC
6. JT Daniels, Georgia
7. Phil Jurkovec, Boston College
8. Malik Willis, Liberty
9. Brock Purdy, Iowa State
10. Carson Strong, Nevada
11. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
12. Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
13. Tyler Shough, Texas Tech
14. Matt Corral, Ole Miss
15. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
16. D’Eriq King, Miami
17. Jack Coan, Notre Dame
18. Dillon Gabriel, UCF
19. Michael Penix Jr, Indiana
20. Emory Jones, Florida
21. Charlie Brewer, Utah
22. Cole Kelley, Southeastern Louisiana
23. Levi Lewis, Louisiana
24. Dustin Crum, Kent State
25. Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M
26. Drew Plitt, Ball State
27. Zarrick Cooper, Jacksonville State
28. Skylar Thompson, Kansas State
29. Malik Cunningham, Louisville
30. Kaleb Eleby, Western Michigan
31. Brandon Peters, Illinois
32. Chase Garbers, California
33. Myles Brennan, LSU
34. Adrian Martinez, Nebraska
35. McKenzie Milton, Florida State
36. Nick Starkel, San Jose State
37. Jack Sears, Boise State
38. Noah Vedral, Rutgers
39. Rogan Wells, Tusculum
40. Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington
2022 NFL Draft news and notes
- Former Oregon State defensive tackle Jordan Whittley transferred to Michigan. Last season Whittley was one of the better run defenders for the Beavers and his 6-foot-1 358-pound frame should be enough for him to be graded as a priority free agent going into 2021.
- Louisville picked up one of the top players in the FCS this week when Qwynnterio Cole decided to spend his final year with the Cardinals. Cole has ideal size coming in at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds and has the athletic ability to play in the NFL. During his time at Alcorn State Cole was named an HBCU All-American in both 2018 and 2019.
- Linebacker Jordan Anthony has decided to transfer to Troy. Anthony a former five-star recruit never made much of an impact at Michigan but his high ranking coming out of high school shows he has the potential to be an impact player next season.
- Former UNLV offensive guard Justice Oluwaseun transferred to Miami. He started 22 games for the Running Rebels and will compete for a starting job this fall at Miami.
- Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr is on track to be healthy by the start of the season. Penix suffered a torn ACL in late November against Maryland. The Hoosiers open the season against Iowa so having him healthy will be key.
- Troy senior WR Kaylon Geiger transferred to Texas Tech. Last season, Geiger caught 64 passes for 752 yards which was his second straight season with over 60 catches in a year. He should form a good tandem with quarterback Tyler Shough next season.
- Former Missouri wide receiver Jalen Know has left the Tigers football program. Last season, he caught 31 passes for 305 yards and one touchdown.