The 2022 NFL Draft quarterback class is one that will be hotly debated throughout the summer and the fall during the 2021 season. There aren’t consensus headliners right now in this class like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Trey Lance were heading into last fall. This class is waiting for a couple signal-callers to separate from the pack.
Could USC Trojans quarterback Kedon Slovis be one of those to do so? When looking at his 2019 campaign, it’s not hard to imagine. Slovis looked excellent in 12 games, completing 71.9 percent of his passes and throwing for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns to just nine interceptions. He was third in the nation in completion percentage (while also setting a Pac 12 record, minimum 350 attempts) and seventh in efficiency. Slovis was named the Pac 12 freshman of the year and received FWAA first team All-American freshman honors.
While his 2020 campaign wasn’t awful, it wasn’t to the standard of his freshman season. Slovis still completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,921 yards in six games along with a 17 touchdown to seven interception ratio. Part of the higher interception percentage and higher percentage of throws off-target can be attributed to shoulder issues, but his accuracy dwindled a bit.
Is Kedon Slovis firmly in the conversation with the top QBs in the 2022 NFL Draft?
Right now, it’s hard to say. There are a lot of quarterbacks getting hype early in the summer. A lot of his evaluation will come down to how he performs in 2021. A bounce back year will definitely help.
Let’s look at how Slovis stacks up at this point to the top quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft class with this scouting report. Off we go!
Strengths for Slovis
The first thing that stands out for Kedon Slovis is his mechanics. He keeps a wide base, and his body, arm, and footwork are very much in sync. Slovis has a quick and fluid motion, and he uses his hips and core to drive on the football well, especially with throws outside the numbers that need a little extra zip. The quickness from snap to pass shows how efficiently Slovis gets into quick drops and how quick he can deliver the football on time and in rhythm.
Slovis is very good at scanning the field and working quickly through progressions. He even does a good job looking off defenders before going to his first read. His processing speed is good, and he does a great job with anticipating when his receivers are about to reach holes in zone coverage.
Accuracy is something else worth highlighting for Slovis. His ball placement is very good on out breaking routes, getting the football to the outside shoulder away from defenders. He usually puts the football only where his receivers can make a play, especially in the short and intermediate areas of the field.
While Slovis doesn’t have exceptional mobility, he can extend plays with the best of them in the 2022 NFL Draft class from initial viewing. He can escape from rushers, maneuver the pocket well, and make some plays on the run. Slovis does a great job reseting his feet when maneuvering around, and even when he throws on the run, his mechanics are good and the accuracy doesn’t falter.
Weaknesses for Slovis
The main weakness for Kedon Slovis that will come up often is the arm strength. Slovis doesn’t have the upper-echelon arm that other 2022 NFL Draft quarterbacks do. While it doesn’t affect him much in the short/intermediate areas, his deep ball does struggle a bit because of the lack of zip. It doesn’t flutter and get away from him (which is often a mechanical issue) but the hang time is a little too long. NFL defenders are going to be able to have the time to make plays on the ball from deep half/single high alignments on Slovis’ deep ball.
Another thing to watch for Slovis is his turnovers. While he doesn’t have a high turnover rate, it’s important to bring his turnovers into context. A lot of interceptions result in Slovis getting locked on to his primary receiver, which tends to happen to everyone, regardless of how well they process the field. Other times, Slovis will get into “hero ball” when pressure, and force some ill-advised passes.
While he can make some plays out of structure and make plays on the run, most analysts wouldn’t describe Slovis as super mobile. He won’t make a lot of plays with his legs outside of escaping behind the line of scrimmage.
Consistency is the other factor that comes up in the weaknesses section. After a strong 2019, his 2020 season was littered with some inconsistencies with accuracy. There are throws that get very wild and off-target, which is uncharacteristic. Some of that can be attributed to the shoulder injury, but reigning that in this fall would be huge for his 2022 NFL Draft stock.
Final Thoughts and 2022 NFL Draft outlook
So, is Kedon Slovis on the first round radar in the 2022 NFL Draft? At this point, it’s hard to say. He has been mentioned in some way-too-early mock drafts at this point, but it’s likely most analysts, scouts, and NFL teams will be keeping an eye on how he performs this fall.
Slovis has a lot of traits that can translate. If his accuracy rebounds to where it was in 2019, he will get more national attention. His processing skills are quick post-snap and he does a lot of damage in that short and intermediate area. His anticipation skills are good and he’s a smooth mover in the pocket.
If Slovis can make some strides with his deep ball, more specifically getting the ball down the field quicker without leaving it hanging too long, that will be a huge development for him. If he continues to be smart with the football and eliminate those interceptions on first reads, there’s no reason he can’t inch towards first round conversation.
This fall is as big a year for Slovis as anyone, and eyes will be locked on to him when the Pac 12 plays after dark. As said before, the 2022 NFL Draft is awaiting the riser. We will see if it is Slovis.