Fantasy Football Today - fantasy football rankings, cheatsheets, and information
A Fantasy Football Community!




 Log In  | Sign Up  |  Contact      






2022 NFL Draft: Best of the Rest - Quarterbacks



By Doug Orth | 4/28/22 |

It is much better to have an idea of where you stand on an incoming talent before he is drafted, if only the public tends to cater to popular opinion and "fit" after he is selected. Evaluating the incoming rookie class before the draft gives us a more stable ground with which to base our opinions and helps us avoid some of those "popular" pitfalls.

The goal with this piece (and the position-by-position ones to follow) is to provide a slightly quicker but still very thorough overview of some of the top prospects that were not covered in my draft profiles. The hope is that this exercise will give readers all the information that could ask for as they began preparing for upcoming rookie drafts.

Kenny Pickett

Kenny Pickett Draft Profile

Vitals

College: Pittsburgh
Height/Weight: 6'3"/220
Hands: 8 1/2"
Age: 24 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)


Important NFL Combine Numbers

40-Yard Dash: 4.73
Vertical Jump: 33.5"
Broad Jump: 10'1"
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.29
3-Cone: N/A

College Production (Stats)

High-end NFL Player Comp(s): Kirk Cousins
Low-end NFL Player Comp(s): Young Andy Dalton

Position-Specific Attributes and Grades
Attribute Att Grade Scale
Accuracy 8.5 10.0
Anticipation/Tight Window 8.5 10.0
Decision Making 8.5 10.0
Durability 9.0 10.0
Improvisation/Throw On Run 8.0 10.0
Poise/Awareness 8.5 10.0
Vision/Read Progression 9.0 10.0
Athleticism/Mobility 3.5 5.0
Arm Strength 3.5 5.0
Film Grade 67.0 80
     
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect Grade* (out of 50): 37.5

* - How well does his skill set carry over to the fantasy game? For quarterbacks, a player needs to be a realistic threat for 4,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of the equation.

Positives

Pickett's 2021 showing was a prime example of how most quarterbacks need (and should be given) about three years to master an offense. It was apparent from the beginning of this season that he had confidence in just about every throw he was making. There were numerous examples of him looking off the safety, throwing at the top of his drop-back and quickly accepting his check-down when his first option was not open. While he earned plenty of media attention (positive and negative) for his "fake slide" 58-yard touchdown run in his final college game against Wake Forest, it should not take away from the fact that Pickett is an above-average runner capable of hurting a defense in scramble (or RPO) situations. He consistently displayed toughness throughout his career as a runner and inside the pocket, so he can be trusted to show up game after game. Much like his ability as a runner, Pickett has very good but not elite arm strength, which is to say he can hit a receiver in stride 40-50 yards down the field but is not someone that forces a defense to cover every blade of grass. His footwork is well ahead of where most college quarterbacks are nowadays, so he generally maximizes the downfield opportunities he gets.

Negatives

Pittsburgh's all-time passing leader (one who broke many of Dan Marino's old records) has his shortcomings, including his much-publicized small hands that likely contributed to his 38 career fumbles in college (six fumbles in 2021). The ACC Player of the Year's pocket presence is also a bit behind where one would expect it to be for a quarterback who logged 52 college games; he is more apt to drift outside the pocket than he is to climb inside of it and doesn't do the best job of anticipating pressure. How much of that was a byproduct of him getting beat up behind his o-line in 2020? There is a bit of a gunslinger mentality to his game and the confidence he has in his ability betrays him at times; there are enough examples of him getting greedy on his 2021 film that worked out for him but will not usually fly in the NFL. Pickett will also turn 24 years old in early June, making him a bit old for a rookie. (For comparison, North Carolina's Sam Howell will not turn 22 until after the start of the season.)

Bottom Line

Pickett is not a hard projection to the NFL since most of what he will be asked to do moving forward are things he was asked to do (and showed) at Pitt last season. While he did check down and/or throw short a lot in 2021, he is not a "Checkdown Charlie." He appears very comfortable working through his progressions and can throw receivers open downfield. He has some work to do in learning what his limits are and improving on his overall accuracy (intermediate and deep), but there is little question he can and (will most likely be) a solid NFL starter if he continues to play as he did in 2021. While Pickett lacks the overall upside of some of the more athletic quarterbacks that are now vogue in the league and is unlikely to significantly improve the level of his teammates' play, his 2021 film suggests he has a high floor and Kirk Cousins-like ceiling.

Sam Howell Draft Profile

Vitals

College: North Carolina
Height/Weight: 6'1"/218
Hands: 9 1/8"
Age: 21 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)


Important NFL Combine Numbers

40-Yard Dash: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
3-Cone: N/A

College Production (Stats)

High-end NFL Player Comp(s): A more athletic and physical version of Baker Mayfield
Low-end NFL Player Comp(s): A more conservative Ryan Fitzpatrick

Position-Specific Attributes and Grades
Attribute Att Grade Scale
Accuracy 8.5 10.0
Anticipation/Tight Window 8.0 10.0
Decision Making 8.5 10.0
Durability 9.5 10.0
Improvisation/Throw On Run 7.0 10.0
Poise/Awareness 7.0 10.0
Vision/Read Progression 7.0 10.0
Athleticism/Mobility 4.0 5.0
Arm Strength 4.0 5.0
Film Grade 63.5 80
     
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect Grade* (out of 50): 37.0

* - How well does his skill set carry over to the fantasy game? For quarterbacks, a player needs to be a realistic threat for 4,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of the equation.

Positives

Howell may lack the prototypical size to be an NFL quarterback, but his dedication in the weight room is evident in how well put together he is. When the Tar Heels lost the bulk of their offensive playmakers to the draft following the 2020 season, Howell transformed himself into more of a dual-threat than he had been over his first two seasons in Chapel Hill. There is example after example on his 2021 film of breaking or shedding tacklers, resulting in 65 broken tackles (per Pro Football Focus). While he mostly made headlines last year for his running ability, Howell owns the ACC record for the most touchdown passes ever by a player who played three or fewer seasons (Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence both had 90). Also per PFF, Howell's 19 touchdown passes under pressure since 2020 are the most amongst FBS quarterbacks. The product of Sun Valley High School is unlikely to cut up a defense with precision passing, but he consistently maintains his poise amid chaos and regularly delivers a ball that will give his receiver a chance to pick up yards after the catch. While he does not have a cannon for an arm, he was wildly successful on deep throws throughout his college career.

Negatives

While he makes up for it a bit with a high release point, Howell's 6-1 frame is far from ideal. There is ample evidence of him anticipating well and working through his progressions, but there is room for improvement in both areas. Howell did a good job of valuing the football throughout his time in college (no more than nine interceptions in any season and a total of 23 in three years), he took far too many sacks (48 in 2021 and a total of 117). The first true freshman to start the season opener in UNC history also needs to tighten up just about everything from snap to release, as he routinely pats the ball and tends to bounce on his feet in the pocket, which can disrupt the overall operation of his delivery. His throwing motion is also a bit elongated, which could hurt him more in the pros with smarter and faster defensive backs on the prowl.

Bottom Line

Plenty has been made about Howell's disappointing final season on campus, but what was expected of him after North Carolina sent Michael Carter, Javonte Williams, Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome to the pros? It says a lot that he was still very productive despite their departures, turning himself into a very good rushing threat (828 rushing yards, including five 100-yard efforts on the ground in 2021) after running for a total of 181 yards in his first two seasons. The fact he will not turn 22 years of age until after the season kicks off further adds to his appeal as a prospect. While he would benefit from a year on the sidelines (as would most of the quarterbacks in this draft), he is among the most ready of his positional brethren to play as a rookie. Fit will be important to him like it is for most non-blue chip players, but his shortcomings are mostly fixable.

Matt Corral

Matt Corral Draft Profile

Vitals

College: Ole Miss
Height/Weight: 6'2"/212
Hands: 9 5/8"
Age: 23 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)


Important NFL Combine Numbers

40-Yard Dash: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
3-Cone: N/A

College Production (Stats)

High-end NFL Player Comp(s): Mitchell Trubisky
Low-end NFL Player Comp(s): A more athletic Colt McCoy

Position-Specific Attributes and Grades
Attribute Att Grade Scale
Accuracy 8.0 10.0
Anticipation/Tight Window 8.0 10.0
Decision Making 7.0 10.0
Durability 6.0 10.0
Improvisation/Throw On Run 6.5 10.0
Poise/Awareness 8.0 10.0
Vision/Read Progression 7.0 10.0
Athleticism/Mobility 4.0 5.0
Arm Strength 4.0 5.0
Film Grade 58.5 80
     
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect Grade* (out of 50): 35.5

* - How well does his skill set carry over to the fantasy game? For quarterbacks, a player needs to be a realistic threat for 4,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of the equation.

Positives

As cliché as it may sound, Corral's best quality may be his heart. He is fearless as a runner - especially for a smaller quarterback - and often competes as if he is playing his final down. After his competitive fire, his next best quality might be his athleticism. He is unlikely to hit many home runs as a runner, but he is elusive and feisty enough to get under the skin of defenses when he calls his own number. While the Ole Miss passing game was heavily schemed with a lot of layups for the quarterback, the former University of Florida commit showed the ability to process quickly and made more than his fair share of NFL-type throws into tight windows. Corral has a compact delivery and more of a live arm than one might expect for someone of his size. He also lays the ball in nicely for his receivers downfield.

Negatives

It remains to be seen if Corral can transition to an NFL offense or if he can consistently move his team down the field if his first option is taken away. The Ole Miss offense under HC Lane Kiffin used more play-action with Corral than any other team in FBS last year (60.4 percent), so he is likely underdeveloped - or at least largely unproven - in terms of reading progressions on known passing plays. While Corral did his fair share of running after the play broke down, there were seemingly many more times where he left the pocket without giving the play a chance to develop. Other times, he will linger too long in the pocket. Durability became an issue toward the end of last season and reared its ugly head again when he opted to play in the Sugar Bowl against Baylor (and suffered a high-ankle sprain). Although the ankle injury was not caused by his lack of bulk, a player with his frame is destined to be a regular in the training room if he does not learn how to preserve his body better.

Bottom Line

Corral's grit may not be the type of thing that comes out in his statistical production, but it is easy to see why Kiffin and the rest of the Rebels' offense seemed to love him so much. His processing skills and decision-making improved in a big way in 2021, providing hope that he can eventually learn to live in the pocket more often and avoid unnecessary punishment. Corral should prove to be a competent NFL starter one day if can do this, although it may be difficult for him to retrain his brain after logging more than 300 carries in college. Adding some body armor would help his cause. He likely needs at least one year to add bulk and acclimate himself to a more traditional passing game after rarely operating as a true drop-back passer. It will be critical for him to go to a team that has the luxury of developing him behind a quality NFL starter.

Desmond Ridder Draft Profile

Vitals

College: Cincinnati
Height/Weight: 6'3"/211
Hands: 10"
Age: 23 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)


Important NFL Combine Numbers

40-Yard Dash: 4.52
Vertical Jump: 36"
Broad Jump: 10'7"
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.29
3-Cone: 7.15

College Production (Stats)

High-end NFL Player Comp(s): Alex Smith
Low-end NFL Player Comp(s): Blaine Gabbert

Position-Specific Attributes and Grades
Attribute Att Grade Scale
Accuracy 7.0 10.0
Anticipation/Tight Window 8.0 10.0
Decision Making 6.5 10.0
Durability 9.0 10.0
Improvisation/Throw On Run 7.0 10.0
Poise/Awareness 6.0 10.0
Vision/Read Progression 7.5 10.0
Athleticism/Mobility 4.0 5.0
Arm Strength 3.5 5.0
Film Grade 58.5 80
     
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect Grade* (out of 50): 34.0

* - How well does his skill set carry over to the fantasy game? For quarterbacks, a player needs to be a realistic threat for 4,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of the equation.

Positives

Ridder is a rhythm passer who is considered an exceptional leader. He was a key component in the rise of the Cincinnati football program, which became the first Group of Five school to qualify for the College Football Playoff. Ridder is usually very good at throwing off a good platform and his experience (four-year starter, 1,304 pass attempts) shows up in his ability to hold the safety with his eyes and process quickly. The Louisville native possesses confidence in his arm strength and is not afraid to deliver the ball into tight windows as a result. Ridder has a good feel for when he needs to add some touch on his throws as well. While he is not a spectacular athlete or speed demon, Ridder can make the first guy miss and move the chains when he tucks the ball and runs - even if he is unlikely to bust one for 50 yards in the pros.

Negatives

While the two-time All-AAC selection flashes the ability to anticipate and fit a ball into a tight window at an NFL level, there were far too many instances in 2021 when he failed to pick up a defensive back until it was too late or sailed what should have been an easy throw. Ridder plays with a great deal of confidence, but his deep ball tends to come up short if he is hassled in any way and his relatively slow windup leads to way too many batted balls (26, per Pro Football Focus). Ridder also showed the occasional ability to work through his progression but rarely ever did so. He is a bit of a lightweight for a 6-4 quarterback and could struggle to stay healthy if he doesn't add at least 10-15 pounds of muscle. The lack of muscle could explain his 36 career fumbles, although that is likely more a function of not being more aware of pressure - which is yet another area of concern for him. Last but certainly not least, he took 14 sacks in his two most challenging games (bowl games against Georgia and Alabama at the end of the last two seasons).

Bottom Line

People whose only exposure to Ridder was the SMU game last season are probably wondering how he is not a lock to be the first quarterback off the board. In that contest, he could do virtually no wrong. His deep throws were money, his touch throws were exactly where they needed to be and his athleticism (40-yard touchdown run) was on full display. In the other five or so games I watched, he looked like a Day 3 prospect at best - especially early in games. Despite his test scores, Ridder often does not look like enough of an athlete to live on his running ability while he picks up the speed of a pro passing game, so he has little choice but to become a more accurate passer if he wants to become something more than a long-term backup.

---

Predict the top ten picks of the NFL Draft for a chance to win FFToday prizes. Enter our NFL Draft Contest now.


Doug Orth has written for FF Today since 2006 and been featured in USA TODAY's Fantasy Football Preview magazine since 2010. He is also a high-stakes player who often appears as a guest analyst on a number of national sports radio shows, such as Sirius XM’s “Fantasy Drive." Doug is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.