As the 2022 NFL draft gets closer and teams finalize their quarterback rankings, I want to look ahead to what makes the top signal-callers in this class stand out. No, it's not as talented as the 2021 class, which had five first-rounders. But this is still an intriguing group, and I wouldn't be surprised if one snuck into the top five picks.
Let's focus on the top traits for each of the top six quarterbacks in this class. From elite arm talent to a quick, compact release to the ability to go through full-field reads, these quarterbacks can check the critical factors needed to produce as starters in the NFL. That might not happened for all six in 2022, but each has something that teams love. We'll also include six video clips that show off these traits and explain how each quarterback can reach his ceiling.
We'll go in order of my ESPN draft colleagues' consensus quarterback rankings, highlighting what each player does best. Let's start with a super-talented thrower who needs some polish but has the skills to be a great player:
Jump to a QB:
Corral | Howell | Pickett
Ridder | Strong | Willis
Malik Willis, Liberty
Height: 6-foot | Weight: 219 pounds
Consensus ranking: No. 1
Willis' best trait: Arm talent.
Willis has the natural arm talent to attack all three levels of the field. He can make every throw. He had 12 touchdowns on throws of 20 or more air yards last season, and the ball explodes out of his right hand on tape. Willis can drive it from the pocket, attacking boundary voids in Cover 2, and he will rip the ball up the seams on middle-of-the-field stretch concepts. He can really dial it up on deep ball throws (see video below).
Pitt's Kenny Pickett tosses a 32-yard touchdown pass against North Carolina.
Expect a transition period for Willis as he makes the move to an NFL system, given what he was asked to run and execute at Liberty. He's a high-upside prospect who can be schemed as a dual-threat quarterback, though. As Willis develops more pocket awareness with pro coaching, the ability to challenge opposing defenses with his arm remains a top trait.
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 217 pounds
Consensus ranking: No. 2
Pickett's best trait: Ability to isolate and eliminate on full-field concepts.
The tape shows that Pickett has enough juice in his arm to make third-level throws and hit out-breaking routes. He also layers the ball on leveled concepts, and he has the movement skills to escape the pocket and create plays off schedule. His top trait, however, is his ability to go through his progressions, which allows him to deliver the ball with both timing and anticipation.
With experience throwing NFL-style route concepts at Pitt -- and taking an aggressive approach on vertical concepts -- Pickett showed the ability to read out plays with speed and find the matchup or open window (video below).
Josh Downs lays out for spectacular touchdown grab for North Carolina.
Pickett needs to throw with more anticipation, and his tendency to drift off platform and leave clean pockets will need to be addressed. But he took a big jump in production in 2021 -- when he threw 42 touchdown passes and put up top-10 QBR (81.2) -- and he has pro-ready traits that mesh with the NFL passing game. Pickett has a shot to develop quickly into a starting role.
Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 211 pounds
Consensus ranking: No. 3
Ridder's best trait: Poise and composure.
Ridder is a pace-and-touch thrower who can generate velocity when he needs it. He also has detailed, efficient footwork. It's clinic-worthy when you study his lower-body mechanics. Still, it's the poise and composure, which coaches will tell you is a critical element to playing the position, that I focus on when watching his tape. That's the ability to calmly move and reset the throwing window versus edge/interior pressure (see video below). The eye level in the pocket. The patience and awareness to work through his reads, while anticipating coverage voids.
Working on a QB prospect piece for ESPN - with a focus on key traits.
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) March 25, 2022
Desmond Ridder plays the position with poise & composure. See it on the tape. @NFLMatchup #Cincinnati pic.twitter.com/3mkljvY0vm
Ridder has a narrow frame, which means he will most likely be deployed as a situational runner in the league. But he has the movement traits to attack the edge on boot concepts. His long release and low arm angle will need to be corrected to improve and create more consistent ball location. With his play style and demeanor, though, I see Ridder as an eventual starter in schemed passing game with play-action elements.
Matt Corral, Ole Miss
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 212 pounds
Consensus ranking: No. 4
Corral's best trait: Quick, compact release with short to intermediate arm strength.
Corral is a high-RPM thrower inside the numbers who can put juice on the ball in the short-to-intermediate pass game. He's a rhythmic quarterback who can also throw with tempo and touch at the third level, and he creates consistent opportunities for his receivers to produce after the catch. That's where he delivers a "runners ball" on in-breakers -- crossers, shallows and over routes. Catch and go (see video below).
The ability to throw a "runners ball." See that pretty consistently on the tape with Corral.
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) February 22, 2022
Catch & run opportunities on shallows, slants, overs. @NFLMatchup #OleMiss pic.twitter.com/jUxPnnahA6
In the Ole Miss offense, Corral wasn't asked to work through consistent full-field reads, as throws were defined by the play concept. He can improve with resetting his window in the pocket and throwing with better location when working to the edges. With that fast release on quick-game and play-action throws -- plus the competitiveness he brings as a ball carrier -- Corral can produce in a pro system that incorporates spread elements.
Sam Howell, North Carolina
Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 218 pounds
Consensus ranking: No. 5
Howell's best trait: Aggressive mindset as a thrower.
Howell has the arm talent to attack down the middle of the field from inside or outside of the pocket. He has some sandlot-ball tendencies to his game, too, as he looks to create as both a runner and a thrower on second-reaction plays, with the ability to deliver the ball from various platforms. Howell can work progressions, and he looks to the third level early in his reads due to that aggressive mindset. Take the shot when it presents itself, even when extending the play (see video below).
Carson Strong throws a 5-yard touchdown pass vs. San Diego State.
There are some concerns about Howell on tape, including his elongated release, lower-body mechanics and the inconsistent ball placement when asked to throw with velocity on second-level concepts. There is a playmaking element to his game, however, and I believe Howell has coachable traits, which can be used in an offense that leans on schemed vertical throws off run action.
Carson Strong, Nevada
Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 226 pounds
Consensus ranking: No. 6
Strong's best trait: Drive and velocity.
Strong has special traits as a pure thrower. His arm strength pops, and he has the ability to vary the speed on his throws. That allows him to throw lasers inside the numbers or deliver passes with touch, dropping the ball over the top of second-level defenders. And he can challenge every area of the field. There are some big-time throws on the tape, with Strong delivering the ball from multiple platforms. He can hammer it on seams or make throws from the opposite hash to attack coverage (see video below). That's where we really see his ability to drive the football -- with velocity.
Strong has had a couple of serious injuries to his right knee, so his medical reports will be important for teams. And his loose play style will create negative situations against pro defenses. With his lack of mobility, Strong projects as a pocket quarterback who can make second- and third-level throws as a developmental prospect in an NFL system.