As your New Orleans Saints prepare for the 2022 NFL Draft, we take a look at the top 10 ranked players at various positions. The 2022 NFL Draft big board rankings are reflective of Bucky Brooks' top five 2022 NFL Draft prospects by position 1.0 and ESPN's NFL Draft "Best Available" list.
Here are the top 10 ranked draft prospects at quarterback:
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Quarterback | #1 Kenny Pickett | Pittsburgh
Kenny Pickett comes in as the highest rated QB prospect according to NFL.com's Bucky Brooks. Pickett is athletically gifted and shined during his tenure with Pitt. He is listed as the second best quarterback on ESPN, behind Malik Willis of Liberty. Pickett's greatest asset seems to be his arm strength, but he struggles with throwing accurately into tighter windows. He performed well at the NFL Combine, posting a 40-yard dash time of 4.73 and a vertical jump of 33.5 inches.
Height: 6 feet 3 inches
Weight: 217 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 6.39
NFL.com Overview: "Pickett has five years of game experience and four years of starting experience for Pitt. He's a fairly toolsy pocket passer with good mobility. He operated in a passing scheme featuring vertical concepts that created big-play opportunities but left food on the plate when he failed to play chess against the back-end of the coverage. Pickett's touch and placement need work, but his accuracy stats were damaged by an inordinate amount of drops throughout his career."
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Quarterback | #2 Matt Corral | Mississippi
Matt Corral's biggest strength seems to be his mental approach to the game. He has shown the ability to pick apart defenses and make the right plays. He also possesses an elusiveness factor that can allow him to escape pressure with ease. Sometimes, though, his biggest strength can also be his biggest negative. At times he has held the ball too long waiting for plays to develop or taken unnecessary chances to try and hit the home-run play. Not as strong as Pickett, Corral ran a 40-yard dash in 4.80 seconds and achieved 29.90 in the vertical jump. ESPN has Corral listed as its third best quarterback.
Height: 6 feet 2 inches
Weight: 212 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 6.40
NFL.com Overview: "Small quarterback with a big heart who has learned to play with better maturity and control without losing his edge. Corral played in a quarterback-friendly scheme with well-defined reads, so he needs to prove he can work through full-field progressions and make good decisions with the ball. He's decisive, operating with a quick-trigger release to challenge tight windows and possesses the touch to make challenging bucket throws. He's a fiercely competitive runner but needs to get his slide game up as he's not built to take the pounding from called runs or scrambles."
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Quarterback | #3 Malik Willis | Liberty
Malik Willis did not compete in the NFL Combine drills, so the best way to judge his performance is via his college performance. He has proven his arm strength and athletic ability are there, but he needs to improve upon his throwing on the run. ESPN has Willis listed as its No. 1 rated QB prospect, and many experts believe he will be taken earlier than later.
Height: 6 feet 1/2 inches
Weight: 219 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 6.34
NFL.com Overview: "Upside quarterback with special parts of his game, but with no guarantee they will be assembled properly into a finished product. Willis uses his rare combination of elite rushing talent and a rocket-launching right arm to unlock explosive plays in two different ways. He has the arm to beat safeties to the deepest parts of the field and makes impressive throws from inside and outside the pocket. On the flip side, Willis' mechanical and operational inconsistencies lead to erratic timing and accuracy, and he doesn't throw with enough touch. ... Even if Willis fails to reach his passing potential, running ability doesn't slump and he has the talent to produce on the ground at a level between Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson."
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Quarterback | #4 Sam Howell | North Carolina
Sam Howell also did not participate in the NFL Combine, so analysts must again use what they have seen from the UNC prospect. Howell finds his strength in his elusiveness and ability to escape the pocket. His biggest knock comes from being sacked too many times from holding on to the ball for too long. Experts have pointed out his ability to make correct reads, but question his ability to get the ball out quickly and, if deeper, accurately. ESPN also has Howell ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in this year's draft.
Height: 6 feet 1 inch
Weight: 218 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 6.16
NFL.com Overview: Three-year starter who plays with admirable confidence despite inconsistencies in important areas as a passer. Howell attacks the field working from deep to short when he's allowed. He's not a classic full-field reader at this point but has pocket poise and mobility to potentially develop in that area in the future. He muscles throws, hindering his accuracy on drive throws but has adequate arm strength and can expedite off-platform throws. Howell doesn't throw with nearly enough timing or ball placement, which forces wideouts into the boundaries or to break stride, limiting their YAC potential.
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Quarterback | #5 Desmond Ridder | Cincinnati
Desmond Ridder is mobile and athletic posting a 40-yard dash time of 4.52 and a vertical jump of 36. He looks to make a play from the pocket first, but can escape and make a play using his legs if needed. His biggest question mark comes from his arm strength. He has the chance and ability to make an impact on a QB-needy team, but could also benefit from learning from a veteran for his first years. ESPN also has Ridder ranked at No. 5 on its best available list.
Height: 6 feet 3 inches
Weight: 211 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 6.36
NFL.com Overview: Four-year starter and four-year winner whose hard work at his craft altered his standing from good college quarterback to early-round draft pick. There is nothing special about Ridder's size or arm talent but his improved confidence and field command has really helped him mature at the position. He's intelligent and processes quickly, which should help him find where the football needs to go regardless of passing scheme.
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Quarterback | #6 Carson Strong | Nevada
Carson Strong is coming off of a second knee injury, but he has talked at length about the strength of his knee, saying it should not be a concern for NFL teams looking to take him. He did not participate in drills at the NFL Combine, but he had his most productive season last year at Nevada. Coming in at the No. 6 prospect, Strong has potential to be a late first-round/early second-round pick.
Height: 6 feet 3 inches
Weight: 226 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 6.19
NFL.com Overview: "Touch-or-torch" pocket passer with rare blend of power and finesse to turn low percentage throws into completions. His surgically repaired right knee might hinder the sturdiness of his throwing base, but Strong still throws with velocity, accuracy and touch either on or off-platform. He has the talent to attack any coverage and all areas of the field. Nonchalant eye discipline and a gunslinger mentality means he's likely to see additional air traffic and turnovers as he transitions from Nevada's Air Raid offense.
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Quarterback | #7 Bailey Zappe | Western Kentucky
Bailey Zappe was able to prove that he can read defenses and make pre-snap adjustments during his time at Western Kentucky. At the Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 seconds, and had a vertical jump of 30. Zappe's biggest question mark is his ability to make the right throws at the right time. NFL coverages may pose a big issue if he were to start his rookie season.
Height: 6 feet 1/2 inches
Weight: 215 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 5.67
NFL.com Overview: Stocky pocket passer with eye-popping production in high-volume passing attacks. Zappe is a confident passer willing to challenge both man or zone coverages on all three levels. His release quickness and arm strength are both below average and he might not work with the anticipation or decision-making prowess to overcome those areas of concern. He's unimpressive physically and lacks precision accuracy, so finding work as a backup might be a long shot despite the impressive career production.
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Quarterback | #8 Skylar Thompson | Kansas State
Skylar Thompson comes into the NFL as a 25-year-old draft prospect, which may be seen as a knock for most teams. He has shown the ability to work through progressions and make the right read, but sometimes the throw can come out off and the receivers have to break stride and work for the ball. At the NFL Combine, Thompson had a 40-yard dash time of 4.91 and a vertical jump of 31.
Height: 6 feet 2 inches
Weight: 217 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 5.54
NFL.com Overview: Thompson's passing production hasn't been overly impressive and his health has been an issue over the last two seasons. He has a decent arm and can make plays on the move. He's a decent field-reader who doesn't take too many unnecessary chances but he's also not going to make enough plays. The age and lack of consistent production as a passer hurt his chances.
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Quarterback | #9 Jack Coan | Notre Dame
Jack Coan has the possibility to be a steal in this year's draft. The Notre Dame prospect has shown out in each of the past two seasons he's played, and he has the build and ability of a capable NFL player. His negative is that sometimes, he struggles to make accurate throws outside the numbers, sometimes underthrowing, sometimes floating the passes. He posted a 40-yard time of 4.90 at the NFL Combine, and he had a vertical jump of 33.
Height: 6 feet 3 inches
Weight: 218 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 6.16
NFL.com Overview: Old-fashioned, pro-style quarterback with the size, eyes and arm to operate with some effectiveness from the pocket. Coan has an ascending profile if you pay attention to certain indicators. His accuracy, yards per attempt and touchdown-to-interception ratio are all moving in the right direction and his monster game against Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl was attention grabbing. He lacks escapability but climbs and slides around the pocket to find a clean workspace.
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Quarterback | #10 Brock Purdy | Iowa State
Iowa State prospect Brock Purdy ran a 4.84 in the 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 27 at the NFL Combine. Although sometimes he may wait too long to get the ball out, he has the capability to make confident throws in the middle of the field. He is able to put his body on the line, diving for first downs and extra yards. He may struggle with NFL cornerbacks, but under the right veteran he can improve his game.
Height: 6 feet 1 inch
Weight: 212 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 5.57
NFL.com Overview: Four-year starter who was never able to improve upon a stellar sophomore campaign. Purdy is a burly pocket quarterback who needs a play-action based offense where he can rely on timing over release quickness and arm strength. He can be a confident passer when he finds his rhythm, but throwing is more of a chore than a talent thanks to a labored release.
