The 2021 NFL Draft was full of high-end quarterback prospects that excited NFL fans. The first three picks of the draft were signal-callers and five total went in the first 15 picks.
Fans hoping for a repeat of that during the 2022 NFL Draft will be disappointed. This year's quarterback crop isn't nearly as strong as last year's, and it lacks the blue-chip, first-round talent that dominated the draft day news cycle in 2021.
That said, teams there will still be plenty of quarterbacks selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. NFL teams have selected at least 10 quarterbacks in every draft since 2016. So, even in what's considered to be a weaker class, teams will take their chances.
And it's worth noting that there are still a handful of intriguing quarterbacks that have the tools needed to become solid NFL starters. It will just take time. And further down the board, there are raw prospects with tantalizing potential that could pan out in the right scenario.
Which quarterbacks are going to be drafted in 2022, and where might they land? Here is an all-quarterback mock draft that sees 12 signal-callers chosen over the draft's 262 picks.
NFL QB mock draft 2022
Kenny Pickett
- Panthers, No. 6 overall, first round
The Panthers seem highly likely to take a quarterback with the No. 6 overall pick after striking out on the high-end options on the trade market. The only question is whether they will take Pickett or Malik Willis.
You can make a case for either, but Pickett is the most pro-ready prospect in this quarterback class. Given that coach Matt Rhule is on the hot seat, Pickett is probably the safer pick. He has good mobility, solid size at 6-3 and completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
NFL MOCK DRAFT: Saints, Steelers trade up to draft QBs
Malik Willis
- Steelers, No. 20 overall, first round
I know what you're thinking. There's no way that Willis could fall all the way to 20, right? After all, the Falcons, Seahawks, Saints and even the Eagles could consider drafting him if the Panthers pass on him at No. 6.
Still, it remains possible that Willis could slip given the relative weakness of this quarterback class. If that happens, the Steelers will probably jump at the chance to acquire him. And if it doesn't look like he'll slip, Pittsburgh could move up to get him, just like the Steelers did when they traded up from 20 to 10 in the 2019 NFL Draft to select linebacker Devin Bush.
Mike Tomlin has placed an increased emphasis on mobility at quarterback, and Willis certainly has that. He ran for 1,822 yards and 27 touchdowns during his two seasons at Liberty while showing off a strong arm and solid accuracy. Willis threw for 2,857 yards, 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during his final season.
Desmond Ridder
- Lions, No. 32, first round
Pickett and Willis are the only quarterbacks likely to go in the first round, but the value of quarterbacks is always inflated during the draft. As such, it certainly seems possible — if not, likely — that a third signal-caller may work his way into the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
It's also worth noting that eight teams have multiple first-round picks. As such, those picking for a second time late in the first round could opt to trade down, add more draft picks and allow another team to move up for a quarterback. We're not projecting trades in this mock, but that is something for which to look out.
With all that said, the Lions are one of the teams picking late in the first round that could go after a quarterback. They have Jared Goff but don't have a lot of upside behind him at the position. Detroit also has three picks in the first 34, and the 32nd pick seems like a prime spot to add a QB, as they would get the fifth-year option on whichever player they would take at this juncture.
Ridder isn't a perfect prospect, but he is a proven winner with four years of starting experience at Cincinnati. He is also thought to be a tough, experienced leader and could fit the mold that Dan Campbell looks for in his players. Ridder's arm strength isn't special and he struggles with deep accuracy at times, but he racked up 3,334 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and just eight interceptions for Cincinnati last season and has potential. The Lions can let him develop under Goff and eventually challenge him for the starting job.
Matt Corral
- Seahawks, No. 40, second round
The Seahawks are a prime candidate to trade into the back half of the first round for a quarterback if they pass on Willis and/or Pickett. They have the 40th and 41st picks in the draft and could very easily swing a trade with the Chiefs, Packers or Lions to position themselves to draft a passer.
Corral would likely be the Seahawks' preferred target. WalterFootball.com's Charlie Campbell has reported that Seattle likes Corral, so they could target him with one of their second-round picks if they don't trade up. That would allow them to add a high-end offensive tackle with their first selection.
Corral is on the smaller side at 6-1, 205 pounds but he posted prolific numbers in Lane Kiffin's offense at Ole Miss. He threw for 3,349 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions as a senior while completing just under 68 percent of his passes. He also ran for 11 touchdowns.
Corral needs some time to learn how to operate within a pro-style offense, but he has the tools needed to be an accurate, mobile passer at the NFL level. That will make him a good fit as a potential successor for Russell Wilson.
Sam Howell
- Saints, No. 49, second round
When the Saints traded their 2023 first-round pick to the Eagles as part of a package to acquire a second, first-round selection this year, many viewed it as a sign that New Orleans is in the quarterback market. Even if they don't take one in the first round, they still could take one on Day 2 or 3 of the draft.
The Saints have ended the Taysom Hill experiment and now have Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton and Ian Book at quarterback. It's worth wondering whether the ceiling of that quarterback room is high enough to carry the Saints to the playoffs in 2022 and beyond.
Enter Sam Howell, who was once thought to be the potential No. 1 pick in this draft class. Howell completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 10,238 yards, 92 touchdowns and 23 interceptions during his three years at UNC. He also ran for 828 yards and 11 touchdowns last season as the driving force of the Tar Heels' offense.
Howell has good mobility and is a tough runner. He's also poised in the pocket and has worked well with the variety of weapons he had at UNC. Howell doesn't have the best mechanics or the strongest arm, but the potential is there. He's similar to Baker Mayfield, but with better mobility. You'd be hard to do much better than that in the second round of this QB class.
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Carson Strong
- Falcons, No. 74, third round
Here's who the Falcons have on their roster at quarterback going into the 2022 NFL Draft: Marcus Mariota and Feleipe Franks. That's it. They need to add someone else to that quarterback room.
Carson Strong would be a nice get in the third round. Strong fittingly has a big arm and is one of the best deep-ball throwers in this year's draft class. He completed 70.1 percent of his passes last season for 4,175 yards, 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his final season at Nevada.
While Strong has prototypical size (6-4) and arm strength, his accuracy is fleeting, particularly in the short to intermediate range. He is better throwing the ball downfield but doesn't always read the safety properly. Additionally, Strong has some medical concerns with his right knee that have robbed him of his mobility. That combination of problems could drop him to the third round.
The Falcons won't mind them too much at this point in the draft. And it helps that Strong projects as a perfect foil for Mariota, who is known more for his short to intermediate accuracy and mobility.
Bailey Zappe
- Titans, No. 131, fourth round
Ryan Tannehill effectively destroyed the Titans' chances of advancing to the AFC championship game by tossing three ugly interceptions against the Bengals in the divisional round of the playoffs. Tennessee isn't moving on from him — it can't without incurring a $57.4 million dead cap hit — but they seem likely to add somebody besides Logan Woodside to challenge the 33-year-old.
Zappe would be a nice mid-round gamble for the Titans. He played just one year at the FBS level but posted eye-popping numbers at Western Kentucky. He completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 5,967 yards, an FBS record 62 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions.
Zappe won't repeat that production at the NFL level against stiffer competition. That said, he reads the field well and was very accurate during his college days at Western Kentucky and Houston Baptist, so if he can throw with enough zip to fit the ball into tighter NFL passing windows, he could carve out a role at the NFL level. He's probably more of a backup type, but the Titans can afford to take a chance on him early on Day 3.
EJ Perry
- Raiders, No. 164, fifth round
Fun fact: no Ivy League quarterback has been drafted since Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2005. Before that, the last QB drafted from that league was John Witkowski in 1984.
Perry seems likely to break that streak, as he is generating some interest in NFL circles. The former Boston College recruit transferred to Brown to play for coach James Perry, his uncle, and developed into a solid passer there. He threw for 3,034 yards, 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions as a senior but has made a name for himself during the pre-draft process.
Perry first starred at the East-West Shrine Game, throwing for 214 yards and three touchdowns at the event while rallying his team from down 19-0 to a one-point loss at 25-24. He was named MVP of the game as a result and followed up that strong showing with a rock-solid combine outing.
The Raiders have Derek Carr as their starter, but all they have behind him is journeymen Nick Mullens and Garrett Gilbert after losing Mariota in free agency. They brought Perry in on one of their 30 official prospect visits, so they could select him to battle for the backup job to Carr.
Jack Coan
- Cowboys, No. 193, sixth round
Could the Cowboys take a quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft? Sure. Cooper Rush proved to be a solid backup to Dak Prescott last season, but the team could still bring in competition for the third-string job behind him, as neither Will Grier nor Ben DiNucci has done much to date.
Coan greatly benefitted from his transfer to Notre Dame, as he recorded career-highs in passing yards (3,150) and passing touchdowns (25) while completing 65.5 percent of his passes. He's a solid game manager with good accuracy who doesn't make too many mistakes.
This is Dallas' ninth and final draft pick, so if they feel as though they have upgraded their other areas of need by this point, they could take a chance on a quarterback. And while you can question Coan's ceiling, he should be a fine backup at the NFL level.
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Dustin Crum
- Broncos, No. 232, seventh round
The Broncos traded for Russell Wilson this offseason and signed veteran Josh Johnson to battle for a backup job behind him. That said, they could still add a young quarterback to challenge Brett Rypien for a third-string or backup role with the team.
Crum (6-3) is a dual-threat quarterback who played five years at Kent State. He recorded 3,206 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions during his final season while rushing for 703 yards and a whopping 12 touchdowns.
Crum doesn't put a lot of heat on his passes, so that could prove problematic for him at the next level. However, perhaps the duo of Nathaniel Hackett and Russell Wilson can help him get the most out of his athletic ability and become a decent dual-threat backup.
Skylar Thompson
- Texans, No. 245, seventh round
Thompson continues the trend of Kansas State quarterbacks that have good mobility. However, he is a better and more accurate passer than his predecessors, as he completed 69.5 percent of his passes last season for 2,103 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Thompson has had his share of injuries over the years and doesn't have the strongest arm. However, his accuracy and solid ability on the move will give him a chance to fight for a roster spot in the NFL. The Texans have only Davis Mills, Jeff Driskel and Kyle Allen at quarterback, so maybe they will take a late chance on Thompson.
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Cole Kelley
- Chiefs, No. 259, seventh round
The Chiefs swing for the fences with the fourth-to-last pick of the draft. Kelley is a massive 6-7, 260-pound passer who threw for 5,124 yards, 44 touchdowns and 10 interceptions at Southeastern Louisiana last season. Sure, it's FCS level competition, but Kelley was once a four-star recruit who went to Arkansas, so he has a high ceiling.
Kelley is a developmental project, as he struggled in limited action during his two years with the Razorbacks. But if anyone can coax something out of his tantalizing potential, it's Andy Reid. And the Chiefs could use a young quarterback to battle Shane Buechele for the third-string role behind Patrick Mahomes and 36-year-old Chad Henne.