2022 NFL Draft: Who are the top QBs and which teams will pick them?

Planet Sport looks at the top five quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft and which teams will be looking to select them.

The quarterbacks are the all-stars of American sport, the most pivotal position in any of the big four major leagues, so the focus is always on the new prospects coming through the NFL Draft.

This draft there's no huge names coming out of college a bit like last year, when QBs got selected with the first three picks of the Draft - led by Trevor Lawrence going No.1 overall to Jacksonville.

Although there are no stand-outs, we could still see two QBs picked in the top 10 as plenty of teams have problems at the position and that desperation will see them roll the dice.

So who will be the names on everyone's lips after the NFL Draft? Who will be carrying the hopes of a franchise on their shoulders next season?

Planet Sport looks at the top QB draft prospects and their possible landing spots.

Malik Willis - Liberty

Malik Willis is the most explosive of the QB class and although he'll need some smoothing off around the edges, he has a higher ceiling than any other triggerman in the Draft.
Willis is a tremendous athlete who can run the ball superbly but also has a huge arm that can deliver a deep-ball bomb from almost any angle.
His dual-threat ability is just what NFL teams are searching for these days with the likes of Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray and Josh Allen as examples.
Willis is a bit of a gamble, but his potential will make him an intriguing prospect and he'll be vying with Kenny Pickett to be the top QB taken in the Draft.

Kenny Pickett - Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett is seen as a plug-in-and-play instant starter in the NFL but some have cited his small hands as a big negative.
Pickett looks a safe enough pair of hands, even if they are a bit small, and teams would be comfortable handing over an offense for him to run right away, but while the floor is high, the ceiling is low.
He doesn't show that spark of excitement or x-factor that Willis has, and he doesn't seem the type to go out and win NFL games by himself.
Saying that, Pickett is capable and with the right team around him could be a solid NFL starter.

Matt Corral - Ole Miss

Another extremely talented athlete who is the quickest QB in the Draft in many respects and not just with his quick feet and running.
Corral can duck and dive and make people miss with his change of direction and acceleration, but along with that he has the quickest release in the class.
The Ole Miss man gets the ball out of his hands in the blink of an eye and it comes out hot with plenty of zip on it.
Corral looks every inch the modern-day NFL QB who can make all the unorthodox throws and sidearms and has all the tools to fit into an NFL system using bootlegs and getting him out in the open field.
Whether Corral could also just settle into a pocket passer would be the big worry and whether he can put all his obvious gifts together to make the total package.

Desmond Ridder - Cincinnati

Desmond Ridder is being overlooked by many but he could be a surprisingly high pick of posting an eyebrow-raising sprint time at the NFL Combine.
He'd be another that requires work as while the athleticism is there his passing accuracy needs to improve as he misses too many throws.
He's experienced though and has good arm strength and awareness in the pocket while being able to fire a deep ball.
Ridder also has a talent for using his eyes to send defenders the wrong way before throwing the ball - which is an underrated skill in the NFL.

Sam Howell - North Carolina

Sam Howell may not be the speedy, elusive runner that the rest of his group are, but he's got a nice presence in the pocket and shows great toughness.
He can run, but is more of a Josh Allen style as he runs through defenders and break tackles rather than go around them and make people miss.
Howell had the strongest arm at the NFL Combine tests but his action has been criticised a bit and he'll need work to make that smoother.
Away from the mechanics, Howell shows a higher football acumen than the rest of the class in terms of reading defences and going through his progressions.
He's another that will go far higher this year than he would have last year, but could turn into a solid NFL starter given the right coaching.

Which teams will draft a QB?

There are plenty of teams who have an underwhelming starter at QB or who simply just don't have a triggerman that you'd pin your hopes on.
The Detroit Lions sent Matthew Stafford off to LA where he won a Super Bowl but they're stuck with an overpaid Jared Goff.
It's unlikely that the Lions use their second pick on a QB though given the doubts about the entire class, but they could well use their final selection of the first round (No. 32) to take Matt Corral.
Carolina are in the same boat with the Panthers having a very ordinary Sam Darnold at QB, no second or third round picks and a head coach under pressure this season.
The Panthers just have to take a QB at six, the only question is who? It looks to be between Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have the far from convincing Mitchell Trubiskey and are more than likely to take a QB with the 20th pick, with whoever is left out of Pickett and Willis moving to Heinz Field.
With Jameis Winston in New Orleans, Marucs Mariota in Atlanta and Drew Lock in Seattle - watch out for those three teams picking a QB in the later rounds with Desmond Ridder and Sam Howell the next two off the board.

    More Articles