NFL Draft Notes: Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder, Sam Howell

2022 QB Class

The Athletic’s Ben Standig talked to a number of evaluators at the Senior Bowl regarding the six quarterbacks in attendance as well as their general thoughts on the class. The general consensus was that Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett exited the weekend as the top guy.

He was described as a “clean” prospect and someone who “crushed” interviews with teams. Hand size was not an issue for the people Standig talked to. However, Pickett being the top guy was an indictment on the class as a whole for some: “Pickett is the best (in this class), and is a second-round guy.”

Standig polled six evaluators and four had Pickett first among the six Senior Bowl quarterbacks, with Liberty QB Malik Willis and Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder also receiving a vote. 

North Carolina QB Sam Howell, Nevada QB Carson Strong and Ole Miss QB Matt Corral (who is a junior and wasn’t eligible for the Senior Bowl) round out a class that isn’t blowing teams off their feet. One NFC Scout outlined his best-case scenario: “Based on odds, one, maybe two of those (top) six will be good in the NFL. I’m not saying top five or even top 10. Maybe like Kirk Cousins or Ryan Tannehill and you hope to pair him with a top defense.”

Willis’ arm strength and mobility caught eyes at the Senior Bowl but Standig says the consensus even among scouts who are higher on his potential is that he could use a year of development on the bench and should not be counted on to start immediately. 

Howell seemed to improve his standing with his performance at the Senior Bowl, per Standig. One evaluator moved him into the first round on his personal board and nearly everyone compared him to Browns QB Baker Mayfield in style. 

An AFC executive told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that all five quarterbacks in 2020 would have been rated over anyone from this bunch: “You might have some people who’d take Malik over Mac [Jones], just because of the physical stuff. But comparing them to Mac’s résumé, Pickett had nice stats, but he wasn’t Mac. So yes, I’d say all these guys are behind those five.”

The same evaluator thought Pickett and Ridder might be ready to start sooner rather than later. They added Willis looks like a project: “They’re playing a calmer brand of football. The ceiling’s not as high, but they’re more confident, they’ve played a lot, they’ve been on good teams, they’re pretty consistent players. Willis is a wild card. He could be something, but also could be nothing. That one would scare me. … Even the way he played this week, he holds the ball, runs around a lot, and it’s gonna take him a long time to get adjusted.”

Breer notes some evaluators don’t think there’s a capable starter in this class, while others who aren’t as harsh still aren’t impressed. One AFC scouting director said: “What’s your threshold for a starter? It’s kind of a broad term. I don’t think there’s an above-average starter in the group. Maybe there are a couple of average starters.”