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Unlike the last few drafts, the 2022 quarterback class does not have coaches, scouts, and fans drooling over which one to take. It is the most important position in the game (and all of sports for that matter) and teams that lack an elite one typically don’t do well.
There are a handful of teams that will be looking to draft a quarterback. The teams at the top of the draft order are not in need of an immediate starter and will likely look elsewhere.
At some point though, a team is likely to pull the trigger on a quarterback in this class and do so in the first round. Which one will it be?
Here’s a look at the first quarterback selected odds and predictions.
Willis Favored
Willis played two seasons at Auburn though he didn’t see the field all that much. That changed after his transfer to Liberty where he went 17-6 as a starter in two seasons.
Willis threw for 2,857 yards and led the Flames in rushing with 987. He totaled 40 touchdowns. There is no question Willis has the arm strength to play in the NFL. He put that on display at the combine. He is also very athletic which is why Willis is a -200 favorite to be the first quarterback selected.
Pickett NFL Ready
All Kenny Pickett did at Pitt was lead the Panthers to an ACC championship while throwing for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns. Pickett threw just seven interceptions and completed 67.2 percent of his passes last year.
Pickett is more of a prototypical NFL quarterback. He stands 6-foot-3, but he does have some athletic ability. Remember the fake slide in the ACC championship game?
If there is one quarterback in this year’s class that is NFL ready, it’s Pickett. He played for an offensive coordinator in Mark Whipple who had NFL experience. Pickett is given +175 odds to be the first QB taken.
The Rest of the Field
The rest of the field is exactly that – the rest of the field. Matt Corral isn’t going to be the first quarterback taken. At 6-2 and coming off an injury, it’s just not happening.
It’s the same for Sam Howell out of North Carolina. Howell put up great numbers, but both he and Corral played in Air Raid offenses that were, for lack of a better term, simple to run. They have some work cut out for them to even make an NFL roster.
Desmond Ridder, on the other hand, is a unique talent. He’s a legitimate 6-3 and he’s an athlete. Ridder has run 4.52 in the 40-yard dash and has shown a 36-inch vertical jump.
His talent translated into the AAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2021. Ridder completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also rushed for 365 yards and six scores. He is Cincinnati’s all-time total offense yardage leader with 12,418 yards.
Still, Ridder is not expected to be picked first. That’s why he is listed at +2000 along with Corral. Howell is listed at +2500.
2022 NFL Draft 1st QB Selected Prediction
Taking a chance on Willis would be similar to the Dolphins chance on Tua Tagovailoa. The difference is, of course, that Tagovailoa had experience against the best in the nation. Willis does not.
If there is a team – Carolina or Seattle, for example – looking for a guy that can be the 2021 version of Mac Jones, that guy is Kenny Pickett. Plus, at +175, he gives you a nicer payout than Willis.
PICK: KENNY PICKETT +175
1st QB Selected in the 2022 NFL Draft Betting Lines
Malik Willis -200
Kenny Pickett +175
Matt Corral +2000
Desmond Ridder +2000
Sam Howell +2500
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