Vikings Draft Profile: The Top Five QBs of the 2022 NFL Draft
Josh Frey
|
The Minnesota Vikings go into this draft with a lot of uncertainties on their roster, and one at the forefront remains at QB. The fan base seems split right down the middle on whether or not they want to keep Kirk Cousins. If Minnesota opts to get move on from their signal caller, it suddenly becomes possible that their first-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft is at the position. With that, who should they be looking at? Here is my ranking of the top five prospects at the position to give a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses of both.
1. Matt Corral (Ole Miss)
Matt Corral has a lot of the tools you’d want out of an NFL quarterback. I’ve done a full breakdown of his play in a separate draft profile, so if you want a more in depth look at him, go check that out. I chose Corral to be the first QB profile because I truly believe that if the Vikings were going to go all-in on a QB in this class, he is the guy. He can help create a whole new layer for an offense that is looking to be a little more dynamic after 2021, and especially on a team with existing talent at OT, RB, TE, and WR spots, this is an ideal situation for a rookie QB to land in.
Corral continuously improved his accuracy over the course of his NFL career, and he is now lethal with pinpoint passes between 5-8 yards. Additionally, he brings a dual-threat skillset that adds a new element from how a Kirk Cousins offense can flow. None of these QBs are ones that I would take a chance on without an established infrastructure, but there are guys who could succeed in a situation where they don’t necessarily have to be the immediate cornerstone. Corral is at the very top of that list for me.
2. Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh)
Kenny Pickett is about as close to a young Kirk Cousins as you can get. Despite the fake-slide that took the Internet by storm, he is not what you would consider a dual-threat QB by any means. Where he thrives is in the pocket, and again, he is a guy that has consistently improved his accuracy over the years. He likely has the biggest arm in this draft class, and there is definitely a gunslinger mentality to Pickett’s game. That translated to 9.7 adjusted yards per attempt, second in the ACC.
While Pickett won’t take off on too many big scrambles, he is mobile in the pocket. His awareness of where the pressure is coming from needs some work, but when that is on point, Pickett is at his best. He doesn’t panic under pressure, and he has the skill to step up into the pocket, or to roll out and make a throw on the move. If he can limit some of the sacks as well as improve his consistency throwing over the top, Pickett will find success in the NFL.
3. Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati)
Desmond Ridder may ultimately be the worst pure-passer of these top five. He leaves a lot to be desired in terms of accuracy right now, and there is very little presence of a deep ball from his Cincinnati tape. A lot of these problems are caused by bad mechanics. Especially throwing to his left, the biggest issue is just not aligning his feet correctly, and it results in a lot of erratic balls. He also forces balls to one receiver rather than going through all of his progressions. Finally, the throwing motion is slow, and a windup allows easier reading of passes for DBs as well as a potential for balls batted down at the line. Here’s an example of what happens when those struggles show up:
So, what could make him a desirable prospect? Well, first of all, he took Cincinnati and turned that program into a winner. He stepped in as a freshman, and they immediately won 11 games (including a bowl) after going 4-8 the previous year. In three of his four years, Cincinnati won 10+ games, and the only year they didn’t was 2020 where they only played 10 games and won nine. Yeah, Ridder is a proven winner. Additionally, he is as slippery a runner as you’ll find at the QB position. Not quite to the level of Lamar Jackson, but if Jackson is the A-tier, Ridder is in the B-tier. There could be some unique schemes built around the former Bearcat.
4. Sam Howell (North Carolina)
Sam Howell went into the 2021 CFB season as a potential top-five pick. This was due to an extremely successful 2020 campaign with the Tar Heels in which UNC made an Orange Bowl appearance. A large part of this success came from an offense that averaged nearly 42 points per game. Howell certainly played his role in that offense, with 3586 passing yards and 30 TDs. Overall, the North Carolina native is an accurate passer from 10 yards or less, and his 220-pound frame makes him a bear to bring down.
However, without his two star running backs Michael Carter and Javonte Williams , 2021 was not kind to Howell and the Tar Heels. The UNC QB had career lows in yards (3056) and touchdowns (24) while also a career high in interceptions (9). One thing that really emerged in this tough year though was Howell’s rushing ability. He ran for 828 yards and 11 TDs.
Howell runs less like a Lamar Jackson and more like a Josh Allen, more of a bully than an elusive threat. As far as his mechanics, movement in the pocket, and throwing motion, Howell looks very similar to Baker Mayfield. There’s no doubting his competitive spirit, but can he lead a team that doesn’t have a ton of weapons around him? That’s a big question and one that will likely have him dropping out of the first round.
5. Malik Willis (Liberty)
Malik Willis is this year’s example of an athletic QB from a small school with a high ceiling and low floor. After transferring from Auburn, Willis has led Liberty to back-to-back bowl game victories. There’s certainly a theme among this year’s top QB prospects as well: mobility. Willis is another guy that is extremely slippery, but he isn’t afraid to run defenders over when needed. Additionally, he has a cannon and is the only guy in this group that can possibly challenge Pickett for the strongest arm in this class.
Obviously, some stock will be lost because of competition. Liberty is an independent school that had zero Power Five or Top-25 wins this season. They also suffered a blowout loss to Louisiana, who was ranked 22nd at the time. Competition isn’t the only problem with Willis’ draft stock though. While he may challenge Pickett in terms of arm strength, he comes a lot closer to Ridder in terms of accuracy, and he may be the worst of the five in that department. Too many times a throw ends up erratic, and he panics when facing pressure in the pocket. Willis is a gunslinger through and through, and that could end up being to his benefit as well as his detriment in the NFL.