“Quarterback week” is about to begin at a must-watch Senior Bowl

I’m off to Mobile, Ala., to cover the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl as I’ve done every year since 2007. For 16 years, I have made the trip down south to see some of the best college prospects in the nation compete in an All-Star game that has a huge impact on their draft stock. Most years, I see some quality quarterbacks at this game. This year, I am going to be able to watch five of the top six quarterbacks in this draft class.

Yes, it’s not a great class and I currently only grade one passer as a true first-round pick, but in this quarterback-desperate league we could see four or five of these guys go off the board on the first day of the 2022 NFL Draft. The only quarterback in the top-five of this class I won’t see this week in Mobile is Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral. Other than him, I’m watching the best this class has to offer this week at the Senior Bowl.

They might as well rename this week “Quarterback Week” at the Senior Bowl. Here are some of my notes on the best passers in this draft class who I will be watching in Mobile.

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Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett

University of Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett is the only first-round graded quarterback (for me personally) who I will get to see at the Senior Bowl. Him and Corral are at the top of this class in my opinion, but none of them would have rated above Justin Fields or Mac Jones had them come out in last year’s draft. Well, they’re coming now, and Pickett is a popular pick for Denver if they keep their No. 9 overall pick. It will be determined in Mobile if that’s too high, too low or just right when it comes to draft position.

Biggest Strength: Forget the physical traits, which Pickett has like arm velocity and pocket maneuverability, I believe his best trait is his confidence. Pickett loves to toy with defenders, both as a passer and a runner. He plays with high football intelligence and does a good job of looking off defenders to only make them look silly with a big play. He’s not an elite rusher but he is a scrambler with some nifty moves in the open field (see the now banned fake slide move).

Biggest Question: Get ready to hear a ton about Pickett’s hand size this week. He has some of the smallest hands of any top-tier quarterback we’ve seen in recent years. Pickett’s hands (before the Senior Bowl) measured in at 8.25 inches. Once the weigh in is over in Mobile on Tuesday, we’ll know if that size is accurate or if Pickett’s hands are larger or smaller. It’s important, but not overly so. Teams in cold-weather cities or those who play outdoors in the elements want to know if Pickett’s hand size is going to be a problem.

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Nevada QB Carson Strong

I wrote up Nevada quarterback Carson Strong several weeks ago for DenverFan.com when the Broncos season was spiraling downward, and it looked like a rookie passer could be on the wish list for 2022. He’s a throwback to a different time, but there are a lot of things to like about Strong’s game. He’ll have a week to prove that he can make enough plays with his arms and his feet to perhaps be a first

Biggest Strength: If a team wants a classic pocket passer, then Strong is the best in the class. He’s a true pocket passer who can scan the field quickly and generally make good decisions with the ball.

Biggest Question: Strong does not get out of the way of the rush the others in this class do. He’s a pocket passer that doesn’t have the escape-artist moves others in this class have. Thus, his accuracy struggles when under duress – even a slight bit of pressure can knock his accuracy off. He can’t be hit in practice, so Strong could put together a good week that he’ll need to back up during the game.

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Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder

Scouting the quarterback position is an inexact science, and when players like Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder come into the league that’s more evident than ever. From a physical standpoint, Ridder has everything – and I mean everything – you’re looking for in a passer. However, as former GM Scot McCloughan told me years ago “physical talent is easy to see.” Does Ridder have everything else it takes to make it in the NFL? We’re going to get a taste this week.

Biggest Strength: Ridder had a cannon for an arm. He may have the strongest arm in this draft class and can easily make all the throws required in the NFL. I like the way he quickly gets the ball out of his hands, and he doesn’t just check passes down but will instead try to attack a defender with his arm.

Biggest Question: Simply put, Ridder didn’t make many NFL decisions during his college career. The Bearcats offense is set up to get the ball out quickly to many wide-open targets. I want to see if Ridder can go through progressions quickly and hit targets on time and on target who aren’t his primary read.

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Liberty QB Malik Willis

There is a lot of excitement that has been building for at least a year around Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. A two-year starter at Liberty, Willis is a dangerous runner with an incredible weapon in his right arm. He has the arm strength to merely flip passes out of his hand that get into tight windows other quarterbacks have no business throwing. As a runner, not only does Willis have ankle-breaking moves but he also is tough to bring down at 215 pounds.

Biggest Strength: Willis has incredible athleticism and can make defenders look silly when he takes off to run the ball. He has good mechanics as a passer and needs little work in that department. His arm is so strong that he can use mostly wrist action to rocket passes into the receiver.

Biggest Question: The level of competition at Liberty wasn’t great, and Willis didn’t have the talent around him others in this class did. Willis has a big opportunity to showcase his athletic talent, but his arm talent against some of the best defenders in the country will be what every scout interested will be watching.

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North Carolina QB Sam Howell

If we rewind about six months ago, North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell was being talked about as a potential top-10 pick. There were some who even speculated he might end up no.1 overall in the 2022 NFL draft. That was then, and this is now. Howell’s draft stock has fallen quite a bit after a subpar 2021 season for the Tarheels.

Biggest Strength: Howell has arguably the best deep-ball accuracy in this draft class. When the Tar Heels ran the ball well, thanks to Javonte Williams and Michael Carter, that set up Howell to take deep shots regularly and he made defenses pay. He knows how to lead receivers in order to maximize yards after the catch.

Biggest Question: His footwork has taken a step back this last season. Howell’s footwork was always a work in progress, but I felt he’d have better feet by the time he was ready to go to the NFL. That’s not the case, especially when Howell is under duress. He must have better timing with his feet and tie them to his eyes, so he doesn’t make wonky passes that are wildly and comically off the mark.

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