Anybody want a quarterback? Or do we want to just talk about it for a while?
As we continue to roar toward the 2022 NFL Draft the round one QB conversation remains … well, cloudy.
Here at The Athletic, we’re running through team-specific mock drafts this week with direct insight from our writers on the ground. As of today, 24 teams have a first round pick. Only one of those teams, in our most recent full-league mock run, selected a quarterback in the first round. At No. 6, Carolina picked Liberty QB Malik Willis.
“It’s not just Willis’ skill set that has impressed the Panthers. Like everyone at Willis’ pro day two weeks ago, (GM Scott) Fitterer felt “the excitement in the building” that stemmed from Willis’ energy, enthusiasm and 65-yard rainbows,” The Athletic’s Joseph Person notes. “If you hadn’t noticed — and owner David Tepper certainly has — the energy was missing around the organization during the last month of the 2021 season. Cam Newton brought the juice during those heady days from 2013 to 2015 and again last season when he returned, though it turned out to be short-lived.
“There’s only one Newton. But Willis, who went to Newton’s south Atlanta high school and spent two years at Auburn, has the same type of charisma and confidence.”
The Panthers obviously have a need. Willis is impressive. So that pick makes plenty of sense. But what about (checks notes) everybody else who should be at least discussing a quarterback? Houston, Detroit, Atlanta, Seattle, Washington, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Detroit again?
Everybody passed. No Kenny Pickett. No Desmond Ridder. No Matt Corrall or Sam Howell. Our mock Steelers draft (run by mock GM and beat writer Mark Kaboly) talked about it – but went with Devonte Wyatt instead before trading down to 32 with Detroit to take Ridder. Saints writer Kat Terrell painted a similar picture, explaining how New Orleans certainly needs to do its homework at QB, but ultimately settled on a similar decision: Drafting right tackle Trevor Penning out of Northern Iowa was a far more comfortable selection.
Seahawks writer Michael-Shawn Dugar thought about QB early, but he instead went with Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross — a very good player, and a fit — at No. 9 before making a trade to 30 with Kansas City for Ridder. Joe Rexrode’s Tennessee Titans mock thought about a QB, and didn’t take one. Ben Standig’s Washington Commanders mock draft … same thing. They’re not alone.
Will it just be Willis in the first round, or will there be a run? Time will tell.
Other notes from our latest run of team mock drafts:
- No beat writer selected Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton in an individual team draft. Obviously this doesn’t mean we at The Athletic are low on Hamilton. On the contrary, our Dane Brugler has labeled Hamilton as one of the draft’s best defensive prospects regardless of position. But Hamilton’s a safety and, in terms of position name only, that can scare people when you start talking about a top 10 choice. When we did the full 32-team beat writer mock last month, Hamilton slid to Atlanta at No. 8. Hamilton’s going to be a first-round pick in this draft, likely very high. But based on team needs, uncertainties and everything else going on within the top 10, a Hamilton slip could absolutely be in the cards. Which means someone not in the top 10, possibly, could wind up with a gigantic steal. We’ll see.
- If you’re interested in what our beat writers are thinking with regard to their team’s first-round selection, here’s the top 10 (keep in mind these drafts were done independently so there will be repeats).
- Jacksonville (Aidan Hutchinson, Edge), 2. Detroit (Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge), 3. Houston (Ikem Ekwonu, OL) 4. New York Jets (Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge), 5. New York Giants (Evan Neal, OT), 6. Carolina Panthers (Malik Willis, QB), 7. New York Giants (Sauce Gardner, CB), 8. Atlanta (Travon Walker, Edge), 9. Seattle (Charles Cross, OL), 10. New York Jets (Drake London, WR)
- The player who wound up on the most first-round boards this time through? Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green. In our latest round of mocks, Green went off the board to Dallas, Tamba Bay and Cincinnati late in the first.
(Photo of Malik Willis: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)
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