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Five quarterbacks were drafted in the first 15 picks of the 2021 NFL draft, with Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and BYU's Zach Wilson leading the way.
Will the 2022 NFL draft class produce as many quarterbacks as this year? Only time will tell. But here are the top prospects.
Top 25 Quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft Class
#1 - Sam Howell, North Carolina
Sam Howell not only had career numbers in 2020, but he also had the best of any quarterback in the ACC. He led the ACC in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He averaged 9.4 yards per passing attempt, the highest in the ACC since 1956.
Sam Howell is considered a pro-style quarterback, but he can also use his legs to make plays happen on the ground as well as in the air. He had an impressive 68.1% completion rate. All signs point to Howell being a top prospect in the 2022 NFL draft class.
#2 - Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma
Spencer Rattler hasn't been the most consistent college quarterback in their first two seasons at Oklahoma. In an upset loss to Kansas State in 2020, he threw three interceptions. He did use his big arm to make plays happen all season as he threw for 3,031 passing yards and 28 touchdowns in 2020.
He is the first non-transfer quarterback that head coach Lincoln Riley has coached at Oklahoma as former top draft picks Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts were all transfers. If Rattler can become more consistent, he will definitely be one of the top picks in the 2022 NFL draft.
#3 - Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
Desmond Ridder is a dual-threat quarterback of impressive size and is one of the tallest quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class. Ridder relies on his legs to make plays happen even though he has a big arm. In 2020, Desmond Ridder rushed for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns.
#4 - Kedon Slovis, USC
Kedon Slovis struggled in 2020 and had a down year but still led the Pac-12 in passing yards and touchdowns. In 2019, during his freshman season, he had 3,502 passing yards and 30 touchdowns with a 71.9% completion rate.
#5 - Malik Willis, Liberty
Malik Willis was an Auburn transfer who finally saw playing time at Liberty in 2020 and put them on the college football map. Willis threw for 2,250 yards and 20 passing touchdowns and rushed for an impressive 944 yards and fourteen touchdowns.
Although Liberty isn't a powerhouse football school, Willis should still be considered in the 2022 NFL draft for defeating teams like Virginia Tech and Syracuse, especially if he can build on 2020's numbers.
#6 - Carson Strong, Nevada
Carson Strong has a big arm and is a pro-style pocket passing quarterback. He threw for 2,858 passing yards with an average of 8.1 yards per attempt. His completion rate is 70.1%.
#7 - J.T. Daniels, Georgia
After a mess of a quarterback situation with the Bulldogs in 2020, J.T. Daniels was finally named the starter late in the season. He started just four games, throwing for 1,231 passing yards and ten touchdowns.
He averaged 10.3 yards per passing attempt. If Daniels can stay that consistent as a starter all season long, he will be highly considered a top draft pick in 2022.
#8 - Matt Corral, Mississippi
Matt Corral has had an interesting start to his college career. He redshirted in 2018 and started just four games in 2019. But it was his 2020 season under a new offense that really showed the type of quarterback that he can be.
He threw for 3,337 passing yards for a 70.9% completion rate. The only downside is his touchdown-to-interception ratio, which is 2:1, which could hinder the 2022 NFL draft stock a bit.
#9 - Jayden Daniels, Arizona State
As with other players in the Pac-12, the 2020 season hindered their ability to show their true potential, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Jayden Daniels is a solid quarterback, but 2020 wasn't the most productive season on his college resume.
When Jayden Daniels struggled to throw the ball in 2020, he started using his legs to make plays happen. He rushed for four touchdowns averaging over six yards per carry. Jayden Daniels could definitely be seen as a dynamic playmaker that NFL teams may be willing to take a chance on in the 2022 NFL draft.
#10 - Phil Jurkovec, Boston College
Boston College changed its offense from a run-heavy to a pass-first style in 2020. Phil Jurkovec threw for 2,558 yards and seventeen touchdowns last season. One of his favorite targets being tight end Hunter Long, who was drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
In 2021, Boston College will have their entire offensive line returning and wide receiver Zay Flowers should help Jurkovec keep the ball in the air and make plays.
#11 - Layne Hatcher, Arkansas State
Layne Hatcher may not be the most notable name among the 2022 NFL draft prospects, but he should be. Hatcher was recently invited to the Manning Passing Academy, which will take place this summer.
Layne Hatcher threw for 1,240 yards and eleven touchdowns in a two-quarterback offensive scheme in 2020. In 2019 he threw for 2,946 yards and 27 touchdowns.
#12 - Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
Tanner Morgan led a successful Minnesota football team in 2019 to the Big Ten Championship game. In 2020, as was the theme with a majority of the quarterbacks, he struggled. His 2022 NFL Draft stock will depend on what he does in the 2021 regular season.
In 2019 he threw for 3,252 yards and an impressive 30 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. In 2020, he threw for just 1,374 yards and seven touchdowns, which of course is a smaller sample size than the previous season.
#13 - Brock Purdy, Iowa State
Brock Purdy led the Iowa State Cyclones to a Fiesta Bowl win in the 2020 season and was even crowned the MVP of the game. He can use his big arm as well as his legs to make big plays.
Purdy is a dynamic quarterback who rushed for 382 yards and five touchdowns in 2020 and threw for 2,750 yards and nineteen touchdowns, which was slightly lower than his 2019 stats.
His 2022 NFL Draft stock could rise as NFL scouts see his versatility as a quarterback on a non-power five team.
#14 - Bo Nix, Auburn
Bo Nix had a successful freshman season in 2019 and then struggled in 2020 as did the entire Auburn team at times. With a new offense entering his junior season, Nix should have a bounce-back year and thrive with the new scheme.
In 2020 he had just a 59.9% passing percentage but still threw for over 2,400 yards.
#15 - Sean Clifford, Penn State
A delayed and then shortened season, as well as an abbreviated offseason, seemed to really throw Sean Clifford's game off-kilter from 2019. In 2020 his completion rate fell to just 60.6% and at one point he was even replaced as the starter by backup Will Levis.
Clifford's first full season as a starter was in 2019. He threw for 2,654 passing yards and 23 passing touchdowns. The upside is that he's not afraid to use his legs, rushing for 402 yards and five touchdowns.
Clifford could be considered a late-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft if his 2019 performance occurs.
