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3 ways the 2022 NFL Draft changed the NFL’s approach to QBs

By Michael Johnson

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAR 02: Kenny Pickett #QB11 of the Pittsburgh Panthers speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 2, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAR 02: Kenny Pickett #QB11 of the Pittsburgh Panthers speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 2, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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2022 NFL Draft, Malik Willis
2022 NFL Draft: Malik Willis #7 of the Liberty Flames throws the the ball during the LendingTree Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on December 18, 2021 in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

A year after quarterbacks dominated the top of the draft, we only saw one drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and it’s easy to see why.

No one will argue that quarterback is the most important position in the NFL. We see it every year around draft time how the incoming class dominates the headlines.

Let’s take a trip back to 2021, where the incoming class featured the No. 1 overall draft pick and prospect Trevor Lawrence. After the Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, and Mac Jones battled it out for QB2.

There wasn’t a draft show on TV that didn’t feature the incoming quarterbacks as the primary topic. The 2022 NFL Draft class wasn’t any different — then again, it was.

Who remembers when Spencer Rattler and Matt Corral dominated early season talks for QB1? I do, but by the end of the college football season, NFL Draft media talked about how bad this quarterback class was.

There wasn’t a consensus on QB1, but Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett battled for the top spot. The quarterbacks still dominated the headlines, however, few draft gurus gave any signal-callers a Day 1 grade.

There was a consensus thought that the position and its importance would trump all. So, many mock drafts had at least two quarterbacks going in round one. Of course, that didn’t happen.

Now that the 2022 NFL Draft is over, it’s time to examine how this quarterback class could shift the way the position is viewed.

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