20 NFL bold predictions after the 2022 NFL Draft
By Randy Gurzi
3. Four AFC Quarterbacks top 5,000-yards and 40 TDs
Josh Allen won’t be the only quarterback in the AFC to have a big season. This isn’t exactly a startling revelation as the AFC is suddenly stacked with elite passers.
In a conference that already had Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen, Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan ended up joining the ranks. Deshaun Watson will even be back as he joined the Cleveland Browns following a season where he didn’t suit up at all for Houston.
With that being the case, there should be a lot of fireworks in the AFC — and we already looked at Josh Allen going off with 5,000-yards and 50 touchdown passes this season. But he won’t be the only AFC quarterback to explode.
In this prediction, three other players in the conference join him with more than 5,000-yards and while they won’t get 50 touchdowns, they will at least hit 40.
The prime candidates to join him include Patrick Mahomes — who already accomplished the feat in 2018 with 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns — Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow.
Herbert and Burrow are each entering their third season and both have become stars. Herbert threw for 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns last season and now has another stud lineman in Zion Johnson to give him more time.
As for Burrow, he had 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns with a pretty rough offensive line. That has been overhauled, which should allow him to hit the predicted benchmark.
For Mahomes, the only question is the talent around him. They lost Tyreek Hill, which will hurt but they did well in adding JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency and Skyy Moore in the draft. Add Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman to that group and he should be able to continue to put up elite numbers.