Joel Klatt ranks his top-five quarterback prospects in 2022 NFL Draft

On3 imageby:Nikki Chavanelle01/16/22

NikkiChavanelle

Joel Klatt ranks his top-five quarterback prospects in 2022 NFL Draft Matt Corral Kenny Pickett Sam Howell
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The 2022 NFL Draft class doesn’t have a deep roster of elite quarterbacks but a select few teams will draft some very good signal-callers. Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt revealed his top-five picks at quarterback for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Leading the way for Klatt is Ole Miss’s dual-threat star Matt Corral. Corral battled through injuries all season, but the early-season Heisman candidate still had a strong year. He threw for 3,349 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions, adding 614 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing. He ended the year in the Sugar Bowl after suffering a minor ankle injury.

Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett turned heads this season, earning first-round 2022 NFL Draft attention. Pickett threw for 3,419 yards with 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions. NFL scouts have compared the senior quarterback to former Heisman Joe Burrow.

North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell rounds out the top three, which are all Power Five quarterbacks. Howell was a consistent leader and contributor for all three seasons at UNC. Although he had better overall numbers in 2019 and 2020, he still posted strong numbers in 2021. He threw 62.5% completions with 3,056 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine picks. Howell really expanded his running game in 2021, adding 828 rushing yards and 11 more scores.

Liberty quarterback Malik Willis and Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder also made Joel Klatt’s top five. Willis has a combined 47 touchdowns and 18 interceptions over the last two seasons. Ridder has also proven himself with four consistent years with the Bearcats. He threw for 10,239 yards over four seasons with an 87:28 touchdown-interception ratio. Ridder also has an additional 28 touchdown runs.

Todd McShay, ESPN shake up the top-five draft picks

Throughout the season, multiple different stars have been projected to go No. 1 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Still, two names have stood above the rest time and time again — Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux and Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson.

However, McShay threw a curveball in his first predictions since the end of the season. With Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars starting things off, McShay gave us his first five picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.

NFL Draft: Todd McShay’s Top-Five

1) Jacksonville Jaguars — OT Evan Neal, Alabama Crimson Tide. For the first overall selection, McShay has the Jaguars taking his top offensive lineman available. Evidently, the ESPN analyst believes Jacksonville’s biggest need is keeping the franchise quarterback upright.

2) Detroit Lions — DE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan WolverinesEven with some late season victories, the Lions still land the player they would’ve selected at No. 1. Hutchinson would come to Detroit and instantly become the star of their defense, his attitude matching that of his head coaches in Dan Campbell.

3) Houston Texans — DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon Ducks. While the Ducks star was hoping to go No. 1, the Texans will be over the moon with Thibodeaux at No. 3. The Oregon pass rusher would provide Houston with their most ferocious defensive end since J.J. Watt.

4) New York Jets — CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU Tigers. There’s numerous ways the Jets could maneuver the NFL Draft, but grabbing Stingley Jr. would be a huge coup. In doing so, New York would land their top corner since the days of Darrelle Revis.

5) New York Giants — OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State Bulldogs. Giants fans may not love the pick of Cross with Iowa’s Tyler Lindebaum and NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu on the board. Still, Cross would be a huge upgrade along their offensive line — providing them with an anchor across from Andrew Thomas for years to come.

On3’s Stephen Samra also contributed to this report.