It would be the perfect scenario for the top quarterbacks in any given draft class to be given the best chance at letting their talents fully translate by landing with one of the NFL’s most solid all-around teams.
But the obvious is that it’s the exact opposite — the worst teams pick first and it’s become an all-too-common trend that quarterbacks are not given the chance to sit and learn the first year and take the majority of the criticism for not being able to quite literally turn around one of the poorest teams in the league single-handedly.
While there doesn’t look to be a quarterback in this class prepared to go in and shoulder that responsibility in Year 1, there are several who look to be high-end backups who could stick around in the league for a long time and a small handful who have a shot at hanging in as a starter.
Here’s a look into where each quarterback who has been largely projected to be one of the first five at the position off the board could land and how they fit in there.
1. Malik Willis, Liberty.
Most likely fit: Detroit Lions or Carolina Panthers
Though former Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett is still very much in the mix to be the first quarterback to come off the board, Willis seems to be the more likely option at this point. Granted the Lions or the Panthers are the first team to select a quarterback, they’ll be choosing directly between the ceiling and the floor with those two. Willis has more “it” factor to him from athletic standpoint than nay other quarterback available for the taking, and by good measure. Willis has shown great improvement as a passer throughout the pre-draft process after having some struggles throwing the ball well at several points during the 2021 season, so if he can maintain consistency and that magician-like mobility and escapability, he can elevate a team from Day 1.
The Lions are a team that has been heavily tied to Willis ahead of April and could use a quarterback with a high ceiling as they continue their…