Evaluators' take on 2022 draft class is bad news for Roseman

 

The Eagles are positioned to dictate the 2022 NFL Draft thanks to Howie Roseman's stockpile of first-round picks, a place of power every general manager dreams of.

But it would be a little more helpful if Roseman managed to grab these three first-rounders in a draft class loaded with top-end quarterback talent, instead of... what we've got this year.

Matt Corral, Malik Willis, and Kenny Pickett headline the 2022 class and there are probably three or four QBs who will go in the first round just because of the inherent positional value.

Yet to hear a few veteran talent evaluators around the league tell the story, teams aren't exactly going to be climbing over each other for the opportunity to trade up and snag one of the gunslingers.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer spoke to some NFL talent folks after last week's 2022 Senior Bowl, where Willis, Pickett, and Carson Strong all showed off their skillsets in front of decision-makers from around the league.

The overall vibe from folks in charge of evaluating pro talent? Meh:

"The quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl showed as they were expected to. And that’s not great news. The group, compromised of all the top guys outside of Ole Miss’s Matt Corral, came in perceived to be an average lot. It left Mobile with a lot of NFL folks convinced of that. A couple of veteran NFL evaluators told me late in the week that they don’t believe there’s a single NFL starter in this year’s quarterback class. Not everyone was that harsh, but it was unanimous that these quarterbacks aren’t close to last year’s — and most agreed that all five of last year’s first-round signal-callers would’ve been the top guy at the position in the 2022 draft."

Not a single NFL starter in the class? Yikes!

The beauty of a draft class loaded with interesting QB talent is that teams with a war chest of draft assets can turn picks into more picks, or players, or both because of the level of desperation from other teams to figure out the QB position. 

A guy who one team like falls and they're suddenly three picks away from taking a potential franchise guy? They're happily tossing future picks around - the Bears sent a fifth-rounder, a future first-rounder, and a future first-rounder to jump nine spots last spring! - to go get him.

This year, while the Eagles are flush with picks, there don't seem to be any QBs like that in the draft class.

Perfect timing.

Now, there's always a chance that one team out there has a different scouting grade on one of the QBs and will be willing to try and pounce if the opportunity arises. A few evaluators don't speak for the entire league.

But on the whole, it would've been nice to have a Fields or a Zach Wilson or even a Daniel Jones in this year's class to spice things up.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/2022-nfl-draft-evaluators-crush-first-round-qbs-after-senior-bowl

48 minutes ago, time2rock said:

But on the whole, it would've been nice to have a Fields or a Zach Wilson or even a Daniel Jones in this year's class to spice things up.

Christ can you imagine the carnage on this board if Howie replaced Hurts with a Fields, Wilson or Jones?

It'd be fun watching Bobby WizDownUnderMike trying to pretend that 2500 yards 1:1 TD's to Picks was an improvement I guess.

I'm not sure why this is bad news for Howie? He's not in a desperate position to draft a QB. I think it's bad news for teams who are desperate at the QB position. 

On 2/8/2022 at 10:14 AM, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I'm not sure why this is bad news for Howie? He's not in a desperate position to draft a QB. I think it's bad news for teams who are desperate at the QB position. 

It's bad news IF Howie is locked in on taking a QB early, focusing ONLY on the fact that he is loaded with three 1s and completely ignoring the fact that this is a weak class at the position.  For such a bright guy he sure does a LOT of stupid ish.  I am really hoping that, if he isn't sold on Hurts (he shouldn't be ... yet) and has already decided he is going to draft a QB that he recognizes the fact that 2022 isn't the best year to do that and can work some magic to add an extra 1 in 2023 to make a move then, and then use the rest of our picks to focus on other areas of need (there are plenty!).  

22 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I'm not sure why this is bad news for Howie? He's not in a desperate position to draft a QB. I think it's bad news for teams who are desperate at the QB position. 

I think it was meant that, because it's a bad QB draft, either no QBs or maybe only 1 gets taken before the Eagles pick...which means that other players the Eagles would want have a higher chance of being selected before their pick.  In other words, if 3-4 QBs were to be taken top 14, that improves the options of players available at other positions at the Eagles' picks.

Guys - the article simply refers to lesser trade back value of early picks this year as teams generally will avoid trading a lot of draft capital to move up to get a QB. So the draft pick value chart may have a less steep increase in the first round than typical years. 

I’m still hopeful that the fact that the top QBs in this year’s draft are projected to be taken in the mid 1st round where the Eagles have picks, that we may pull off at least one trade back for good value.  For example, we got a future first rounder last year from Miami to move back, maybe this year we’ll get a second rounder for a similar move like Pittsburgh wanting to move from 20 to 16 to get ahead of New Orleans at 18.

2 hours ago, EaglesAddict said:

I think it was meant that, because it's a bad QB draft, either no QBs or maybe only 1 gets taken before the Eagles pick...which means that other players the Eagles would want have a higher chance of being selected before their pick.  In other words, if 3-4 QBs were to be taken top 14, that improves the options of players available at other positions at the Eagles' picks.

Yeah this too!  🙂

7 hours ago, EaglesAddict said:

I think it was meant that, because it's a bad QB draft, either no QBs or maybe only 1 gets taken before the Eagles pick...which means that other players the Eagles would want have a higher chance of being selected before their pick.  In other words, if 3-4 QBs were to be taken top 14, that improves the options of players available at other positions at the Eagles' picks.

Yeah that's actually a really good point. The Eagles (if they don't plan on taking a QB) need as many to go before their picks as possible to push players down. Mind you at the same time... They may be in a good position if not many go as one of the teams picking after the Eagles may then be tempted to trade up slightly. 

14 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Yeah that's actually a really good point. The Eagles (if they don't plan on taking a QB) need as many to go before their picks as possible to push players down. Mind you at the same time... They may be in a good position if not many go as one of the teams picking after the Eagles may then be tempted to trade up slightly. 

True.  If most of the top QBs are still on the board at 15, it could also work in our favor if some team that picked within the top 14 decides they "have to have" one of those QBs and makes an aggressive move to trade up from their 2nd round slot.  We could be a trade-down beneficiary that could hopefully land us a 2023 1st rounder.

Most recent mock (for what they're worth) has 3 QBs going before pick 15:

• Willis to Carolina at 6
• Corral to Denver at 9
• Pickett to Washington at 11

If Howie wants a long term franchise QB, he needs to use the ammo he has this draft to garner extra ammo for the next draft. We've all known this for a year. 

17 minutes ago, PoconoDon said:

If Howie wants a long term franchise QB, he needs to use the ammo he has this draft to garner extra ammo for the next draft. We've all known this for a year. 

Curious as to which QBs you like best in 2023?

17 minutes ago, time2rock said:

Curious as to which QBs you like best in 2023?

It's hard to call right now because the next crop is undergoing a lot of development or regression. They need this next year show the world what they're made of and how developed they are to this point, All of that said the obvious 2 that are there right now are in no particular order, Stroud (Ohio State) and Young (Alabama).

There are a couple more that might put it all together but aren't close enough now to name as real options. My hope is that the 2023 draft produces 3 or 4 top QB prospects. That'd give the Eagles a fighting chance of getting one without selling the farm.

This could also pose a problem for Howie because it can cause a run on Defensive players and 0-Lineman. Would suck if pick 15 came and 0 QB's had been taken..... 

34 minutes ago, What The F said:

This could also pose a problem for Howie because it can cause a run on Defensive players and 0-Lineman. Would suck if pick 15 came and 0 QB's had been taken..... 

Good chance Johnson will be there if the other top dogs go earlier.  And that may push a top CB down to us.