Malik Willis, Desmond Ridder lead ranking of six Senior Bowl QBs
By Rob Rang
FOX Sports NFL Draft Analyst
Hundreds of NFL scouts and coaches descended upon the sleepy southern town of Mobile, Alabama, this past week in the hopes that the Senior Bowl would help separate a tightly clustered and hotly debated quarterback class.
With the notable exception of Mississippi junior quarterback Matt Corral, the Senior Bowl boasted a virtual monopoly on the quarterbacks expected to hear their names called in all but the last rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Each of the six quarterbacks participating in the premier college football all-star game certainly enjoyed a few moments in the sun. Overall, however, the forecast for this year’s crop remains cloudy — with mistakes, not touchdowns, raining throughout much of the week of practice and the Senior Bowl itself, which the National Team won 20-10 over the American Team.
Typically in these events, the practices are actually more important than the games. That's because, like most all-star games, they're designed with fans in mind. The practices, on the other hand, are conducted by NFL teams — in this year’s case the New York Jets (National) and Detroit Lions (American) — and they essentially serve as week-long auditions for the prospects in front of representatives of all 32 clubs. By game-time, in fact, most scouts have already left town.
Performances throughout the week of practice can lead to dramatic rises and falls in a player’s individual stock. This year’s Senior Bowl was the 21st I have attended, and during that time I’ve witnessed such quarterbacks as David Carr (2002), Carson Palmer (2003) and most recently Baker Mayfield (2018) jump all the way to No. 1 overall with stellar performances in this game.
Flashing first-round traits in Mobile can intoxicate scouts. Quarterbacks whose college careers were racked with inconsistency — like Kyle Boller (2003), Jake Locker (2011), E.J. Manuel (2013) and Josh Allen (2018) — still earned first-round selections after strong weeks at the Senior Bowl.
So, it is with that perspective in mind that we rank all six of this year’s Senior Bowl quarterbacks based on how they performed in Mobile, rather than simply their expected order of selection in this spring’s draft. Each QB is listed with his relative strengths and weaknesses, as well as how his efforts at the Senior Bowl will likely impact his draft stock.
1. Malik Willis, Liberty
In terms of raw tools, Willis stole the show among quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl. However, this was not unexpected by scouts as they could see on tape that he possesses the draft’s strongest arm, as well as rare running skills, including speed, elusiveness and power.
What will boost Willis’ stock the most is the fact that he showed steady improvement in terms of accuracy and decision-making throughout the week of practice. He legitimately air-mailed a few throws in Tuesday’s practice, ranking as the least accurate passer in the all-star game on the first day out. Even when inaccurate, scouts noted his quick delivery and effortless velocity. Better yet, Willis was significantly more precise on Wednesday and demonstrated his touch on deep throws in a fun little competition at the end of Thursday’s practice session.
To create more competition and bring together his team, American head coach Duce Staley staged short one-on-one competitions at the end of each day’s practice. On Thursday, he asked his players to pick their favorite quarterback of the three on the team prior to the passers competing in a demonstration of accuracy. More than half of his teammates chose Willis, with the others roughly split between North Carolina’s Sam Howell and Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe. While none of the quarterbacks actually "bucketed" one of his three attempts from 30 yards away, Willis’ final two passes rimmed off.
Given that he attempted just four passes (completing two of them), Willis’ accuracy was not really demonstrated during the game itself. In fact, he threw for just 11 yards overall. His four throws were all catchable, however, and he demonstrated his exciting athleticism, rushing for a game-high 54 yards on just four carries, including a dazzling 27-yard scamper that nearly resulted in a touchdown.
Willis’ ability to make eye-popping "backyard" plays will generate plenty of buzz on social media, and his talent is undeniable. NFL teams, however, will have to weigh his upside with the fact that he consistently took longer than the other quarterbacks to call plays, raising questions about how quickly he will be able to translate his success at Liberty in Hugh Freeze’s relatively QB-friendly scheme to the NFL.
The compact 6-foot, 220-pounder has a game similar to current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Willis certainly possesses the traits worthy of a first round gamble, but make no mistake, it would be a gamble that early, especially with several other passers in Mobile more ready to take over as a starter.
While Willis’ breathtaking flashes generated all the buzz, Ridder quietly was the most consistent QB throughout the week. The same steadiness that helped him win 44 games at Cincinnati showed with his poise throughout practice and in the game, in which half of his four completions went for touchdowns. He finished 4-for-6 for 68 yards.
Both his scores came on bootlegs that demonstrated Ridder’s athleticism, but it was a strike between defenders to Nevada wideout Romeo Doubs that was the most impressive throw from any quarterback during Saturday’s game.
After a humbling 27-6 loss to Alabama in the Cotton Bowl, Ridder needed a strong performance in Mobile to settle his stock. He delivered on that, showing good velocity, accuracy and anticipation on throws to all levels of the field all week long. Scouts will also appreciate Ridder’s prototypical QB frame: At 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, he has good size already and the build to handle more weight. He also has the biggest hands of this year’s Senior Bowl quarterbacks — just under 33" from right pinky to right thumb.
To be clear, Ridder was never outstanding. He was never out of control, either, including when the weather was at its worst on Wednesday. That type of steadiness — in a class full of quarterbacks with definite peaks and valleys — will have Ridder’s stock quietly rising.
At first glance, one might think that Pickett’s stock should be soaring following the Senior Bowl. After all, he earned the start for the winning National team and was a perfect 6-for-6 passing on the day for 89 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown. The touchdown is not nearly as impressive on film, however, with the American’s defense falling asleep and Baylor running back Abram Smith virtually walking in for the score.
The more telling information came from the week of practice, when the poor weather exacerbated the concerns some have about Pickett’s relatively small hands (30 5/8"). While several quarterbacks had issues with center-exchanges, Pickett dropped the ball on multiple occasions, including on the first snap of the rain-soaked team scrimmage on Wednesday, when scouts were especially focused on ball security. Those fixated on hand size also noted that he wore a glove on his throwing hand all week long.
Pickett entered the week as my personal top-rated senior quarterback in this class, with Corral my top-rated QB overall. The Pitt product remains there, demonstrating the best combination of physical traits — including arm talent, mobility and size — as well as intangibles. Scouts in Mobile told me that he was impressive in interviews, demonstrating a keen understanding of defenses and passing concepts. Further, it was easy to see the quick rapport he made with his new teammates.
However, those on the Pickett "fence" entering the Senior Bowl likely were not blown away by his performance, which is why he ranks third on this list.
Like Ridder, Howell has a steadiness to his game that coaches might appreciate more than scouts (or social media pundits). He has a quick, over-the-top delivery and anticipates as well as any quarterback in this class, releasing the ball before his receivers break and consistently leading them away from the defender.
Howell completes passes despite lacking Willis’ howitzer. It is worth mentioning Willis, specifically, by comparison because the two QBs are similar in other ways, including being almost the exact same size (Howell is an eighth of an inch shorter and a pound heavier). Both are also very effective in the running game, with the former UNC star’s 828 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns not too far off from what Willis accomplished (878, 13) against vastly lesser competition.
Howell’s stubby frame and underrated athleticism seem to catch opponents by surprise.
After a season in which Howell’s interceptions rose from seven to nine and his touchdowns thrown dropped for the third consecutive year, Howell entered the week in Mobile with some pressure. Unfortunately, pressure got the best of him in the game, with pass rushers forcing two fumbles.
5. Carson Strong, Nevada
Based on the tape, I thought Strong entered the week of practice as the most accurate passer in this year’s draft class. However, there were two distinctive areas of his play in Mobile that I found troubling, which is why he checks in at No. 5 on my list.
For one, Strong seemed to have a need to prove that his arm lived up to his name, taking nearly twice as many deep shots (by my unofficial count) as any other passer at the Senior Bowl. While I love the aggressive mindset, Strong passed up far too many easier intermediate throws only to sail vertical routes yards ahead of his intended receivers.
Did he connect on some of his throws and deliver some highlight reel-worthy plays? Sure, there were a couple each day of practice. But there were far too many others that were essentially giveaways, showing the same all-or-nothing mentality that drove some scouts crazy about Drew Lock a few years ago.
On one particular play in practice, for example, Strong threw the ball from near his own end zone down the left side to approximately the 50-yard line, hoping to hit Nevada and National teammate Romeo Doubs. Strong didn’t seem to care that also standing at midfield was the other half of the National team, practicing other drills. Doubs, tracking the ball and trusting his quarterback, collided into a Jets employee filming practice — one of several in the way on this particular throw.
In the Senior Bowl game, Strong threw another ill-conceived pass that should draw the ire of scouts. On this one, Strong lofts the ball up the right sideline, but woefully underthrows it, leading to an easy pick.
My second issue with Strong this week was that he seemed to favor his former teammates. Along with Doubs, Strong often turned to fellow Wolfpack star Cole Turner at tight end. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing — Doubs and Turner are both legitimate top-100 candidates, too — I had hoped to see Strong spread the ball around more.
On a positive note, Strong did distribute the ball better on Thursday. Do not let the Mountain West background fool you. He is a talented and savvy passer with a chance to sneak into the first round. He won’t make it out of the second.
6. Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky
Despite the fact that Zappe posted incredible numbers this year — his 5,966 yards and 62 touchdowns were vastly superior to the runner-up, Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young (4,872/47) — the Western Kentucky QB entered the week as the dark-horse candidate among this year’s invitees.
Unfortunately for Zappe, he finished a distant last in this race. The main culprit is a lack of velocity, as Zappe simply doesn’t possess the zip on the ball that his competitors boast. He succeeded at Western Kentucky (and previously at Houston Baptist) because he reads defenses well and gets the ball out quickly, showing enough pre-snap recognition and anticipation to succeed in spread offenses that have defenders covering the entire field. Once defenders were locked in tight on his receivers, however, Zappe’s average arm strength left him unable to consistently throw his targets open.
This isn’t to say that he lacks accuracy. In the first of the two throwing competitions mentioned earlier, the American quarterbacks were asked to throw passes into small nets from 10 yards out. It was Zappe who won the first round, nearly making all three throws and hitting a bulls-eye on one of them. As teams increasingly throw the ball laterally, rather than vertically, Zappe can be successful. Some of the prettiest throws all week long were by Zappe down the seam.
However, when asked to attack downfield, he struggled a bit. Eager to show that he could make a big play in the Senior Bowl, he put far too much loft on this late pass, all but sealing the win for the National Team.
One of the most recognized names in the industry, Rob Rang has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others.