Quarterbacks Unable to Separate From Pack After First Senior Bowl Practice

MOBILE, Ala. -- Senior Bowl practices commenced on Tuesday for both the National and American squads, with six draft-ready quarterbacks eager to prove they should be the one of the top ones taken at their position later in April.

The National team took the practice field first at Hancock Whitney Stadium, with passers Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder and Carson Strong having the first opportunity to make a great first impression.

Pickett, considered to be the favorite to be taken high in the first round this year, left his first practice with perhaps the best reviews of the day after excelling in the team portion of drills.

Really nice play-action read from Kenny Pickett hitting Christian Watson on a dig route pic.twitter.com/FZbI9z6vdm
— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) February 1, 2022

However, Pickett did find himself on pace with Strong and Ridder at times throughout drills. While Pickett didn't have a "bad" day by any stretch, the next two days will be crucial in taking another step towards cementing his place as QB1 in this class.

As for Strong, his lack of mobility and overall inaccuracy was on display when defenders closed in on him (Strong said he wasn't Lamar Jackson quite often in his post-practice interview).

However, Strong did gather rave reviews for his arm strength.

I usually wait until the 2nd practice to really focus on the quarterbacks. But it’s clear that Carson Strong’s passes have a lot more life than Ridder and Pickett. Not really a surprise.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 1, 2022

As for Ridder, his overall play was neither good enough to turn heads or bad enough to drastically drop down draft boards. The Cincinnati gunslinger needs to take advantage of the few opportunities he'll have this week, and Tuesday saw some of this stock slip.

Few guys I thought struggled or didn’t take advantage of opportunities:

•Cincy QB Desmond Ridder
•Baylor RB Abraham Smith
•Fordham OL Nick Zakelj
•Minnesota EDGE Boye Mafe
— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) February 1, 2022

Once the American team took the field for the second practice of the day, the narrative of quarterbacks failing to separate from the pack continued despite Sam Howell, Malik Willis and Bailey Zappe showing more juice than their counterparts.

Howell had perhaps the best day out of the trio, flashing his notable arm talent as the only Power 5 quarterback in the group. If there was any "winner" out of the first day of practice, it's likely him.

Sam Howell is having a good day today in his first practice. Arm is a little juicier than I expected. Cutting through wind without issues.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) February 1, 2022

Willis, perhaps the most intriguing quarterback in Mobile, was able to flash his athleticism despite proving to be wildly inconsistent with his accuracy.

The best way I can sum up Liberty QB Malik Willis’ performance today during #SeniorBowl practices is that he had the 5 best throws of the day and the 5 worst throws of the day. #NFLDraft
— Joe Marino (@TheJoeMarino) February 1, 2022

Zappe needs to have the best week out of any of the six quarterbacks in order to drastically increase his draft standing. Zappe was able to make some nice throws in one-on-one drills, but still felt as if he was playing behind Howell and Willis for the majority of the practice.

A VERY nice throw from Bailey Zappe on the fly #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/9qNr4WUvp6
— Cole Thompson (@MrColeThompson) February 1, 2022

After the dust settled, we have no clearer picture of the quarterback position heading into the second day of practice. Each passer saw highs and lows throughout their time on the field, and with just two days of practice remaining before the game, Wednesday could prove to be pivotal in determining quarterback rankings moving forward.