Vikings Leadership Pushes Back Against the Idea of a Weak 2022 Quarterback Draft Class
One of the prevailing narratives surrounding the 2022 NFL Draft is that the quarterback class is a weak one. A QB has been taken first overall for four straight years and there have been multiple taken among the top ten picks for seven straight years, but there's no consensus top-five or even top-ten pick at the position this time around. Some have compared this QB class to 2013, when EJ Manuel and Geno Smith were the only passers taken in the first two rounds.
There's a crop of six quarterbacks — Liberty's Malik Willis, Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett, UNC's Sam Howell, Ole Miss's Matt Corral, Nevada's Carson Strong, and Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder — that are considered potential top-50 picks. Each one has some intriguing strengths, but each one also has some notable weaknesses or question marks that give evaluators pause.
Part of the decision teams looking for quarterbacks have to make is that the 2023 draft is seen as stronger at the position, with Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud leading a deep, interesting group. Would it be smarter to wait? Or is it worth it to take a shot on a guy now, knowing that doesn't necessarily mean you can't try again next year?
New Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah isn't a fan of the "weak quarterback class" idea for this year's crop.
"It's funny, I just had a conversation with somebody about that," he said on Tuesday in Indianapolis. "I would probably go back and ask people what they thought about [Patrick] Mahomes and [Deshaun] Watson's class. I thought they said the same thing. You always want to be open minded."
One thing Adofo-Mensah pointed out is that the current scouting reports for QBs are far from definitive. Players can improve if they land in the right environment and get good coaching. We've seen that recently with players like Josh Allen and Justin Herbert who had major questions in the pre-draft process yet have developed into two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
"You're just guessing," he said. "You're predicting. We have information today and you watch a player and then you see in five years what they are like. Those things don't always line up. People come through, they improve their mechanics, they get different coaching, they get in different schemes that fit their skillsets. I'm not going to sit here and stamp that this isn't a great quarterback class because I see a lot of good stuff on film from these guys."
Adofo-Mensah and Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell met face-to-face with many of the top quarterback prospects earlier this week, which is one of the major benefits of the scouting combine. They apparently came away impressed.
"We interviewed them yesterday and, man, it's incredible," Adofo-Mensah said. "When I used to interview for my alma mater, I'd interview these kids and I'd always leave those interviews being like, 'I have no idea how I got into this school because these kids are all better than me,' and you see it from these guys. They come in and you're trying to grade them on their recall and it's like, they're all great. It's some level of great. You're trying to mince small details there. Again, I'm not going to sit here and stamp this quarterback class. I think there's a lot of talent there and we'll see what happens."
The Vikings aren't one of the many teams (Lions, Panthers, Steelers, Broncos, Browns, Saints, Washington) that desperately needs a quarterback. They've got an established starter in place in Kirk Cousins, who O'Connell is excited to work with. But Cousins is currently under contract for just one more season, and with reports indicating he won't consider taking anything less than top dollar on a potential extension, the Vikings' new brass has a decision to make.
Could that mean considering one of the top six guys this year and letting them learn under Cousins for a season? Never say never. The Vikings have the No. 12 and 46 overall picks and could always maneuver up or down the board as they see fit.
"We’ve had some great interactions with those guys," O'Connell said. "It’s a good group. You always want to do your work on the quarterback class each and every year. It’s something I’ve done even going back to my time as a player. Those formal interviews will always be unique from the standpoint of being able to use the 15 to 18 minutes, whatever it is to get, really, three questions answered that I look for. Do they love football? And really, this is all positions. What’s their capacity to recall the things they’ve already been taught and then what is their capacity to learn the things we’ll directly try to teach them moving forward?
"[We] have those guys speak in the language they’re coming from, and how much ownership they have with that can tell you a lot about their capacity to learn what we’re going to try to do with guys."
If the Vikings were to consider a QB at 12, Willis seems like the most logical option. He's the early favorite to be the top passer taken because of the tantalizing upside that comes from his incredible arm talent and impressive athleticism. It seems likely that a team will see what happened with raw, rocket-armed passers like Patrick Mahomes, Allen, and Herbert and take a chance on Willis in the first round despite questions about his accuracy and processing ability. The only question is how early.
At this point, it remains unlikely that the Vikings take a quarterback in the first round. Edge rusher and cornerback are pressing needs for a team that plans to be competitive in 2022, according to its ownership. Those are the favorites until proven otherwise.
But it's not something that can be entirely ruled out. Cousins hasn't won at a high enough rate to prove that he's the definitive long-term option in Minnesota, and 2021 third-round pick Kellen Mond looks unlikely to enter that mix. Recently, a Pro Football Focus mock draft had the Vikings drafting Willis at 12. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein placed them in the top five in his list of seven teams who could draft Willis.
Pickett and Howell are interesting prospects, too. Corrall, Strong, and Ridder could be around when the Vikings' second-rounder comes up. There will be possibilities for Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell to explore.
So yes, it's a relatively weak and unproven quarterback class. But remember: when it comes to the draft, no one really knows anything. So we'll see what happens with that group, and it's possible the Vikings will make themselves part of the experiment.
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