The 2022 NFL Draft is shaping up as one of the harder to forecast in recent years.
The lack of sure-fire, top-10 quarterbacks in the class leaves a lot of early picks still up in the air with a week to go before the first round kicks off.
Baptized by foam chicken in sub-zero temperatures during a playoff game against the New England Patriots, Bates began a new, peculiar journey as a cult hero.
“I don’t know if I can remember a year with more uncertainty,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on a conference call Thursday. “The year with Baker Mayfield going No. 1, 2018, that was uncertain. We went into that process, and it was Josh Allen potentially going first, Sam Darnold, and then Baker kind of came out of left field and ended up being the first pick.”
“We’re not sure who’s going to be No. 1 this year,” Jeremiah said. “I would say this is along those lines in 2018 but even more so.”
The Jacksonville Jaguars own the No. 1 overall pick. They have been linked to defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan and Travon Walker of Georgia, along with offensive tackles Ikem Ekwonu of North Carolina State and Evan Neal of Alabama.
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"I'm looking forward to being able to run some plays that he's calling. I've got no doubt that he's going to be successful at what he does,” Allen said about Dorsey.
“I talk to teams, and the great example is somebody like George Karlaftis of Purdue,” Jeremiah said, referring to a top edge rusher in the draft class. “There’s teams that think he’s one of the top 15 players. Then there’s teams that think he’s not worth a first- or second-round pick. That’s how all over the board teams are on some of these guys. That’s to me where it’s different than any other draft.”
The last draft with no quarterback taken in the top 10 was 2013, when the first QB off the board was E.J. Manuel to Buffalo at No. 16.
Through the challenge, Allen was able to secure a $700,000 donation for the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, and specifically to the Patricia Allen Fund.
“It's a really fascinating discussion when you look at this class and where these guys could go,” Jeremiah said of the QBs. “I know some people think we could see a run in the 20s. I know there’s still talk that maybe we see one go in the top 10. So there’s a lot of unknown.”
Obviously, any quarterbacks taken before Buffalo’s pick at No. 25 would be good for the Bills, because it would push another player down the board.
“My thought on the quarterback class is I think there’s some good players here,” Jeremiah said. “But I just have the thought in the back of my mind that says what you don’t want to do is take a quarterback this year and then a year from now at this time be saying, ‘Oh my goodness, we’re right back in the quarterback market again. Is this guy really good enough?’ ”
