2022 NFL Draft: Making the case for Sam Howell to be the first quarterback off the board

Here's why Howell has the makeup to be the first QB chosen in this draft class

"His best football is in front of him," a commonly utilized phrase in scouting report prospects should love reading about themselves this time of year, even if there is an underlying message about said prospect underachieving in college. 

And it's a scouting term that should be the key selling point in a case for Sam Howell to be the first quarterback off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft. 

Because, we didn't see the best of Howell in 2021. And, by now, you know what catalyzed his fall from preseason draft darling. In the NFL, as a potential early first-round pick, it's safe to assume the team that selects him would make a concerted effort to ensure he's not in as much of a skill-position talent disadvantage as what he endured in his final season at North Carolina. 

And if Howell does have quality receivers and backs around him, we've seen what he can do, and it's borderline special. Not to elementary-stat drop here, but 68 touchdowns and 14 interceptions at over 9 yards per attempt as a freshman and sophomore is what elevated his stock to top-of-the-draft heights before his junior campaign. 

Howell was the ready-to-be-anointed top quarterback prospect before his 21st birthday. He has that going for him, too, relative to his quarterback contemporaries in this class. When Willis was 20, he had attempted a grand total of 14 passes at the college level and was sitting on the Liberty sidelines due to transfer rules. Ridder was in his second season as the full-time starter at Cincinnati at 20 but finished the year with a completion percentage of 55.1% and a yards-per-attempt average of a pedestrian 6.7.

As for Pickett, he was in his first year as the entrenched starter at Pittsburgh at 20, a campaign in which he connected on 58.1% of his throws at 6.4 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns to six interceptions. Matt Corral was in a quarterback timeshare in 2019 and had six touchdowns and three picks at a 59% completion rate and 7.7 yards per attempt. 

If you want upside strictly from an age perspective, Howell blows everyone else in this class out of the water. Howell doesn't turn 22 until September. All the other top quarterback prospects are already 23 or will turn 23 by the end of May. 

And Howell's upside is apparent from a traits angle, too. He has the the second-strongest arm in the class behind Willis, and it's not really close. He's not a phenomenal athlete for the position by today's recently elevated standards. But improvisation was his forced forte in 2021 given the offensive environment in which he found himself. The off-structure capabilities are there. 

All we've heard about for months is Willis' massive potential. And, of course, traits are more vital than age when gauging upside. But youthfulness is a nice luxury to have in that regard. 

Therefore, it wouldn't be preposterous for a team to roll the dice on the first quarterback off the board who's young, possesses a cannon arm, and had elite-level productivity in a Power Five conference at 19 and 20 years old.