While the 2022 NFL Draft might not offer any blue-chip quarterback prospects, the same cannot be said for the past two classes, as they have already produced a few of the NFL's top young signal-callers. The influx of talent at the position has instilled hope that the league is in good hands (albeit slightly small ones in Joe Burrow's case) going forward.RELATED: Projecting The First 10 Picks Of The 2022 NFL DraftHowever, not all first-round quarterbacks are created equal, and some players have stumbled out of the gates thus far. A few of these passers have yet to see enough action to make an accurate assessment, while others have struggled to remain consistent thus far. Nevertheless, they are all still young and will have the opportunity to grow, and this list will almost certainly be different in a few years.
10 Jordan Love
To say the Packers made waves when they traded up to select Jordan Love with the 26th pick of the 2020 Draft would be an understatement, as the move registered on The Richter Scale. The front office thought Aaron Rodgers' best days were behind him, but the move only lit a fire under the alienated 38-year-old, who has won consecutive MVP Awards since the team drafted his replacement.
The Utah State standout looked lost in limited action during his sophomore campaign, but that was not surprising (I mean, it's not like we're talking about a young Aaron Rodgers here), considering his limited experience. The team would have been much better off adding a receiver (Michael Pittman Jr. and Tee Higgins were both taken a few picks later) and building around their future Hall of Fame signal-caller rather than escalating a rebuild that did not need to occur.
9 Trey Lance
Many believed Mac Jones was the 49ers' target when they traded a coup to the Dolphins to move up to the third spot in the 2021 Draft, but the team instead chose to bank on the upside of Trey Lance, who had only one year of starting experience under his belt. The North Dakota State product landed in the perfect situation in San Francisco, as he had the opportunity to learn behind proven veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.
He played sparingly during his rookie year and was 1-1 in relief of Garoppolo, but it is safe to say the team would have preferred a situation where there was no denying the third-overall pick the starting job. However, with Kyle Shanahan scheming an offense around him and a plethora of weapons at his disposal, the 21-year-old is in a much better situation than most and could easily climb the rankings in the coming years.
8 Zach Wilson
Zach Wilson's unique combination of arm strength, mobility, and ability to make off-platform throws led many to compare him to Patrick Mahomes throughout the pre-draft process. The Jets certainly hoped this comparison would ring true when they selected the BYU product with the second overall pick in 2021.
Wilson struggled to stay consistent during an underwhelming rookie season where he went 3-10 and often got outplayed by fellow Jets quarterbacks Joe Flacco, Josh Johnson, and even one-game wonder Mike White. Nevertheless, he showed a marked improvement down the stretch, as he did not throw an interception in his last five games and will look to keep the hot streak going heading into 2023.​​​​​​​
7 Justin Fields
The Bears got lauded for their decision to trade up for Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields when he fell out of the top 10 of the 2021 Draft. Unfortunately, his year could not have started any worse, as Myles Garrett and the Browns swarming pass rush swallowed him for nine sacks in his first start. The 26-6 loss was a sign of things to come, as Chicago's former head coach Matt Nagy seemingly refused to put his young signal-caller in a position to succeed throughout the year.
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The former Buckeye still showed flashes of greatness despite the factors working against him, including a sub-par offensive line and underperforming talent at receiver. If new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy provides some much-needed creativity to the play-calling and the team adds a few weapons around him (breakout star Darnell Mooney is the only starting-caliber receiver under contract for 2022), then Fields could see a jump in these rankings next year.
5 Trevor Lawrence
The Jaguars would have sprinted to the podium to select Trevor Lawrence, who was hailed as the most polished quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck was coming out of college in 2012, if they hadn't already given him the playbook before the draft began. How is that legal, you ask? We don't really know, but it happened.
The Clemson Tiger was the perfect quarterback to pair with fellow first-year head coach Urban Meyer, who was supposed to bring a winning culture to the organization. It didn't exactly work out that way, as Meyer flamed out faster than any coach in league history, as he struggled to figure out how to field a competitive team, and his quarterback suffered mightily as a result. Nevertheless, Lawrence showed solid command of the offense in spurts, including a fantastic final performance in the Week 18 upset over Indianapolis.
4 Tua Tagovailoa
Heisman hopeful Tua Tagovailoa was considered the favorite to be the first overall pick of the 2020 Draft before suffering a dislocated hip midway through the 2019 season. He wound up falling to the fifth pick, where the Dolphins were happy to end his slide and invest their future in the Alabama quarterback.
The 24-year-old never seems to receive the respect he deserves, as he is considered a replacement-level starter despite being a highly efficient game manager to this point in his career. He has limitations as a passer, and his upside might not be as high as any of the other quarterbacks on this list, but his floor is arguably higher than almost all of them.
3 Mac Jones
Mac Jones' lack of physical upside caused him to get overlooked amongst the 2021 quarterback class, as he fell to the 15th spot despite being one of the most NFL-ready prospects in the draft. The New England brass had to be elated that the 'Bama quarterback fell into their laps, and they rushed to the podium (they weren't the only ones rushing) to select Jones.
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Jones displayed impressive poise throughout his rookie season and nearly finished with 4,000 yards despite a lack of proven talent at receiver. The Pro Bowl alternate was one of the top game managers in the league and showed a knack for making a big throw when needed. He should only get better as the team builds around him, and it does not look like New England's run will end anytime soon.
2 Joe Burrow
This is where things are bound to get controversial. Joe Burrow became a superstar during the Bengals improbable Super Bowl run in 2021-22 and is already one of the best quarterbacks in the league only two years after Cincinnati selected him with the first overall pick. He was in the midst of one of the best rookie passing seasons of all time before his year ended prematurely when he tore his ACL and MCL midway through the season.
Burrow benefited from the addition of his college teammate Ja'Marr Chase, as the duo picked up right where they left off at LSU. He was sacked a league-high 51 times during the regular season, and the team would be wise to fortify the offensive line to ensure their franchise quarterback, who led the league in completion percentage, stays healthy. Burrow is deserving of the top spot on this list (or potentially any one), but recency bias should not play a role in the evaluation of quarterbacks.
1 Justin Herbert
Justin Herbert, who many considered a reach when the Chargers selected him with the sixth pick in the 2020 Draft, has had a more prolific start to his career than any quarterback in league history. The 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year quickly proved doubters wrong when he became only the fourth quarterback to reach the 4,000-yard barrier in their first season.
The 23-year-old took a leap during his sophomore campaign when he threw for over 5000 yards and became one of the best quarterbacks in the league. His success may not have translated to the Chargers' win-loss record as much as other young signal-callers thus far, but he deserves to be in the same tier as Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen based on his sheer playmaking ability alone.
