2022 NFL Draft: Ranking the top-5 quarterback prospects

5. Sam Howell, North Carolina

Just because I have Sam Howell as my fifth quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft doesn’t mean that I don’t like him. While Howell has slid down many draft boards over the past two months, I can still see a scenario in which he turns out to be the best QB of the bunch. However, there are a few things about his game that scare me.

For starters, I don’t love how many sacks Howell took during his time at UNC. Historically, this seems to be a trend that’s hard to break at the NFL level. I also think Howell can be far to quick to tuck the ball and run instead of keeping his eyes up and maneuvering within the pocket.

While he may not be a perfect prospect, Howell is clearly the best and most consent deep-ball thrower in the class. This could be a trait that helps him stick around a long time in the NFL. He also has good velocity and accuracy at each level of the field.

Howell was a solid runner in at UNC, but his mobility may not translate as well to the NFL stage, and I don’t love that he’s just a hair over 6-feet tall. Howell has a lot to work on and will need to adjust to a pro-style offense, but he is just 21 years old with a reasonably-high ceiling and good tools to work with.

It will be interesting to see where each of these players lands on draft day. These five quarterbacks are all very close on my draft board, and I’m excited to see how their NFL careers eventually unfold.