Washington missed out on the top five quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL Draft and quarterback will be a very common position mocked to WFT in 2022 mocks, especially if they are picking inside the top 10. Ryan Fitzpatrick will start for Washington in his age-39 season, but he signed a one-year deal and there is no long-term answer currently on the roster.
One of college football's most accurate passers (70.0% career completion rate), Slovis had a bit of an up-and-down season in 2020 after a stellar freshman season, but he still led the Pac 12 in passing yards per game (320.2) last year.
There was a time when UNC's Sam Howell was the consensus "first overall pick of the future." That was after a freshman season that saw Howell throw for 38 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. But last year while his numbers improved in a few respects (his completion percentage jumped from 61.4% to 68.1%, and his yards per attempt leapt from 8.6 to 10.3) there is a case to be made that the offensive system is responsible just as much as Howell is for that increase in production.
Still, if he puts together a third-straight solid year, he will be in the mix for the QB1 spot. In this scenario he slides to Washington who, if they are picking this early in the draft, will be looking to finally lock down the quarterback position.
In three years as a starter, Kirkland has seen his pass-blocking grade go from 77.1 to 79.0 to 86.6. He allowed all of two pressures on 124 pass-blocking snaps in 2020.
Willis transferred to Liberty from Auburn and threw 20 touchdowns to six interceptions in 2020 after sitting out the 2019 season. He adds a dual-threat factor, too, considering he rushed for 944 yards and 14 more scores on the ground last season. Washington opted not to draft a quarterback, but current starter Ryan Fitzpatrick is turning 39 during this coming season. If the team wants to continue to be a playoff contender out of the NFC East, it needs a franchise starter.
Ridder's size (6-4, 215), accuracy and dual-threat capabilities make him an intriguing prospect. He's already 30-5 as a starter and if he levels up, he could be in considered for the top overall pick.
Georgia's inconsistencies last season can be tied to its issues at quarterback. But over the final few games with Daniels as the starter, the Bulldogs looked like a different team. If he continues to make positive strides, he could put himself in the top half of Round 1.
Rattler is undersized at 6-foot-1, but that's less of an issue in today's NFL. Either way, he can sling it -- he completed 67 percent of his throws last season with 28 touchdowns and he's only going to improve.
Ryan Fitzpatrick only has so many years left in him. None of the other options on Washington's roster are realistic long-term starters, either. It's got to be a quarterback. The 2022 QB class is seemingly weak, but Willis' size, speed, and arm talent make him one of the best candidates to rise through the process. If Willis can clean up the accuracy a bit and shave a tick off some of his processing, he may well be the first or second QB off the board when it's all said and done.
