National Football League

2022 NFL Draft: Ranking the top five quarterback prospects

Updated Apr. 26, 2022 6:16 p.m. ET

The 2022 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, and if a team is in need of a quarterback, Joel Klatt is here to help with the decision-making process.

Monday, Klatt broke down the five best QB prospects this year and why he believes they can find success at the next level.

NFL Draft: Joel Klatt's Top Five QBs

Joel Klatt shares who he believes should be the first five quarterbacks taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, including Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis and Matt Corral.

Let's get into Klatt's list.

5. Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
2021 stats: 3,334 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions

Klatt's thoughts: "Desmond Ridder had a remarkable career, we all know that. Gets Cincinnati from the group of five into the playoff, so we know he's a great leader, we know he's a very good player. He's athletic, he ran the ball well. What doesn't get talked about enough is his ability to drive the ball down the field."

4. Sam Howell, North Carolina
2021 stats: 3,056 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions

Klatt's thoughts: "He came into the year as a guy that we thought could have been the No. 1 pick in the draft. The season didn't go how Mack Brown and the Tar Heels expected, nor wanted, though Howell still has those traits. He's strong, he has a very good arm, has a quick release. They had a heavy RPO system — run, pass, option system. And I think that ability to make decisions quickly will pay dividends for him in the NFL."

3. Matt Corral, Ole Miss
2021 stats: 3,349 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, five interceptions

Klatt's thoughts: "When you watch Matt Corral play, what you see is a really athletic player with a strong arm. I loved what he was able to do for Lane Kiffin, and it's the throws down the field that I think are the most impressive things that Corral does. I was heartbroken for him with how his season ended, but you know that he is a competitor. He's a very solid leader, and he's a guy that I think could have some success at the next level."

2. Malik Willis, Liberty
2021 stats: 2,857 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions

Klatt's thoughts: "Malik is big, strong arm, great head on his shoulders. His interview process went really well at the combine — a lot of teams were talking about how impressed they were with Malik Willis. This guy is going to get selected in the first round. And when you look at the success some of these big quarterbacks have had in the last couple of years that are athletic, they can move on the outside, they've got big arms, they can throw accurately down the field — is Willis the next one of those guys in that vein?"

1. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
2021 stats: 4,319 passing yards, 42 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions

Klatt's thoughts: "Pickett does a lot of things from a recognition standpoint with what he sees from a defense — not only the defensive backfield but also the defensive front. When you look at the quarterbacks that have won Super Bowls, really since the year 2000, what you'll see is on average these guys have started somewhere around the 36 games mark. And that's the case with Kenny Pickett."