Back in 2022, when the Jaguars and Lions held the top two picks in the draft, there were rumors floating around about 4 QBs who could possibly go in the first round. 1 of them did. Speaking of that one, Kenny Pickett is in line to back up Russell Wilson at the start of the 2024 season. There is also only 1 QB who has a solidified starter spot. That one man is Brock Purdy, Mr. Irrelevant.
Besides Purdy, the rest of that QB class have had extremely dissaponting starts to their careers. Ole Miss product and former Panther Matt Corral is out of the league, and former Liberty QB Malik Willis is on his way out as well. The Titans recently signed Mason Rudolph as a backup to Will Levis, so there is no clear spot on the roster for the speedy, inaccurate, turnover prone QB.
Desmond Ridder and Sam Howell have both been traded, as the Falcons just signed Kirk Cousins and the Commanders have the #3 overall pick, and all signs point to them selecting a QB. Both have their flaws, but out of the two, Howell had a significantly better season. He showed his ability to carry a heavy load, often having to throw 40+ passes a game. Late in the season, however, he proved why teams were worried about him in the pre-draft process, throwing 2 or more interceptions in just about every game, and was benched for Jacoby Brissett multiple times.
As for Ridder, his season was headlined by turnovers of all forms, often in the Red Zone. In the middle of the season, Atlanta HC Arthur Smith (later fired) pulled the trigger, benching Ridder for veteran Taylor Heinicke. Although he was placed back at starter later in the season, Desmond Ridder did nowhere near enough to secure his spot as future starter, and the team signed former Vikings QB Kirk Cousins to hopefully lead the team back to the playoffs with weapons around him.
Now, both QBs will find themselves on different teams at the start of the 2024 NFL season, searching for a place on an all new team surrunded by unfamiliar faces. Behind Geno Smith and Kyler Murray, there will truly be no clear path to a starting spot for either guy. Especially Howell, as the Seahawks will likely searching for their Franchise QB in an upcoming draft.
In the first round, the Steelers selected Kenny Pickett out of Pittsburgh. Yikes. Pickett was traded to the Eagles after just 2 years, and he will now sit behind Pro-bowler Jalen Hurts, manning the Ipad while he waits for his chance to prove the Steelers wrong.
While most Quarterbacks in this draft class were selected in later rounds, usually there are at least 2 hits per draft. There is still time, but most of thse guys will not be starting next year and you only get so many chamces in th NFL. If they really want to make a name for themselves, it is time for these QBs to step up and prove themselves.
Eli Knight
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