Two years ago, the Eagles submitted their draft card to the NFL powers that be, placing quarterback Jalen Hurts’ name on a second-round draft card with the team’s logo placed at the top. The Eagles already had Carson Wentz on the roster, the player they hoped would lead the franchise for years to come, but Wentz suffered a string of injuries that the franchise felt necessitated a need to get another quarterback.
After his first full year starting for the Eagles, Hurts looks to return and improve in the 2022 season. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni have said that Hurts would most likely be the quarterback come Week 1. Hurts has earned the chance to start, accounting for 3,928 yards through the air and on the ground.
However, if the two head to Indianapolis for the scouting combine and look at the quarterbacks working out, their minds could change, and the team could decide to take one of the top players with one of the three first-round draft picks. From an Oakhurst native to a quarterback who led his team to the College Football Playoff, there are a variety of signal-callers available to choose from in this draft.
Here is a ranking of the five quarterbacks who would fit the Eagles’ offense if they selected a quarterback:
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Pickett has been lobbying for a chance to play for the Eagles, stating at one point that he was an Eagles fan growing up in Oakhurst. Pickett is a solid quarterback, able to throw the ball with accuracy and mobile enough to stay out of harm’s way. A lot is made about the fake slide he had during the ACC Championship Game, showing that he can think on his feet (pardon the pun) and show that he can improvise.
The thing with Pickett is that he has decent accuracy, a quick release, and an average arm. There are also times when Pickett has had time to throw, and he does not follow through in his throwing motion, leaving his passes to sail high. Not to say that some of these things cannot be worked on and improved. They absolutely can. But for the Eagles, it is not enough to replace Hurts and move forward with Pickett in the future.
Willis was the most intriguing quarterback heading into the college season, playing in Hugh Freeze’s offense. However, Willis struggled at times, including a game against Ole Miss where he was sacked seven times. Willis is the best of the quarterbacks in this draft when it comes to escapability, moving around to buy time for his receivers downfield.
Willis also does a good job resetting his vision to look downfield after eluding the pass rush and quickly reset to throw. Willis also does well in the zone-read game, doing a good job with his ball fakes inside the belly of the running back before pulling the ball and running.
Willis does look like he has to take a longer to wind up and throw and may have to make his motion a little more compact to get the ball out a split second quicker, especially with the speed of NFL defensive backs.
Corral is the most accurate passer in this draft and showed the ability to fit the ball in tight windows for his receivers to catch. Corral also gained some points with his leadership ability, deciding to come back to play in this year’s Sugar Bowl, but injuring his ankle in the process. Instead of staying in the locker room, Corral came out to support his teammates and give insights to the other quarterbacks on what he saw on the field. The downside to Corral is that he does not have the strongest arm, and when saying arm, it means not the appendage itself but the entire motion that involves the core muscles and legs.
Corral would quickly get the ball out of his hands on RPOs and work well in the short and intermediate passing game. However, two things are working against him. Corral would likely be gone by the time the Eagles made their selection at 15, and when compared to Hurts, Hurts appears to have a higher ceiling.
It may be weird to say that another Carson Strong is an interesting quarterback in the sense that it is not Wentz, but Strong is an intriguing prospect. Strong can make throws at different angles and threw a lot. Strong was tied for third at the FBS level in passing attempts (366), completing 70 percent of his passes. That is a product of the type of the Air Raid offense, something that Nevada is known for using.
Strong would do well with wide receiver screens as well as the deep plays. Strong is not the most mobile of quarterbacks but can make all of the throws. In a way, he is reminiscent of a young Joe Flacco who needs to work on some of his progressions a little bit better. Given a year on the sidelines, he could be a decent option at quarterback.
Ridder led Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff for the first time in the school’s history. Ridder has the intangibles needed to be an NFL quarterback, showing leadership qualities that helped get the Bearcats to the playoffs.
However, on the field, Ridder looks solid, but not like a franchise-type quarterback. When Ridder is on, he stands tall in the pocket and survey the field. When Ridder is off, he relies on throwing off his back foot a lot, impacting some of his accuracy. Ridder is quick to gain the edge if he sees open space on the edge.
Honorable Mention: Aqueel Glass, QB, Alabama A & M
Former Philadelphia Tribune sportswriter Donald Hunt mentioned Glass to me recommended I take a look at him. After watching video from a couple of games, he could be a very good developmental option for the Eagles. Glass, who is 6-feet, 5-inches tall and 215 pounds, has a strong arm and is a very athletic quarterback.
Glass needs some work on his footwork because it will help him put the ball in a more accurate position for his receivers. If he hones in on this and is available late in the draft or as an undrafted free agent, he seems like a good fit to be the third quarterback for the Eagles and let head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson work with him.
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.
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