Revisiting a preposterous 2022 NFL Draft class of quarterbacks

Brock Purdy, a seventh round pick, is their only saving grace

Aug 23, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) throws the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The 2022 NFL Draft will go down as one of the worst quarterback classes of all-time, and their only saving grace from that year may just be Mr. Irrelevant himself in Brock Purdy.

Purdy's successes with the San Francisco 49ers are well-documented. After being the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, all Purdy has done is put together the most efficient season every charted for a quarterback in just his second season. If he does that again in 2024 for the Niners, Purdy will likely become one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.

Outside of that, the 2022 NFL Draft class of quarterbacks is exactly who we thought it was.

We all knew it then, and some made it out to be better than it was ever going to be. Now, just two offseasons after the draft, the movement of the quarterbacks take that year is jarring. Only two quarterbacks drafted from that class remain with the team that drafted them, and both of them were taken in the last round.

The Athletic's Dane Brugler layed it out the best in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter):

There were 9 QBs drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft – only the final 2 (both 7th rounders) are still with the team that drafted them.

1 (20) Kenny Pickett – traded
3 (74) Desmond Ridder – traded
3 (86) Malik Willis – traded
3 (94) Matt Corral – cut
4 (137) Bailey Zappe – cut
5 (144)…

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) August 27, 2024

Kenny Pickett, the only first rounder, was shipped off to the Philadelphia Eagles for a bag of chips, and is in a constant battle with Tanner McKee for the backup gig behind Jalen Hurts. Desmond Ridder started games with the Atlanta Falcons, was consistently one of the worst starters in the league, and now has lost a roster spot to Clayton Tune after being traded to the Arizona Cardinals.

Malik Willis never earned the trust with the Tennessee Titans as they drafted Will Levis on Day 2 just a year after taking him. After they opted to keep veteran Mason Rudolph as their backup, he was traded to the Green Bay Packers for a conditional late-round pick.

The only other notable quarterback drafted that year was Sam Howell, who started for the Washington Commanders last year, was one of the worst quarterbacks at taking sacks and was traded to the Seattle Seahawks where he is now the backup quarterback to Geno Smith.

Skylar Thompson, a seventh round pick of the Miami Dolphins, is the only other quarterbacks still with the team that drafted them besides Purdy. He just beat out Mike White for the backup quarterback job in South Beach.

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