With Kenny Pickett traded, 2022 QB class officially goes bust

Kenny Pickett Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With Kenny Pickett traded, the 2022 quarterback draft class is officially a bust

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 3/16/24

Trying to pick a quarterback in the NFL Draft is never an easy proposition. More often than not, it is going to end up going poorly. We already saw it play out with the 2021 class, and following the Pittsburgh Steelers' decision to trade Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, it looks to be true with the 2022 class as well.

The 2022 quarterback class was always seen as a down year for quarterback, with Pickett (No. 20 overall) the only one to go in the first two rounds.

After two inconsistent and mostly unproductive seasons with the Steelers, he is now gone as the team turns to a new chapter and moves forward with Russell Wilson for the 2024 season.

Just look at how the first six quarterbacks taken in that class have turned out.

About that QB class from the 2022 NFL Draft...

1 (20) Kenny Pickett - Traded
3 (74) Desmond Ridder - Traded
3 (86) Malik Willis - Titans QB3
3 (94) Matt Corral - Birmingham Stallions (UFL)
4 (137) Bailey Zappe - Patriots QB2
5 (144) Sam Howell - Traded
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) March 15, 2024

Not even two full seasons later, three of them have already been traded, one is out of the NFL entirely and two others are backups.

That is about as bad as a quarterback class can be.

The only saving grace to come out of the 2022 quarterback class has been Brock Purdy, who the San Francisco 49ers selected with the last pick of the draft.

He has certainly helped salvage things there, as he is the 49ers starter and led them to a Super Bowl appearance this past season. There is still some debate as to how good he actually is and he certainly landed in the right spot to maximize his ability, but there is also a strong element of luck in finding a starting quarterback with the last pick in the draft. Every team in the league, including the 49ers, passed on him multiple times.

The 2024 NFL Draft class is projected to be significantly better than some of the recent years, but there is no sure thing when it comes to quarterbacks. A lot of teams around the league have found that out in recent years.

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