Buying or Selling Latest NFL Draft Buzz from the 2022 NFL Combine

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Pitt QB Kenny PickettIcon Sportswire/Getty Images

With the 2022 NFL combine in town, there’s plenty of smoke coming out of Indianapolis. 

But is there fire?

That’s always the question this time of year. We have officially hit Smoke Screen SZN. With general managers, coaches and media all flocking to Indy, there’s sure to be talk, and every year it never fails that the combine serves as a fierce rumor mill. 

The trick is trying to figure out what’s real and what could be posturing to manipulate the draft board in a team’s favor. 

Let’s take a look at the latest buzz making the rounds and try to parse through what’s real and what doesn’t pass the sniff test.

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Cincinnati QB Desmond RidderMichael Hickey/Getty Images

The prospects who are showcasing their talents aren’t the only ones generating buzz. The general perception of this class of quarterbacks has some major names in the rumor mill. 

“There will be so much focus on the veteran market because the league is generally lukewarm on the draft class,” Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported as the combine got underway Monday. 

Howe specifically noted the Washington Commanders—who are set to pick 11th—have reached out to teams about “every quarterback who might be available.” The Colts, Buccaneers, Saints, Panthers and Steelers are also mentioned in the report as teams that may pass on the signal-callers early and seek out a trade. 

The general malaise regarding the quarterback class is reflected in Bleacher Report’s latest big board. Desmond Ridder (scouting report) is the only prospect who made the top 32 in the scouting department’s rankings at No. 17.

Kenny Pickett is the next highest on the list at No. 44. 

If anything, this feels like it will lead to fewer quarterbacks than usual in the top 10 but not more veteran quarterbacks getting traded. After all, most teams are only going to part with a veteran if they know they can get an exciting prospect in return. 

Verdict: Sell

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Jaguars GM Trent BaalkeIcon Sportswire/Getty Images

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke gave us our first bit of front-office speak that could make waves.

Speaking with the media, Baalke alluded to the fact that trading the No. 1 overall pick isn’t out of the realm of possibility for Jacksonville. 

“You’re always open for business,” Baalke told reporters. “Now whether we’ll be able to move it or not [is the question], but we’re very comfortable taking the pick as well.”

Baalke went on to talk about the No. 1 overall pick without tipping his hand as to whom the team will be taking at the top of the draft. As juicy as it is to think about a trade for the No. 1 pick, this doesn’t seem like a year when it would happen. 

There really isn’t a consensus No. 1 pick in this year’s class. The latest Bleacher Report mock draft has the Jags taking Alabama’s Evan Neal (scouting report), but the B/R Scouting Department gave the same grade to North Carolina State tackle Ikem Ekwonu (scouting report).

Baalke has to leave the door open to a trade in case a team falls in love with a prospect, but the odds of getting an offer enticing enough to give up the top pick seem unlikely. 

Verdict: Sell

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Liberty QB Malik WillisMichael Hickey/Getty Images

The quarterback class as a whole might be getting a bad wrap, but Liberty’s Malik Willis (scouting report) seems to be working his way up teams’ draft boards. 

The on-field testing is important, but the interview process can be crucial, too. That’s especially true for quarterbacks, and Willis has proved to be a perfect example. 

ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller reported that teams have been impressed with Willis in the interview process. NFL Network’s Stacey Dales also chimed in on the Willis buzz, adding that Willis said “his offensive knowledge overall and ability to retain offensive info and play calls” surprised some teams.

Dales also noted that Willis had two different play-callers at Liberty, with Hugh Freeze calling the plays on early downs and Kent Austin handling third down and red-zone plays.

Interviewing well could help dispel the idea that Willis will have a hard time learning an NFL playbook after competing in a run-pass-option-heavy offense at Liberty, as noted in B/R draft analyst Nate Tice’s scouting report. 

His ability to talk shop with NFL coaches could play a big role in having his name called earlier than expected at the draft. 

Verdict: Buy

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Pitt QB Kenny PickettMichael Hickey/Getty Images

Of all the events at the combine that can bring attention to a prospect, it usually isn’t the official measurement. That’s especially true when the measurement in question is hand size. 

Right or wrong, there’s a quarterback every so often who faces questions about whether his hands are big enough to play the position at the highest level. 

Unfortunately for Kenny Pickett, he wasn’t able to escape that narrative. After skipping the hand measurement at the Senior Bowl, his hands were measured at 8½“. 

How much that matters likely depends on whom you ask. His hands were big enough to throw for 42 touchdowns in his final season at Pitt. However, it’s worth noting he also had 38 career fumbles. 

Denver Broncos GM George Paton said Tuesday that hand size is “big” in his evaluation of quarterbacks, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR. On the other hand, ESPN’s Matt Miller tweeted an NFL quarterbacks coach dismissed the idea that hand size factors into the evaluation and stated his belief that Pickett can play. 

Typically, these conversations seem ludicrous. But Pickett’s 8½“ measurement is historically significant. As Warren Sharp noted, there is no quarterback in the league with hands that small and the last successful quarterback with the same hand size was Michael Vick. 

In a league that values ball security so much, this is something that could seriously give teams pause when considering Pickett. 

Verdict: Buy

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Titans GM Jon RobinsonIcon Sportswire/Getty Images

When you think of teams that are looking for quarterbacks in the draft, there are a few that immediately spring to mind. The Panthers, Commanders and Broncos could ostensibly take one early. The Pittsburgh Steelers are on that list with the 20th pick. 

But it would appear the Titans should be a consideration as well. 

Tennessee general manager Jon Robinson was open about the possibility of targeting quarterbacks to eventually replace Ryan Tannehill at the combine. 

“There’s some in certain drafts that are way out of our reach because they’re going to go in the top three or four picks and we pick in the back part of the first round,” Robinson said, per Turron Davenport of ESPN. “We are trying to find those guys that may be within striking distance that may not come in and unseat, but that we see a future for.”

Translation: Don’t be shocked if the Titans take a chance on one of these quarterbacks when they’re on the clock at pick No. 26. 

Davenport also noted the team has met with Carson Strong of Nevada and Sam Howell of North Carolina, with another interview scheduled with Desmond Ridder (scouting report) of Cincinnati. 

There could be some truth to this. Tannehill’s contract has an out in 2023, and he is going to be 34 this season. But the Titans don’t have a second-round pick and are coming off a season in which they were the top seed in the AFC. 

This could be some smoke-screening to set up a trade back with a quarterback-needy team. 

Verdict: Sell

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Ohio State WR Garrett WilsonIcon Sportswire/Getty Images

The Cleveland Browns should be looking to add some weaponry to their offense through the draft. Baker Mayfield enters a pivotal fifth season with the organization with a receiving corps that lacks a true No. 1 option. 

There are several options who could be available in the first round, but one, in particular, has a special connection with Mayfield. 

Garrett Wilson (scouting report) went to the same high school (Lake Travis in Texas) as Mayfield. At the combine, he spoke about the relationship the two have built while mentioning he met with the Browns in Indianapolis. 

ESPN’s Jake Trotter laid out the case for the Browns to use the No. 13 pick on Wilson, an Ohio State product. 

The Browns will have multiple options to choose from, though. Wilson’s measurables should be a bit of a concern. Wilson weighed in at just 183 pounds at 6’0″. As Marcus Mosher of Raiders Wire noted, there have only been five wide receivers under 185 pounds selected in the first round and all had 40-yard-dash times of 4.38 or faster. 

Wilson can still succeed in the NFL, but there will be receivers with fewer questions about their frame who will likely be available when the Browns are on the clock. Teammate Chris Olave (scouting report), Drake London (scouting report) and Treylon Burks (scouting report) are among those who could still be on the board and don’t carry the same stigma about size. 

Verdict: Sell

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Oregon EDGE Kayvon ThidbodeauxAssociated Press

Todd McShay of ESPN reported during the Senior Bowl there were concerns among NFL teams about Kayvon Thibodeaux’s “fire.” 

Those rumors popped up once again at the combine. Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network reported there are some in the draft process who have questions that need to be answered about Thibodeaux’s (scouting report) drive. 

Pauline noted there were those inside the Oregon program who felt he “could’ve given more,” even while playing through a high ankle sprain in Eugene. Pauline noted that one team in the top 10 said it would not draft him in the top half of the first round. 

Coaches are always looking for high-motor players. Specifically, the drive to not give up on plays and continue to pursue can be crucial for pass-rushers. 

It’s just hard to see those concerns preventing a team from taking Thibodeaux very early in April. The 6’5″ 258-pounder just brings too much to the table in terms of potential. 

Coaches always believe they get the best out of their players, and while Thibodeaux’s motor might not always run hot, the athleticism, bend and physicality he has put on tape are going to get him drafted in the top five. 

Verdict: Sell

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Giants GM Joe SchoenMichael Hickey/Getty Images

The New York Giants are among the most fascinating teams in this draft, and it isn’t just because they have have two of the top seven picks. 

It’s because they intend to carve out $40 million in cap space this offseason, per Peter King of NBC Sports. They started that process by recently releasing tight end Kyle Rudolph and running back Devontae Booker, but unloading cornerback James Bradberry and/or running back Saquon Barkley could be a draft-day move. 

Citing sources at the combine, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reported the price tag for Bradberry is a third-round pick and Barkley is a fourth. 

Per Over The Cap, trading Bradberry would save the team $12.1 million, while a Barkley swap would save $7.2 million. 

Of the two trades, a Bradberry deal seems more likely. The 28-year-old corner has been healthy, playing in 17 games last season, and was a Pro Bowler in 2020 at a position where several contenders could use help. 

They might have a harder time finding a suitor for Barkley, even at a fourth-round price. The running back only averaged 3.7 yards per carry one season after a serious knee injury. His salary could be tough for a team to justify along with giving up draft capital. 

When we think of draft-day trades, we often think of moving up or down the draft board. This could be a case where a team goes all-in by trading a pick for a pricey veteran.

Verdict: Buy