NFL Teams Most Likely to Find Their New QB in the 2022 Draft

Six games into the 2021 NFL season, it's becoming clear which teams will have eyes on a top quarterback prospect in the 2022 NFL draft.

However, not every team with a dire need at quarterback will be able to grab one in Round 1.

Teams like the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos might not be in range to nab a high-end prospect, so they may have to fill the need in free agency or via trade. The Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts could be in the quarterback market as well, but the former already owes their first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles, and the latter might, too.

Due to their current quarterback's performance, rest-of-season outlook and future draft capital, the following teams are the most likely to pursue potential franchise passers toward the top of next year's draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten off to a 3-3 start, but 39-year-old quarterback Ben Roethlisberger appears to be on his last legs.

Roethlisberger is completing 65.1 percent of his passes, but he's thrown for only 1,515 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Since his contract automatically voids after this season, the Steelers will have to start thinking about a long-term replacement.

They already have Dwayne Haskins and Mason Rudolph as backups, but neither projects to be Roethlisberger's heir apparent. While their 3-3 record suggests they won't be in range to land a top-five pick, their difficult rest-of-season schedule could lead to a tailspin at any point.

Even if the Steelers make an unexpected run, Big Ben will likely retire after the season, and the Steelers may grab whichever top-ranked passer falls to them in Round 1. That could be Nevada's Carson Strong, a big-armed, big passer (6'4", 215 pounds) who has thrown 54 touchdowns against 14 interceptions since 2019.

The 2-4 Philadelphia Eagles might believe they already have their long-term answer under center in Jalen Hurts. But unless he cements himself as a franchise quarterback over the remaining 11 games, they're likely going to be in position to take a top-tier signal-caller in April.

Beyond their own first-round pick, the Eagles have the Miami Dolphins' first-rounder courtesy of their move down from No. 6 to No. 12 in March. The Indianapolis Colts also owe the Eagles a conditional second-round pick that becomes a first-rounder if Carson Wentz plays 75 percent of their offensive snaps.

Hurts has shown promising flashes in his 10 career starts, but he completed only 62.5 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and four interceptions this season. The Eagles might as well give him the full season to see whether he can develop into a franchise passer, especially in a rebuilding year.

However, they're currently in line to have three top-10 picks. They could spend one of those on a top passer such as Ole Miss' Matt Corral while still having two other first-rounders to help jump-start their rebuild.

If they don't spend their highest pick on a quarterback, they could use one of their later ones to nab Cincinnati upstart Desmond Ridder, who excels at extending plays with his feet. He'd be a good fit in the Eagles' current offense under first-year head coach Nick Sirianni.

Unless they somehow back into the playoffs again, the Washington Football Team should be in the hunt for a quarterback in the 2022 NFL draft. Veteran journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't their long-term answer, and undrafted free agent Taylor Heinicke doesn't appear to be, either.

Heinicke has completed 63.6 percent of his passes over the WFT's 2-4 start, throwing nine touchdowns and six interceptions. He isn't a lock to keep the starting gig when Fitzpatrick returns from his hip injury, especially since he's struggling against middling defenses.

Even if Washington plays itself out of the top 10, it could grab a falling first-round prospect and let him develop alongside elite running back Antonio Gibson and wideouts Terry McLaurin, Adam Humphries and Curtis Samuel. That high-end supporting cast could ease the pro transition of whomever the team selects.

The WFT should keep their eye on Malik Willis, who's feasting at Liberty both through the air and on the ground (23 total touchdowns over seven games).

In a make-or-break season for third-year quarterback Daniel Jones, the New York Giants have gotten off to a 1-5 start.

Over their first four games, Jones completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 1,184 yards, four touchdowns and only one interception and one lost fumble. However, he left early after being concussed in their Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, and his turnover problem returned in Sunday's blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams, as he threw three picks and lost another fumble.

The Giants' supporting cast has been ravaged by injuries, which isn't helping matters. Star running back Saquon Barkley suffered an ankle injury in Week 5, while wideouts Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton have all missed at least one game. Rookie first-round pick Kadarius Toney also suffered an ankle injury against the Rams that is likely to sideline him this week, per SNY's Ralph Vacchiano.

The Giants will have until May 3 to decide whether to exercise their fifth-year option on Jones. But if they aren't sold on him as their long-term answer and land a top-five pick, it would make sense for them to grab the top passer on the board, whether that's Matt Corral or North Carolina's Sam Howell.

The Houston Texans unexpectedly opened the season with a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they have gone off the rails since then with five straight losses.

Tyrod Taylor, who threw for 291 yards and two scores in the 37-21 win over Jacksonville, hasn't played since suffering a hamstring injury in the Texans' Week 2 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Rookie third-round pick Davis Mills has started in his place since then, but he has completed only 63.3 percent of his passes for 912 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions.

With Deshaun Watson's future still up in the air, the Texans figure to pursue a long-term answer under center in the draft if they don't address that need in free agency or via trade.

A consensus top quarterback has yet to emerge in the 2022 draft class, but Matt Corral, Sam Howell and Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder should all appeal to the Texans. They can each move in the pocket or down the field, which would give them a chance to overcome the lack of talent around them in Houston.

When the Detroit Lions traded Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff, a 2021 third-round pick and 2022 and 2023 first-round picks, it seemed likely that they would be back in the quarterback market soon.

Goff played well while leading the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018, but his inconsistency over the past two seasons caused the Rams to give up that massive haul for Stafford. Detroit's lack of passing-game talent outside of tight end T.J. Hockenson isn't helping him this season, either.

Goff has completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 1,505 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions during the Lions' 0-6 start. Head coach Dan Campbell publicly called him out after Sunday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, saying he needed to "step up more than he has."

The Lions can get out from Goff's four-year, $134 million contract after the 2022 season with only a $10 million dead cap hit. They could take one of the draft's top passers and let him sit behind Goff for a year before taking over in 2023.

Even if the Lions don't end up with the No. 1 overall pick, they need to address most important position of all before rebuilding the rest of their roster.