Desmond Ridder

The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly set to host two quarterback prospects, Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder and North Carolina's Sam Howell, on predraft visits this week.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Ridder will meet with the Steelers' brass on Thursday followed by Howell on Friday.

The 2022 NFL draft kicks off April 28. Pittsburgh owns the No. 20 pick in the first round.

The Steelers signed former Chicago Bears starter Mitchell Trubisky, who spent last season as the Buffalo Bills' backup, to a two-year, $14.3 million contract in free agency. That hasn't taken them out of the running of one of the class' top QB prospects, though.

Ridder is coming off a decorated four-year tenure as the Bearcats starter. He earned AAC Rookie of the Year honors in 2018 and was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Year each of the past two seasons.

The 22-year-old Kentucky native completed 62.1 percent of his throws for 10,239 yards, 87 touchdowns and 28 interceptions across 50 games at Cincinnati. He added 2,180 rushing yards and 28 more scores on the ground.

ESPN's Matt Miller reported Tuesday he's hearing Ridder could come off the board inside the top 20, which matches perfectly with the Steelers being his latest possible landing spot.

Meanwhile, Howell entered his final college season as a contender to become the top prospect in the 2022 class, but he endured an up-and-down final year with the Tar Heels.

He threw for the fewest touchdowns (24) and most interceptions (nine) of his three-year college career in 2021, but he still finished his UNC tenure with a strong 92-23 TD-to-INT ratio in 37 games.

"That's kind of the main thing I learned throughout this past season. I don't have to be the hero on every single play. Just stay with my framework and I stay true to who I am as a player," Howell told reporters in February.

In all likelihood, if the Steelers draft a quarterback at No. 20—Liberty's Malik Willis, Pitt's Kenny Pickett and Ole Miss' Matt Corral are other options, depending on who's still available—they'll likely enter their rookie year as the backup to Trubisky.

Going with both a veteran and a prospect will increase the team's chances of quickly finding the long-term replacement for Ben Roethlisberger, who retired in January after 18 years of leading the offense.

The Atlanta Falcons have yet to map out a succession plan beyond Matt Ryan, but that might change with the 2022 NFL draft.

ESPN's Mel Kiper called the Falcons a "team to watch" for one of the top quarterbacks in this year's draft class. On Monday's First Draft episode (25:27), Kiper also called the Falcons "the most interesting team" because of the QB intrigue:

They didn't take a quarterback last year; they went for Kyle Pitts, the receiving entity. Now they get another receiver in Drake London in [Todd McShay's] mock, but you're passing on the quarterback. And I can see why, you'd be reaching. But somebody always does. They always stretch it for these quarterbacks, reach for a guy that's maybe 20 on the board. They take him in the top 10 to 12. ... The heir apparent to Matt Ryan, if they fall in love with a [Kenny] Pickett, a [Malik] Willis or a [Matt] Corral in late April, they would certainly be a team to watch.

The general attitude toward the 2022 QB class is lukewarm.

Coming out of the Senior Bowl, Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder (No. 17) was the highest-rated QB on the big board for the B/R NFL Scouting Department. Pickett was the only other signal-caller in the top 50.

However, the value of the position and scarcity of options inevitably mean teams often select a quarterback a little earlier than expected, as Kiper laid out. B/R's most recent mock draft had Pickett, Ridder and Willis all off the board in the first round, with Pickett at No. 9 to the Denver Broncos.

Last year, the Falcons passed on Justin Fields and Mac Jones when they made Pitts the fourth overall pick. The rookie tight end went on make the Pro Bowl.

While Atlanta seems to have a key piece of its passing game going forward, the absence of a young quarterback to eventually replace Ryan is still glaring. The benefit of reaching for Willis, Ridder or Corral is that they'd have a more gradual adjustment process.

Perhaps that mitigates some of the risk in taking a QB who is far from a sure thing at the next level.

Liberty's Malik Willis might have cemented his status as the best quarterback in the 2022 NFL draft class through his work during the week of the Senior Bowl.

During Monday's edition of First Draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. said (at the 30:20 mark) that Willis, "if things go the way it's trending, could still be the first quarterback taken on talent."

Earlier in the program, ESPN's Todd McShay said he thought Willis "played really well," particularly in a practice when inclement weather was causing problems for other quarterbacks.

McShay went on to say (5:34) that Willis "has the strongest arm—and that was obvious on tape and obvious again at the Senior Bowl." He added the Flames signal-caller is the "most mobile and electrifying player at the quarterback position."

However, McShay expressed some concerns about whether the 6'1" passer will make a quick transition to the NFL but still lobbied for starting him right out of the gate.

After transferring from Auburn in 2019, Willis spent two seasons at Liberty and threw for 5,107 yards, 47 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 23 games. He also ran for 1,822 yards and 27 scores while averaging 5.4 yards per carry.

The B/R NFL Scouting Department projected Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder and Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett to be the only QBs off the board in the first round. But in a year without a standout prospect at the position, the door is wide open for somebody to surge up draft boards. It appears that somebody could be Willis.

The National Team beat the American Team 20-10 at the Senior Bowl on Saturday in Mobile, Alabama. But all eyes were on the quarterbacks ahead of this year's NFL draft.

Kenny Pickett showed off his upside for the National Team, finishing 6-of-6 for 89 yards and a touchdown in a winning effort.

Abram Smith (11 rushes for 48 yards, two receptions for 19 yards and a score), Jake Ferguson (three catches for 62 yards and a touchdown) and Trey McBride (two receptions for 12 yards and a score) each found the end zone for the National Team.

Malik Willis, meanwhile, flashed his dual-threat ability for the American Team, finishing 2-of-4 for 11 yards through the air to go along with 54 rushing yards.

There's no doubting that Willis has the athleticism and arm to turn heads. He has the upside to be special at the NFL level.

But there will be a fight to be the top quarterback off the board, and Pickett is going to be in the running for that distinction. He's coming off a Heisman Trophy finalist campaign, and he reportedly wowed at least one team during the interview portion of the Senior Bowl week:

Those two weren't the only players under center teams will be monitoring, of course.

Desmond Ridder had a very strong showing for the National Team, finishing 4-of-6 for 68 yards and a touchdown. He turned some heads with his play Saturday.

And Sam Howell posted solid numbers (6-of-9 for 67 yards) during his time running the American Team, scoring the team's lone touchdown.

But the real star of the show throughout the week may have been Oklahoma defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey, who arguably raised his stock more than any other player in Mobile with a strong week of practices and a solid performance Saturday.

He was one of several players who made a strong impression in the game itself:

But it was clear that players like Winfrey and Willis in particular maximized their opportunity in Mobile and likely bumped themselves up draft boards with strong weeks.

Up next on the NFL draft circuit will be the NFL Scouting Combine, which begins March 1.

With the right player at the most important position, a basement-dwelling or middling NFL squad can become a title contender in a short time frame.

Just look at the Cincinnati Bengals. In 2019, they had the league's worst record (2-14) and then selected Joe Burrow with the first pick in the 2020 draft. This season, he led the club to its first playoff win in 31 years and a Super Bowl 56 appearance.

Franchises underscore the position's importance by wheeling and dealing in the draft.

Last year, the San Francisco 49ers made a bold move, trading up from the No. 12 spot to No. 3 for Trey Lance. During the same draft, the Chicago Bears made a leap from No. 20 to the 11th slot for Justin Fields.

So which team will go all-in for a shot at its target signal-caller in 2002?

We can narrow the likely candidates to a handful of squads: the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders.

First, let's go through a few variables that can impact the quarterback plan for those franchises.

On Tuesday, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo made it clear to reporters he expects the 49ers to trade him, and he wants to land in a winning environment. The Saints, Buccaneers and Steelers finished the 2021 campaign with records above .500—the latter two teams went to the playoffs. If the 30-year-old signal-caller has a say in his trade destination, he could see a future with one of the three clubs.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Green Bay Packers have "cautious optimism" about their chance to keep Aaron Rodgers in 2022, though he'll weigh his options in the coming weeks.

Following a divisional-round loss to the 49ers, Rodgers said he doesn't "want to be part of a rebuild." The 38-year-old would likely go to a well-built roster or a winning organization if he plays elsewhere. You can put the Buccaneers, Steelers and even the Broncos in play for his services. In 2021, Denver finished 7-10, but its roster features a top-three scoring defense and a plethora of pass-catching options in Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick and Noah Fant.

By the way, the Broncos hired former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who has a close relationship with Rodgers, to be their head coach.

As for the Panthers (No. 6 pick) and Commanders (No. 11 pick), they don't necessarily have to trade up to get a top passer from this year's underwhelming class, as both teams sit in decent spots to nab one.

Even though the Steelers have a track record for winning, which could appeal to Rodgers or make them a potential Garoppolo landing spot, they're connected to Liberty's Malik Willis, who won over the crowd during Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Alabama.

"There's a lot of Willis-Steelers smoke right now," Bleacher Report's Ian Kenyon said after Thursday's practices. "No other QB really established themselves as a top-tier QB."

NBC Sports Edge's Thor Nystrom caught wind of the quarterback buzz and offered another perspective that revealed the Steelers' preference for Willis over Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett. 

Following an uneven practice session Tuesday, Willis became the talk of Senior Bowl week after he dazzled spectators with his pinpoint passes and scrambling ability in rainy conditions during Wednesday's session. 

If Pittsburgh favors Willis after Senior Bowl week, the front office should consider a predraft move from No. 20 into the top 10, jumping in front of the Commanders, who have one signal-caller, Taylor Heinicke, on the books in 2022. The New York Giants might consider a move down from the fifth or seventh spot after general manager Joe Schoen said in late January the team will build around quarterback Daniel Jones. 

In the event the Steelers pull off a deal with the Giants for the fifth overall pick, they'd leapfrog the quarterback-needy Panthers at No. 6.

As Ben Roethlisberger goes into retirement, the Steelers have just one quarterback under contract beyond the 2021 campaign. Mason Rudolph has one year left on his pact. Dwayne Haskins will become a restricted free agent, though ESPN's Jeremy Fowler expects the team to retain him with an original-round tender for roughly $2.5 million.

Nonetheless, Haskins, who had a rocky start to his NFL career with 12 touchdown passes, 14 interceptions and a 60.1 completion rate through 16 games in Washington, isn't likely to prevent the Steelers from weighing their options. 

Pittsburgh can start training camp with an open competition at quarterback. If Willis loses the battle to Rudolph or Haskins, he could sit for a year, which may be best for him. 

As Kenyon pointed out, the Steelers must address their offensive line, which allowed Roethlisberger an average of 2.1 seconds (tied for the shortest time among qualifying passers) in a clean pocket.

If Nystrom's source is correct about the Steelers' quarterback rankings, team brass might prefer Willis over Pickett because the former can make more plays with his legs, which may offset some issues with a poor pass-blocking offensive line.

After transferring from Auburn to Liberty, Willis rushed for 1,822 yards and 27 touchdowns in two seasons. Though Pickett has functional mobility, he's not an explosive playmaker on foot or a natural ball-carrier.

The Steelers shouldn't sit and hope to strike a deal with the 49ers for Garoppolo, who's not a home run acquisition in light of his injury history and spotty accuracy, which is troublesome outside the numbers. Since 2018, he's missed 25 games. For much of Garoppolo's tenure in San Francisco, head coach Kyle Shanahan trusted the rushing attack more than the QB. 

To acquire Rodgers, Pittsburgh would have to account for a chunk of his $46.7 million cap hit, which isn't a major stretch with a projected $31.3 million in cap space, per Over the Cap. However, the Broncos ($38.8 million) have more flexibility, and the Colts can potentially make a move for an upgrade over Carson Wentz with $40.9 million in cap space. 

As longtime general manager Kevin Colbert transitions out of his front-office role, he can leave a lasting impression on the organization with a blockbuster trade that allows the team to draft Roethlisberger's successor. 

Willis has tremendous upside, and he's dynamic with his physical tools. During Senior Bowl week, ESPN's Jordan Reid saw him improve from Day 1 to Day 2 despite inclement weather conditions. That's a good sign of a player's ability to make adjustments with coaching direction. 

The Steelers staff can work on Willis' pocket presence and ball placement with the idea that he can develop in the mold of a Josh Allen-type quarterback.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.

After two seasons with Tom Brady, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to be in the market for a new starting quarterback in 2022 as Tom Brady officially announced his retirement Tuesday morning.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington reported January 29 that Brady would retire from the NFL after 22 seasons.

Barring a trade for an established veteran, the easiest way for the Bucs to find a quarterback will be in the 2022 NFL draft. They currently project to have seven picks, including the 27th overall selection.

This isn't the best draft class to be looking for a potential franchise quarterback. B/R's NFL scouting department only has one quarterback with a first-round grade (Desmond Ridder at No. 17 overall).

Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett is the only other signal-caller ranked in the top 75 (No. 43).

B/R's Nate Tice wrote that Ridder "has a path toward being a Pro Bowl-caliber player at the position if he gets in the right situation and can continue to work on his consistency."

Liberty's Malik Willis came into this season as one of the quarterbacks who could soar up boards because of his diverse skill set. He didn't make the progress needed to elevate himself into the top tier of players in this draft class.

B/R's scouting department has Willis as the No. 4 quarterback, behind Ridder, Pickett and Matt Corral:

Willis has some intriguing traits that will make him a fun developmental prospect, but he has a long way to go to become an every-week NFL starter. He flashes very good arm strength when he's throwing in rhythm, with a nice, catchable deep ball and the ability to drive intermediate throws into tight spaces.

He wins using his legs instead of hanging in the pocket to progress through passing concepts. It is great that he has that ability, and it is a true plus trait. But he will need time and reps to become comfortable in an NFL offense versus complicated pro defenses.

The free-agent class doesn't look much better right now. Jameis Winston, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota and Mitchell Trubisky are the top four free-agent quarterbacks, per Pro Football Focus.

Winston had his infamous 30-30 season for Tampa in 2019 before Brady signed with the team. He was playing well for the New Orleans Saints this season before a torn ACL put him on the shelf in Week 8. The 28-year-old threw for 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions in seven starts prior to the injury.

It would seem unlikely head coach Bruce Arians wants to reunite with Winston, but perhaps he saw something to work with during Winston's brief tenure with the Saints in 2022.

Bridgewater's checkdown-style of play doesn't really fit with Arians' history of having quarterbacks who can throw the ball deep.

Mariota has spent the past two seasons as Derek Carr's backup with the Las Vegas Raiders. Trubisky threw eight passes in 2021 as Josh Allen's backup for the Buffalo Bills.

The Buccaneers have one of the best situations for any quarterback, rookie or veteran, to walk into. Chris Godwin can become a free agent this offseason, but ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the team has "high interest" in re-signing the 25-year-old.

If Godwin returns, the Bucs would have him and Mike Evans as their top two wide receivers. Tight end is a significant question mark with O.J. Howard set to hit free agency and Rob Gronkowski's future uncertain.

But the offensive line was the second-best unit in the NFL in 2021, per Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson.

A quarterback with an elite offensive line, two top-tier wide receivers and a great offensive head coach is already at an advantage over most players at the position.