2022 Senior Bowl Quarterbacks Preview

The Chicago Bears may not be in the market for a starting quarterback, but they should be looking into backups, and beyond that, the quarterback class in Mobile, Alabama this week will be the headline of the Senior Bowl.

Usually one or two of the top five quarterbacks in the class attend the Senior Bowl, but this year it is likely that six of the top seven QBs drafted are at the practices this week. With that in mind, what will fans, scouts, media, and everyone across the NFL landscape be watching from these six?

Desmond Ridder, Cincinnatti

Desmond Ridder is going to dominate the practices in a few ways, but at the same time will have some of the most important questions to answer. Ridder is a four-year starter who took a non-power five school into the FBS playoffs. That is impressive in itself.

He is clearly a leader and will earn respect from many in the way he presents himself. You can tell that Ridder prepares hard, and will be on his Ps and Qs for this event. The way he moves the pocket is borderline robotic, but it remains fluid as his poise and command in the tight space is one of his great strengths.

The issue comes down to accuracy for Ridder. The Bearcats gunslinger brings plenty of questions because his mechanics are mostly strong, but when the ball comes out of his hands it can flutter. This typically impacts his downfield passing, but even short passes can flail and can lead receivers too far due to inaccuracy. That is a hard thing to make up for, especially when his lower body is sound.

Beyond that, while Ridder is athletic, has great arm strength, and can move, he is slender in his frame. Considering he is an older prospect already you have to wonder how much more muscle he can put on or if he is tapped out physically. At that point, he is athletic enough to be a threat in the NFL, but could not consistently take hits at this frame.

We will see how he handles accuracy, and if anyone works with his releases this week.