Senior Bowl Quarterback Power Rankings: Athletic traits shine on Day 1

MOBILE — The Denver Broncos are in need of a quarterback. Again.

Fortunately, of the six signal callers at the Senior Bowl, five of them have potential first-round hype.

With the Broncos, along with DNVR, in attendance in Mobile, all eyes are on the quarterbacks in hopes of the team landing the next franchise quarterback.

Here is DNVR Broncos first Senior Bowl quarterback power rankings.

Editors Note: These rankings are based solely off each practice.

1. Sam Howell

One year ago, the North Carolina quarterback was projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, after losing many key players on offense, the 6-foot quarterback came back to earth, relatively speaking, during his third season as the starter.

From his freshman to junior season, Howell saw his passing touchdowns fall from 38 to 24, while he tossed two more interceptions his final year.

However, Howell hasn’t lost the arm talent, mobility and pocket presence that drove his stock through the roof his first two years in college. During the first Senior Bowl practice on Tuesday, Howell displayed the composure, accuracy and deep-ball placement that shot him to the top of the draft boards through his first two years in college.

In today’s quarterback-hungry league, if Howell continues to have this type of an offseason, he’ll climb into the top 10, if not the top five, in the draft.

2. Malik Willis

Willis flashed some eye-opening traits on Tuesday, and if this was a question of pure “upside” he’d likely be No. 1 on the board. You could make the argument that he has the most electric arm in the field and it’s clear that his legs are by far the best in the group, with legitimate stop-and-stare speed.

One thing that really surprised our group about Willis is his thicker build to go along with that speed. He’s certainly not shaped like the Lamar Jackson comparisons that he sometimes draws but more like a Jalen Hurts, explaining why his tape shows more broken tackles than you’d expect from a QB.

So why didn’t he get the top spot? Unfortunately for Malik, he was just a bit more inconsistent than Howell on the day, with a few more misfires than you’d like to see, and one 7-on-7 period in which he simply held on to the ball far too long.

We’ll have out eyes glued on Willis the rest of the week.

3. Kenny Pickett

Entering his senior year, the Pitt quarterback was viewed as a late-round pick.

What a different a year makes.

Heading into the Senior Bowl, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound quarterback’s stock has skyrocketed through the roof after tossing a career-high 42 touchdowns to only seven interceptions. On top of leading Pitt to an 11-3 record, Pickett displayed his mobility and athleticism throughout the season.

With a premium placed on escapability, Pickett was flirting as the No. 1 quarterback in the class heading into the Senior Bowl. However, during the first practice on Tuesday, Pickett was too indecisive in the pocket.

4. Carson Strong

Strong had a very interesting day, flashing in areas that you may not have expected and struggling in the area that many lauded him for coming in.

Where he impressed the most was in the short-to-intermediate areas, throwing several accurate bullets that showcased his arm strength but also an accuracy that all GMs will be looking for.

Conversely, Strong struggled to hit the deep balls that turned so many heads during his career at Nevada, seeming to be a bit off in that area all day.

After practice, the big-armed QB admitted he didn’t have his best stuff on the day and vowed to have a better showing Wendesday.

5. Desmond Ridder

As a senior, Ridder did the unthinkable — he led the Cincinatti Bearcats to the College Football Playoffs and a nearly flawless 13-1 season.

Despite playing at Cincinatti, Ridder’s size, success and stats catapulted him into the first-round conversation. Unfortunately, his first practice of the Senior Bowl he wasn’t able to shake off the notion that one of the reasons he had so much success in college, specifically as a senior, was because he played in the American conference.

Going up against some of the country’s top talent, Ridder didn’t display any special traits on the field.

6. Bailey Zappe

In the words of The Foo Fighters “one of these things is not like the others.”

Unfortunately for Zappe, in a group full of guys who look like they could be first or second-round picks, it’s very clear that he’s the odd-man out.

With no size, speed or arm strength to speak of comparatively, it’s going to be hard to Zappe to separate himself this week without displaying off-the-charts accuracy, something he struggled to do on Tuesday.

While the states from Western Kentucky are incredible and the story is fun, Zappe has a uphill battle in front of him heading into the draft.