But it may not be who you think
- By Josh Clark
- jclark@profootballtechs.com
The announcement.
The walk to the stage.
The hand shake with the NFL’s president and the photo opp wearing a new team cap.
Liberty University QB Malik Willis and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral will have a chance to take part in that classic NFL moment at the 2022 draft later this month.
The rest of the QB class of 2022 will pass.
The NFL released its full list of Round 1 attendees on Thursday and names like Kenny Pickett (Pitt) and Sam Howell (UNC) won’t be present when the Jacksonville Jaguars go on the clock.
In fact, aside from Corral and Willis, just 22 players will attend.
This year’s list, which is viewable below, will include three of the drafts top offensive tackle prospects as well as Michigan Edge Aiden Hutchinson and Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux.
If the first-day guest list seems small, it’s actually quite a crowd compared to the COVID-19 impacted 2021 draft.
No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence was among the several dozen players with first round grades who celebrated at home with family.
Just 13 players attended last year, and the graphic below shows the top 10.
The 2022 draft kicks off April 28.