Five quarterbacks were taken in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. We check in on their progress thru week 13 of their fifth season.
The 2022-23 season for the five quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft has been one of turmoil.
One hasn't even seen the field. And it's been a rarity since the season's early going that even three of them have all played in the same week.
Injuries, team changes, and being benched have been at the forefront for this group of five. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson continue to live at the top of the class, but even they haven't been immune to struggles this season.
The winds of change also swept Baker Mayfield out of Carolina, landing the former top-pick on his third team this calendar year.
Heading into the home stretch of the 2022 season, two quarterbacks are on a path towards the playoffs, with a third possible thanks to a weak division.
It's clear two quarterbacks have cemented their status among these five. Two others are in audition mode for their future opportunities, with the final quarterback, well, he's hoping he hasn't had his last chance in the NFL.
Josh Allen
Allen has the Buffalo Bills (9-3) atop the AFC East but it hasn't exactly been pretty since he injured his UCL in week 9.
The Bills continue to win, however, collecting three straight victories. The loss prior to the streak was a three-point defeat to the Vikings in overtime; a game in which the Bills led 27-10 and had red zone struggles by Allen and the offense.
Allen had 330 passing yards in that game but two costly red zone interceptions aided Minnesota's comeback.
That area of the field has been a bit of a hassle for this high-octane offense at times and showed up again in week 11. It was the aid of six Tyler Bass field goals that helped secure a 31-23 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Accuracy has been down as Allen plays through the injury. He's 64-102 for 673 yards during the win streak, with five touchdowns against only one interception. (Though he does have two lost fumbles in the last four games).
For the season, Allen is still putting up gaudy numbers. He has 3406 passing yards with a 64.1 completion percentage and 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Allen also has 581 yards on the ground, second on the team, with five touchdowns.
The final stretch isn't easy, with games against four teams fighting for the playoffs, including three divisional opponents. Buffalo has been playing with more balance on offense as of late, a good sign for these late-season, cold-weather games. As long as the victories continue to pile up, Allen and the Bills will be making a deep playoff run.
Next five weeks: vs NYJ (12/11), vs MIA (12/17), @ CHI (12/24), @ CIN (1/2/23), vs NE (1/8)
Lamar Jackson
Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens (8-4) are winners in five of their last six games but, like the Bills, are struggling to find the end zone. Baltimore scored a combined 23 points in their last two wins, with a one-point loss to Jacksonville sandwiched between.
An offense that clicked in the early part of the season has stalled, thanks largely to injuries in the receiving corps and an inconsistent and healthy running game outside of Jackson.
Just as these two units were getting healthy, Jackson left last Sunday's victory early in the first quarter after suffering a knee injury.
Jackson had looked comfortable in the two games prior in moving the team downfield, throwing for 463 yards and rushing for 120. He also started decent against the Broncos, completing 3-4 for 11 yards before leaving a game.
The injury to his PCL could keep him out multiple weeks, though no timetable has been given yet. Jackson was on his way to another 1000-yard season on the ground (and could be still, depending on when he returns) with 764 yards. He's averaging 6.8 yards per carry and scored three times.
Through the air, Jackson has 2242 yards with a completion percentage at 62.3 and has tossed 17 touchdowns against seven interceptions.
The final stretch for Baltimore is division-heavy, with four games against the AFC North. Going 3-2 down the stretch should earn them a playoff berth. A lot of that depends on Jackson's availability. If they can find a way to win and allow him a few weeks off, it's going to be a huge positive heading into those final weeks.
Next five weeks: @ PIT (12/11), @ CLE (12/17), vs ATL (12/24), vs PIT (1/1/23), @ CIN (1/8)
Sam Darnold
The magic man from USC has earned another chance to start for the Carolina Panthers (4-8). This is no ordinary "play out the season" scenario, as the Panthers are only two games back of the first place Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Buoyed by a strong running game and exceptional defense, all Sam Darnold has to do is protect the ball and the Panthers have an outside chance to make the playoffs.
Doing those things is exactly what Darnold did in his 2022 debut, leading the Panthers to a 23-10 victory over Denver in week 12. Darnold was 11-19 for 164 yards with a touchdown, rushing for another score. No overwhelming but with 0 turnovers and 0 sacks, it could be considered the best performance by a Carolina quarterback this season.
It was enough for the Panthers to move on from Mayfield. Even if the Panthers don't manage to win the NFC South, the final five weeks give Darnold the opportunity to prove his worth. And if all goes well, he could earn himself the right to start again in 2023.
Next five weeks: @ SEA (12/11), vs PIT (12/18), vs DET (12/24), @ TB (1/1/23), @ NO (1/8)
Baker Mayfield
Mayfield's season has been a roller coaster in 2022. Not so much in regards to performance level, that's been subpar, but in being on, and off, the field.
That continued in recent weeks, acting as a backup in a week 10 Carolina victory over the Falcons and the starter in week 11.
Mayfield was in action thanks to an injury to P.J. Walker and Darnold not quite ready for game action. The result was more of the same for Mayfield in a week 11 loss to the Ravens. The Panthers only put up three points, with Mayfield's modus operandi of batted balls and interceptions in full effect.
He was 21-33 for 196 yards and two picks in his last game as a Panther.
Playing in parts of seven games in 2022, Mayfield has thrown for 1313 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions while completing 57.8 percent of his passes.
The Carolina era ended when Mayfield was given his release on Monday (12/5). And on Tuesday, a possible new era began when he was signed by the quarterback-needy Los Angeles Rams. With Matthew Stafford on injured reserve and current starter John Wolford banged up, there's a real possibility Mayfield could see action as soon as Thursday. And though he's likely not the Rams quarterback of the future, these final five weeks give him a chance to prove to an NFL franchise he is still worthy of that honor.
Next five weeks: vs LV (12/8), @ GB (12/19), vs DEN (12/25), @LAC (1/1/23), @ SEA (1/8)
Josh Rosen
Josh Rosen, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns, is hanging out in free agency. While I don't necessarily believe his chances in the NFL have run their course, it's entirely possible Rosen shows up in another league in the coming months. Not discounting anything but the 2022 season seems to be a wash for the quarterback out of UCLA.
Continue to follow along with the progress of these five quarterbacks, with the next update coming after the completion of the 2022-23 regular season.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
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