Daniel Jeremiah 2022 NFL Mock Draft 2.0: Pickett to Saints, Willis to Steelers

The New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers will be starting new eras at quarterback if the latest Daniel Jeremiah mock draft proves accurate.

The NFL Network expert projected the Saints to select Pitt's Kenny Pickett with the No. 18 overall pick and the Steelers to grab Liberty's Malik Willis two picks later. Pickett and Willis have emerged as the top two quarterbacks in the 2022 class.

The Saints and Steelers are looking for long-term replacements for recently retired mainstays under center. New Orleans struggled to replace Drew Brees in 2021. Jameis Winston suffered a torn left ACL seven games into the season, and the combination of Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill didn't mount much production in the passing game over the final 10 contests.

Hill is the favorite to start among the quarterbacks under contract, but it's unclear whether he'll have as much leeway after the resignation of Sean Payton, a longtime Hill proponent. New head coach Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. were on Payton's staff, but it remains to be seen if they'll want to create an offense in their own vision.

The Saints are $80.4 million over the salary cap, so the draft is their only viable option to find a new long-term starter.

Pickett is viewed as the most NFL-ready quarterback in this class after spending the last four years starting at Pitt. After three middling seasons, Pickett broke out as a Heisman finalist in 2021, throwing for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns against seven interceptions while adding 233 yards and five scores as a runner. 

The Steelers are in a far better cap position with $24.7 million in space before extensions or restructurings. Pittsburgh could try the trade route to land a veteran quarterback, but the team doesn't have much history of sacrificing future draft picks for veteran players.

Willis is widely considered the most physically gifted quarterback in this class, generating regular comparisons to Josh Allen. The team that drafts Willis will need to take after the Buffalo Bills' approach with Allen and be patient because he's raw, but the Liberty product's combination of size, arm talent and scrambling ability gives him the chance to be special.