Todd McShay NFL Mock Draft: Pickett, Willis, Corral to Commanders, Steelers, Falcons

Three quarterbacks are selected in the first round of the latest 2022 NFL mock draft released by ESPN's Todd McShay on Wednesday.

McShay's update following the NFL Scouting Combine sees Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett as the first signal-caller off the board to the Washington Commanders at No. 11 overall.

Liberty's Malik Willis goes No. 20 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and McShay projects the Atlanta Falcons to make a trade for a second first-rounder to select Ole Miss' Matt Corral at No. 29.

A lot was made about Pickett's hand size at the combine—8 ½ inches, which would be the smallest in the NFL based on official measurements—but it doesn't appear to have impacted his draft stock.

"Whatever it measures, it measures," Pickett told reporters before the measurement. "I'm sure that won't be the end of it, but that'll be the last measurement I'm sure I'll take of it."

More importantly, the 23-year-old New Jersey native is coming off a standout senior season at Pitt. He completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards with 42 touchdowns and just seven interceptions across 13 games. He added five rushing scores.

He could be a Day 1 starter if the lands with the Commanders and they don't add a veteran quarterback via free agency. Taylor Heinicke is their only QB currently under contract.

Willis, 22, is the most high-upside signal-caller in the draft. His combination of arm talent and running ability fits the mold of a modern quarterback showcased weekly by the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen.

He started his college career at Auburn but transferred to Liberty for a chance to start. His numbers were terrific—5,107 passing yards, 1,822 rushing yards and 74 total touchdowns in 23 games for the Flames—but it didn't come against high-end college defenses.

The Steelers are in period of transition following the retirement of longtime starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and can afford to give Willis a few years of on-field development time.

Finally, the Falcons still have Matt Ryan under contract through 2023, but it's not too early to start planning for the future.

Corral displayed high-end accuracy in college, completing 67.3 percent of his throws across 37 games for the Rebels, and he improved as a scrambler en route to 11 rushing scores in 2021. He doesn't have the "wow" factor with his arm strength, but the other elements of his game are strong.

He could sit behind Ryan for a year and be ready to potentially take over in 2023, when the Falcons could save $28 million against the cap by releasing or trading the veteran.