Baker Mayfield, Jimmy Garoppolo Top Trade Landing Spots After 2022 NFL Draft Day 1

Only one quarterback was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft on Thursday, with Pitt's Kenny Pickett being selected No. 20 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

So with a number of quarterback-needy teams failing to address the position, one of the big questions coming out of the first round is where NFL veterans Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo might wind up. 

We'll attempt to answer that question below.

If rebuilding teams like the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons or Detroit Lions are going to add a quarterback, they'll probably stay put in the second round and look to draft a player like Malik Willis, Desmond Ridder, Matt Corral or Sam Howell. 

So you can probably eliminate those teams. That leaves three candidates: the Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans. Either the Texans or Seahawks pursuing either player, at least during the draft, would be a surprise. 

The Panthers really feel like the most natural suitor for either Mayfield or Garoppolo, and they don't have a second-round pick. The Panthers have a solid roster in place and Sam Darnold doesn't appear to be the long-term answer. 

They are the logical team to make a move for a veteran quarterback, though don't expect them to be in a rush. 

So how does this all shake out?

Let's project the Texans, despite having Davis Mills, going for the high-upside play and drafting WIllis on Friday.

The Seahawks, knowing the Niners likely won't trade a quarterback within the division, make a push for Mayfield. Seattle could also see if a player like Corral makes it to the third round, adding a young player to groom in the event Mayfield isn't the long-term answer for the Seahawks. 

That leaves the Panthers to pursue Garoppolo, who would immediately be the team's starter ahead of Darnold. 

The likelihood here seems to be that the Panthers are going to end up with either Mayfield or Garoppolo at some point. The question is which player they prefer, and where the other one winds up.