USC’s Kedon Slovis epitomizes inconsistent but talented 2022 quarterback class

The 2022 quarterback class is shaping up as talented but inconsistent. USC QB Kedon Slovis is the best example of a passer with tools but lacks polish.

The 2020 season was bizarre as several conferences were limited to half their regular schedule. Seeing the Pac-12 and Big Ten play just six games while the SEC fit in their entire slate without much concern made it difficult to properly evaluate prospects. There’s a certain development that comes with a 12-game season compared to only six.

The 2022 quarterback class may have suffered the most. The group has raw talent up and down the list but there’s not a true superstar like the 2021 class boasted. It’s possible the early top 2022 passer would rank third on my board when combined with the 2021 class, and the next-highest quarterback would be seventh.

Roster continuity was also lacking with Covid concerns. Late scratches impacted games across the country. Hopefully, 2021 won’t repeat the same troubles.

One quarterback who could benefit from a return to normalcy is USC Trojans passer Kedon Slovis. The junior gunslinger has thrown for 5,423 yards on a 70 percent completion rate, with 47 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He’s played in 18 games and can eclipse the important 30-start mark evaluators like when projecting to the NFL.

The tools are there for USC quarterback Kedon Slovis to develop into a first round talent in the 2022 NFL Draft class

We’re continuing to chart each quarterback for overall accuracy and situational play in order to preview the 2022 class as the season nears. Slovis embodies this class better than anyone, slotting as a project quarterback with great highlights and intriguing tools. But like much of the class, there’s a certain rawness to his game that brings concern.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder has a good arm and is able to vary the arc on his passes effectively to avoid defenders. His ability to throw to the far side of the field and place the ball between over-the-top safeties and the sideline, or an underneath linebacker, is reminiscent of two recent SEC stars: Joe Burrow and Mac Jones.

Neither one had the strongest arm, and Slovis is no Matthew Stafford either. But he generates quality ball placement and velocity when he needs to without a big windup. Its critical Slovis can win mentally and with ball placement because his arm is more middling compared to future NFL peers. The passing windows close quickly at the next level, and these plays are sure-interceptions.

Slovis’ two years showed an accurate passer on short and intermediate attempts. Pac-12 defenses often sag away from USC’s quick receivers, allowing Slovis to feast on quick-in and slant routes. It’s unlikely he’ll earn so many easy completions and yards in the NFL like he does with the Trojans as defenses force him to win by hitting tight windows.

His play in structure was predictably good for someone with his raw stats. He gives his receivers a quality ball to work with and there’s not a lot of adjustment needed besides slight backtracking toward the ball occasionally. His ball doesn’t die as often as J.T. Daniels’ does, for example.

I was surprised to see how well Slovis could extend plays and function outside of the pocket considering his slow-footedness. He keeps his eyes up and has a respectable release point. Both his process and his results project well because he plays with more freedom than he does in the pocket.

Slovis’ pocket management is worrisome, though. His eyes are slow and he wants to see the receiver break into space before starting to pull the trigger. He has to anticipate much more effectively than what we’ve seen in his limited time as a starter.

This is the area that’s separated two decent arms in Burrow and Jones from Kyle Trask and Will Grier. Slovis is somewhere between the two levels of passers right now. While he’s clearly more physically capable than Grier and functional in an NFL offense, his processor appears to be working a tick slowly. The good news is his junior season provides the critical experience for him to show off a more advanced understanding of coverages pre-snap.

The reliance on creating outside of the pocket is a fine line game. Slovis won’t win as a creative-type in the NFL with his lack of upper-end mobility so his pocket management must be great. He’s been good, but too often he doesn’t scoot away from pressure, or releases the ball late and misses the chance to find a game-breaking play.

All isn’t lost, though. There are small details Slovis misses right now off a Covid year but the general sum of his game is good enough to make him a Day 2 prospect entering the year. There’s a huge runway Slovis can quickly ascend with a better feel for defenses and quicker reactions to closing defenders.

The leap happens occasionally. We saw Burrow and Zach Wilson make bigger jumps in the last two years than what Slovis would make. His baseline talent profiles well as a Power 5 team with elite recruits all around him. It’s not crazy to think he’ll be this season’s big riser.

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