Undervalued QB breakout candidates in 2022

What do I like about his game?

Phil Jurkovec has the ideal NFL size at 6’5-226. Jurkovec arm talent is where he succeeds the most. He has plenty of zip on his ball, does a good job changing speeds when necessary. He can drive the ball into tight windows, and drive the ball down the field, typically hitting receivers in stride. We were also able to see him use his legs a bit more last season, and he more than adequate running the ball when needed.

Jurkovec does struggle with his accuracy at times. In the same game, you can watch him make NFL throws and then with back-to-back throws miss open receivers. He tends to throw behind receivers at times or take a bit too long to pull the trigger, allowing defenders to come in and make a play.

Why will he breakout?

Boston College finished as the 24th ranked offense last year. This was almost on par with Jurkovec, who finished as the 23rd ranked quarterback in scoring in 2020 with 246.9 points but finished 19th in points per game with 24.69. Jurkovec missed one game in 2020, and if he can stay healthy, he should be on pace for a better year in 2021. He’s improved every year being and this being his second season in Jeff Hafley’s offense, he should take another step forward. Boston College currently sits with the 77th ranked defense. While being in the ACC that is about mediocre, their offense should put up points to stay with their opponents. With not much at the running back position and Hunter Long gone, the War Eagles will likely be relying heavily on Jurkovec and Zay Flowers.

Jurkovec is currently sitting with an ADP of 109.50. He’s currently going higher than the other two on this list but still worth a shot in the 9th round, especially if you decide to punt QB earlier in the draft. Jurkovec could easily be the first QB you grab in the 8th or 9th round to anchor the position on your roster. Loading up on talent at running back and wide receiver and then grabbing a Jurkovec later could help build a strong and deep position group on the college side.

Michael Pratt- Tulane

Who is Michael Pratt?

Michael Pratt was the freshman starting quarterback for the Tulane Greenwave in 2020. Pratt was recruited as a 3-star pro-style quarterback out of Deerfield Beach, Florida. Pratt did not start playing football until his freshman year in high school. The 6’3, 195 gunslinger started his high school career at Boca Raton High School but transferred after a junior season in which he passed for 1,208 yards and 12 touchdowns, along with 447 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.

His transfer came as a surprise to many as he was the established starter for Boca Raton. So why did he transfer to Deerfield Beach, who already had an established starting quarterback of their own? Pratt wanted competition. He wanted to prove he could go in and beat out another good player and take the starting job. Not only did he win the job, but he also helped lead Deerfield Beach to the Florida high school Class 8A Semifinals in 2019.

Pratt could have been considered as the top freshman quarterback in 2020. He played in 10 games and started 9 of them. Pratt finished the 2020 season with 1,806 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. His 20 passing touchdowns were the most among true freshman quarterbacks in 2020. He also showed he could make plays with his legs, adding 229 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns.

What do I like about his game?

Pratt creates an advantage with his legs. He has above-average mobility for his size. When the pocket collapses, he has no issue tucking the ball and running, most of the time for positive yardage. Pratt has average arm strength and can push the ball down the field. He’s more accurate in the short and intermediate area than he is going downfield. He manipulates the pocket and can throw off-platform but needs to square his shoulders a bit more when doing so. Pratt has a small hitch in his throw, but outside of that, his mechanics are solid.

Why will he breakout?

It may surprise people, but Pratt scored a decent amount of college fantasy points last year. He finished with 265.6 points in 2020, which was good enough for the 17th highest scoring QB in college. Tulane was the 77th ranked defense last year. I do not expect that to change much moving into the 2021 season. There is a realistic chance that Tulane is worse as they won’t be playing a conference-only schedule. If Tulane plays from behind, they will have to rely more on Pratt’s arm and his ability to make plays with his legs.

Pratt had an impressive season as a true freshman. We know based on the moves he made in high school, he is competitive and wants to be the best. He should progress more this off-season moving into his second year in this offense, and if he can improve his accuracy he should be able to increase his points. As of right now, Michael Pratt is free in C2C startup drafts. He isn’t being drafted in most if any of these leagues. While there likely isn’t much of an NFL future here for Pratt, he’s a low-cost option that could help you win on the college side. Especially, if you punt quarterback earlier in the draft, Pratt could be the perfect solution for you towards the end of your drafts.

These three quarterbacks are going later than they should in campus to canton drafts. All three could help you win the college side of your leagues, and two of them have NFL upside. If you decide to punt quarterback early in your college startups, all three of these QBs are viable late targets to help you win. I hope you enjoyed the breakdown of these three quarterbacks I expect to break out in 2022. Make sure to stay tuned for my 2022 running back breakouts.