USC Football: Could Kedon Slovis be the No. 1 pick in 2022 NFL Draft?

Kedon Slovis was a bit unheralded as a recruit, but he has risen to stardom in two years with USC football. Can he be the top NFL draft pick in 2022?

When Kedon Slovis was being recruit a couple of years ago, he knew that if he committed to USC (his best offer), he would be likely sitting behind five-star sophomore JT Daniels. But being an unheralded recruit, ranked the No. 705 overall recruit and 26th-best pro-style quarterback in the class, Slovis was OK with coming in with next to no expectations.

And then Daniels went down with an injury and the former three-star prospect with eight scholarship offers was thrust into action as a freshman.

No one really knew his name but that changed quickly as he helped lead USC to a win over Fresno State and then a subsequent victory over Stanford to begin Pac-12 play. His performance against Stanford was the real eye-opener as he passed for 377 yards and three touchdowns while completing 85 percent of his passes. That’s when everyone realized he was legit.

Fast forward to the end of his freshman season and he had over 3,500 passing yards and 30 touchdowns while completing about 72 percent of his passes. Not bad for a three-star quarterback who was overlooked by every major program not named USC.

That led to Daniels deciding to transfer to Georgia, ensuring that Slovis wouldn’t have to worry about another quarterback breathing down his back.

As a sophomore, in a COVID-19 shortened year, Slovis had 1,921 yards and 17 touchdowns with a 67 percent completion rate in just six games. He looked solid yet again and led USC to the Pac-12 title game and a 5-1 overall record.

Heading into 2021, Slovis is considered one of the top NFL draft prospects in college football.

And if I had to wager a guess, I’d say he’ll be the No. 2 quarterback prospect, at the very least. He’s looking like an elite quarterback and even in a “down” year, he still averaged over 300 yards per game and had 17 touchdowns in half a season. He was the best quarterback in the Pac-12 and one of the 10 best in the country, arguably.

What other quarterbacks could push him for that No. 1 overall draft spot? I would say his biggest contenders are Sam Howell, Spencer Rattler and Brock Purdy right now.

If I’m an NFL GM, I’m taking a serious look at Slovis because he’s a proven winner and he loves the big stage. Right now, he’s a clear top-five prospect for 2022, but with another 3,000-yard, 30-touchdown season with a completion rate around 70 percent, he’ll be right there in that No. 1 overall conversation.