QBS TAKE BACK SEAT TO RBS AND ... KICKERS?

In Las Vegas, which bills itself as the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” an NFL Draft bereft of star quarterback prospects wouldn’t seem a fit.

It didn’t matter, though, because as personnel people throughout the league predicted, the 2022 crop was so deep that even in the final four rounds, there were plenty of highlights.

They didn’t include the passers very much, but such was the quality of QBS.

Running backs and kickers — kickers? — were more of a focus for much of Day 3 on Saturday.

Indeed, two punters and a placekicker went as the final day of selections began before any more quarterbacks were taken. Maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that LSU placekicker Cade York went to Cleveland at No. 124 overall, followed by Penn State punter Jordan Stout six spots later to Baltimore. At No. 133 to Tampa Bay it was punter Jake Camarda of Georgia — four spots before the fifth quarterback in total, Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe, headed to New England.

The philosophy of taking running backs deeper into proceedings is nothing new, and several highly accomplished ball carriers were taken in Round 4. After Tampa Bay made tight end Cade Otton of Washington the leadoff pick — Rob Gronkowski has not publicly committed to return — Houston grabbed RB Dameon Pierce of Florida. From there, the likes of Zamir White of Georgia, Isaiah Spiller of Texas A&M, Pierre Strong, a standout from South Dakota State of the FCS and Hassan Haskins of Michigan went off the board.

The fifth round, however, got started with Washington grabbing North Carolina QB Sam Howell, who was projected as a much higher selection just a year ago, but didn’t have an outstanding final season for the Tar Heels.

Howell called it “a little stressful” to sit through four rounds.

“I was just hanging out and just waiting for a call, and I’m so glad it was Washington that called,” Howell said. “This is a perfect spot for me. It’s a team I wanted to play for all along.”

Zappe wasn’t hearing from any comparisons to New England’s 2000 sixth-rounder at No. 199, Tom Brady.

“I am continuing to be myself,” he said. “I am not trying to be anybody else. I am going to come to work every day and get 1 percent better. That is how I look at it. I do not worry too much about the naysayers and critics. The Patriots believe in me, and those coaches, players, and organization believed in me, and those are the people I’m going to try to prove right, that this pick was the right one.”

One feel-good story came from Pittsburgh, which added Michigan State’s versatile tight end/h back/ running back Connor Heyward. The Steelers already have star defensive lineman Cam Heyward, and their father, the late Craig “Ironhead” Heyward played 11 pro seasons.

Cam Heyward compared the Steelers to a family. After, naturally, telling Connor his first job was to carry around older brother’s shoulder pads.

Perhaps fittingly the final choice, Mr. Irrelevant, went to San Francisco, which took Brock Purdy of Iowa State.

A quarterback.

No surprise that the national champion Georgia Bulldogs dominated these proceedings overall. They set a record through six rounds by having 15 selected: eight on defense, six on offense, and punter Camarda, which is the number they finished with. And Cincinnati had more draftees (nine) than Ohio State (five).