4 DEEP Sleeper Quarterbacks to Know (2022 NFL Draft)

Everyone loves to scout QBs, and everyone loves sleepers. Today I’m giving you four DEEP sleepers who you probably don’t know, but have a chance to make a name for themselves at the next level.

When I say deep sleepers, I don’t mean a late round pick. I’m talking about the undrafted territory. A guy like Cole Kelley, who I’ve been talking up for months, doesn’t qualify. He’s too well known. Even Aqeel Glass is too well known.

Finding deep sleepers at QB is notoriously difficult. The position draws so much attention that everyone with legit NFL potential tends to either be drafted or becomes a high-priority free agent.

At the time of writing this, I’ve currently scouted 87 quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft. The four players I’ve picked should all get signed to a 90-man roster despite not being on most analysts’ draft boards.

Bryce Witt, Chowan

YEAR	SCHOOL	GMS	PYD	PTD	INT	CMP%	Y/A	RYD	RTD
2021	Chowan	10	2864	31	4	66.3%	8.6	154	11
2020	Chowan	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2019	Chowan	10	1892	22	15	59.0%	7.1	463	5
2018	Chowan	10	2700	27	8	61.9%	8.9	671	10
2017	Chowan	10	1992	19	12	54.7%	7.5	136	2
TOTAL	TOTAL	40	9448	99	39	60.8%	8.1	1424	28

Bryce Witt is my favorite deep sleeper in the class, so much so that I expect someone to draft him.

Witt had an incredible season for Division II Chowan, leading them to a 7-3 record, their best since 1983. Witt set just about every single season school record in the book, passing for 2864 yards, 31 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions on 66.3% completions.

Witt is a 5th year senior and 4-year starter despite having his entire 2020 season cancelled. At 6’4″ 235 pounds, he has a strong build and very good mobility for his size.

Following his impressive career, Witt got the opportunity to play at the HBCU legacy bowl, where he first caught my eye.

Witt processes defenses well, and has very impressive pocket presence. His ability to navigate the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield is constantly on display, and has enough quickness and play strength to avoid pressure at the next level.

Arm strength is solid, and he isn’t afraid to drive the ball downfield. His average distance of throw was deeper than any of the top draft prospects at the FBS level, and his highlights are full of NFL-caliber throws.

Witt has a compact throwing motion that won’t need any significant changes at the next level, with above average footwork.

The biggest negative is some late reads, which becomes an even bigger issue considering the slower play speed of the D-II level. His high level play at the HBCU Legacy Bowl suggests he was able to take a leap up in competition without significant issues, however.

Along with the speed of his reads, he has a tendency of staring down receivers.

Still, these are problems that every QB in the class has, other than maybe Kenny Pickett.

When you combine size, athleticism, and arm talent, Bryce Witt is certainly in line to make a 90 man roster and at very least compete for a practice squad spot.

Geremy Hickbottom, Tennessee State

YEAR	SCHOOL	GMS	PYD	PTD	INT	CMP%	Y/A	RYD	RTD
2021	Tenn St	10	1816	12	4	57.7%	7.5	270	7
2020	Gram	3	380	1	2	65.6%	6.2	58	1
2019	Gram	11	1804	12	7	60.0%	6.3	668	6
2018	Gram	11	1945	16	9	56.0%	7.5	500	8
2017	Gram	9	104	2	0	44.8%	3.6	98	1
TOTAL	TOTAL	44	6049	43	22	58.1%	6.9	1594	23

In a year with one of the smallest QB classes ever, Hickbottom’s 6’4″ 235 pound build stands out. He combines that with verified 4.8 speed and impressively light feet in the pocket.Geremy Hickbottom is another player who impressed me at the HBCU Legacy Bowl. He was named the Offensive MVP in that game, showcasing a complete skill set of athleticism and arm talent.

After participating at the Tennessee State Pro Day, Hickbottom doubled down and participated at the University of Tennessee’s pro day where he had the opportunity to show his skills to over 30 NFL scouts.

In his first year at Tennessee State, he threw for 1816 yards, 12 TDs, and only 4 interceptions on 58% completions.

His ability as a passer is a big raw and inconsistent, but he has a quick throwing motion and the ball flies off his hand. He’s more aggressive with the ball than I expected considering he only had 4 INTs this year, and is able to throw into tight windows.

For the scouts who like intelligent QBs, Hickbottom was also named Scholar Athlete of the Year his junior year of high school.

Despite needing some refinement, Hickbottom plays his best on the biggest stage and has the physical traits to continue developing.

Tre Ford, Waterloo

YEAR	SCHOOL	GMS	PYD	PTD	INT	CMP%	Y/A	RYD	RTD
2021	Waterloo	7	1770	12	3	63.5%	8.1	667	3
2020	Waterloo	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2019	Waterloo	10	2609	18	10	69.4%	8.9	830	8
2018	Waterloo	9	3093	30	2	73.8%	10.5	771	4
2017	Waterloo	6	531	4	4	66.1%	9.5	548	4
TOTAL	TOTAL	32	8003	64	19	69.2%	9.3	2816	19

Tre Ford is one of the top prospects in the CFL Draft, and made his NFL interest clear when he dominated at the University of Buffalo’s pro day.

Ford is a smaller QB at 6’0″ 195 pounds, but registered the second fast 40 time among my 87 ranked QB prospects. Ford ran a verified 4.49, along with a very impressive 36″ vertical and 124″ broad jump.

If you don’t know Waterloo, that’s because it’s a Canadian University and therefore not affiliated with the NCAA. A few prospects have come out of Canada over the years, but it’s rare for a QB to get any attention. Ford wants to change that.

While his stats this past year didn’t jump off the page, he had an absurd 2018 season in which he threw 30 touchdowns, only 2 interceptions, and ran for an additional 771 yards.

With the athleticism, production, and accuracy, an NFL team will certainly give him a shot.

From the film I was able to find, Ford will certainly be raw if he takes his chances in the NFL opposed to the CFL. He has a very low release point, and the play speed with be dramatically faster.

It doesn’t take a trained scout’s eye to notice ball security issues in the highlight film above, either. But you’ll also notice pinpoint throws, decent arm strength, and solid reads.

While Canadian Football is probably less translatable to the NFL than D-III football, Ford’s 69.2% career completion rate and 9.3 career yards per pass attempt each rank #1 out of my current 87 QBs.

He’s an intriguing name to watch.

Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington

YEAR	SCHOOL	GMS	PYD	PTD	INT	CMP%	Y/A	RYD	RTD
2021	EWU	13	5070	46	8	65.4%	9.2	222	4
2020	EWU	7	2439	19	7	61.8%	8.2	144	1
2019	EWU	12	3712	31	4	58.9%	8.5	558	8
2018	EWU	13	2450	24	9	61.1%	7.9	613	8
2017	EWU	5	138	1	1	57.7%	5.3	48	1
TOTAL	TOTAL	50	13809	121	29	62.0%	8.5	1585	22

I’m putting Eric Barriere at the bottom of the list because he doesn’t feel like a deep sleeper to me, I’ve known his name for years.

Still, he’s barely on any draft boards.

The 6’1″ 210 pound gunslinger was a 2nd team All American at the FCS level this past year, only behind the absurd numbers of Cole Kelley.

Barriere has a solid 2018 season, but really burst onto the scene for the Air Raid-heavy Eagles in 2019, when he threw for 3712 yards, including 31 TDs and only 4 picks.

Eastern Washington is known to NFL scouts as one of the best passing systems in the country regardless of level, and Barriere took full advantage this past year, eclipsing the 5000 yard mark over 13 games played.

His dominance this past year is due in large part to an uptick in confidence and significantly better accuracy.

Not everything about Barriere’s film looks like an NFL QB, which is why he isn’t a big time prospect. His throwing motion is far from textbook with a low release point and inconsistent footwork, he plays exclusively from the shotgun, and his system schemes receivers open absurdly well.

Still, there’s a point where you just can’t argue with the level of production.

Other positives for Barriere is good pocket presence and mobility for a shotgun QB, great mid range accuracy, and proven ability to be coached up.

Recap: Deep Sleeper Quarterbacks

Out of the 87 quarterbacks I’ve taken a look at so far, these are some of my favorite diamonds in the rough. While there’s a solid chance none of them get drafted, I thoroughly expect them all to get an opportunity at the next level. Once they’re on a 90-man roster, anything can happen!

Other names that some would consider a deep sleeper quarterback prospect, but I didn’t: Cole Kelley, EJ Perry, Chase Garbers, Cole Johnson

Think of anyone I missed? Feel free to leave a comment below!