For the fifth time since 2012, Arizona failed to produce a single NFL draft pick.

The Wildcats were shut out of the 2022 NFL Draft this weekend, one of only two Pac-12 teams without a single pick among the 262 players selected. Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch had a clear response to that sobering reality: Never again.

Arizona had a pair of sixth-round picks in the 2021 Draft, but it hasn’t had a player taken during the first three rounds since 2012 (Nick Foles). The 2013 Draft ended a string of six straight classes that saw at least one Wildcat go in the first three rounds.

For Fisch, surely it’s not enough just to sneak a player into the draft, but to rebuild the talent level to start producing top picks.

The 2022 recruiting class Arizona put together no doubt set things on a better track. That group features five blue-chip freshmen and impact transfers in quarterback Jayden de Laura and wideout Jacob Cowing.

It’s hard for a player from a 1-11 team to get drafted if they’re a mid- to lower-tier prospect. Part of the fix is simply winning more football games this upcoming fall. Fisch has certainly done well so far this offseason to inject some talent and some excitement into the locker room.

A better season will allow that talent to shine even more.