Tag: 2022 nfl draft grades

NFL draft grades: Instant reaction, full analysis of every team’s 2022 class

How did your favorite team fare in the 2022 NFL draft? Here’s how we grade every team’s seven-round haul of picks

The 2022 NFL draft is officially in the books, after a wild three-day circus full of trades, surprise picks, and compelling storylines.

Grading every team’s draft class with such immediacy comes with the customary brick of salt, as none of these players have played a single down of professional football, so it’s less than fair to pass judgement on their draft slot just yet.

Even so, based on the intersection of projected player value, team needs, and what else was on the board at each selection, here’s how we grade every team’s seven-round haul in this year’s draft.

Make sure you grab a screenshot for future taunting on social media:

2022 NFL draft: Final grades for every NFL team

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield give their final grades for every team and every pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

Is it fair to grade draft picks right after they happen? Before the prospects even hit their rookie minicamps? Absolutely not. We have no clue which players will fit best with their teams. We don’t know which guys will flame out, unable to handle the pressure at the next level, and we don’t know which players will be turned into diamonds by that pressure.

So, why do we all do draft grades anyway? For one specific reason.

Clicks.

Okay, there are two reasons. The other reason is that letter grades for team drafts do give us a basic idea of how well NFL teams did sticking to the best players available (at least in our minds), avoiding reach project players, and making their teams better with the wisest use of draft capital.

So, with the idea that such exercises are eventually doomed to irrelevance, here are Doug Farrar’s and Mark Schofield’s 2022 draft grades for every NFL team, with Mark handling the AFC, and Doug on the NFC.

2022 NFL draft tracker: Live grades, instant analysis for every Day 2 pick

Keep track of every pick in the second and third rounds from the 2022 NFL draft, with live grades and instant analysis

The 2022 NFL draft is back in action Friday night after a wild first round, with the second and third rounds going down live in Las Vegas.

A flurry of trades and stole the headlines Thursday night to kick things off, and the movement is likely to continue as the draft progresses through the second day.

Keep it locked here for live grades and instant analysis of every Day 2 selection:

2022 NFL draft: Grades and analysis for every first-round pick

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar grades and analyzes every pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Is it fair to grade draft picks as they happen, as opposed to two or three years down the road, when we can really what prospects can do with their NFL teams?

Probably not.

Is it fair to evaluate draft picks as they happen, based on value, pick, and best players available around the prospects taken? Sure, and that’s what we’re doing here.

By assigning letter grades to every first-round draft pick, we’re not saying that this or that team failed with a prospect (for the most part — sorry, Saints). We’re saying that these picks made more or less sense depending on draft capital and prospect talent. Add in who else might have still been on the boards, and you start to get a clearer picture of each pick.

Of course, many of these grades could turn out to be catastrophically wrong, and I certainly hope that all the negative grades are. Nobody wants to see a draft pick fail at the next level. But as things stand right now, here’s my analysis of each first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

Kansas City Chiefs select Purdue EDGE George Karlaftis with the 30th pick. Grade: B-

The Kansas City Chiefs have selected Purdue EDGE George Karlaftis with the 30th pick. Grade: B-

With the 30th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select Purdue EDGE George Karlaftis.

GRADE: B-.

The Chiefs are in need of edge disruption, but were this my call, I would have gone with Minnesota’s Boye Mafe, or taken a medical redshirt on Michigan’s David Ojabo. Karlaftis is an above-average strong-side end in an old-school way, but his limitations could show up with more presence in the NFL.

Height: 6’3 3/4″ Weight: 266
40-Yard Dash: N/A
10-Yard Split: N/A
Bench Press: 21 reps (30th)
Vertical Jump: 38 inches (91st)
Broad Jump: 121 inches (80th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.36 seconds (66th)

Wingspan: 78 7/8 inches (23rd)
Arm Length: 32 5/8 inches (16th)
Hand Size: 10 1/4 inches (78th)

Bio: Football was not George Karlaftis’ first sport. Born in Athens, Greece, he was a top goalkeeper on Greece’s 16-and-under national water polo team. When his father died in 2014, Karlaftis’ mother moved the family to her hometown of West Lafayette, Indiana, and that’s where Karlaftis got his first taste of football. He became a four-star recruit, and turned down offers from most of the NCAA’s major programs in favor of Purdue, which was much closer to home. He made First-Team Freshman All-American and Second-Team All-Big Ten in 2019. leading Purdue with 7.5 sacks and 17.0 tackles for loss. In 2020, he missed half of the season due to injuries and COVID and still made Second-Team All-Big Ten. Last season, he made Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big Ten with five sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles.

Stat to Know: Among edge-rushers in the 2022 class, only Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie and Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson had a higher Pressure Share rate (the percentage of pressures created by one defender on a team)  than Karlaftis’ 27% in 2021.

Strengths: Karlaftis has an appealing combination of technique and effort — he goes hard all the time, and when he marries his pass-rush moves to that, the combination is tough to beat. This rip counter move, and chasing the quarterback? You can work with that in the NFL right now.

And even when he’s pressing to the pocket with everything he’s got, he’s aware of what’s going on around him. He was rewarded with a touchdown for this against Wisconsin.

The way he bodies into this spin move is something he can further develop at the NFL level. I’m impressed with the palette of techniques Karlaftis has developed, and there’s more to unlock.

Karlaftis was double-teamed at a pretty high rate, and he was generally able to create pressure — again, through speed and technique, and this is where the power comes in.

Weaknesses: The downside to Karlaftis’ elevated technique? He really needs it. His short wingspan and arm length show up when he tries to extend into the tackle, and it just doesn’t work consistently. A longer-armed tackle like Indiana’s Caleb Jones, who stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 362 pounds? If a guy like this gets his arms out first, Karlaftis is going to be stuck more often than not.

Karlaftis is also not a natural bender; he’s going to have to effort his way through the arc, and that does not always work. He’s more stocky and violent and quick than fluid.

Conclusion: Just because Karlaftis doesn’t pop off the tape as the traditional long, smooth edge defender doesn’t mean that he can’t succeed at the next level. There are physical limitations that will get in his way against the NFL’s best blockers, but I also have a feeling that he’ll work the game as well as he possibly can to become a productive player over a number of years.

NFL Comparison: Kyle Vanden Bosch. The common comparison here is Ryan Kerrigan, but beyond the whole “white pass-rushers who went to Purdue” thing, I can’t really go there. Kerrigan had more pure attributes that are more developable over time, while Karlaftis looks more like a very good player who is going to max out his potential — not a bad thing at all. The more I watched Karlaftis, the more I was reminded of Kyle Vanden Bosch, the estimable strong-side end who became a Pro Bowl force with the Tennessee Titans in the early 2000s. Like Vanden Bosch, I think that Karlaftis will be at his best aligned to the formation, kicking inside, and working stunts and twists. His NFL upside is a very good player who could be made great by alignment and scheme.

Minnesota Vikings select Georgia S Lewis Cine with the 32nd pick. Grade: A

The Minnesota Vikings have selected Georgia S Lewis Cine with the 32nd pick. Grade: A

With the 32nd pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings select Georgia S Lewis Cine.

GRADE: A

The Vikings came into the 2022 draft with all kinds of needs in their secondary, so it was probably a bit of a surprise when they traded from 12 to 32. But here, they get the second-best safety in the class outside of Kyle Hamilton, and Cine is a hammerhead defender who will make this defense better right away. Moreover, there are still a lot of good cornerbacks on the board, and Minnesota has extra picks to deal with that.

Height: 6’2 1/4″ (93rd) Weight: 199 (20th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.37 seconds (95th)
10-Yard Split: 1.51 seconds (83rd)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 37 inches (71st)
Broad Jump: 133 inches (96th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Wingspan: 78 inches (81st)
Arm Length: 32 1/4 inches (71st)
Hand Size: 9 3/8 inches (54th)

Bio: Born in Haiti, Cine was moved to Florida at age 4, and alternated between Haiti and Florida for a time before moving to Massachusetts, where he became a defensive back at Everett High School. Cine was named Massachusetts Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, the same year the Everett won the state championship. He then moved to Cedar Hill. Texas to live with his uncle, enrolling at Trinity Christian. Again, he was a standout player, and again, his team won the state championship.

The four-star recruit passed on Michigan, Florida, Penn State, and Texas in favor of Georgia, where he became a full-time starter in 2020, and a key part of the NCAA’s most dominant defense in 2021.

Over three seasons with the Bulldogs, Cine played 1,008 snaps at free safety, 338 in the box, 192 in the slot, 26 at cornerback, and 10 at the defensive line.

Stat to Know: In 2021, Cine had a blown or missed tackle on 10% of his attempts, which is something he’ll need to clean up at the next level.

Strengths: Cine has the athleticism and tracking skills to take catches away from receivers to either seam and boundary. If he gets inside position on this play, it’s a pick, and it’s plays like this that have me excited about his NFL future when he gets more detailed coaching.

He also has the easy movement skills to spy a mobile quarterback and track the ball at the same time.

Cine comes down and across on plays with the hammer. If he’s on a line to your general direction, your yards-after-catch experience is not what you think it’s going to be. Alabama tight end Slade Bolden could vouch for that.

Even if he’s in the deep third, your simple swing pass can be blown up once Cine gets a bead on your running back.

Weaknesses: Cine’s motorhead playing style does have its drawbacks — there are too many times where he’s to intent on making the kill shot, he’ll miss the tackle altogether. This happens against the run and the pass, and it’ll be up to his NFL coaches to get that under control.

Cine can also twist himself up into some missed coverages.

Conclusion: Right now, Cine has the NFL attributes to be an overhang enforcer who will cause trouble on anything in front of him. Over time, and once he cleans up a few things in coverage and with his tackling, he could be a top-10 NFL safety with his athleticism, aggressiveness, and coverage potential.

NFL Comparison: Jessie Bates III. Selected with the 54th pick in the 2018 draft out of Wake Forest, Bates started his NFL career as a rangy safety with a ton of tools, and became one of the league’s best and most underrated safeties both in the deep third and in the box when he put it all together. Cine can be that same style of player.

Cincinnati Bengals select Michigan DB Daxton Hill with the 31st pick. Grade: A

The Cincinnati Bengals have selected Michigan DB Daxton Hill with the 31st pick. Grade: A

With the X pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the X select Michigan DB Daxton Hill.

GRADE: A.

Here. I’ll just place what I wrote in my final mock draft, when I had the Bengals selecting Hill right here with the 31st pick:

The Bengals did a lot in free agency to upgrade their offensive line (a veritable and obvious necessity), and they may do more in this particular mock. But they also need help in the secondary — Chidobe Awuzie and Jessie Bates III are great defenders, and the addition of Hill, who can play everywhere from the slot to the deep third to outside cornerback, would give defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo all kinds of options.

Height: 6’0 1/4″ (39th) Weight: 191 (5th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.38 seconds (95th)
10-Yard Split: 1.47 seconds (97th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 34 inches (28th)
Broad Jump: 121 inches (53rd)
3-Cone Drill: 6.57 seconds (97th)
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.06 seconds (87th)

Wingspan: 79 1/4 inches (92nd)
Arm Length: 32 1/4 inches (71st)
Hand Size: 9 1/2 inches (63rd)

Bio: Coming out of Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa (where he was born), Hill was anything but a secret. He was a five-star recruit as a safety and occasional receiver, and was the No. 1 safety prospect in the 2019 class, and the No. 1 prospect in his state overall. Hill committed to Michigan, then Alabama, then back to Michigan on signing day. A three-year starter for the Wolverines, Hill excelled under defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who’s now the Ravens’ defensive coordinator. Another Ravens connection: Hill’s older brother Justice, a running back from Oklahoma State, was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 draft by Baltimore.

Over three seasons with the Wolverines, Hill played 311 snaps at free safety, 308 in the box, 906 in the slot, 35 at cornerback, and 33 at the defensive line.

Stat to Know: Sports Info Solutions defines its Hand-on-Ball Percentage metric as the “Percentage of plays where a defender got their “hand on the ball.” This includes breaking up or intercepting a pass as well as forcing or recovering a fumble.” Only Kyle Hamilton (1.9%) had a higher HOB rate among safeties last season than Hill’s 1.8%.

Strengths: Teams in need of a slot defender who can run in sub-packages right now would do well to consider Hill. He has the range to cover through the middle of the field, and the closing quickness to get to balls other defenders might not.

On this interception against Wisconsin, you can once again see the match qualities, closing speed and ball skills from the slot. Hill can both work the receiver’s route, and break off for the big play.

And here, it wasn’t Aidan Hutchinson or David Ojabo who was making Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett’s life miserable — it was Hill off the edge on a blitz. He’s excellent in this role.

And while he didn’t play the deep third a lot in Michigan’s defense, Hill certainly has the athletic profile to do that at the next level — especially two-deep.

Weaknesses: There are instances in which Hill, for all his coverage speed and quick-twitch skills, can lose to receivers in the recovery phase, and he doesn’t always have the last-second burst to make up for it. This appears to be more a matter of pre-snap positioning and post-snap understanding than any athletic issues. In other words, it’s coachable.

And let’s just say that Hill’s tackling won’t provide a lot of teach tape. He must improve his technique in this regard.

Conclusion: I would put Hill up there with Baylor’s Jalen Pitre as one of the two best slot defenders on this list — Hill will bring that value to his NFL team right away, and that extends to playing overhang roles in the deep slot. From there, it’s a decent transition to more of a interchangeable free safety role, which could make Hill a key cog in any defense — just as he was in college.

NFL Comparison: Jimmie Ward. Ward has been one of those underrated multi-position defensive backs ever since the 49ers took him with the 30th overall pick in the 2014 draft. But if you talk to his teammates, they’ll tell you that Ward is the guy who holds his defenses together with his acumen all over the field. Hill, who may turn out to be better than his college tape shows, may have the same transformative effect in the right home.

New England Patriots select Tennessee-Chattanooga OL Cole Strange with the 29th pick. Grade: D

The New England Patriots have selected Tennessee-Chattanooga OL Cole Strange with the 29th pick. Grade: D

With the 29th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New England Patriots select Tennessee-Chattanooga OL Cole Strange.

GRADE: D.

I’m not sure where the Patriots plan to play Strange. If they want him at guard, I’m not sure how well he fits the gap/power stuff that has been a mainstay for Bill Belichick’s team, and if they want him at center, I think Kentucky’s Luke Fortner would have been the better pick. Not that I’m questioning the football acumen of the greatest football coach I’ve ever seen… but this is a head-scratcher.

Height: 6’4 7/8″ (46th) Weight: 307 (34th)
40-Yard Dash: 5.03 seconds (90th)
10-Yard Split: 1.73 seconds (83rd)
Bench Press: 31 reps (86th)
Vertical Jump: 28 inches (51st)
Broad Jump: 120 inches (99th)
3-Cone Drill: 7.44 seconds (89th)
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.5 seconds (90th)

Wingspan: 79 3/4 inches (35th)
Arm Length: 33 inches (27th)
Hand Size: 10 1/8 inches (61st)

Bio: A two-star defensive line recruit out of Farragut High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, Strange committed to Tennessee-Chattanooga before his senior season, then decided on Air Force, then switched back because he wanted to be closer to his family. A two-time Jacobs Blocking Award winner, given to the top offensive lineman in the Southern Conference, Strange also made First-Team All-American in 2021, and accepted an invitation to the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Stat to Know: In 582 pass-blocking snaps over four seasons, Strange allowed one sack, four quarterback hits, and four quarterback hurries. If you’re worried about strength of competition for a guy who faced off against Austin Peay and Wofford a lot of the time, consider that in 38 pass-blocking reps against Kentucky last season, he gave up no sacks, one quarterback hit, and no quarterback hurries. That Kentucky defensive line included Joshua Paschal, one of the more underrated prospects in the 2022 draft class (more on him in a few days).

Strengths: Strange has a good eye for twists, games, and blitzes — he keeps his head on a swivel and is perfectly capable of setting the edge to either side.

He’s accurate and focused when it’s time to get up to the second level and hit his target.

He’s active and agile with his feet.

Once he got to the Senior Bowl, Strange showed good movement skills, active hands, and a feisty demeanor at center.

Weaknesses: Strange’s Senior Bowl highlights show him getting bulled back at times, which also shows up on his tape. He is more an agile mover than a pure power pig. One NFC scouting director told NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein to watch Strange against South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw in 2018, and we can do that. Strange didn’t win a lot of power matches, but he did drop the hammer on this pass after it was released.

Conclusion: There are two modes of thought about players from smaller schools. You want to see them dominate “lesser” competition, but you also want to see like as like as much as possible against other NFL prospects. Strange checks both boxes as a prospect who looked especially conversant in games against opponents who had more talent, and in his time at the Senior Bowl.

NFL Comparison: J.C. Tretter. Selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, Tretter played all over the line for his first few seasons, but eventually became defined as a center, and a very good one. Strange has potential as a guard at the next level, but with his size, relative lack of power, intelligence, and agility, he might very well profile better as a center in the pros.

Green Bay Packers select Georgia IDL Devonte Wyatt with the 28th pick. Grade: B

The Green Bay Packers have selected Georgia IDL Devonte Wyatt with the 28th pick. Grade: B

With the 28th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers select Georgia IDL Devonte Wyatt.

GRADE: B.

Wyatt is an amazing interior defensive lineman who brings Kenny Clark to mind, and when dealing with the Packers’ interior defensive line over the last few seasons, it’s been all about doubling Clark and singling everybody else. That changes now. Green Bay’s defense got a lot better with Wyatt and linebacker Quay Walker, and Aaron Rodgers has months to complain about no first-round receivers on Pat McAfee’s show.

Mark Schofield’s scouting report:

Height: 6’3″ (45th) Weight: 304 (57th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.77 seconds (94th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 29 inches (40th)
Broad Jump: 9’3″ (72nd)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Bio: Graded as a three-star recruit out of Towers High School in Decatur, Georgia, Devonte Wyatt made his original commitment to play college football for South Carolina. But when the in-state Bulldogs made a late push for him, Wyatt flipped his commitment to Georgia.

However, he was then ruled academically ineligible to play at Georgia, so he began his college career at Hutchinson Community College, where he tallied 30 tackles and three sacks his freshman year. Once his academic requirements were met, he enrolled at Georgia as a sophomore.

Wyatt used the extra year of eligibility offered to college athletes due to COVID-19 and returned for a final season this past year, and helped the Bulldogs win a National Championship. This past year Wyatt was named a First-Team All-SEC performer.

Stat to Know: Wyatt has the ability to align almost anywhere up front. Pro Football Focus charted him with snaps anywhere from a 0-technique up front to an alignment outside on the edge.

Strengths: Wyatt wins in two ways: With his first two steps off the line, and with his ability to counter blockers with a well-rounded arsenal of moves. His explosiveness off the line is a the top of the class, and when Georgia turned him loose to slant into gaps off the snap, he was nearly unblockable. He displayed elite lateral quickness and footwork, with the ability to track outside zone running plays down from behind.

Where I was most impressed was with his ability to counter blockers. On this play against Michigan, you can see that at work as he transitions from a power-rushing move into a quick swim move to generate pressure on the quarterback:

That pass-rushing ability showed up this year as Wyatt notched four sacks, a career-high. Teams looking for a pass rusher on the inside are going to love what they see. Plus, his quickness off the snap makes him a terror on stunts and scheme games up front. There were moments on film where it looked like his job was to create pathways for linebackers and edge rushers, but he ended up getting home as well, or at least generating some pressure on the quarterback.

Weaknesses: The biggest knock on Wyatt is that when he sees blockers at the next level who can match his quickness, can he then win with power? I think that is a question he answered with his ability to counter blockers with secondary movements, but until we see it at the next level, that box is unchecked. If he adds a bit of a power game to his arsenal, he can be a force.

Conclusion: For many, Wyatt as DT1 is etched in stone. I certainly understand, and deciding between him and Davis is a tough call. Both are tremendously talented players who should come off the board in the first round…and on the early side. Wyatt is less of a projection than Davis, given what we have seen from him as a pass rusher, and if he ends up the first DT taken it will not be a surprise at all.

NFL Comparison: Derrik Klassen went with Kenny Clark for Wyatt, and that is the first comparison I’ve seen that made sense to me.

Jacksonville Jaguars select Utah LB Devin Lloyd with the 27th pick. Grade: A

The Jacksonville Jaguars have selected Utah LB Devin Lloyd with the 27th pick. Grade: A

With the 27th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select Utah LB Devin Lloyd. They traded up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for this spot. 

GRADE: A.

The Jaguars’ front seven just got a whole lot more interesting this offseason. With the signing of former Falcons linebacker Foyesade Oluokun in free agency, and the selection of Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker first overall, defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell can deploy Walker and Josh Allen outside with Oluokun and Lloyd as the off-ball ‘backers, and he can kick Walker inside, moving Lloyd to an EDGE role. Lloyd as quite possibly the best player in the Pac-12 last season, and his versatility will show up right away.

Mark Schofield’s scouting report: 

Height: 6’3″ (82nd) Weight: 237 (51st)
40-Yard Dash: 4.66 seconds (52nd)
Bench Press: 25 reps (80th)
Vertical Jump: 35 inches (60th)
Broad Jump: 10’6″ (91st)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Bio: A safety in high school, Devin Lloyd was a three-star recruit according to 247Sports. Coming out of Otay Ranch High School in Chula Vista, California, Lloyd originally committed to UNLV, but flipped to Utah in February of 2017, as the Utes provided him with his only offer from a Power Five school.

Lloyd redshirted as a freshman, but saw action in all of Utah’s games during the 2018 season as a reserve. He stepped into a starting role for the 2019 season at linebacker, racking up 91 tackles, 6.5 sacks and an interception. During the 2020 season, Lloyd played in all five games of the shortened campaign, notching 48 tackles and a pair of sacks.

Lloyd came back to school for his senior campaign, rather than enter the 2021 NFL draft. He led the Pac-12 with eight sacks, and notched another 66 tackles and four interceptions. He was named a First-Team All-American, and was the MVP of the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Stat to Know: As we will see, Lloyd can impact the passing game in a number of ways. Pro Football Focus charted him with four forced incompletions (fourth among linebackers in college football) and 31 pressures, which was sixth among linebackers.

Strengths: Lloyd is perhaps as complete a linebacker as it gets, and the fact the finds ways to impact the passing game makes him ideal for the modern NFL. He is a long defender who puts that length to use, impacting passing lanes, getting to the catch point in either man or zone coverage, or bursting off the edge when Utah aligned him as a pass rusher in passing situations. The Utes used him all over the field, putting him in the A-Gaps in mugged up looks to create pressure, or aligning him on the edge in a three-point stance in sub packages.

Here is how that length shows up in coverage, as he gets to the seam route and prevents the completion:

Then you can see the length off the edge, when Utah lets him attack off the outside:

When used as a pass rusher, Lloyd showed solid technique, with a variety of pass-rushing moves including a cross/chop, a dip/rip and a violent hand swat technique. If he cannot get home, Lloyd’s length can still be disruptive off the edge, even against quick-game concepts:

Lloyd displayed great awareness on the field, even when used in different roles. When Utah dropped him down to the edge, Lloyd would constantly fight to set that edge against the run, showing a great understanding of defensive structure and roles.

A complete player in a rather deep class, Lloyd offers three-down ability on his first day in the league.

Weaknesses: It is hard to find flaws in his game. Pro Football Focus noted that he missed some tackles — they charted him with a 11.5% missed tackle percentage — and that might be a concern. After all, as Bill Belichick loves to tell people, sometimes you lose games because you can’t tackle.

Conclusion: Lloyd is a perfect modern linebacker, who can impact the passing game both as a rusher and a coverage player, and consistently finds ways to put himself in position to help when the offense keeps the ball on the ground. Personally, I will be stunned if he lasts too long on the first night of the draft.

Comparison: When you think of the modern NFL linebacker, with the ability to impact the passing game in multiple ways, Fred Warner is the first name that comes to mind. In talking with others around the media landscape, this seems to be the common comparison.

I have another comparison in mind, however, and it brings us to our first true “outside the box” comparison of this draft cycle…

I have been playing a lot of “Elden Ring” these past few weeks. The game is punishing, and demoralizing at times, but I keep coming back for more. Those who have played the game probably have run into an Erdtree Avatar or two, these massive creatures that swing these huge hammers at you, and if you are not careful and get too close, you get one-shotted and have to reload. Their length, like the game, is punishing.

That’s Lloyd.