Tag: 2022 nfl draft grades

New York Jets select Florida State EDGE Jermaine Johnson II with the 26th pick. Grade: A+

The New York Jets select Florida State EDGE Jermaine Johnson II with the 26th pick. Grade: A+

With the X pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Jets select Florida State EDGE Jermaine Johnson II.

GRADE: A+.

Since Johnson was my top edge-rusher in this class, and the Jets managed to get him by trading up to 26 with the Titans… well, this is ridiculous. The Jets got out of the first round with three picks: Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Johnson. You could argue that they came away with the best prospects at three positions of massive need, and you can’t do any better than that.

Height: 6’4 5/8″ (69th) Weight: 254 (20th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.58 seconds (93rd)
10-Yard Split: 1.55 seconds (97th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 32 inches (36th)
Broad Jump: 125 inches (92nd)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Wingspan: 81 5/8 inches (69th)
Arm Length: 34 inches (66th)
Hand Size: 9 7/8 inches (48th)

Bio: A high-school defensive lineman and receiver in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Johnson received major college offers as a three-star recruit, but academics got in the way, and he spent two years at Independence Community College in Kansas, and was featured on the Netflix series, “Last Chance U.” Then, he committed to Georgia over Texas, USC, and Oregon. Johnson struggled to find the reps he needed in the Bulldogs’ stacked defenses (403 total snaps in the 2019 and 2020 seasons), so he used the transfer portal to finish his collegiate career at Florida State. It was a wise decision, as his snap count shot up to 736, and he amassed 46 total pressures on 416 pass-rushing snaps.

Stat to Know: In 2021, Johnson tied with Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie and San Diego State’s Cameron Thomas for the NCAA’s highest tackle for loss rate per game among edge defenders at 1.5.

Strengths: In today’s front-versatile NFL, you want an edge defender who has some game inside the tackles, and Johnson qualifies. Here, Johnson faces off with Boston College left guard Zion Johnson, the No. 1 interior offensive lineman on our list, and takes him to the ground on a snatch-and-go. Johnson doesn’t get to the quarterback, but here’s where you can see how he uses his hands as an inside rusher.

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Speaking of top blockers, watch how Johnson moves to Ickey Ekwonu’s inside shoulder, and then rips him to the outside to stop the run. Hitting a Top-10 draft prospect with the okey-doke like this makes me think that Johnson will bedevil NFL tackles with the same ridiculously quick inside-to-outside moves.

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This rep on the outside shows how Johnson has many different plans to get to the quarterback. He looks to have a hitch like Charles Barkley’s golf swing, but it’s as if he’s waiting for the right tackle to declare, and he just blasts off from there.

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Enough of the secrecy in this case — here, Johnson goes with the straight bull-rush for the sack.

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And this do-it-all play is pretty ridiculous.

Weaknesses: Johnson isn’t always centered as a tackler when he needs to be — as on this play against Florida, where he’s so into his moves to get to the backfield, he kinda forgets to take it home. There are too many tackling whiffs on his tape.

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This is fairly common among collegiate edge defenders, but you’d like to see fewer stints where Johnson isn’t using his hands as aggressively as he can. When he’s coasting as opposed to setting the tone with his hands and technique, he becomes ordinary.

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Conclusion: There are some analysts who will tell you that Johnson is scratching the surface of his potential, and he might be the best edge player in this class over the next few seasons. Based on the tape and attributes, I’d say he’s there already. There was enough on the Georgia tape to give an indication that Johnson would turn into a dominant player once he got more opportunities, and that’s exactly what happened in 2021. Johnson already has a high floor, and the ceiling is vaulted.

NFL Comparison: Aldon Smith. Selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft out of Missouri by the 49ers, Smith was an immediate force with 14 sacks in a rookie season in which he didn’t start a single game. A first-team All-Pro in 2012 with 19.5 sacks in 2012, Smith looked like one of the NFL’s most promising players until off-field things got in the way. This is not to say that Johnson has off-field issue — it’s to say that he brings the same combination of power, speed, technique, and potential I saw in Smith at his very best.

Baltimore Ravens select Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum with the 25th pick. Grade: A

The Baltimore Ravens have selected Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum with the 25th pick. Grade: A

With the 25th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Baltimore Ravens select Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum.

GRADE: A.

I’ve mocked Linderbaum to the Ravens more than once, and I was doing it to their 14th overall pick. For Baltimore to get a guy at a position of need that general manager Eric DeCosta compared to future Hall of Famer Marshal Yanda at the scouting combine? That’s a spicy meatball, and when you combine this with Baltimore getting (STEALING) Kyle Hamilton with the 14th pick, it looks like the Ravens are on their way to crushing yet another draft.

Height: 6’2 1/8″ (6th) Weight: (5th)
40-Yard Dash: N/A
10-Yard Split: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Wingspan: 75 5/8 inches (1st)
Arm Length: 31 1/8 inches (1st)
Hand Size: 10 inches (50th)

Bio: Linderbaum played offensive and defensive line at Solon High School in Solon, Iowa. Though the three-star recruit got an offer from Minnesota, he was a devoted Hawkeyes fan, and Iowa was the choice when the school came calling. He got 18 snaps as a defensive tackle in his freshman season of 2018, followed by a redshirt year in which he moved to the other side of the ball, replacing current Chicago Bears lineman James Daniels, who left school early. That stuck from then on, as Linderbaum made First-Team All-American in 2020, repeating that award in 2021. Last season, Linderbaum also made First-Team All-Big Ten, he was named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, and he won the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation’s best center.

Stat to Know: Linderbaum’s Blown Block rate of 1.6% ranked 39th among offensive lineman in the NCAA in 2021. He did allow just one sack and seven total pressures on 457 pass-blocking snaps.

Strengths: Linderbaum is as functionally agile and mobile as you could ever expect from a center; this play against Kentucky is particularly noteworthy as he seems tangled up at the line of scrimmage, but then disengages and gets 30 yards downfield in no time.

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And while he’s not the most powerful center in this class, when he gets upfield and gets a head of steam going, he’s a real problem for second-level defenders with his understanding of leverage. Linderbaum has aggressive hands and excellent technique to take defenders where they don’t really want to go.

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Weaknesses: Linderbaum’s relative lack of size shows up when he’s facing bigger men in gaps and right over his head — there are times when he’ll simply get physically overwhelmed.

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He will also give way to quicker defenders running inside speed moves and crossing his face.

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Conclusion: Last season, the Hawkeyes blocked zone on 93% of their offensive snaps, and that proved to be the best fit for Linderbaum. His NFL team should be one that required a center who can reach the point in all kinds of zone concepts. If you need a gap mauler to snap the ball? There are other centers in this class far more qualified to make that happen.

NFL Comparison: Jason Kelce. At the scouting combine, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta compared Linderbaum to Marshal Yanda, who is a future Hall of Famer to me. I don’t quite see Yanda’s ferocious play strength in Linderbaum’s game, but he does put me very much in mind of Kelce, the five-time Pro Bowler and four-time First-Team All-Pro who has established quite a career with quickness and intelligence over root strength and power. That’s not to denigrate Kelce’s or Linderbaum’s power — it’s just a different kind of player. If you want a top-tier move center, this is your guy.

Dallas Cowboys select Tulsa OT Tyler Smith with the 24th pick. Grade: C

The Dallas Cowboys have selected Tulsa OT Tyler Smith with the 24th pick. Grade: C

With the 24th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys select Tulsa offensive tackle Tyler Smith.

GRADE: C.

I had Smith as my sixth-graded offensive tackle, and among players at this position still on the board, I would consider Central Michigan’s Bernhard Raimann and Washington State’s Abraham Lucas as better prospects. But if you want a pure power tackle, and you don’t want to take on Trevor Penning’s on-field baggage. Smith probably replaces La’El Collins on the right side for now. Whether he can replace Tyron Smith on the left side later? That’s a big question.

Height: 6’4 5/8″ (44th) Weight: 324 (82nd)
40-Yard Dash: 5.02 seconds (90th)
10-Yard Split: 1.71 seconds (90th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 27.5 inches (45th)
Broad Jump: 105 inches (65th)
3-Cone Drill: 7.78 seconds (53rd)
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.65 seconds (67th)

Wingspan: 83 1/8 inches (85th) 
Arm Length: 34 inches (65th)
Hand Size: 10 3/4 inches (92nd)

Bio: Smith was a first-team all-district and third-team all-state guard and tackle at North Crowley High School in Fort Worth, TX, and committed to Tulsa for a 2019 season that saw him in four games as a freshman. Smith expanded his snaps in 2020, but 2021 was the season in which he really got on the national map. He pitched a virtual shutout against Ohio State with no sacks or quarterback hits allowed, and he gave up just one quarterback hit against Cincinnati. He ended his collegiate career with Second-Team All-ACC honors.

The person Smith would most like to meet, dead or alive, per his school bio, is Hannibal Barca, the Carthaginian general considered to be one of the greatest military commanders in world history. That’s the first time we’ve typed that for a draft prospect.

Stat to Know: In Smith’s final four games — against Tulane, Temple, SMU, and Old Dominion in the Myrtle Beach Bowl — he allowed no sacks or quarterback pressures of any kind.

Strengths: Smith has a massive lower body, and when he’s set, good luck out-powering him. Even if you bend him back, he’s not going anywhere.

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Smith can be vulnerable to defenders crossing his face, but defenders crossing his face also have to be wary of Smith recovering and dropping the hammer.

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But his primary determinism is to out-leverage you, get you on your back, and end you over time. Smith had more pure cockroach blocks than any other tackle prospect I watched this year. Here, he also shows a great ability to position himself to put the edge-rusher where he wants the edge-rusher to go. This is how Smith sets the edge in both the run and pass games, and plays like this make me wonder if he’d be even better at guard.

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Weaknesses: No matter how strong you are, if you’re not rooted and comfortable with your technique, an edge defender (even an edge defender you outweigh by 100 pounds) can knock you right on your ass. Smith needs to be more consistent with this to take optimal advantage of his natural strength.

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Another example of this — Smith needs to get his feet under better control so that he can use his estimable tools to more consistently pass-protect as he’s able.

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Conclusion: Smith was one of the most fascinating players to watch in this draft class, regardless of position. His height/weight profile and overall play style tend to scream, “Move him to guard,”, but his wingspan and ability to get things done in the passing game make that move more complicated. He is not an ideal side-to-side pass-blocker just yet, but if you put him in an offense where absolute power is the primary goal, and he can use shorter sets in the near term, I think he’ll be just fine outside. The main thing is to get his lower body cleaned up, and I imagine that will be Job One for his NFL coaching staff.

NFL Comparison: Dion Dawkins. Selected in the second round of the 2017 draft out of Temple, Dawkins has become an estimable power tackle who still needs help with short-area awareness and keeping his feet under him at times — this is where the sacks he allows come into focus. Some teams may have moved the 6-foot-5, 320-pound Dawkins to guard, but the Bills — who have a pass-heavy offense with a lot of quick game, despite Josh Allen’s ability to throw the ball over them mountains — have made it work. Smith could have a similar (mostly) positive effect.

Buffalo Bills select Florida CB Kaiir Elam with the 23rd pick. Grade: B

The Buffalo Bills have selected Florida CB Kaiir Elam with the 23rd pick. Grade: B

With the 23rd pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills select Florida CB Kaiir Elam.

The Bills traded up with the Ravens to take Elam, the Florida cornerback, who brings the kind of aggressive coverage skills preferred by Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier. He’s a bit of a work in progress in that his more bully-ball tendencies might be frowned upon by NFL referees, but this is a good pick at a position of need.

GRADE: B.

Height: 6’2″ (90th) Weight: 191 (46th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.39 seconds (84th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Mark Schofield’s scouting report:

Bio: Kaiir Elam was a four-star prospect coming out of The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, Florida. While in high school he played both defensive back and wide receiver, and for his career he notched nine interceptions on defense, while adding another 97 catches for 1,490 yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver. He also played basketball in the winter — averaging almost 12 points per game over his career — and was a sprinter in the spring season.

Elam chose Florida over a number of schools, including Clemson, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame and Ohio State. He stepped right into the rotation for the Gators as a true freshman in 2019, recording three interceptions while making five starts that year. During the 2020 campaign, Elam started all 12 games and finished the year with a pair of interceptions, and 11 pass breakups.

This past season, Elam started nine games, as he missed three with an injury suffered against Alabama. He finished the year with an interception, and allowed only 18 catches (on 35 targets) for 185 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His father Abram Elam played college football at both Notre Dame and Kent State before spending six years in the NFL as a safety. Elam’s uncle Matt Elam was a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2012 draft as a safety, and is currently playing for the Edmonton Elks with the CFL.

Stat to Know: As we will discuss in a moment, press coverage is a strength of Elam’s. He saw 184 press coverage snaps last season, 39th-most among college football cornerbacks according to Pro Football Focus.

Strengths: Teams looking for a press coverage cornerback that can play some bully ball are going to love Elam. He is not afraid to take the fight to receivers and jam them off the line, but can also use his feet and change-of-direction skills to play press-bail technique with confidence.

His patience also stands out when in press alignment. On this snap against Jameson Williams, watch as Elam fights to keep his hips as parallel as possible, waiting for Williams to declare, and then he matches his speed on the vertical route:

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This play against South Florida is an example of Elam taking the fight to the receiver. He gets in a solid jam off the snap, but stumbles on the receiver’s break as the offensive player gets in a little shove at the top of his stem. Elam recovers, and makes an interception on an errant throw:

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Elam is a press coverage corner with experience against upper-level competition throughout his college career. That should have teams giving him serious consideration in the first round.

Weaknesses: Discipline, both with his hands and his eyes, is where Elam needs to improve. He was flagged for seven penalties in his ten games a year ago, and will need to learn how to balance his physical style of play with how the game is called at the next level.

Take this play against Alabama, where he draws a flag for defensive pass interference:

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At first blush, this looks like good coverage. But with both Elam and John Metchie III hand fighting along the route, Elam is the one that gets flagged. You just know this kind of play will be called against him on Sundays.

Eye discipline is another area where Elam can improve. There are moments where he gets caught peeking in the backfield, hoping to jump a route or throw, and then loses track of his receiver or the nearest threat when he is in zone coverage.

Conclusion: His ability in press, coupled with his experience against some of the best receivers that you could see on Saturdays, makes Elam a solid option at the position early in the draft. If he gets a little more disciplined with his eyes and his hands, he can become a solid CB1 for an NFL team.

Comparison: Joe Marino of The Draft Network compared Elam to Carlton Davis, and that is the most apt comparison I have come across.

Green Bay Packers select Georgia LB Quay Walker with the 22nd pick. Grade: B

The Green Bay Packers have selected Georgia LB Quay Walker with the 22nd pick. Grade: B

With the 22nd pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers select Georgia LB Quay Walker.

GRADE: B.

There’s no doubt the Packers were looking at a receiver here after trading Davante Adams to the Raiders, but the value wasn’t there after an early run at the position, so Green Bay wisely chooses to upgrade their linebacker corps. Walker, who can blitz, cover, and play off-ball, should be an excellent complement to De’Vondre Campbell, who really defined that defense in 2021.

Mark Schofield’s scouting report: 

Height: 6’4″ (95th) Weight: 241 (68th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.52 seconds (90th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 31 inches (23rd)
Broad Jump: 10’2″ (77th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Bio: Quay Walker attended Crisp County High School in Cordele, Georgia, and was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. As a junior in 2017, he notched 109 tackles and eight sacks, and that led to his initial decision to play for Nick Saban at Alabama. But in February of 2018, he announced he had changed his mind, and decided to stay in-state and play for Kirby Smart at Georgia.

Walker played in all 14 games as a true freshman, largely in a reserve role. He took on more snaps as a sophomore, and finished the 2019 season with 23 tackles and 2.5 sacks. During the 2020 campaign, Walker recorded 43 tackles and a sack.

Last year Walker was part of one of the more impressive college defenses in recent history, and had his most productive year on campus. He recorded 65 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss, and 1.5 sacks on the season.

Stat to Know: Rivalry games might be his thing. Walker’s most productive game in college came this past year against Florida, where he notched 13 total tackles.

Strengths: Walker can impact the game sideline-to-sideline, is explosive when attacking downfield or pressuring the passer, and uses that athletic ability to avoid blocks whether attacking downhill or playing over the top of trash in a crowded box.

Walker also looks very comfortable playing in space. He would often align in an overhang role in 3×1 or even 4×1 situations, and showed great feel for those moments. On those occasions, you also saw that athleticism as he flowed to the football, avoided blockers along the way, and had the closing speed to track down the ball-carrier.

Walker also is active in the pre-snap phase, and his film is filled with examples of him helping align teammates, calling out formations and checks, and helping the other ten on the field get into the right call. Both he and Dean shined in this aspect of the position. This play against Michigan is a prime example of what he brings to the table from the mental perspective. You can see him active pre-snap, calling things out, and then the awareness in underneath zone coverage:

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Weaknesses: Still, coverage is a bit of a mixed bag with Walker. He plays with active hands and can disrupt both throwing lanes and at the catch point. Walker shows adequate feel for zone match coverages, with the awareness to carry or collide based on the offensive formation and concept, yet he could still improve in this area. He is also aggressive in man coverage situations, and will bite on double-moves or even an initial juke from a back or tight end.

He might also be an example of “game fast” and not “track fast.” His straight-line speed was not impressive at the Combine, but his awareness and feel for the position gives him a head-start on the field. Will that continue at the next level?

Conclusion: Walker is getting a lot of buzz as the draft approaches. As recently as March he was coming off the board in the second and third round of most mock drafts. Now? Walker is inside the first round, often coming off the board at 21 to the New England Patriots. You can see this trend thanks to the highly informative MockDraftDatabase:

His feel and awareness, coupled with everyone rewatching the Georgia defense to see Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Devonte Wyatt and everyone else might have people taking a second look. At a floor, Walker looks like a solid NFL linebacker.

Comparison: I see some shades of Bobby Okereke to his game.

Kansas City Chiefs select Washington CB Trent McDuffie with the 21st pick. Grade: A

The Kansas City Chiefs select Washington CB Trent McDuffie with the 21st pick. Grade: A

With the 21st pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select Washington CB Trent McDuffie.

GRADE: A.

The Chiefs have needs at receiver after the Tyreek Hill trade, but instead trade up with the Patriots (who have a real need at cornerback) for Trent McDuffie, the best CB in this draft not named Sauce Gardner or Derek Stingley Jr. McDuffie is an aggressive man cornerback with great range who will fit perfectly in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.

Mark Schofield’s scouting report: 

Height: 5’11” (52nd) Weight: 193 (57th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.44 seconds (66th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Bio: Trent McDuffie earned three varsity letters for St. John Bosco High School in California, helping his team earn a spot in the championship game of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. He was graded as a four-star recruit by 247Sports, and the 12-best cornerback in the 2019 recruiting class.

McDuffie chose to play his college football at Washington, turning down offers from schools such as Oregon State, UCLA and Alabama. He stepped right into the lineup as a true freshman for the Huskies, playing in all 13 games and making 11 starts during the 2019 season. He started all four of Washington’s game in 2020, recording 14 tackles and an interception.

This past season saw McDuffie earn Third-Team All-American honors, as he recorded 35 tackles — including four for a loss — and his only collegiate sack.

Stat to Know: According to data from Pro Football Focus, McDuffie has been a shutdown corner since setting foot on campus. He allowed just 339 yards on 439 coverage snaps as a true freshman, and followed that up with just 111 yards on 296 coverage snaps this past season.

Strengths: If you like Andrew Booth Jr., you might love McDuffie. The Washington cornerback played a similar number of zone snaps, but with perhaps better execution, particularly at the strike point. Over his career. PFF charted McDuffie with a missed tackle rate of just 6.9%, which is an impressive number. Plays like this are the reason why:

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McDuffie is the boundary cornerback, and employs press-bail technique on this play against Washington State. He drops under the out-breaking route from the inside receiver in this Flat-Seven Smash concept, and rallies downhill to make a sure tackle, after the first defender misses in space.

Where I started to lose my mind watching him was seeing him defender crossers, starting from an off alignment and working over the top of traffic in the box. On this play against Colorado, the offense faces a 3rd and 4 in a game with the score knotted at ten in the third quarter. Watch as McDuffie holds a two-yard throw to a two-yard gain, thanks to his closing speed and the ability to work over the top of the traffic inside:

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Even better was this snap against Arizona, where McDuffie actually makes a tackle for a loss on this play:

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Press-man coverage is a bit more of a question mark with McDuffie than, say, Derek Stingley Jr. or Sauce Gardner, but the potential is there. On this play against Colorado, McDuffie matches the vertical route well, getting to the hip of the receiver and closing down the throwing lane:

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Whether McDuffie can build upon this foundation in the NFL is perhaps the bigger question.

Weaknesses: The main weakness with McDuffie might be his size. He comes in under six-feet tall, and the lack of length adds to concerns about his frame. McDuffie’s arms measured in at 29.75 inches, putting him in the seventh percentile of cornerbacks. That lack of size might have contributed to the lack of production during his college career, as McDuffie posted just two interceptions while in college. Pro Football Focus also charted him with just nine pass breakups on 100 targets during his time at Washington.

Will his size make him a pure slot cornerback at the next level? Washington used him almost exclusively on the outside, as he played 593 snaps on the boundary last season, in contrast with just 12 on the inside, but if he if viewed as a slot cornerback by teams, that might hurt his draft stock.

Then there is the technique in man coverage, and particularly in press-man coverage. His experience in zone has provided him with solid technique in those coverage, but press technique is still a work in progress. If you watch that game against Washington State, he seemed to struggle against bigger receivers when asked to use press technique. On this play, he is late to the punch, and lets the receiver get inside leverage on the slant route:

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If he is going to play in a press-heavy scheme, he’ll need to refine the technique on the boundary.

Conclusion: McDuffie can slide into zone-heavy systems and play on Day One, even on the boundary despite his lack of size and length. He can also play in a few different roles at the next level, as Washington did use him in the slot and even as a deep safety at times. Teams that rely more on man coverage, however, might want more experience and refined technique from a player in the first round.

Comparison: Drae Harris went with Byron Murphy as his comparison in his profile of McDuffie for The Draft Network, and that fits for a number of reasons.

Pittsburgh Steelers select Pitt QB Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick. Grade: B

The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Pitt QB Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick. Grade: B

With the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Pitt QB Kenny Pickett.

GRADE: B.

The Steelers needed to hit it down the fairway with their quarterback search ,and Mitch Trubisky wasn’t going to do it. Pickett is that solid double — the most pro-ready quarterback in this class, and a prospect with some upside. At his best, Pickett projects as the good version of Kirk Cousins. Is that the upside you want to bet on? Or, do you take a more developmental guy with better traits like Malik Willis? The Steelers, who are a quarterback away from doing something special in the postseason, went with the safer bet.

Mark Schofield’s scouting report: 

Height:  6’3″ (60th) Weight: 217 (36th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.73 seconds (66th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 34 inches (76th)
Broad Jump: 10’1″ (90th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Bio: Kenny Pickett was one of the top high school prospects coming out of New Jersey in the 2017 recruiting class, and after originally committing to Temple, he flipped his commitment to Pittsburgh, where he spent his entire collegiate career.

Pickett started the final game of the season during his true freshman year, leading Pittsburgh to an upset over Miami, who at the time was ranked the number-two team in the country. In that victory, Pickett hit on 18 of 29 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, and ran for two more scores.

Pickett would be the Panthers starting quarterback for the rest of his time on campus, and he decided to use the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes due to COVID-19 to return for one more year this past season. He is probably glad he did, as Pickett put himself into first-round contention with a season that saw him finish as a Heisman finalist. He threw for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns, and became the school’s career leader in passing touchdowns and passing yards, eclipsing Dan Marino.

Stat to Know: Over his first four years on campus, Pickett threw 39 touchdown passes. He threw 42 in his final season.

Strengths: While the argument for Willis is one of upside and ceiling, the argument for Pickett and the quarterback we are going to discuss next is one of floor. During his time in Pittsburgh Pickett displayed the ability to attack all levels of the field, to layer in throws around defenders and over coverage, and to work through concepts and get the football where it needs to be, when it needs to be there.

Pickett can attack defenses with anticipation on throws, and take advantage of coverage with an understanding of concepts and leverage. On this completion against Duke, you see those traits as he delivers the stop route on time and in rhythm, putting the throw towards the boundary and away from the leverage of the nearest defender:

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As we have long maintained here at Touchdown Wire, yardage after the catch is in part a quarterback statistic. Pickett’s timing, rhythm and placement create the opportunity for YAC on this play.

Pickett is an accurate passer, and that continues even when he is on the move. In a win over Clemson that put him firmly in the first-round discussion, one of his biggest throws came on this third-down conversion before halftime, where he was used on a designed sprint-out to the right and dropped in a perfect throw while rolling out:

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While not having the athleticism of Willis, Pickett can move well in the pocket — with a caveat to be discussed — and as we have seen, he can throw well when forced off the spot or while on the move.

Weaknesses: Much of the discussion regarding Pickett this draft cycle has focused on his hand size. To be clear, measuring in with 8.5-inch hands makes him an outlier, as the last quarterback with such a measurement was Michael Vick.

However, that measurement does need to be given context, as our own Doug Farrar did during the Combine. Are you seeing fumble issues? With 38 fumbles over four-plus years, including 26 lost fumbles, perhaps that is a big number. Then, watch him play in the elements. A few years ago Brett Rypien — a quarterback I was rather high on — faced similar concerns and you could see issues crop up when he was playing in the elements.

Pickett played his home games in Pittsburgh, and this past season you did not see issues with him losing the football in clean pockets due to weather conditions. However, in 2019 he coughed up the football in a game against Virginia Tech that was played in rainy conditions, where the ball seemed to slip out of his hands.

That was prior to him wearing a glove on his throwing hand.

However, the biggest concern, from where I sit, is how Picket handles pressure in the pocket. When he knows it is coming — and where it is coming from — he is adept at moving, sliding and creating space to extend plays. However, if the pressure comes in an unexpected manner, then his response to the pressure is a bit more erratic.

In the world of simulated pressures, where sometimes the points of pressure in the pocket come from areas you are not expecting them to, that is going to be something he must improve upon at the next level.

Conclusion: There are two teams that I think would be ideal landing spots for Pickett: Carolina and New Orleans. Both teams — with Ben McAdoo in Carolina and Pete Carmichael in New Orleans — are likely going to be rooted in West Coast passing concepts, a system that might be the ideal fit for Pickett and what he does best. Pickett is an accurate passer who throws with touch, rhythm and anticipation, things that still matter at the position. If he can clean up how he handles pressure in the pocket — or gets the chance to play behind a great offensive line — he can grow into an upper-level NFL starting quarterback.

Comparison: Joe Marino of The Draft Network went with the Andy Dalton comparison, and that seems rather accurate.

Resources: For a deeper dive on Pickett, you can watch this extensive breakdown of him put together by myself and Matt Waldman of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio:

You can also watch this dive into Pickett and the mental perspective:

New Orleans Saints select Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning with the 19th pick. Grade: F

The New Orleans Saints have selected Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning with the 19th pick. Grade: F

With the X pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the X select Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning.

GRADE: F.

Okay. I get that the Saints need an offensive tackle after losing Terron Armstead to the Dolphins in free agency. And I get that everybody loves Penning after he threw a bunch of guys around during Senior Bowl practices. But there’s a big difference between bullying guys around in a controlled environment, and dealing with the best edge defenders the NFL has to offer. The Saints have made a major mistake here, and it could affect their offense for a while. I had a third-round grade on Penning, and that was generous.

Height: 6’7 1/8″ (95th) Weight: 325 (83rd)
40-Yard Dash: 4.89 seconds (97th)
10-Yard Split: 1.7 seconds (93rd)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 28 inches (51st)
Broad Jump: 111 inches (89th)
3-Cone Drill: 7.25 seconds (98th)
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.62 seconds (71st)

Wingspan: 82 7/8 inches (81st)
Arm Length: 34 1/4 inches (75th)
Hand Size: 10 1/8 inches (61st)

Bio: A multi-sport star (football, basketball, track and field) at Newman Catholic High School in Mason City, Iowa, Penning committed to Northern Iowa, redshirted in 2017, and saw 22 snaps action in 2018. 2019 was his first season as a full starter, mostly at left tackle with a bit of right guard mixed in. Penning further established himself as the epicenter of Northern Iowa’s offense, and in 2021, he made Bruce Feldman’s Freaks list after putting on about 100 pounds since he hit campus.

“We treat him like a mythical creature,” UNI offensive line coach Ryan Clanton told Feldman. “He watches ‘Saw’ on his phone before games…. We treat him like Bigfoot and we don’t look him in the eyes.”

2021 saw Penning turn the myth into reality with a nomination for the Walter Payton Award, awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Penning also became the first player in school history to receive an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, and that’s where his legend really blew up. Throwing opposing defenders around all week as if they were so many five-pound bags of potatoes, Penning became the man-crush object of every football fan and analyst who loves the glass-eating blocker above all.

This, for better or worse, caught the attention of Cleveland Browns pass-rushing star Myles Garrett.

Stat to Know: In 2021, Penning allowed just one sack, four quarterback hits, and six quarterback hurries on 453 pass-blocking snaps — but in his 773 total snaps, he was flagged for 16 penalties. That’s not going to automatically go away at the next level. On the plus side, Penning’s PFF run-blocking grade of 99.9 is historically great.

Strengths: Penning’s nastiness and pure strength has been overcooked since the Senior Bowl, but you can see it in pass protection — he’s aggressive and has nasty intentions with his hands, and he’s perfectly capable of erasing edge defenders with pure wrestling moves. If you take him on in a confined space, that’s not a great idea, because he understands how to use short-area leverage as few other tackles in this class do. This is the alpha attribute that shows up a lot, and you can understand why pundits get googly-eyed about it.

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As Senior Bowl highlights showed, Penning gets his hands inside the pads and on the numbers, and he has the upper-body strength to jolt and dislodge defenders from their intended paths.

Weaknesses: When my initial reaction to a player’s tape is profoundly negative, I’m going to over-watch from there to make sure I didn’t catch a bad game or two. In Penning’s case, I have serious concerns about his ability to operate as a pass-protector and space player at the NFL level, and these issues show up repeatedly.

Here’s one play with straight whiffs on two different defenders on a pull…

…here’s Penning passing the end to miss against the second-level defender…

…here’s Penning missing at the second level again, and adding some after-play activity to emphasize whatever point he’s trying to make…

…and here, he does show the one thing he can consistently do in pass pro. Maul people to the ground. As Myles Garrett said, good luck with that at the NFL level. Penning needs to have his hands on a defender to make it work; he’s not an asset against defenses that present more complex rush concepts.

Conclusion: Where will Penning succeed at the NFL level? If his professional team wants to make him a left tackle right away, there could be some very rough spots as he learns to get comfortable with the little things required of the position at the highest level. Perhaps he gets a start at right tackle or guard in a system where it’s more important to dominate physically than it is to show the nuances of the position on a weekly basis. But at this point, as much as he does have some pro-ready attributes, there’s too much about Penning’s game that raises concerns to make him an automatic first-round prospect in these eyes.

NFL Comparison: Robert Gallery. Another unfortunate example of the hype possibly not matching the truth, Gallery was selected second overall in the 2004 by the Raiders, and he was widely touted as the best tackle prospect since Tony Boselli. Gallery had two decent seasons at right tackle, moved to left tackle in 2006 (an experiment that lasted one season after he allowed eight sacks in 312 pass-blocking reps), and finished his NFL career as a pretty good guard. Gallery’s limitations showed up in the pros, as they generally will with any player. Similarly, while Penning is a neat story with his angry mien, the tape tells the real tale.

The Tennessee Titans select Arkansas WR Treylon Burks with the 18th pick. Grade: B-

The Tennessee Titans have selected Arkansas WR Treylon Burks with the 18th pick. Grade: B-

With the 18th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans select Arkansas WR Treylon Burks.

GRADE: B-.

The Titans traded A.J. Brown, their best receiver, to the Eagles for the right to the 18th overall pick and the 101st pick in the third round, And for all that, Tennessee selected Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks. Given that the Eagles just gave Brown a new $100 million contract extension,and given that our own Mark Schofield’s NFL comparison for Burks was… A.J. Brown, you can say that this was a Moneyball move on the part of general manager Jon Robinson. Try to get a cheaper version of your best receiver, and hope it works out. If it doesn’t? Well, there’s a lot of risk here. 

Mark Schofield’s scouting report:

Height: 6’2″ (71st) Weight: 225 (95th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.55 seconds (28th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 33 inches (19th)
Broad Jump: 10’2″ (54th)
3-Cone Drill: 7.28 seconds (8th)
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Bio: A three-sport athlete in high school, Treylon Burks was the top football recruit in the state of Arkansas, coming out of Warren High School in Warren. He caught 151 passes for 3,403 yards and 43 touchdowns, and that was despite missing the bulk of his senior year due to an ACL tear.

Burks stayed in-state, choosing to play college football for Arkansas despite having a number of offers from schools like LSU, Clemson and Florida State. Burks stepped right into the Razorbacks’ offense, catching 29 passes for 475 yards. He was named a member of the SEC All-Freshman team after the 2019 season. In 2020, he caught 51 passes for 820 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore, and was named a Second-Team All-SEC player.

As a junior this past season, Burks caught 66 passes for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns, and added another 112 rushing yards for an additional score. He was named a First-Team All-SEC selection for his work.

Stat to Know: According to Pro Football Focus charting data, Burks averaged 9.3 yard after the catch per reception, fourth-best among college receivers last year.

Strengths: Burks is a big, physical receiver with the body to play on the outside at the next level. He is also an extremely confident receiver, who believes he is open on every snap even when it looks like the coverage is in position to take care of him.

More often than not, he is right. Take this play against Mississippi:

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As this play begins, the corner over Burks gives him nearly ten yards of cushion. But as Burks closes that gap, he throws his arm up, asking for the football, while the corner still has about five yards to work with.

Burks comes down with the football.

After his 40-yard dash in Indianapolis came in at 4.55, some questions were raised about his long speed. Burks might be the latest example of the different between track speed, and game speed. When you see a receiver accelerate away from the entire Alabama secondary as Burks did in their meeting this year, you take the concerns over straight-line track speed with a grain of salt:

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Then you remember he is doing this at 225 pounds — 95th percentile for wide receivers — and relax a little bit.

Weaknesses: Other receivers in this class, such as Chris Olave, are giving an NFL team the full route tree on Day One. Burks is a different story. Arkansas gave him a core staple of routes, and while he ran those well, teams looking for a receiver who can step into an NFL offense and master the entire tree are going to need to be patient. A smart offense will give him a similar package at the start, and let him round out the rest of his game over time.

His role is also something interesting to think about. His size profile screams “X receiver,” but the Razorbacks used him primarily out of the slot. According to charting data from PFF, Burks was in the slot over 75% of the time. As such, he was able to take advantage of some two-way gos, and did not see a ton of press-aligned defenders across from him. And, as we saw above, sometimes when he aligned outside he was seeing a lot of cushion. So asking him to step into an NFL offense, align at X and beat press-aligned NFL cornerbacks might be a big ask. So he might start out as a big slot at the next level, while he rounds out his game.

Conclusion: Every once in a while the retired lawyer in me creeps out. If I were Burks’ attorney, tasked with making the case for him, I would simply play those two above clips as my closing argument. In my mind, they speak for themselves. He is a ball-winner on the outside with the confidence needed to play receiver at a high level, and with the football in his hands he can accelerate from SEC secondaries in a flash. Those skills translate well to the NFL.

Comparison: I’ve said before that Burks reminds me of A.J. Brown, and I’ll stick with that comparison.

Los Angeles Chargers select Boston College OG Zion Johnson with the 17th pick. Grade: A-

The Los Angeles Chargers have selected Boston College OG Zion Johnson with the 17th pick. Grade: A-

With the X pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the X select Boston College OG Zion Johnson.

GRADE: A-.

This doesn’t address the Chargers’ run defense issues, but good luck getting anything done on defense against a left side of Johnson and Rashawn Slater. In consecutive years, Los Angeles took the best tackle (Slater) and the best guard (Johnson) in their classes, and it’s tough to argue with that.

Height: 6’2 5/8″ (7th) Weight: 312 (53rd)
40-Yard Dash: 5.18 seconds (68th)
10-Yard Split: 1.75 seconds (72nd)
Bench Press: 32 reps (89th)
Vertical Jump: 32 inches (89th)
Broad Jump: 112 inches (91st)
3-Cone Drill: 7.38 seconds (92nd)
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.46 seconds (94th)

Wingspan: 82 3/8 inches (77th)
Arm Length: 34 inches (65th)
Hand Size: 10 5/8 inches (89th)

Bio: Johnson was a golf star at Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and he didn’t try out for football until his junior year of high school. He started his senior season at right tackle, with 2021 Minnesota Vikings first-round pick Christian Darrisaw at left tackle. Still, Johnson’s lack of football experience rendered him a no-star recruit out of high school, and he started his next step at Davidson College, a private liberal arts school in North Carolina. Johnson got his big break in 2019, when former Davidson coach Phil Trautwein was hired at Boston College and gave Johnson a scholarship. He played left guard for the Eagles in 2019, moved to left tackle in 2020, and back to left guard in 2021. Johnson made First Team All-ACC in 2021, and participated in the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Stat to Know: Johnson’s 2021 Blown Block rate of 0.3% was the lowest for any NCAA offensive lineman, regardless of position. Over three seasons at Boston College, he allowed just three sacks, nine quarterback hits, and 24 quarterback hurries on 1,074 pass-blocking snaps.

Strengths: Most of the pressures Johnson was involved in allowing were more about stunts and blitzes not picked up by one side of the line overall; you just don’t see him getting physically overwhelmed at all in the passing game. Even when defenders get through the line, as happened on this play against Clemson, Johnson had his guy all the way out of the formation.

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On this run, watch him pass off the twist to either side, hit the second level, and take the poor defender right off the screen.

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Actually, Johnson seems to have a preference for plays in which he can get to the second and third levels so he can chase defenders right out to the parking lot. It’s fun to watch!

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Weaknesses: Johnson will occasionally allow pressure to the side, but it’s not something that shows up over and over — it’s just something to watch at the next level.

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His deliberate reaction to stunts is a bigger issue. Johnson will need to identify defenders more quickly as they move late into his lens.

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Conclusion: Given Johnson’s relative lack of experience at the left guard position, it’s pretty amazing how many of the nuances of the position he’s picked up. He’s scheme-transcendent, as he showed over three years when his college team moved from equal parts zone and gap blocking to 2021’s heavy zone approach, and there isn’t much you see on tape that you either don’t like, or can’t clean up pretty quickly with NFL-level coaching. He’s as plug-and-play as any IOL in this class, with tantalizing physical potential to hit the Pro Bowl level over time

NFL Comparison: Jahri Evans. Johnson profiles well as an in-line and pull/sweep blocker, but it’s his ability to get downfield and just nuke defenders in space that sets him apart and reminds me very much of Evans, who may have been the best move guard of his era. At Evans’ peak, he was an indispensable part of Sean Payton’s offenses with his ability to hit (and kill) the second and third levels of a defense, and I think that Johnson projects similarly with an outstanding combination of power and agility.