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College Football News breaks down top draft prospects for 2022.
The 2021 NFL draft is just a couple of weeks away and there will be a few former Oklahoma Sooners looking to jump to the next level. Continue reading “A look at the 2022 NFL draft hopefuls for the Oklahoma Sooners”
2022 NFL Draft: What returning college players are the best pro prospects going into the 2021 season?
2022 NFL Draft: What returning college players are the best pro prospects going into the 2021 season?
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews | @PeteFiutak
CFN 2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE & Edge | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Greatest Draft Picks For Each College
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
– 32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
– Full 2021 NFL Draft Order
– CFN 2021 NFL Draft Top 105 Player Rankings (1st 3 rounds)
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How crazy is it to try figuring out the best pro prospects a year or two in advance? If you’re an NFL general manager, you’ve got to know what’s coming down the road to judge the value of the upcoming draft.
And then Joe Burrow happens. Or Mac Jones.
We almost didn’t have a 2020 college football season. Just imagine, Zach Wilson probably wouldn’t be a first rounder much less the No. 2 overall pick, Jones would be just another promising quarterback, and DeVonta Smith wouldn’t have the same juice without that season.
However, opting out didn’t make too much of a difference for the best of the best prospects. Any GM worth his salt already knew what Penei Sewell and Micah Parsons could do.
The idea here is to create a starting point and a set of expectations. In last year’s version of the Top 32 Pro Prospects piece, for every Trevor Lawrence on the list there was a KJ Costello. For every Justin Fields and Trey Lance, there was a Walker Little and a Chuba Hubbard who slid in the process.
With the understanding that this can and will change over the next few months much less the next year – and understanding that at least 32 others could’ve made this list – 32 of the top pro prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft are …
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The Gators’ leading tackler came up with 86 stops with 3.5 sacks in his 11 games of work, and now he’s going to be on the radar as a dangerous outside linebacker with the speed to get sideline-to-sideline and be used even more as a pass rusher. He’ll work inside, but with his 6-1, 225-pound size, he’ll have to be used on the outside at the next level.
No one’s expecting DeVonta, or Jaylen, or Ruggs, or Jeudy, but Metchie is the next dangerous Tide receiver. The 6-0, 195-pounder finished second on the team with 55 catches for 916 yards and six touchdowns as he stepped up in a big way when Jaylen Waddle went down.
A true hybrid for the outside, he’s a linebacker who can do anything you need, but he’ll be at his best when allowed to take off and get in the backfield. He made 151 tackles with seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in his first two seasons, and came up with 20 stops in three games last year.
Please by kind here for potentially underestimating him. With his size, arm, and mobility, he’s one great season away from possibly being No. 1 on this list.
The 6-5, 220-pounder was a huge recruit for Oregon as the next great Duck QB after Justin Herbert moved on. He got his shot last year, but was just okay hitting 64% of his throws with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions with 271 rushing yards and two scores in seven games. He led the team to the Pac-12 title, though.
Now he gets to operate the Matt Wells offense at Texas Tech.
There was some concern early on last season that his knee wasn’t quite ready after injuring it at USC, but the transfer took over late in the 2020 season and Georgia became a different team. The former super-recruit got to USC after his junior year, and while he was fine, he played like he needed the seasoning.
The arm talent is great, the deep ball ability is there, and after throwing for 1,231 yards and ten touchdowns with two picks in his limited time with the Dawgs, he could move up the draft charts in a hurry.
Already a great veteran with All-Big Ten honors and 22 starts in his first two years, he’s just getting going. Just a third-year sophomore, he’s a 6-6, 312-pound left tackle who can move, can pound, and is still growing into the job. He’s still a project, but if he takes that next step up in his third year as a starter – if he’s a steady force as a pass protector – the NFL will be ready for him as a starting left tackle.
He’s coming off a rough year after getting hit with COVID and suffering a leg injury, but when he’s right, he’s an NFL pass rusher who’s always working to get behind the line. He has to get back his groove, but at 6-4 and 275 pounds, he’s got the size, and he’s got the talent – he made 7.5 sacks with 17 tackles for loss as a freshman.
2022 NFL Draft: What returning college players are among the top pro prospects going into the 2021 season? Here’s the first look by position
2022 NFL Draft: What returning college players are among the best pro prospects going into the 2021 season? Here’s the first look by position.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews | @PeteFiutak
CFN 2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE & Edge | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Greatest Draft Picks For Each College
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
– 32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
– Full 2021 NFL Draft Order
– CFN 2021 NFL Draft Top 105 Player Rankings (1st 3 rounds)
Everyone knew before the 2020 college football season began that Trevor Lawrence was going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Zach Wilson as the slam-dunk No. 2 – at least, he’s expected to be the slam-dunk No. 2 – not so much.
No one in a million years would’ve pegged Joe Burrow to be the sure-thing No. 1 overall pick in 2020, and there obviously will be more shockers like him who become NFL Draft household names by next April.
Every year, a whole slew of guys we all think will be certain first round picks turn into late round fliers – and vice versa – so the idea here is to create a starting point that gets it somewhat close to the pin.
Who has the best combinations of talent, NFL size, NFL tools, and NFL upside to look ahead to 2022 – all while still figuring out the 2021 NFL Draft?
Here’s the first look at the 2022 NFL Draft with ten of the most promising prospects at every position among those who will be eligible – not yet, DJ Uiagalelei fans.
If you don’t see your guy here – or don’t like where he’s ranked – relax. We’ll go in-depth with the more detailed lists just before the season, and obviously this will change up wildly several times before the 2022 NFL Draft gets going in Las Vegas.
1 Sam Howell, North Carolina 6-1, 225
2 Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma 6-1, 210
3 JT Daniels, Georgia 6-3, 210
4 Kedon Slovis, USC 6-3, 215
5 Tyler Shough, Texas Tech 6-5, 220
6 Carson Strong, Nevada 6-4, 215
7 Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati 6-4, 215
8 Matt Corral, Ole Miss 6-1, 205
9 Phil Jurkovec, Boston College 6-5, 226
10 Brock Purdy, Iowa State 6-1, 212
1 Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M 6-1, 225
2 Breece Hall, Iowa State 6-1, 215
3 Brian Robinson, Alabama 6-1, 228
4 Zamir White, Georgia 6-0, 215
5 Master Teague, Ohio State 5-11, 226
6 Ty Chandler, North Carolina 6-0, 210
7 Kevin Harris, South Carolina 5-10, 225
8 Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss 5-8, 190
9 Mo Ibrahim, Minnesota 5-10, 210
10 Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma 5-11, 220
1 Chris Olave, Ohio State 6-1, 189
2 George Pickens, Georgia 6-3, 200*
3 John Metchie, Alabama 6-0, 195
4 Garrett Wilson, Ohio State 6-0, 188
5 Justyn Ross, Clemson 6-4, 205**
6 Ty Fryfogle, Indiana 6-2, 210
7 Treylon Burks, Arkansas 6-3, 225
8 Jahan Dotson, Penn State 5-11, 182
9 Jadon Haselwood, Oklahoma 6-2, 208
10 Frank Ladson, Clemson 6-3, 205
*Torn ACL or would be No. 1
**Will be 1 or 2 when he’s a full go
1 Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M 6-5, 255
2 Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State 6-5, 252
3 Charlie Kolar, Iowa State 6-6. 257
4 Trey McBride, Colorado State 6-4, 260
5 Cade Otton, Washington 6-5, 250
6 Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin 6-5, 242
7 Braden Galloway, Clemson 6-4, 240
8 Greg Dulcich, UCLA 6-4, 242
9 Chase Allen, Iowa State 6-7, 240
10 Peyton Hendershot, Indiana 6-4, 250
1 Evan Neal, Alabama 6-7, 360
2 Zion Nelson, Miami 6-5, 316
3 Charles Cross, Mississippi State 6-5, 305
4 Rasheed Walker, Penn State 6-6, 312
5 Thayer Munford, Ohio State 6-6, 321
6 Jamaree Salyer, Georgia 6-4, 325
7 Logan Bruss, Wisconsin 6-6, 305
8 Nick Broeker, Ole Miss 6-4, 305
9 Austin Deculus, LSU 6-6. 331
10 Wanya Morris, Oklahoma 6-5. 313 (OG)
1 Cade Mays, Tennessee 6-6, 325
2 Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa 6-3, 289 (C)
3 Kenyon Green, Texas A&M 6-4, 325
4 Alec Lindstrom, Boston College 6-3, 295 (C)
5 Josh Sills, Oklahoma State 6-6, 330 (OT)
6 Paul Grattan, UCLA 6-4, 300
7 Ed Ingram, LSU 6-3, 315
8 Zion Johnson, Boston College 6-3, 310
9 Colin Newell, Iowa State 6-4, 304 (C)
10 Emil Ekiyor, Alabama 6-3, 324
Here’s a list of seven Texas Longhorns that we could see as potential NFL draft prospects in 2022.
With the 2021 NFL draft just around the corner, eight Texas Longhorns will be waiting patiently to hear their named called throughout the three day event.
Joesph Ossai and Samuel Cosmi are expected to be among the first Longhorns selected. Ta’Quon Graham and Caden Sterns could be taken off of the board as high as day two.
Unfortunately, the trio of Chris Brown, Tarik Black and Brennan Eagles look like they’re going to be late day three picks or more than likely become undrafted free agents.
What about Sam Ehlinger? The Longhorns star quarterback could go anywhere on day two or three, or even potentially undrafted. His stock is all over the place.
Now that the 2021 Longhorns have their feet in the draft, let’s look ahead to next year. These are seven Texas players who could be among the next patch of prospects after the 2022 season.
The New Orleans Saints are projected to receive multiple compensatory draft picks in 2022 following the losses of top free agents in 2021.
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The New Orleans Saints finally bagged some compensatory draft picks in 2021, and now they’re looking for more. In addition to their extra pick for losing personnel executive Terry Fontenot to the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, the Saints are projected to add a couple of more selections next year as compensation for departed free agents.
OverTheCap’s Nick Korte has maintained a series of comp pick cancellation charts for each team in the NFL, and he estimates the Saints to have lost three qualifying free agents: defensive end Trey Hendrickson (projected fourth rounder), defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (projected fifth rounder), and cornerback Justin Hardee Sr (projected seventh rounder).
Linebacker Alex Anzalone signed with the Detroit Lions for just $1.75 million, which isn’t enough to reach the comp pick threshold — neither does fullback Alex Armah’s $1.1 million addition, which won’t factor into the formula.
However, the signing of defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon does cancel out Hardee’s loss. But that ultimately doesn’t matter. Only 32 comp picks are awarded each year to keep the grant total of selections at 256, and the introduction of comp picks for minority personnel departures to executive roles will push those seventh rounders beyond the 32-pick limit.
It’s possible that the Saints could lose one of those projected comp picks by signing an unrestricted free agent at a high enough value. That may not be realistic to expect given their spending thus far, especially given how badly free agency has slowed down.
The Saints have a handful of other qualifying free agents left on the market, but it’s tough to see any of them signed with a new team at a number that might return another comp pick. The group includes linebacker Craig Robertson, cornerback Ken Crawley, safety D.J. Swearinger, fullback Michael Burton, and wide receiver Bennie Fowler.
So with all of that said: here’s a quick recap of the Saints’ projected draft picks in 2022 (click here for the Saints’ full 2021 draft order).
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Eagles second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts was named the winner of the Eagles, Dolphins blockbuster deal by Pro Football Focus
The Eagles and Dolphins engaged in a blockbuster trade on Friday, as Philadelphia traded the No. 6 pick in the 2021 NFL draft along with a 2021 fifth-round pick (No. 156) to the Miami Dolphins for the No. 12 pick, a fourth-round pick (No. 123) and a 2022 first-round pick.
Both teams got ample draft compensation, and the Eagles could enter the 2022 draft with three first-round picks depending on how Carson Wentz performs with the Colts in 2021.
Pro Football Focus broke down the trade, naming Jalen Hurts the ultimate winner because he’ll be Philadelphia’s starting quarterback in 2021.
WINNER: Jalen Hurts — Hurts now appears all but set to start at quarterback for the Eagles in 2021. The 22-year-old quarterback made just four starts in his rookie season, so it would be somewhat unfair to write him off at this point. Still, that small sample wasn’t all that pretty from a passing perspective. He was far too willing to hold onto the ball — just as he was at Oklahoma — and he paired that with poor ball placement and suspect decision-making. The Alabama and Oklahoma product recorded nine turnover-worthy plays across 197 dropbacks and finished the season with a 50.4% accuracy rate that ranked 38th among 41 qualifying quarterbacks. The best path to success with Hurts is to build an offense around his ability to impact the game with his legs, similar to what Greg Roman did with Tyrod Taylor in Buffalo back in 2015 and 2016. Hurts now gets his shot to showcase his skills and is a big winner after Friday’s trades.
The move gives Hurts a full season to prove he’s the guy in Philadelphia, while the Eagles can work to fill out other lagging roster spots with talented draft picks.
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Georgia wide receiver George Pickens will require surgery to repair an injury to his ACL
Georgia WR George Pickens will require surgery on his right knee after suffering an ACL injury, the school announced Wednesday.
Pickens had a team-high six touchdowns last season. pic.twitter.com/zAME1ySTlm
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) March 24, 2021
One of the top wide receivers in college football has suffered a potentially serious injury that could have implications on the 2021 season.
Georgia’s George Pickens will have surgery to repair an ACL injury, the school announced Wednesday (via ESPN).
Listed at 6-3, 200 pounds, Pickens showed plenty of promise and potential for the Bulldogs last season, catching 36 passes for 516 yards and six touchdowns, averaging nearly 15 yards per reception.
As a true junior heading into the 2021 season, Pickens is expected to be among the nation’s top wide receiver prospects eligible for the 2022 NFL draft. Hopefully, he’ll have a full recovery from his injury and be back to 100 percent in time to have another strong campaign before potentially making the jump to the next level.
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The New Orleans Saints are projected to receive a compensatory draft pick in 2022 following Sheldon Rankins’ Jets free agent contract.
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If there’s a silver lining to the New Orleans Saints seeing a former first round draft pick walk away, it’s that they should expect to receive a future selection in return as compensation. The New York Jets reached an agreement with defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins on a contract paying out $8.5 million annually, which is good news for New Orleans down the line.
Right now, the analysts at Over The Cap project the Saints to recoup a fifth rounder in 2022 to offset losing Rankins; that’s in addition to a compensatory third round pick (following personnel executive Terry Fontenot being hired by the Atlanta Falcons) as well as a fourth round selection (for defensive end Trey Hendrickson’s deal with the Cincinnati Bengals). That’s good to see after the NFL deducted New Orleans’ 2022 sixth round pick for COVID-19 protocols violations during the 2020 season.
So remember, things can change if the Saints sign more unrestricted free agents. The addition of fullback Alex Armah wiped out a compensatory seventh rounder they would have received for the cornerback Justin Hardee’s Jets deal. If the Saints suddenly start throwing money around and bringing in new faces, these future draft picks would be in jeopardy. Conversely, more departures of their own free agents could bring in more compensatory picks — names to watch include linebackers Alex Anzalone and Craig Robertson, though their average annual salaries would have to be north of $3 million to qualify.
Additionally, more movement around the league could put higher-valued qualifiers ahead of New Orleans. Three other teams will receive third-round compensatory picks for general manager/head coach hires from the 2021 cycle, and more will follow next offseason. And the loss of wide receiver Kenny Golladay on an $18 million per-year deal qualified the Detroit Lions for a compensatory third rounder, too. That’s why Hendrickson is expected to return just a fourth rounder at $15 million in average annual salary.
But with that said, here’s the current tally of their upcoming selections in 2022 (click here for the Saints’ full 2021 draft order):
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Do the Minnesota Vikings have potential to receive compensatory draft picks for the 2022 NFL draft?
In recent years, the Vikings have had a lot of compensatory picks to work with in the NFL draft.
Last draft, the team received three draft compensatory picks. This year the team will have two for the upcoming NFL draft. Both those times, Minnesota garnered those picks due to mass departures in free agency the year prior.
So what does the Vikings’ compensatory pick situation look like for 2022?
On March 12, Over the Cap tabbed Minnesota’s compensatory draft pick potential as “moderate.” Here’s what the outlet said about the Vikings:
“The Vikings’ quantity of pending UFAs is low at 11, but they do have some quality to work with here. That starts with Anthony Harris, who will not be tagged again, and fellow defenders in Eric Wilson and Jaleel Johnson. The question will be whether Minnesota has to hold off on signing CFAs of their own to avoid canceling any of these possible departures.”
So Minnesota may not be looking at the same compensatory pick bounty that it has had in previous years. We’ve seen that already in free agency since Over the Cap has published that article.
Over the Cap currently has projected the Vikings to receive no compensatory picks. So far, Minnesota has only lost one compensatory free agent (Anthony Harris) and the team has gained three (Patrick Peterson, Dalvin Tomlinson and Nick Vigil).
However, there is still some potential for Minnesota, due to free agents like Wilson and others still being unsigned. I think Harris signing for only $5 million hurts the Vikings from a compensatory pick standpoint, but there is still time left for the team to accumulate picks for 2022.
According to Over The Cap, the Bears are projected to receive a 7th-round compensatory pick in 2022 after Mitch Trubisky signed with Bills.
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Former Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky has found a new home with the Buffalo Bills, where he’ll serve as the backup to Josh Allen.
Trubisky signed a one-year deal worth $2.5 million, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. But he’ll get a chance to work with Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who could certainly help Trubisky turn his career around.
While Chicago ultimately wasted the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, they did get something in return for Trubisky’s departure. Although it’s not a lot considering the current state of things.
According to Over The Cap’s Nick Korte, the Bears are projected to receive a seventh-round compensatory pick in 2022 for Trubisky.
https://twitter.com/nickkorte/status/1372646990144700418?s=20
This should’ve been the second 2022 compensatory pick for Chicago. Former Bears defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris signed a three year-deal worth $24.4 million with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Chicago was projected to receive a fifth-round compensatory pick in 2022.
But with the Bears signing quarterback Andy Dalton, that effectively cancels out that compensatory pick. Which doesn’t help the Dalton situation.
Right now, where it stands, Chicago has a seventh-round compensatory pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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