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The Colts have signed all four of their Day 3 picks.
The Indianapolis Colts signed four of their eight selections in the 2022 NFL draft to rookie contracts, the team announced Friday.
With the start of the rookie minicamp this weekend, the Colts got half of their draft class under contract. All four that were announced Friday were selected on Day 3 of the draft. The Colts also announced the signings of 22 undrafted rookie free agents.
Here’s a look at the four draft picks to get under contract with the Colts as of Friday:
Your Indianapolis Colts 2022 NFL draft class!
The Indianapolis Colts have concluded their selections in the 2022 NFL draft, and now we can sit back and look at the class in its entirety.
As has been stated several times over the weekend, the Colts truly emphasized athleticism, high-end traits and upside with every selection they made.
From wide receiver Alec Pierce to defensive back Rodney Thomas II, here is your 2022 NFL draft class Colts fans:
Here’s a look at how DT Eric Johnson fits with the Colts.
The Indianapolis Colts started Day 3 of the 2022 NFL draft with a selection on the defensive side of the ball. With the No. 159 overall pick in the fifth round, the Colts selected defensive tackle Eric Johnson out of Missouri State.
Johnson adds depth to a defensive line that relies heavily on it for a deep rotation on game day. In Indianapolis, the defensive tackle spots have to be not only dominant against the run, but also are relied upon to use speed to generate interior pressure on the quarterback as well.
He gives the team yet another solidly athletic prospect to develop at a very young position group.
Here is a look at Johnson’s relative athletic score (RAS):
While not invited to the NFL scouting combine this year, Johnson likely won the Colts over with not only a solid showing at the Senior Bowl but another dominant performance at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl as well.
Johnson is quite the raw prospect, with not the most exciting tape, or stellar production at the collegiate level, but there are aspects of his game to like and potential to build upon.
He brings a wrestling background to the table, which is usually a plus for any lineman prospect. Having that knowledge likely has helped him develop good hand techniques and an understanding of using his leverage to move off of blockers which will help him continue to grow his game at the next level as the quality of blockers at the pro level increases dramatically.
Johnson will, in all likelihood, be fighting for a rotational depth spot behind two talented starters in All-Pro DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.
However, should he continue to show what he flashed at the Senior Bowl throughout training camp, a reserve role would be his for the taking in 2022.
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Here are three things to know about Colts’ new DT Eric Johnson.
The Indianapolis Colts added some much-needed depth to their defensive front when they selected Missouri State defensive tackle Eric Johnson with the No. 159 overall pick.
Johnson has impressive speed for his size and has the ability to beat linemen inside. He plays similarly to Grover Stewart and is going to benefit from having DeForest Buckner to learn from.
Here are three things to know about the Colts’ new defensive tackle:
Instant analysis of the Colts drafting DT Eric Johnson at No. 159 overall.
Kicking off their first pick on the final day of the 2022 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Missouri State defensive tackle Eric Johnson with the No. 159 overall pick.
After a few teams traded up ahead of the Colts to take cornerbacks like Zyon McCollum, there’s a chance Indy shifted its views to adding interior defensive line depth.
Here’s a shocker. Johnson attended the Senior Bowl and showed out pretty well, so that’s likely what piqued the Colts’ interest in the first place, resulting in them bringing him in for a top-30 visit.
The Colts selected DT Eric Johnson with the No. 159 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
The Indianapolis Colts selected Missouri State defensive tackle Eric Johnson with the No. 159 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
Adding to the interior defensive line was going to be a need for the Colts going into the final day of the draft. The Colts showed interest in Johnson during the pre-draft process.
Here’s what Dane Brugler of The Athletic said about Johnson via his draft guide:
A five-year starter at Missouri State, Johnson played up and down the defensive line for defensive coordinator Ryan Beard. Despite playing in a schoolrecord 55 consecutive games (every game the last five years), he was somewhat of a late bloomer and created buzz around the league with his performances at the
NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and Senior Bowl during the pre-draft process. Johnson creates a vertical surge with his first step quickness and length, although he needs to
use consistent sink for his bull rush to move blockers. His stiffness will show once engaged, but he shows promising handwork to gain leverage on blockers and peak
into the backfield. Overall, Johnson needs to develop more consistent pad level and run recognition for the next level, but he flashes phonebooth explosiveness,
functional hand use and play range. He should appeal to multiple schemes and is ideally suited as a five-technique or quick-penetrating three-technique.
Johnson is likely to compete for a roster spot with Chris Williams and Kameron Cline. In 2021, Johnson recorded 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Barring a trade, the Colts have three picks remaining in the draft at Nos. 192, 216 and 239 overall.
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This isn’t a great DT class but the Lions could find some useful reinforcements in the draft
Putting a bow on the series of positional scouting reports for the Detroit Lions in the 2022 NFL draft. Last up are the defensive tackles, an area where the team has a definite need with Nick Williams leaving in free agency and veteran Michael Brockers entering the final year of his contract.
Lions 2022 NFL draft: A wide receiver for every round
Lions 2022 draft: A cornerback for every round
Lions 2022 draft: A linebacker for every round
Lions 2022 NFL draft: A safety for every round
Lions 2022 NFL draft: A tight end for every round
Lions 2022 NFL draft: A quarterback for every round
The focus here is on more athletic tackles who can play the 3-tech through the 5-tech, which is technically a DE spot. When the Lions use three linemen, the DE spot tends to be a bigger guy (Brockers, Levi Onwuzurike), so players who have some positional versatility get lifted up a bit. Detroit has Alim McNeil and John Penisini at the nose tackle spot and that’s a decent tandem, though more depth would always be nice.
The purpose here isn’t to advocate for or against any specific player. This is about presenting the options that are likely available to the Lions (and other NFL teams) at the position in each round. We’ll go through the options at each position, and we’ll also include projections for the fourth and seventh rounds, where the Lions do not currently hold a pick.
5 Detroit Lions draft thoughts and 1 bold prediction to kick off 2022 NFL draft week
It’s NFL draft week! The week where the fortnight of endless speculation, tireless predictions and hyperbolic statements about young men trying to become professional football players finally comes to fruition.
As I drink my Monday morning coffee, trying to find the energy to deal with all the rumors, smokescreens and planted stories, I figure it’s time to offer my somewhat educated opinions on what will happen for the Detroit Lions this coming weekend. These are based on conversations I’ve had in recent days with team sources, league sources, draft media sources and my own observations. It’s my best attempt to sift through the kitty litter and throw away the stinky clumps of information that are out there about the Lions, Brad Holmes and what will happen over 2022 NFL draft weekend.
Enjoy draft week!
Laying out a defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Chargers in each round of this year’s draft.
The Chargers have a few positions that need to be addressed in the upcoming draft, and defensive tackle sits near the top.
Luckily, this year’s crop has starting-caliber talent from the first day of the draft until Day 3.
With that being said, here’s a tackle from each round that could fit in Los Angeles:
Wyatt’s former teammate, Jordan Davis, is a popular fit for the Chargers. But after the signing of Sebastian Joseph-Day, I believe the team could be looking for a versatile defensive lineman, with the ability to plug in at the three-technique spot because Joseph-Day played just under 50% of his snaps as a nose tackle in Brandon Staley’s 2020 Rams defense.
In two seasons as a starter at Georgia, Wyatt racked up 64 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. At the Combine, Wyatt blew up the event with his immense athleticism, including the fastest 40-yard dash among defensive tackles with a blazing 4.77.
Overall, Wyatt is a high effort player who can contribute against the pass and run due to his snap quickness, lateral agility, and striking ability but will need to enhance his hand usage further and improve his stoutness, projecting as a starting three-technique, while also being able to shift to the 4i and five-technique.
Mathis amassed 53 total tackles, nine sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and two blocked passes in 2021. He received second-team All-SEC and All-American honors.
Mathis finished fifth in the broad jump (9-foot-11) among defensive tackles at the Combine. He was also a top performer in the 20-yard shuttle (4.91 seconds).
With his length, violent hands, lower-body strength, lateral agility, and ability to anchor, Mathis can create interior pressure just as well as he can defend the run at the next level, drawing parallels to Akiem Hicks.
Phidarian Mathis is a guy who can do both at a high level.pic.twitter.com/Uxtt8JWBjY https://t.co/LPLDjOUHJl
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) January 23, 2022
Booker tallied 159 total tackles (89 solo), 20.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, eight passes defended, a forced fumble, and an interception in four seasons with the Cardinals.
At 6-foot-3 and 301 pounds, Booker wins with initial quickness off the snap to penetrate gaps and strength in his upper half, and active hands to control blockers to reset the line of scrimmage.
Booker lined up at various spots on Stanford’s defensive line, from nose tackle to five-technique.
Booker is capable of carving out a productive rotational role at the next level.
Another DT that I like for the Chargers that’s at the @ShrineBowl is Stanford’s Thomas Booker.
Versatile defender with the first step and short-area quickness + arm length to press, leverage and maintain his gap.
Ideal 4i in Brandon Staley's defense.pic.twitter.com/tzpDVeee8q
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) January 29, 2022
Uwazurike finished his final season as a Cyclone with nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss. He had six combined sacks in his previous three seasons.
Boasting rare size at 6-foot-6 and 318 pounds with 35 1/8-inch arms, Uwazurike is a versatile lineman, having lined up at nose tackle, 3- 5-technique on the Cyclones’ multiple front, who wins with a blend of power, quickness, and length.
Uwazurike projects as a versatile rotational lineman, but he will be at his best using his strength and two-gapping ability to line up as a five-tech for the Chargers.
Big fan of the effort here from #IowaState DL Eyioma Uwazurike (#58). That's a nose tackle out at 5-tech shedding multiple blockers pic.twitter.com/6xhh9Kiy9f
— 🇺🇦Mike Spencer Hrynyshyn🇺🇦 (@MikeH_Draft) January 20, 2022
Ogbonnia tallied 76 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and six passes defended in his four seasons with the Bruins.
At 6-foot-4 and 324 pounds, Ogbonnia’s time as a former shot putter shows up on the football field as he wins with brute strength and good hand usage to control and move defenders.
Ogbonnia was primarily a nose tackle in the Bruins’ defense, but he occasionally bounced out to a 3-tech. At the next level, he projects best as a two-gapping nose tackle, where he would see the field on run downs.
If UCLA DT Otito Ogbonnia wins the leverage battle, the advantage is going to go in his favor far often than not.
Former champion shot putter and you can see how it translates in how he strikes.pic.twitter.com/D2Yo6gpesY
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) February 1, 2022
Johnson posted 43 tackles (19 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, five quarterback hits, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, three pass breakups, and three blocked field goal kicks during 12 starts in 2021.
Johnson participated in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, where his dominant performance raised the eyebrows of evaluators to the point where he was invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
On film, the 6-foot-4 and 299 pounder with 34 1/4-inch arms stands out, winning with his length, agility, power in his punch, and explosiveness off the snap. At the next level, he will be at his best eating up blocks to free others up to rush.
Eric Johnson throws a spin move on Darian Kinnard and he is gone. The Missouri State product has looked good in Mobile. pic.twitter.com/SziQFmRmQ5
— Matt Alkire (@mattalkire) February 3, 2022
Johnson stood out during Senior Bowl practices while playing under the Lions coaching staff in Mobile
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The Detroit Lions will be hosting one of the top defensive prospects from the FCS level for a pre-draft visit. Missouri State DT Eric Johnson is slated to visit Lions headquarters in Allen Park in the coming days as one of the team’s 30 allotted prospect visits.
The Lions know Johnson already. He was on the American team at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, the unit the Lions coached in the annual all-star game. Johnson proved he belonged with the prospects from bigger schools with an impressive week of practices, showing off his strength and a freakishly long wingspan to wreak havoc on the interior line.
He entered college as a linebacker and was also an accomplished high school wrestler before growing into a legit NFL prospect. Johnson is a 3-tech defensive tackle, a spot where the Lions do have a positional need.
Johnson is generally projected in the fifth or sixth rounds of the 2022 NFL draft. His advanced age (he graduated high school in 2016) and limited experience against top-level competition are limiting factors in his stock.
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