2022 Prospect General Discussion Thread

[Chiefer]

4 hours ago, nicfre2011 said:

I can't help but think about Mecole Hardman...he really hasn't developed beyond essentially a gadget player role and it seems like he doesn't make much of an impact within the natural flow of the offensive structure.

Skyy Moore as a prospect seems to be a more "natural" receiver than Hardman was coming out of Georgia. In a similar way, do you think Austin has the combination of dynamic athleticism, deep speed, and natural receiver traits that Hardman lacks?

Austin to Hardman is not a good comp. i agree with you on Skyy Moore being a more accomplished receiver.

Austin is a weird one, a poor mans/weaker Tyreek Hill i guess? Idk, its not Hardman

 

[nicfre2011]

2 hours ago, Chiefer said:

Austin to Hardman is not a good comp. i agree with you on Skyy Moore being a more accomplished receiver.

Austin is a weird one, a poor mans/weaker Tyreek Hill i guess? Idk, its not Hardman

 

I wasn't really comping Austin to Hardman, really just mentioning a concern about the possibility of being forced to manufacture touches instead of those touches coming within the normal flow of the offense. I don't know much about Austin, but what I know about Moore makes me think he can be a weapon within the offensive structure.

[swoosh]

Skyy Moore reminds me of Tyler Lockett. Similar size and speed. Both play bigger than their 5-10 frames and make the tough contested catches. 

[Chiefer]

29 minutes ago, nicfre2011 said:

I wasn't really comping Austin to Hardman, really just mentioning a concern about the possibility of being forced to manufacture touches instead of those touches coming within the normal flow of the offense. I don't know much about Austin, but what I know about Moore makes me think he can be a weapon within the offensive structure.

Eh id say not

Hardmans biggest Problem is his confidence. Why you see Reid manufacturing easy touches for him most of the year last year to build him up.  I think hell open up a lot more with big brother Tyreek gone

I dont think Austin has those similar concerns, he looks like a confident player out there whos a good route runner. I question that deep speed at times, and I honestly prefer getting Mahomes bigger targets in the future. Hes just not pinpoint accurate enough for that sort of work

[Johnny Nix]

Severely underrated prospect 

[TVScout]

18 hours ago, Johnny Nix said:

Severely underrated prospect 

No doubt about being underrated. See his his consensus stock:

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Curtis-Brooks-DT-Cincinnati

[THE DUKE]

Brooks went from not even being on the board to being ranked 160 by PFF sometime in the last few days.

[goldfishwars]

I don't understand why people aren't talking about how good this safety class is, so many good players this year. 

[eh3034]

7 hours ago, THE DUKE said:

Brooks went from not even being on the board to being ranked 160 by PFF sometime in the last few days.

PFF has done the same with James Mitchell, TE, Virginia Tech.  He went from nowhere, to ranked 109 for them, and their #4 TE overall.  He must have gotten a recent positive health report that flew under the radar.

[goldfishwars]

 

[CWood21]

17 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

I don't understand why people aren't talking about how good this safety class is, so many good players this year. 

Probably one the "harder" positions to scout for armchair GMs.  But I do share your opinion on the safety class.  Seems like a pretty strong one.

[Superduperman]

Seems to me like the whole defensive back class is deep and varied, kind of like 2019 was with defensive linemen, you can have any flavor you want. There are even two top-level tweener/nickel guys in Hill and Pitre

[tyler735]

Figured I'd put out some rankings before the draft for QB's, RB's, WR's.

Top 5 QB's:

1. Malik Willis

2. Sam Howell

3. Kenny Pickett 

4. Matt Corral

5. Desmond Ridder

I'm a bit more optimistic on this QB class than most. Overall it's not as good as last years class, but I think there's still some guys that have some NFL tools to work with.

Malik Willis obviously possesses all the talent in the world to be a franchise QB if he continues to develop as a passer. I think he certainly worth taking a chance on in the top 10. So many "wow" plays where he makes something out of nothing. I think the Senior Bowl helped him quite a bit. Also has that "flick of the wrist" arm strength where he can fire a ball on the money 50+ yards down field. Comes off as a really likeable guy that is willing to put in the work to keep getting better. He's not a finished product, but if guys like Lance, and Allen were taken top 10, I don't see how Willis is any different with his rare skillset to work with. 

Sam Howell is a guy that I have gone back and forth on with having him over Kenny Pickett. Ultimately it's Howell's ceiling that puts him over Pickett. Howell has a great arm, has shown he can be a quality passer, and even showed some athleticism this past year to be a threat with his legs. Had he not lost his entire supporting cast for the 2021 season we may be talking about him as a consensus top 10 pick.

I like Pickett as well, but I think his best case scenario is along the lines of a Derek Carr type QB that will consistently be good with maybe even a great year here or there, but never in the top 5 discussion. More of a top 15/top 10 QB. 

Corral also has some nice tools to work with. Has plenty of arm to make any throw downfield. Has some athleticism to extend plays with his legs. Very quick release as well. Ball placement seemed a bit spotty in the games I watched. His playstyle with his frame is asking for a trip to the IR in the NFL as well. I think he has the talent to be a solid NFL QB, but I have a feeling his game won't translate as well to the NFL.

Ridder is a guy that I kept hoping would evolve a bit more as a player, but his inconsistent accuracy on easy throws still has me concerned. Despite running a 4.5 in the 40 that athleticism doesn't always show up on tape as well as I'd like to see. There are some traits to work with and it wouldn't shock me to see his ceiling be a Colin Kaepernick type player, but I I'm just not very confident in his development. 

 

Top 5 RB's:

1. Kenneth Walker 

2. Breece Hall

3. Jerome Ford 

4. Isaiah Spiller

5. James Cook

Walker and Hall should both be excellent feature RB's in the NFL. Hall showed a bit more versatility in college, so I get why some would have him ranked higher than Walker. As a runner, I think Walker is a step above everyone else in this class. His combo of lateral movements, burst, vision, patience, balance through contact have me sold that he is a future pro bowl caliber RB. 

A guy that I'm higher on than most is Jerome Ford. I think he can also be a feature RB in the NFL. Originally played at Alabama, but was stuck behind some quality RB's, so he transferred to Cincinnati. He has a great combo of size/explosiveness. Ran in the 4.4 range at the combine and has clocked 10.50 in the 100m, so he has legit home run speed. More importantly this speed shows up on tape consistently. He had 4 runs of 70+ yards in under 300 carries with Cincinnati. He has minimal tread on the tires as he was only a feature RB last season. He was recruited as one of the top receiving RB's in the nation and even though he was a little limited at Cincinnati in that regard, when he had chances in the receiving game, he made the most of them. Also has shown he has the strength to run through tacklers and pick up extra yards. Ford is my top sleeper for this draft class.

Spiller doesn't have the same explosive ability the 3 guys I have above him possess, but I think he still could be a solid RB at the next level. Has the natural size and instincts you'd want in a RB. Cook is limited from a size standpoint, but his versatility in the receiving game could definitely be appealing to many NFL teams.  Numerous examples of him making plays lined up out wide as a receiver and can pick up some chunk plays out of the backfield as a change of pace RB.

 

Top 10 WR's:

1. Treylon Burks

2. Garrett Wilson 

3. Jameson Williams

4. Drake London

 

5. Christian Watson

6. George Pickens 

7. Jahan Dotson

8. Chris Olave

 

9. Skyy Moore 

10. Alec Pierce

 

Burks is my top WR in this class. I'd be lying if I didn't question that after the combine, but after rewatching his film, he is still my top guy. He plays way faster than his combine numbers would have you believe. Even GPS tracking shows he is a very explosive player with several clocked times in the 21 and 22 mph range on his long touchdowns. His combo of size, strength, and explosiveness reminds me of a guy like AJ Brown. He also has shown to be a weapon on 50/50 balls. It doesn't hurt that he dominated against a stacked Alabama secondary as well.

Garrett Wilson is a joy to watch after the catch, and has excellent lateral movement skills. He is a big play waiting to happen any time he touches the ball. Also has shown an ability to make tough contested catches. Jameson Williams strikes me as a bit of a boom/bust pick. He only had the 1 season of production as he was stuck behind some quality WR's at Ohio State, but man you just can't teach the type of speed he has to take the top off a defense. If he continues to improve his route running and his hands aren't an issue in the NFL, he could be the best WR in this class. That said, I could just as easily see him become a Ted Ginn/Henry Ruggs type player.

London seems like a safe bet to be a great possession WR at the next level. I think the top 4 WR's are pretty close to each other in terms of talent. London just doesn't have quite the same "score from anywhere on the field" type explosiveness the others have, but his size and movement at that size are impressive and will surely be an asset in the NFL.

My WR's ranked 5 through 8 are on a similar level in my mind despite having much different skillsets. Watson has immense potential with his size/speed combo that is rare to find. He also is far quicker than you'd expect anyone his size to be. His senior bowl performances eased some of the concerns I had about him playing against high level players.

Had Pickens not torn his ACL before last season, I have a feeling he'd be viewed as a consensus 1st round talent. Has excellent hands, smooth route runner, great body control, and is fast enough to challenge teams on the deeper routes. Jahan isn't the biggest guy, but is very good all around and has fun after the catch ability make defenders miss with the ball in his hands.

Olave is a guy I probably have lower than most. He's smooth running routes, and has good hands. I just am always left wanting a little more from him once he gets the ball in his hands for how athletic he is. That said, I'm sure he will be a successful WR at the next level with his hands and route running. Truly an excellent WR class that will likely have several impact players for years to come.

Edited April 22, 2022 by tyler735

[Trojan]

Quarterbacks:
1. Sam Howell, North Carolina
2. Malik Willis, Liberty
3. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
4. Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
5. Matt Corrall, Ole Miss
6. Carson Strong, Nevada (over Ridder if knee checks out, I think this is correct if knee is functional but messed)
7. Jack Coan, Wisconsin/Notre Dame
8-15. bunch of developmental guys that are pick what traits you want, many have higher upside than Coan with work. Cole Kelley is likely first up, maybe Skylar Thompson next, I personally like Eric Barierre and I think could develop into something Tyrod Taylor-y or ceiling of Jeff Garcia with investment, Eleby, Zappe, Glass, Purdy, Crum all could maybe make a team.

Runningbacks:
1. Kenneth Walker, Michigan State
2. Bryce Hall, Iowa State
3. Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M (falling may be 8th for me now, but I'm not quite there)
4. Dameon Pierce, Florida
5. Brian Robinson, Alabama
6. Tyler Allgeier, BYU
7. Rachaad White, Arizona State
8. Kyren Williams, Notre Dame
9-15. Badie, Cook, Chandler, Ford, Knight, White, Corbin I think are the main contenders maybe Price. Master Teague might get in too.

Wide Receivers:
1. Jameson Williams, Ohio State/Alabama
2. Chris Olave, Ohio State
3. Drake London, USC
4. Treylon Burks, Arkansas
5. Garrett Wilson, Ohio State
6. Skyy Moore, Western Michigan
7. Christian Watson, North Dakota State
8. Jahan Dotson, Penn State
9. Khalil Shakir, Boise State
10. Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama
11. Justyn Ross, Clemson
12. Alec Pierce, Cincinnati
13. John Metchie, Alabama
14. David Bell, Purdue
15. Wandale Robinson, Kentucky; Calvin Austin, Notre Dame; George Pickens, Georgia [falling]; or Romeo Doubbs, Nevada

Tight Ends:
1. Trey McBride, Colorado State
2. Cade Otton, Washington
3. Jelani Woods, Virginia Tech
4. Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State
5. Charlie Kolar, Iowa State
6. Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin
7. Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina
8. Chigoziem Okonkwo, Maryland
9. Jalen Wydermeyer, Texas A&M [falling]
10. Greg Dulcich, UCLA

Offensive Line:
1. Ikem Ekwonu, North Carolina State
2. Charles Cross, Mississippi State
3. Evan Neal, Alabama
4. Zion Johnson, Boston College
5. Tyler Smith, Tulsa
6. Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa
7. Kenyon Green, Texas A&M
8. Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan
9. Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
10. Daniel Faalele, Minnesota
11. Max Mitchell, Louisiana
12. Cole Strange, Chattanooga
13. Dylan Parham, Memphis
14. Luke Goedeke, Central Michigan
15. Cam Jurgens, Nebraska; Sean Rhyan, UCLA; Abraham Lucas, Washington State; or Nicholas Petite Frere, OSU; Zach Tom, Wake Forrest

EDGE:
1. Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
2. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
3. Jermaine Johnson, Georgia/FSU
4. George Karlaftis, Purdue
5. David Ojabo, Michigan
6. Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State
7. Josh Paschal, Kentucky
8. Boye Mafe, Minnesota
9. Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina
10. Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
11. Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma
12. Tyreke Smith, Ohio State
13. Drake Jackson, USC
14. Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
15. Amare Barno, Virginia Tech [this is for rare athleticism and needing a role for it, other edge's would be higher the athletic testing is too rare imo to pass at that point]

Interior Defensive Line:
1. Jordan Davis, Georgia
2. Travon Walker, Georgia
3. Travis Jones, Connecticut
4. Logan Hall, Houston
5. Demarvin Leal, Texas A&M
6. Matthew Butler, Tennessee
7. Curtis Brooks, Cincinnati
8. Thomas Booker, Stanford
9. Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma
10. Phidarian Mathis, Alabama

Linebackers:
1. Devin Lloyd, Utah
2. Chad Muma, Wyoming
3. Leo Chenal, Wisconsin
4. Nakobe Dean, Georgia
5. Quay Walker, Georgia
6. Channing Tindall, Georgia
7. Troy Anderson, Montana State
8. Christian Harris, Alabama
9. Damone Clark, LSU (the back lowers him a lot, might be off board if back is too bad)
10. Devin Harper and Malcolm Rodriguez, Oklahoma State (these two really intrigue me; Harper is the freak of the two and Rodrigues could become a Blake Martinez type)

Cornerbacks:
1. Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
2. Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, Cincinnati
3. Trent McDuffie, Washington
[[ this is where I'd put Daxton Hill, Michigan as a nickel corner ]]
4. Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson
5. Kaiir Elam, Florida
[[ this is where I'd put Jalen Pitre as a nickel corner ]]
6. Jalyn Armour-Davis, Alabama
7. Kyler Gordon, Washington
8. Roger McCreary, Auburn
__ odd athletic freaks tier__
9. Tariq Woolen, UTSA
10. Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston
11. Tariq Castro-Fields, Penn State
__ end off athletic freaks tier__
12. Alontae Taylor, Tennessee
13. Martin Emerson, Mississippi State
14. Coby Bryant, Cincinnati
15. Josh Jobe, Alabama; Akayleb Evans, Missouri; or Chase Lucas, Arizona State [or if valuing ST contributions Marcus Jones is higher on this list as a NB/ST after McCreary]

Safeties
1. Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
2. Daxton Hill, Michigan
3. Jaquan Brisker, Penn State
4. Lewis Cine, Georgia
5. Jalen Pitre, Baylor
6. Nick Cross, Maryland
7. Bryan Cook, Cincinnati
8. Damarri Mathis, Pittsburgh
9. Kerby Joseph, Illinois
10. Markquese Bell, Florida A&M
11. Smoke Monday, Auburn
12. Reed Blankenship, Middle Tennessee

Notable guys off board completely: Adam Anderson, EDGE Georgia (legal issue); Devonte Wyatt, DT Georgia (DV past); Derrion Kendrick, CB Georgia (4.75 40 at proday), Darian Kinnard, OT Kentucky (personal coachability vibe); [almost off board George Pickens, WR (personal coachability vibe) and Jalen Wydermeyer, TE (slow testing/didn't play up to expectations either)]
 

Edited April 22, 2022 by Trojan

[eh3034]

6 hours ago, Trojan said:

Quarterbacks:
1. Sam Howell, North Carolina
2. Malik Willis, Liberty
3. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
4. Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
5. Matt Corrall, Ole Miss
6. Carson Strong, Nevada (over Ridder if knee checks out, I think this is correct if knee is functional but messed)
7. Jack Coan, Wisconsin/Notre Dame
8-15. bunch of developmental guys that are pick what traits you want, many have higher upside than Coan with work. Cole Kelley is likely first up, maybe Skylar Thompson next, I personally like Eric Barierre and I think could develop into something Tyrod Taylor-y or ceiling of Jeff Garcia with investment, Eleby, Zappe, Glass, Purdy, Crum all could maybe make a team.

Runningbacks:
1. Kenneth Walker, Michigan State
2. Bryce Hall, Iowa State
3. Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M (falling may be 8th for me now, but I'm not quite there)
4. Dameon Pierce, Florida
5. Brian Robinson, Alabama
6. Tyler Allgeier, BYU
7. Rachaad White, Arizona State
8. Kyren Williams, Notre Dame
9-15. Badie, Cook, Chandler, Ford, Knight, White, Corbin I think are the main contenders maybe Price. Master Teague might get in too.

Wide Receivers:
1. Jameson Williams, Ohio State/Alabama
2. Chris Olave, Ohio State
3. Drake London, USC
4. Treylon Burks, Arkansas
5. Garrett Wilson, Ohio State
6. Skyy Moore, Western Michigan
7. Christian Watson, North Dakota State
8. Jahan Dotson, Penn State
9. Khalil Shakir, Boise State
10. Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama
11. Justyn Ross, Clemson
12. Alec Pierce, Cincinnati
13. John Metchie, Alabama
14. David Bell, Purdue
15. Wandale Robinson, Kentucky; Calvin Austin, Notre Dame; George Pickens, Georgia [falling]; or Romeo Doubbs, Nevada

Tight Ends:
1. Trey McBride, Colorado State
2. Cade Otton, Washington
3. Jelani Woods, Virginia Tech
4. Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State
5. Charlie Kolar, Iowa State
6. Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin
7. Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina
8. Chigoziem Okonkwo, Maryland
9. Jalen Wydermeyer, Texas A&M [falling]
10. Greg Dulcich, UCLA

Offensive Line:
1. Ikem Ekwonu, North Carolina State
2. Charles Cross, Mississippi State
3. Evan Neal, Alabama
4. Zion Johnson, Boston College
5. Tyler Smith, Tulsa
6. Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa
7. Kenyon Green, Texas A&M
8. Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan
9. Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
10. Daniel Faalele, Minnesota
11. Max Mitchell, Louisiana
12. Cole Strange, Chattanooga
13. Dylan Parham, Memphis
14. Luke Goedeke, Central Michigan
15. Cam Jurgens, Nebraska; Sean Rhyan, UCLA; Abraham Lucas, Washington State; or Nicholas Petite Frere, OSU; Zach Tom, Wake Forrest

EDGE:
1. Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
2. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
3. Jermaine Johnson, Georgia/FSU
4. George Karlaftis, Purdue
5. David Ojabo, Michigan
6. Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State
7. Josh Paschal, Kentucky
8. Boye Mafe, Minnesota
9. Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina
10. Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
11. Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma
12. Tyreke Smith, Ohio State
13. Drake Jackson, USC
14. Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
15. Amare Barno, Virginia Tech [this is for rare athleticism and needing a role for it, other edge's would be higher the athletic testing is too rare imo to pass at that point]

Interior Defensive Line:
1. Jordan Davis, Georgia
2. Travon Walker, Georgia
3. Travis Jones, Connecticut
4. Logan Hall, Houston
5. Demarvin Leal, Texas A&M
6. Matthew Butler, Tennessee
7. Curtis Brooks, Cincinnati
8. Thomas Booker, Stanford
9. Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma
10. Phidarian Mathis, Alabama

Linebackers:
1. Devin Lloyd, Utah
2. Chad Muma, Wyoming
3. Leo Chenal, Wisconsin
4. Nakobe Dean, Georgia
5. Quay Walker, Georgia
6. Channing Tindall, Georgia
7. Troy Anderson, Montana State
8. Christian Harris, Alabama
9. Damone Clark, LSU (the back lowers him a lot, might be off board if back is too bad)
10. Devin Harper and Malcolm Rodriguez, Oklahoma State (these two really intrigue me; Harper is the freak of the two and Rodrigues could become a Blake Martinez type)

Cornerbacks:
1. Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
2. Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, Cincinnati
3. Trent McDuffie, Washington
[[ this is where I'd put Daxton Hill, Michigan as a nickel corner ]]
4. Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson
5. Kaiir Elam, Florida
[[ this is where I'd put Jalen Pitre as a nickel corner ]]
6. Jalyn Armour-Davis, Alabama
7. Kyler Gordon, Washington
8. Roger McCreary, Auburn
__ odd athletic freaks tier__
9. Tariq Woolen, UTSA
10. Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston
11. Tariq Castro-Fields, Penn State
__ end off athletic freaks tier__
12. Alontae Taylor, Tennessee
13. Martin Emerson, Mississippi State
14. Coby Bryant, Cincinnati
15. Josh Jobe, Alabama; Akayleb Evans, Missouri; or Chase Lucas, Arizona State [or if valuing ST contributions Marcus Jones is higher on this list as a NB/ST after McCreary]

Safeties
1. Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
2. Daxton Hill, Michigan
3. Jaquan Brisker, Penn State
4. Lewis Cine, Georgia
5. Jalen Pitre, Baylor
6. Nick Cross, Maryland
7. Bryan Cook, Cincinnati
8. Damarri Mathis, Pittsburgh
9. Kerby Joseph, Illinois
10. Markquese Bell, Florida A&M
11. Smoke Monday, Auburn
12. Reed Blankenship, Middle Tennessee

Notable guys off board completely: Adam Anderson, EDGE Georgia (legal issue); Devonte Wyatt, DT Georgia (DV past); Derrion Kendrick, CB Georgia (4.75 40 at proday), Darian Kinnard, OT Kentucky (personal coachability vibe); [almost off board George Pickens, WR (personal coachability vibe) and Jalen Wydermeyer, TE (slow testing/didn't play up to expectations either)]
 

You and I for the most part have pretty similar rankings, so well done lol!!  There are of course some differences, so I'll post mine in a slightly different format later tonight now that I think I have my board pretty much finalized.