NFL combine: Malik Willis, Aidan Hutchinson top ones to watch
By Bucky Brooks
FOX Sports NFL Analyst
The NFL Scouting Combine kicks off this week with executives, coaches, scouts and 300-plus players descending upon Indianapolis for an extensive set of interviews and athletic tests that will shape the 2022 draft.
Ahead of the most important job interview of their football lives, prospects are prepped and ready to impress evaluators with their football intelligence, athleticism and skills. The combination of on-field performance and interview evaluations will help decision-makers make final determinations on how to stack the prospects on their draft boards.
While skeptics have scoffed at the notion of workouts providing evaluators with an accurate assessment of how a prospect could play at the next level, traditionalists will tell anyone within earshot that the NFL Scouting Combine enables executives, scouts and coaches to get a better feel for what prospects have displayed on tape.
Although film evaluation carries more weight in the final analysis than a workout in a T-shirt and shorts, the opportunity to see top prospects in person leaves a lasting impression on evaluators in meetings.
With that in mind, this is the perfect time to assess the 2022 class and present five burning questions that teams are grappling with heading into the NFL Scouting Combine.
Who is the best pass-rusher in the class: Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux?
The hottest debate centers on the top pass-rusher in the class: Michigan’s Hutchinson or Oregon's Thibodeaux. With the winner claiming not only the top spot at the position but also the No. 1 overall spot in the class, the four-day job interview in Indianapolis will have a huge impact on how the draft board shapes up over the next month or so.
Hutchinson heads to Indianapolis as the front-runner, based on his production and consistency on tape. He is a high-motor player with an assortment of pass-rush maneuvers that make him a nightmare to deal with off the edge. While some observers have attempted to paint the Michigan standout as simply a "try-hard guy" who wins exclusively on effort, Hutchinson is a five-star athlete with explosive traits who could surprise evaluators when the testing starts this weekend.
In interviews, he will need to convince evaluators that he is not a one-year wonder (14 sacks in 2021 after netting just 4.5 in his first three seasons) by explaining his surge in production and carefully outlining his pass-rushing plan on game days.
Thibodeaux is a little polarizing in the scouting community due to the hype that has not always been supported by his production. As a 6-foot-5, 258-pound pass-rushing specialist with outstanding first-step quickness and closing burst, Thibodeaux has the potential to take over games with his destructive skills. Despite failing to notch 10 or more sacks in any of his three seasons at Oregon, he has posted solid production (19 career sacks in three seasons) while flashing explosive speed and quickness off the edge.
Thibodeaux’s success as a speed rusher with a small menu of moves will lead to questions about his ability to develop a counter to win against elite blockers. But he might be able to persuade evaluators that he can win like Mariano Rivera as a dominant, "one-pitch" pitcher with an unbelievable heater.
How well Hutchinson and Thibodeaux perform on the big stage and behind the scenes will determine which edge defender takes the inside track in the race to be the top pass-rusher and No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Which quarterback prospect has the best tools?
Coaches frequently cite accuracy and decision-making as the key factors in the quarterback evaluation, but recent history suggests that tools matter more than ever in the NFL. The most physically gifted players at the position have risen to the top of the charts, and evaluators should not ignore the toolbox when grading quarterbacks in this class.
Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson might have lacked pinpoint ball placement entering the league, but their size, speed and arm talent combinations have enabled them to play like all-stars at the position. Their individual and collective success could encourage other teams to roll the dice on an unpolished quarterback with five-star tools.
If I had to do a preliminary pick on which 2022 quarterback could be the next five-tool prospect to pop, I would point to Liberty’s Malik Willis as the one to watch. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder is an exceptional athlete with elite arm talent and movement skills. Willis can throw the ball a country mile over the top of the defense or fire a fastball past a defender in tight coverage.
With the former Auburn transfer also flashing A-plus running skills and the ability to make dazzling throws on the move, coaches and scouts could tap into their imagination to build out a creative offense that showcases Willis’ talent while minimizing his weaknesses.
The combine will give evaluators a chance to fall in love with the Liberty standout’s tools if he outshines his counterparts in throwing drills and speed and agility tests.
How should scouts sort out the offensive tackle cluster of Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu and Charles Cross at the top of the board?
Protecting the quarterback is always the No. 1 priority in a league governed by QB play. The 2022 class features a number of blue-chip prospects at the top of the board, but scouts will need to spend the next few months determining which players are the best fits for their respective offenses.
If a team desires a long, rangy edge blocker with flawless technique, Alabama’s Evan Neal could tickle their fancy. The 6-foot-7, 350-pounder is a talented technician with balance, body control and hand skills to stymie explosive pass-rushers off the edge. In addition, he flashes enough strength and power to move defenders in the running game.
Teams looking for a bully on the block will fall in love with NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Ekwonu plays the game like a nightclub bouncer removing unruly patrons with brute force and a no-nonsense attitude. As a mauler/brawler with an unrefined game, he plays an ugly brand of football that will make some offensive line coaches squeamish. Talent developers, however, will appreciate his natural talents and grade him on his potential to blossom into an all-star in the right scheme.
Cross is a pass-protecting freak with superb balance, body control and anchor. Measuring 6-foot-5, 300 pounds with quick feet, the Mississippi State product is a perfect fit for an offense that wants to throw the ball around the yard. Cross is as polished as they come in the passing game, with a variety of tools and techniques that enable him to effectively shadow and mirror pass-rushers on the edges. He has an extensive résumé of handling every pitch pass-rushers throw off the edge, and his shutout potential could make him the top choice for pass-happy teams searching for a franchise tackle on draft day.
With so many styles and body types at the top of the board, the combine will give evaluators a chance to determine the proper order for their respective teams and schemes. In addition, the interview will give scouts and coaches some insight into football intelligence, personality and locker room fit. Given the importance of chemistry and continuity within the offensive line, this week will play a major role in determining how these prospects will come off the board in the first round.
What’s up with Derek Stingley Jr.?
The former five-star recruit is a bit of an urban legend, based on a spectacular freshman campaign at LSU and whispers about his epic practice battles with Ja’Marr Chase & Co. The 6-foot-1, 194-pounder possesses the size, length, athleticism and ball skills that defensive coaches covet in elite cornerback prospects. In addition, Stingley’s stellar performance and production as a freshman showed the football world that he has the potential to play like a blue-chip player, with his tools, talent and competitiveness overwhelming receivers on the perimeter.
However, Stingley will need to convince scouts that he can consistently play at an All-Pro level after injuries and complacency derailed his final two seasons at LSU. The player on film in 2020-21 looked nothing like the superhero who blanketed receivers with ease as a rookie. And his questionable tackling skills and overall physicality, particularly in 2021, will make old-school defensive coaches pause when they consider adding Stingley to the roster.
With that in mind, the best plan for Stingley was to win over his skeptics with a dazzling performance in drills that bring the focus back to his talent and upside as a pro. But on Monday, news broke that Stingley is skipping the combine, or at least the workout portion. After having foot surgery last season, he will wait until LSU’s pro day on April 6 to work out.
If he has impressive interviews this week that clearly explain his disappointing efforts in 2021, Stingley will still have a chance to reclaim his spot as the top corner in the draft.
Which wide receiver has Pro Bowl potential as a rookie?
It was rare for a rookie pass-catcher to play at an all-star level, but the immediate success of Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson in back-to-back years has scouts on the lookout for a receiver with the potential to make an immediate impact as a WR1. Although the 2022 class features an impressive collection of pass-catchers with a hodgepodge of supersized playmakers, crafty route runners and big-play specialists, the blue-chips of the class are not likely to crack the top 10 on draft day.
That said, there are a few receivers with the potential to put up big numbers as first-year contributors. Surveying the landscape, I would pay close attention to USC’s Drake London, Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson and Purdue’s David Bell as rookies with all-star potential.
While scheme fit certainly matters, London’s 6-foot-5 frame and NBA-caliber leaping ability will make him a hard guard on the perimeter. With quarterbacks increasingly targeting pass-catchers of extraordinary size and length in the red zone on critical downs, the USC standout could emerge as a prolific point scorer in Year 1.
Wilson and Bell are crafty route runners with enough quickness and pizzazz to twist defenders into knots. Each of the Big Ten products has the potential to dominate his one-on-one matchups on the perimeter. Displaying the skills and versatility to play out wide or in the slot, Wilson and Bell could explode as No. 1 receivers at the next level.
Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports and regularly appears on "Speak For Yourself." He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and is a cohost of the "Moving the Sticks" podcast.