2022 NFL Draft: Many position groups boosted by early entrants

By Rob Rang
FOX Sports NFL Draft Analyst

While the final selection order will not be determined until the Super Bowl and the needs of every team will be reshuffled throughout free agency, the muddied waters of the 2022 NFL Draft became a little clearer with the Jan. 17 deadline for underclassmen to enter.

Most players seeking early entry have made their intentions public. But as in so many other areas of life, the pandemic has made this process more complicated.

Unique to this year, some seniors have also publicly announced their draft status, taking the extra step because the NCAA granted athletes an extra year of eligibility due to COVID. To avoid confusion, the NFL asked college players seeking to remain in school for the extra year to inform the league by Feb. 4. 

Because entering the draft is a decision not to be taken lightly — upon signing with an agent, a player forgoes all amateur eligibility — the NFL allows 72 hours of wiggle room for interested prospects. The league will wait until Friday to release the declared list to clubs.

As such, the lists below are not yet official, with additions (and perhaps even a few subtractions) still technically possible. The list of players likely to earn real interest on draft day, however, is now pretty clear. As such, the intent of this article is to break down each position, highlighting the relative strengths and weaknesses of the underclassman player pool available for the draft, which begins April 28 in Las Vegas. Each group is also given a letter grade on the A-F scale.

Let's get started.

QUARTERBACKS (4)

The 2021 draft featured a historic bounty at the position, with a record five quarterbacks selected among the first 15 picks. This year’s QB crop is a solid one, but it pales in comparison to that of a year ago. Not a single passer is viewed as a top-10 lock, and perhaps only the most QB-needy teams in the league are likely to consider gambling a first-round selection on the position. 

That said, the QB group has been enriched by some talented underclassmen, with Mississippi’s Matt Corral arguably the most gifted dual-threat available. Nevada’s Carson Strong and Western Michigan’s Kaleb Eleby intrigue scouts with accuracy to all levels of the field (albeit against lesser competition), and North Carolina’s gritty Sam Howell boasts the intangibles every team is looking for at the position. 

Quarterbacks grade: C+

Matt Corral, Mississippi
Kaleb Eleby, Western Michigan
Sam Howell, North Carolina
Carson Strong, Nevada

RUNNING BACKS (25)

The talent at running back takes a huge jump with the inclusion of a strong (if not quite spectacular) underclassman crop. No running back has been selected earlier than 24th overall since the New York Giants made Saquon Barkley the second overall selection in 2018, and this class lacks a true first-round cinch.

There should be a handful of backs earning consideration throughout Day Two, however, with underclassmen such as Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III, Iowa State’s Breece Hall, Georgia’s Zamir White and Texas A&M’s Isaiah Spiller all likely contending with Alabama senior Brian Robinson Jr. to be the first back off the board. 

This class lacks a true do-it-all superstar with breakaway speed, but it is one of the strongest positional groups in the 2022 draft, with several plug-and-play candidates and plenty of sleepers likely to "surprise" as Day Three steals. 

Running backs grade: B+

Tyler Allgeier, BYU
BJ Baylor, Oregon State
Raheem Blackshear, Virginia Tech
Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma
Snoop Conner, Mississippi
Jashaun Corbin, Florida State
Tyrion Davis-Price, LSU
Jerrion Ealy, Mississippi
Jerome Ford, Cincinnati
Tyler Goodson, Iowa
Breece Hall, Iowa State
Cam’Ron Harris, Miami
Kevin Harris, South Carolina
Quay Holmes, East Tennessee State
Zonovan Knight, North Carolina State
Jordan Mason, Georgia Tech
Sincere McCormick, Texas-San Antonio
Isaih Pacheco, Rutgers
Ricky Person Jr., North Carolina State
TJ Pledger, Utah
Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M
Master Teague, Ohio State
Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State
Zamir White, Georgia
Kyren Williams, Notre Dame

WIDE RECEIVERS (26)

Similar in some ways to the quarterback class, the 2022 crop of receivers lacks the instant impact of last year’s heralded group, but there is plenty of talent here. Plus, the group features a Baskin Robbins-like variety of sizes, speeds and skill sets. 

Prior to suffering a torn ACL in the national championship game, Alabama’s Jameson Williams was trending as the favorite to be the first receiver selected. The Ohio State transfer went from 15 career catches to 1,572 receiving yards in a breakout 2021 campaign. He personifies a receiver group high on risk and reward.

Fellow first-round-worthy talents such as Drake London (fractured ankle), George Pickens (ACL) and Justyn Ross (broken foot) are also going to require thorough medical evaluations. Arkansas’ Treylon Burks, Purdue's David Bell and Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson, meanwhile, are polar opposites in size and style, but their production against elite competition speaks for itself. 

Wide receivers grade: B

Kevin Austin Jr., Notre Dame
David Bell, Purdue
Stanley Berryhill III, Arizona
Slade Bolden, Alabama
Treylon Burks, Arkansas
Britain Covey, Utah
Erik Ezukanma, Texas Tech
Drake London, Southern California
John Metchie III, Alabama
Skyy Moore, Western Michigan
Jalen Nailor, Michigan State
Neil Pau’u, BYU
Kyle Phillips, UCLA
George Pickens, Georgia
Makai Polk, Mississippi State
Charleston Rambo, Miami
Jaquarii Roberson, Wake Forest
Wan’Dale Robinson, Kentucky
Justyn Ross, Clemson
Tyler Snead, East Carolina
Jerreth Sterns, Western Kentucky
Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama
Tre Turner, Virginia Tech
Devon Williams, Oregon
Jameson Williams, Alabama
Garrett Wilson, Ohio State

TIGHT ENDS (7)

While there were some big names added to the group, a below-average senior crop of tight ends has scouts already looking ahead to projected stellar classes in 2023 and 2024. 

The most gifted tight end of the 2022 bunch — and most likely to be drafted first — is Texas A&M’s Jalen Wydermyer, but there are too many dropped passes on his film for him to earn a first-round selection. Washington’s Cade Otton, on the other hand, has the soft mitts teams want as a security blanket, but he lacks the speed to threaten the seam or much thump at the point of attack.

Over the past decade, the draft twice went well into round two before the first tight end was selected, with the Bears nabbing Cole Kmet at No. 43 overall in 2020 and Baltimore investing the 55th overall pick in Maxx Williams in 2015. With no "unicorn" like Kyle Pitts available, that is likely to be the case in 2022. Meanwhile, the league looks ahead to college stars such as Georgia’s Brock Bowers and Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer.  

Tight ends grade: D

Daniel Barker, Illinois
Greg Dulcich, UCLA
Cole Fotheringham, Utah
James Mitchell, Virginia Tech
Cade Otton, Washington
Teagan Quitoriano, Oregon State
Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (19)

The 2022 draft has been labeled by some as lacking talent at the skill positions, but the bevy of big bodies along the offensive line is once again strong. An average senior crop was significantly boosted by underclassmen, and it's all but certain that the first tackle, guard and center off the board in 2022 will be players who entered the draft early.

Alabama’s pipeline of blockers to the NFL gets stronger with the behemoth Evan Neal on the fast track to a top-10 selection. Sheer knockdown power will also earn North Carolina State’s Ikem Okwunu and Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green first-round selections, though scouts are split as to where all three project best in the NFL after abbreviated starts at left tackle in college. 

Teams looking for light-footed pass protectors will appreciate Mississippi State’s Charles Cross and Washington’s Jaxson Kirkland. The most polished offensive lineman in the draft might well be Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum, a rare center worthy of top-20 consideration. 

The best part of the offensive line additions might be the depth, with players such as Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning, UCLA’s Sean Rhyan, Penn State’s Rasheed Walker, Arizona State’s Dohnovan West and Tulsa’s Tyler Smith among those earning more love from scouts than from the media. 

Offensive linemen grade: A-

Alec Anderson, UCLA
Charles Cross, Mississippi State
William Dunkle, San Diego State
James Empey, BYU
Joshua Ezeudu, North Carolina
Kenyon Green, Texas A&M
Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa
Cameron Jurgens, Nebraska
Jaxson Kirkland, Washington
Evan Neal, Alabama
Ikem Okwunu, North Carolina State
Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
Nicholas Petit-Frere, Ohio State
Dare Rosenthal, Kentucky
Sean Rhyan, UCLA
Tyler Smith, Tulsa
Luke Tenuta, Virginia Tech
Rasheed Walker, Penn State
Dohnovan West, Arizona State

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (4)

With the NFL a pass-happy league, the need for stout run defenders is at an all-time low. That is reflected in the small number of traditional, 300-plus-pound defensive linemen leaving college early for a shot at being drafted. 

Texas A&M’s DeMarvin Leal and Alabama’s Phidarian Mathis are two of the few legitimate big guys with a chance to hear their names called on Day One, perhaps joining only Georgia senior Jordan Davis as first-round defensive tackles. Mathis is the most powerful and productive of the duo, but Leal is a more flexible and versatile athlete. 

Given their large frames and intriguing talent, it's surprising how much Michigan’s Christopher Hinton (6-foot-4, 310) and Nebraska’s Damion Daniels (6-foot-3, 335) were overshadowed in the Big Ten. Both could prove to be quality middle-round finds. 

Defensive linemen grade: B-

Damion Daniels, Nebraska
Christopher Hinton, Michigan
DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M
Phidarian Mathis, Alabama

EDGE DEFENDERS (10)

Leading off with potential No. 1 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, this year’s class of edge rushers got as much of a bump as any positional group. Similar to the receiver crop, however, this is a class boasting more promise than production.

Thibodeaux lacks the eye-popping stats that his hype and traits suggest are possible, but scouts are enamored with his length, strength and ability to make impact plays against the pass and run. The Oregon star draws comparisons to former NFL All-Pros Von Miller, Chandler Jones and DeMarcus Ware. 

Scouts are similarly excited about the upside of twitchy athletes David Ojabo (Michigan), Travon Walker (Georgia) and Drake Jackson (USC), while Purdue’s George Karlaftis and San Diego State’s Cameron Thomas have strong résumés to offset less-than-ideal athletic traits. 

This is a significantly better group than last year’s. The first edge rusher selected in the 2021 draft came at No. 18 overall (Jaelan Phillips, Miami). Don’t be surprised if a handful of edge rushers are drafted in the top 20 this spring. 

Edge defenders grade: A-

Amare Barno, Virginia Tech
Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma
David Ojabo, Michigan
Drake Jackson, USC
George Karlaftis, Purdue
Mika Tafua, Utah
Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
Travon Walker, Georgia
Alex Wright, Alabama-Birmingham

LINEBACKERS (8)

With all due respect to Butkus Award winner and national champion Nakobe Dean, linebacker is one of relatively few positions in which a senior — Utah’s Devin Lloyd, perhaps — is likely to retain his spot as the top prospect available in the 2022 draft. But that isn’t to suggest that this year’s crop of underclassman linebackers won’t make an impact. 

While lacking a prototypical build, Dean is a sideline-to-sideline dynamo whose instincts, acceleration and reliable open-field tackling skills make him well-suited to today’s NFL. Dean is at the top of the class for underclassman linebackers, but Oklahoma’s Brian Asamoah, Penn State’s Brandon Smith and Wisconsin’s Leo Chenal are quality prospects who won’t have to wait long on Day Two to hear their names called. 

Linebackers grade: B-

Brian Asamoah, Oklahoma
Leo Chenal, Wisconsin
Nakobe Dean, Georgia
Avery Roberts, Oregon State
Nephi Sewell, Utah
Brandon Smith, Penn State
Khalan Tolson, Illinois
Carson Wells, Colorado

CORNERBACKS (15)

An already strong crop of senior cornerbacks has blossomed into a potentially historic class, with more than a dozen draftable prospects added. The underclassmen include a foursome of near first-round locks in LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr., Florida’s Kaiir Elam, Clemson’s Andrew Booth Jr. and Cincinnati’s Ahmad Gardner. 

Some in the media are skeptical of Stingley, given that he missed virtually all of 2021 due to a leg injury and has not recorded an interception in more than two years. But smart evaluators won’t overthink the process, recalling the immediate impacts Micah Parsons (Dallas), Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinnati) and Penei Sewell (Detroit) had as NFL rookies after sitting out their last year in college. 

In most drafts, Mississippi State’s Martin Emerson and Washington’s Trent McDuffie would likely earn first-round selections, but the depth this year — as well as their meager interception totals — could push them into the early stages of Day Two. 

Other positional groups received more of a boost from the underclassmen joining the crop, but no position is more talented or deeper than cornerback this year. 

Cornerbacks grade: A

Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson
Kaiir Elam, Florida
Martin Emerson, Mississippi State
Cordale Flott, LSU
Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati
Kyler Gordon, Washington
Trent McDuffie, Washington
Ja’Quan McMillian, East Carolina
Brendan Radley-Hiles, Washington
Chris Steele, USC
Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
Isaac Taylor-Stuart, USC
Jermaine Waller, Virginia Tech
Bryce Watts, Massachusetts
Mykael Wright, Oregon

SAFETIES (9)

Much like the corners, this year’s safety crop was significantly aided by an infusion of underclassmen. Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton receives most of the praise — and for good reason; safeties with his blend of size and closing speed are rare. Michigan’s Daxton Hill might very well be the best in coverage, however, and Oregon’s Verone McKinley III is an absolute ball hawk, with 11 interceptions the past three seasons. 

Given the increasingly small strike zones allowed in today’s NFL, intimidating hitters over the middle are not quite as valued as they once were. Teams looking to add some physicality, however, will appreciate Georgia’s Lewis Cine and Miami’s Bubba Bolden, who both pack a wallop. 

Like at cornerback, there is rare talent at safety this year to warrant investing a first-round selection. Better yet, the depth is such that a team can focus on a shallower position early, knowing that future starting-caliber safeties will be available throughout Day Two and perhaps into the middle rounds. 

Safeties grade: A-

Dane Belton, Iowa
Bubba Bolden, Miami
Lewis Cine, Georgia
Nick Cross, Maryland
Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
Daxton Hill, Michigan
Kerby Joseph, Illinois
Verone McKinley III, Oregon
Juanyeh Thomas, Georgia Tech

SPECIALISTS (3)

In another example of just how unique the 2022 NFL Draft will be, a record three specialists are making the early jump, and all three warrant draft consideration.

Oklahoma’s Gabe Brkic is about as steady as they come among college kickers, making 82.6% of his field goals over three seasons, with just one missed PAT on 160 tries. LSU’s Cade York missed just six field-goal attempts in his final two years and not a single PAT after missing four of them as a true freshman for the national champs. 

San Diego State's Matt Araiza, meanwhile, might have the strongest leg in the draft. The reigning Ray Guy Award winner as the nation’s top punter, Araiza set an FBS record with a 51.19-yard average this season. He also holds career records for the most 50-plus and 60-plus-yard punts, with 39 and 18, respectively. 

Specialists aren’t worthy of draft consideration unless they are truly special. This trio is that, making the 2022 crop one of the best in recent memory. 

Specialists grade: B+

Matt Araiza, P, San Diego State
Gabe Brkic, K, Oklahoma
Cade York, K, LSU

One of the most recognized names in the industry, Rob Rang has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others.