Risen Star
Likes Collector
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* Any criticism of Mel will be reported.
Take it away, your hairness.
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This is not a list of the best overall prospects in the 2022 class nor is it a list of the guys I consider the best at each position. These are the prospects whom I've:
Quarterback
Malik Willis, Liberty
Willis is electric with the ball in his hands and has a cannon for an arm. What's not to like? He didn't play with much NFL talent in college, but he made everyone around him better. He took an FBS-high 51 sacks last season -- some were because he held on to the ball too long -- and still finished with 878 rushing yards (yes, college football still counts sacks as negative yards for quarterbacks).
Willis took a leap forward as a passer in 2021, even with a trio of three-interception games. He had 63 plays of 20-plus yards over the past two seasons, which ranked seventh in the country. He is extremely accurate when he gets outside the pocket. Again, he did this at Liberty, which doesn't have any other draft picks in this class. Like any young quarterback, Willis needs to go to a team with talent around him (Pittsburgh?) to be at his best. But he has the highest ceiling of all the 2022 signal-callers.
Projection: I think he's going to land in the top 10, maybe for a team trading up to get him.
Running back
Pierre Strong Jr., South Dakota State
I mentioned Strong as an under-the-radar prospect everyone should know back in September, after he looked great in wins over Colorado State and Indiana State. He finished the season with 1,673 rushing yards and 18 scores while averaging 7.0 yards per carry. He has great balance through the hole, can hold his own in pass protection and was durable for the Jackrabbits.
Strong is really good at most everything. He impressed at the combine, too, running a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at 5-foot-11, 207 pounds.
Projection: Strong is going to be drafted late on Day 2 or early on Day 3, and I really think he could be a steal. He has a chance to be a starter in the NFL in the right situation (and given a little time to adjust).
Wide receiver
Alec Pierce, Cincinnati
Pierce probably isn't going in Round 1, but it wouldn't totally shock me if he sneaks into the top 32 picks. He has the physical traits that could make a team fall in love with him. He ran a 4.41 40 and had a 40.5-inch vertical at the combine. Pierce isn't just a workout warrior, though; he averaged 17 yards per catch, scored eight touchdowns and was one of the best vertical threats in the country last season. He's going to run by defensive backs at the next level.
I also thought about Western Michigan's Skyy Moore here. He's only 5-foot-10, but he had the biggest hands of any receiver at the combine. He's dynamic after the catch.
Projection: I comped Pierce to Jordy Nelson, and Pierce could go right around where Nelson did in the 2008 draft (No. 36 overall).
Offensive tackle
Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
The easy one here is Ikem Ekwonu (NC State), but he's likely going in the top six picks, so let's go with Penning, whose tape is entertaining to watch. I say that because he's a nasty and physical finisher who will put defenders on their butts and get in their face (sometimes after the whistle). The big test for him was at Senior Bowl practices in January, and the 6-foot-7, 325-pounder held his own against some great players. He has the versatility to play left or right tackle in the NFL.
Projection: Penning will likely be drafted among the top 20 picks, with a chance for the top 13 depending on how the board shakes out.
Interior offensive line
Dylan Parham, Memphis
I'm combining center and guard for this year's favorites list, because there's not a center whom I love. I am, however, a big fan of Parham, who started 51 games in college, playing both guard spots and right tackle. He's not a massive road grader in the run game -- he measured 6-foot-3, 311 pounds at the combine -- but he is very technically sound. He knows exactly what he's doing on every snap. He allowed just one sack last season.
Projection: Parham could be a value pick in Round 3, because he could stay at guard or move to center. I think he'll be ready to play early.
Take it away, your hairness.
-
This is not a list of the best overall prospects in the 2022 class nor is it a list of the guys I consider the best at each position. These are the prospects whom I've:
- Often rated higher than other evaluators within the draft media or than team evaluators with whom I discuss prospects, or ...
- Ranked higher in close debates within position groups, or ...
- Watched and rewatched on tape, just because I like the way they play the game.
Quarterback
Malik Willis, Liberty
Willis is electric with the ball in his hands and has a cannon for an arm. What's not to like? He didn't play with much NFL talent in college, but he made everyone around him better. He took an FBS-high 51 sacks last season -- some were because he held on to the ball too long -- and still finished with 878 rushing yards (yes, college football still counts sacks as negative yards for quarterbacks).
Willis took a leap forward as a passer in 2021, even with a trio of three-interception games. He had 63 plays of 20-plus yards over the past two seasons, which ranked seventh in the country. He is extremely accurate when he gets outside the pocket. Again, he did this at Liberty, which doesn't have any other draft picks in this class. Like any young quarterback, Willis needs to go to a team with talent around him (Pittsburgh?) to be at his best. But he has the highest ceiling of all the 2022 signal-callers.
Projection: I think he's going to land in the top 10, maybe for a team trading up to get him.
Running back
Pierre Strong Jr., South Dakota State
I mentioned Strong as an under-the-radar prospect everyone should know back in September, after he looked great in wins over Colorado State and Indiana State. He finished the season with 1,673 rushing yards and 18 scores while averaging 7.0 yards per carry. He has great balance through the hole, can hold his own in pass protection and was durable for the Jackrabbits.
Strong is really good at most everything. He impressed at the combine, too, running a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at 5-foot-11, 207 pounds.
Projection: Strong is going to be drafted late on Day 2 or early on Day 3, and I really think he could be a steal. He has a chance to be a starter in the NFL in the right situation (and given a little time to adjust).
Wide receiver
Alec Pierce, Cincinnati
Pierce probably isn't going in Round 1, but it wouldn't totally shock me if he sneaks into the top 32 picks. He has the physical traits that could make a team fall in love with him. He ran a 4.41 40 and had a 40.5-inch vertical at the combine. Pierce isn't just a workout warrior, though; he averaged 17 yards per catch, scored eight touchdowns and was one of the best vertical threats in the country last season. He's going to run by defensive backs at the next level.
I also thought about Western Michigan's Skyy Moore here. He's only 5-foot-10, but he had the biggest hands of any receiver at the combine. He's dynamic after the catch.
Projection: I comped Pierce to Jordy Nelson, and Pierce could go right around where Nelson did in the 2008 draft (No. 36 overall).
Offensive tackle
Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
The easy one here is Ikem Ekwonu (NC State), but he's likely going in the top six picks, so let's go with Penning, whose tape is entertaining to watch. I say that because he's a nasty and physical finisher who will put defenders on their butts and get in their face (sometimes after the whistle). The big test for him was at Senior Bowl practices in January, and the 6-foot-7, 325-pounder held his own against some great players. He has the versatility to play left or right tackle in the NFL.
Projection: Penning will likely be drafted among the top 20 picks, with a chance for the top 13 depending on how the board shakes out.
Interior offensive line
Dylan Parham, Memphis
I'm combining center and guard for this year's favorites list, because there's not a center whom I love. I am, however, a big fan of Parham, who started 51 games in college, playing both guard spots and right tackle. He's not a massive road grader in the run game -- he measured 6-foot-3, 311 pounds at the combine -- but he is very technically sound. He knows exactly what he's doing on every snap. He allowed just one sack last season.
Projection: Parham could be a value pick in Round 3, because he could stay at guard or move to center. I think he'll be ready to play early.
THANK YOU MEL
