2022 NFL Draft: What returning college players are the best pro prospects going into the 2021 season?
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CFN 2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE & Edge | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Greatest Draft Picks For Each College
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
– 32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
– Full 2021 NFL Draft Order
– CFN 2021 NFL Draft Top 105 Player Rankings (1st 3 rounds)
2022 NFL Draft Top Pro Prospects: Pre-2021 NFL Draft
How crazy is it to try figuring out the best pro prospects a year or two in advance? If you’re an NFL general manager, you’ve got to know what’s coming down the road to judge the value of the upcoming draft.
And then Joe Burrow happens. Or Mac Jones.
We almost didn’t have a 2020 college football season. Just imagine, Zach Wilson probably wouldn’t be a first rounder much less the No. 2 overall pick, Jones would be just another promising quarterback, and DeVonta Smith wouldn’t have the same juice without that season.
However, opting out didn’t make too much of a difference for the best of the best prospects. Any GM worth his salt already knew what Penei Sewell and Micah Parsons could do.
The idea here is to create a starting point and a set of expectations. In last year’s version of the Top 32 Pro Prospects piece, for every Trevor Lawrence on the list there was a KJ Costello. For every Justin Fields and Trey Lance, there was a Walker Little and a Chuba Hubbard who slid in the process.
With the understanding that this can and will change over the next few months much less the next year – and understanding that at least 32 others could’ve made this list – 32 of the top pro prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft are …
32 LB Ventrell Miller, Florida
The Gators’ leading tackler came up with 86 stops with 3.5 sacks in his 11 games of work, and now he’s going to be on the radar as a dangerous outside linebacker with the speed to get sideline-to-sideline and be used even more as a pass rusher. He’ll work inside, but with his 6-1, 225-pound size, he’ll have to be used on the outside at the next level.
31 WR John Metchie, Alabama (Jr.)
No one’s expecting DeVonta, or Jaylen, or Ruggs, or Jeudy, but Metchie is the next dangerous Tide receiver. The 6-0, 195-pounder finished second on the team with 55 catches for 916 yards and six touchdowns as he stepped up in a big way when Jaylen Waddle went down.
30 DE/EDGE Merlin Robertson, Arizona State
A true hybrid for the outside, he’s a linebacker who can do anything you need, but he’ll be at his best when allowed to take off and get in the backfield. He made 151 tackles with seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in his first two seasons, and came up with 20 stops in three games last year.
29 QB Tyler Shough, Texas Tech (Jr.)
Please by kind here for potentially underestimating him. With his size, arm, and mobility, he’s one great season away from possibly being No. 1 on this list.
The 6-5, 220-pounder was a huge recruit for Oregon as the next great Duck QB after Justin Herbert moved on. He got his shot last year, but was just okay hitting 64% of his throws with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions with 271 rushing yards and two scores in seven games. He led the team to the Pac-12 title, though.
Now he gets to operate the Matt Wells offense at Texas Tech.
28 QB JT Daniels, Georgia (Jr.)
There was some concern early on last season that his knee wasn’t quite ready after injuring it at USC, but the transfer took over late in the 2020 season and Georgia became a different team. The former super-recruit got to USC after his junior year, and while he was fine, he played like he needed the seasoning.
The arm talent is great, the deep ball ability is there, and after throwing for 1,231 yards and ten touchdowns with two picks in his limited time with the Dawgs, he could move up the draft charts in a hurry.
27 OT Rasheed Walker, Penn State (Soph.)
Already a great veteran with All-Big Ten honors and 22 starts in his first two years, he’s just getting going. Just a third-year sophomore, he’s a 6-6, 312-pound left tackle who can move, can pound, and is still growing into the job. He’s still a project, but if he takes that next step up in his third year as a starter – if he’s a steady force as a pass protector – the NFL will be ready for him as a starting left tackle.
26 DE George Karlaftis, Purdue (Jr.)
He’s coming off a rough year after getting hit with COVID and suffering a leg injury, but when he’s right, he’s an NFL pass rusher who’s always working to get behind the line. He has to get back his groove, but at 6-4 and 275 pounds, he’s got the size, and he’s got the talent – he made 7.5 sacks with 17 tackles for loss as a freshman.
NEXT: 2022 NFL Draft Top Prospects First Look: Top 25
2022 NFL Draft Top Prospects First Look: Top 25
25 OG Kenyon Green, Texas A&M (Jr.)
Green started as a true freshman and got better and better over his first two years. The 6-4, 325-pound left guard has the NFL drive and power for a strong A&M O line, and he’s got the starting experience to be ready for a massive junior season. No, he’s not as bulky as some might like, but he moves people.
24 WR George Pickens, Georgia (Jr.)
The knee – that’s the only reason he’s this low.
Pickens might not be a blazer, but he’s a 6-3, 200-pound No. 1 next-level receiver who knows how to go get the ball and handle himself as the main man. He averaged close to 15 yards per catch over the last two years for a team that didn’t throw a whole lot of deep passes, making 85 grabs for 1,240 yards and 14 scores. However, he tore his ACL this offseason.
23 OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State (Soph.)
All that’s missing is the raw bulk. He’s a long, too-lean, 6-5, 305-pound tackle who’s young enough to keep growing into his frame. The athleticism, feet and length are all there to be an NFL left tackle, but he has to be able to bring more thump.
22 WR Chris Olave, Ohio State
He’s not going to push anyone around, and he’s around a 4.5ish runner and not a true blazer, but he’s always open and he’s always making things happen. Good luck finding a slipperier receiver in college football.
The 6-1, 189-pounder could’ve hit the NFL early, but he came back after making 110 catches for 1,766 yards and 22 touchdowns in his three years, he’ll put up huge numbers, and he’ll be in the mix for the Biletnikoff.
21 C/OG Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa (Jr.)
The size isn’t there. He’s only 6-3 and 289 pounds – he’ll drop because of it – but he’s a technician who’ll be some NFL team’s starting center for a long, long time – as long as it’s with the right type of offense. He makes up for his lack of bulk with strength, power, and the smarts to be the quarterback up front.
20 QB Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma (Soph.)
The first program-grown Oklahoma starting quarterback in the Lincoln Riley era – the other top guys were all transfers – he was supposed to fit the offense perfectly, and he showed late last year that it’s coming. He might not be all that big, but it’s not like that mattered to the NFL when it came to Baker and Kyler and Jalen.
He doesn’t move like Murray or Hurts, and he isn’t the intangible playmaker that Mayfield was and is, but he’s got the arm, the passing ability, and the moxie to take his game to a whole other level and be the next OU NFL starter.
19 CB Kaiir Elam, Florida (Jr.)
A ball-hawking corner who came up with 39 tackles with two interceptions and 11 broken up passes, he’s a 4.4 cover-corner with 6-2, 195-pound size, great length, and the makeup to be a CB1 as long as he’s not asked to get too physical.
18 CB Sevyn Banks, Ohio State
To get the bad part out of the way, he’s a tweener at the next level. He’s not going to bring the otherworldly speed, but he’s a 6-1, 200-pound physical defender who might project to safety. And then there’s the prediction – he needs to do more.
The 34 tackles with one pick and nine broken up passes in two years aren’t enough to wow anyone, but he’ll bang around receivers and he’s more than great as a No. 1 college corner.
17 LB/EDGE Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma (Jr.)
A rising college football star, the 6-3, 234-pounder has good NFL hybrid size, a great burst, and he’s growing into the gig with nine sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss in his ten games last season. Under the radar, this year watch out as he blows up into all-star honors as a double-digit sack man.
16 LB Brenton Cox, Florida (Jr.)
A true inside presence, he’s a 6-4, 252-pound thumper who started out at Georgia, sat out in 2019, and now is finding his way with the Gators. He could use a big tackling season to be up this high, but he’s got the bulk, the pass rushing ability, and the honor roll smarts to be a quarterback of someone’s D.
NEXT: 2022 NFL Draft Top Prospects First Look: Top 15
2022 NFL Draft Top Prospects First Look: Top 15
15 DE/EDGE Zach Harrison, Ohio State (Jr.)
Now the numbers have to match the talent. He’s got the experience, the 6-6, 268-pound size is prototype, and the leadership and main man personality are unquestioned. The 38 tackles with 5.5 sacks and ten tackles for loss in 17 games, though, are light. However, if the stat sheet can be filled out a bit he has the upside to potentially be a top ten pick.
14 TE Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M (Jr.)
The Texas A&M offense went from having no place for a tight to being an NFL feeding ground for the position under Jimbo Fisher. The 6-5, 255-pound Wydermyer doesn’t have elite speed, but he’s got the NFL size, hands, and the ability to get open, catching 78 passes for 953 yards and 12 scores in his first two years.
13 OT Zion Nelson, Miami (Jr.)
And he’s really just getting started. He started every game as a true freshman and took his lumps, started most of 2020, and through it all he grew into the job and got better and better. The 6-5, 316-pounder has room to grow, but he’s got the feet and potential to keep improving into an NFL tackle depending on the attack. This isn’t going too poorly for a mid-level recruit.
12 OT Evan Neal, Alabama (Jr.)
He’s likely a right tackle at the next level – and he could play either spot for the Tide – and could be projected by some to turn into a left guard. At 6-7 and 360 pounds, he’s a massive Bama blocker who can blast away as an anchor of an NFL line no matter where he works.
11 OG Cade Mays, Tennessee
This is a true projection for the former Georgia superstar recruit. Mays was one of the top tackle prospects in the country, showed off his versatility by playing everywhere up front for the Dawgs, transferred to his hometown, and now should be the best guard and possibly the best blocker in college football. The 6-6, 325-pounder has the tools to be special.
NEXT: 2022 NFL Draft Top Prospects First Look: Top Ten
2022 NFL Draft Top Prospects First Look: Top Ten
10 RB Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M (Jr.)
Spiller doesn’t have home run hitting long speed, but he’ll power away with his 6-1, 225-pound size. The elite quickness isn’t quite there, but he caught 49 passes in his first two seasons and averaged 5.5 yards per carry.
No, he doesn’t have the elite of the elite raw tools some might want in a top running back prospect, but the guy just knows how to produce – 1,982 yards and 19 touchdowns so far. For what the Texas A&M ball control offense needs, he brings the 20-carry toughness and has a knack for coming through when the team needs a big drive the most.
9 WR Justyn Ross, Clemson (Jr.)
As awful as this is, it all comes down to the medical evaluation this summer. This ranking is hoping everything is just fine after the spine surgery that cost him all of last year.
He might not be a flash of lightning, but he’s a big, devastating deep threat with a giant catching radius. He averaged close to 17 yards per catch in his first two seasons with 112 catches for 1,865 yards and 17 scores.
8 S Bubba Bolden, Miami (Jr.)
Now that’s the player we’ve been waiting for. A top get for USC, he didn’t do much as a freshman, missed his 2018 season, and only made 11 tackles in limited time – he was hurt – in his first year for the Canes.
Last year he showed what all the fuss was about with 74 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and a pick with three broken up passes as one of the nation’s best safeties. At 6-3 and 200 pounds with 4.5 speed, it’s all there.
7 DT DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M (Jr.)
He’s not a massive-bodied run stopper up front, but he’s an ideal-sized NFL interior defender if you’re looking for a quick, active producer. He made 75 tackles with 4.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss, and now it’s time for more. The 6-4, 290-pound size is there, and now he has to show more big play ability in the backfield.
6 LB Christian Harris, Alabama (Jr.)
Dylan Moses might have been the star of last year’s Bama linebacking corps, but Harris has the better NFL frame and pass rushing tools. The 6-2, 232-pounder can work inside or out – he’s a weakside linebacker with his speed – coming up with 79 stops and 4.5 sacks for the national champion.
NEXT: 2022 NFL Draft Top Prospects First Look: Top 5
2022 NFL Draft Top Prospects First Look: Top 5
5 QB Sam Howell, North Carolina (Jr.)
He’s not the tools guy that a Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, or Justin Fields might be, but he’s an alpha-dog leader of an offense with the confidence, attitude, and arm to be a big-time producer right out of the box.
Don’t worry about scrambling or creativity – put him in the pocket and let him bomb away. He’s accurate – hitting 64% of his passes for 7,227 yards and 68 touchdowns with 14 picks in his first two years – and fearless. The 6-1, 225-pound size isn’t a plus, but the pro passing skills are there.
4 DE/EDGE Drake Jackson, USC (Jr.)
Jackson earned all-star honors even though the team only played six games, but he came up with just two sacks, 20 tackles, and … he was fine. He’s got 6-4, 255-pound size, pure pass rushing ability, and a whole host of moves and flash.
He set the Pac-12 on fire with 5.5 sacks with 11.5 tackles for loss and 46 stops as a freshman, and that’s after getting to school as a high school senior. Still young, he’s only getting better with special talent and athleticism.
3 DE/EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon (Jr.)
It’s time for this to all come together.
The superstar recruit of superstar recruits in 2019, he’s got the 6-5, 249-pound size, the lightning quickness off the ball, and the ability to get bigger and stronger to go along with the unreal athleticism. He could stand to be a bit nastier against the run, but 77 tackles in 29 games isn’t bad considering what his role has been.
That role? 12 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss with the upside to grow into more of a pass defender, too.
2 S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame (Jr.)
Nitpicking time – you’d like him to be a bit faster.
He runs a 4.6, and he has no problem getting all over the field and being in the right position, and …
Enough. He’s a 6-4, 219-pound guided missile of a safety who wasn’t quite considered a superstar prospect, but made himself into a killer right away for the Irish. In his two years he has 104 tackles with five interceptions and 12 broken up passes. This year the spotlight is on and the hype will be huge.
1 CB Derek Stingley, Jr., LSU (Jr.)
Will a corner go No. 1 overall? Almost certainly not.
Is Stingley the best player in college football going into 2021? Almost certainly yes. Is he the dream NFL cover-corner who’s ready right now to be a starter at the next level? Absolutely yes.
He’s not Trevor Lawrence in terms of being a generational prospect, but like the former Clemson quarterback, Stingley would’ve been a top ten overall pick after his freshman season if he was eligible, and he would’ve been a top ten – likely top five – overall pick this year if he could’ve come out.
At the very least, he’d be one of the top corners off the board.
He’s a 6-1, 195-pound technician who runs a 4.3, came up with six picks in LSU’s national championship season, and fought the good fight through last year even though almost no one wanted to throw his way.
DeVonta Smith last year: 231 yards and three touchdowns – it wasn’t all Stingley’s fault, but he’s not perfect. However, he’s as close to NFL fantastic as a college corner gets.
CFN 2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE & Edge | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Greatest Draft Picks For Each College
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
– 32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
– Full 2021 NFL Draft Order
– CFN 2021 NFL Draft Top 105 Player Rankings (1st 3 rounds)
