After watching a lot of tape from the 2022 NFL draft class at every position, I definitely have my guys that I’m higher on than others. There are a few prospects that I think will slide a bit in the draft and end up being steals. These won’t be “diamond in the rough” guys that will be all-pro players that will go in the seventh round though. This is just my list of guys that I think could be drafted a round later than my grade suggests.
Jaquan Brisker, Safety, Penn State
I wrote a more in-depth article on Brisker just a few weeks ago, which has more info about him and his skills. I believe that Brisker is a real all-around safety that will excel in today’s NFL. He also possesses elite athleticism with track down speed, good agility, and explosiveness. He really just shows elite versatility in his tape because he plays the run insanely well for a safety and is great in coverage. It seems like the late 1st round is his ceiling, and may slide a bit in the NFL draft toward the middle of the second. I think the late first should be his floor with everything he can bring to a defense.
George Pickens, Wide Receiver, Georgia
Pickens is a bit hard to get a read on for a couple of reasons. For starters, he’s been injured throughout his college career which makes the scouting process tremendously difficult. He’s also a receiver with a skillset where I’m unsure how it’ll translate to the league. That being said, I truly believe that he has shown enough on tape to be considered to go much higher than his hype currently shows. He has an insane ability to just go get the ball while it’s in the air. Both he and Garrett Wilson have insane knacks for becoming body contortionists for some breathtaking catches. Pickens will probably slide down boards in this draft loaded with receiver talent, possibly as far as the 3rd-4th round. I think I would like him to be a early-mid 3rd round selection at the latest.
Cam Taylor-Britt, Cornerback, Nebraska
I have really liked Cam for a while now.
He has the versatility to do whatever his team needs him to do in the league. Cam has the ideal size for a perimeter corner, but with great length. His length really assists him in a number of things, whether it’s in the press, wrapping up, or playing the ball at the catch point. He has shown to excel in zone, which is what he was asked to do mostly throughout his career. It also looks like he is good in man coverage, but could get even better. He plays the run really well for a corner, so playing him in zone will be really beneficial to a defense allowing him to play the run. His projection is around a 3rd round draft pick, and I probably wouldn’t take him much earlier than that, but I do think that he can be real contributor and can progress as a corner.
Jahan Dotson, Wide Receiver, Penn State
I know this is the second receiver on the list. This is also the second Penn State receiver on the list, but Dotson deserves it. He is another receiver that may slide due to how loaded this position class is. Dotson is pretty versatile as he is seen to be deployed in a number of ways at Penn State. He can really separate really easily with his route running and doesn’t drop passes. A little bit smaller for a receiver, but is pretty elusive, helping him earn extra yardage with the ball. Has no real weaknesses in his game, so he is probably one of the safest overall prospects in this draft. Slated to go in the second round, I think he deserves that and can really contribute as a day one starter.
Tyler Linderbaum, Center, Iowa
This one may surprise some people, but he is one of the best players at his position that I’ve seen in awhile. He is going to slide down boards simply because of the position that he plays. The talent is there, but there is just a lack of importance at center. This is because many offenses just have the center double team defenders with their fellow linemen, so they don’t really need their center to be that great. Linderbaum is elite and could be at the top of his position in year one. It’s hard to predict where he will land in the first round, but many teams need help in the trenches and I would get a lineman to build around top 10 in the draft.
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