Last season, six edge rushers were drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Additionally, in the Buck position for South Carolina, he has been tasked with dropping back into coverage. He has risen during the 2022 NFL Draft process, and he will probably end up as one of the first players drafted. He had 40 tackles and four sacks in 2019. 2022 NFL Draft Prospects: Midseason Defensive Positional Rankings by Austin Smith November 5, 2021 Heading into another great college football weekend, here are the top defensive positional rankings for the 2022 NFL Draft Prospects, including Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux being the top-rated defensive end. He has everything you Travon Walker is a prospect who is still a better athlete than a football player. However, beyond the statistics, Sanders is an alluring prospect. 7/10/21: Enagbare started to make his presence felt as a sophomore, but showed real improvement as a pass rusher during his junior season. He has everything you look for Aspiring college or profootball journalist? He was a good defender for West Virginia. Coming out of H.B. But when they run right at him, it's alarming.". 1 overall pick when the Jacksonville Jaguars arrive on the clock in late April. While Thibodeaux was solid, he didn't dominate on the field and he also showed a poor motor with taking plays off consistently. The 6-foot-6, 260-pounder has the strength to set the edge in the ground game and has the length to play 3-4 five-technique defensive end. 2022 NFL Draft: Defensive End Rankings 1. 7/10/21: In 2020, Johnson was part of a loaded group of edge rushers at Georgia. 19 defensive prospects the Tennessee Titans may fall in love with at 2023 NFL combine. 7/10/21: Tisdale is a big defensive end who is a tough run defender at the point of attack. In 2021, VanValkenburg totaled 58 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He totaled 5.5 sacks with 24 tackles in a solid debut. The versatile DE has the physicality to play multiple positions along the defensive line. The 6-foot-4, 226-pounder needs to get stronger and improve his run defense for the NFL, but he looks like he has the potential to be a lethal pass rusher who produces some big sack totals and makes a lot of game-changing plays to limit passing attacks. During the Senior Bowl game, Mafe was impossible to block, and it was a glimpse of what he can become in the NFL. Instead, its Florida States Jermaine Johnson II. He did not impress at the Senior Bowl, but he had an excellent combine with an ultra-fast 40-yard dash. 126: Las Vegas Minnesota Las Vegas, No. 4/27/22: Mafe collected 34 tackles, seven sacks and one forced fumble in 2021. Boye Mafe, Minnesota; Malik Vann, Cincinnati; Jordan Strachan, South Carolina; Ochaun Mathis, TCU; Will McDonald, Iowa State, Anthony Richardson Combine Results: Florida Star Makes Case for QB1, Rakim Jarrett, WR, Maryland | NFL Draft Scouting Report, 2023 NFL Combine Hand Size Results: Notable Quarterback Measurements and More, 2023 NFL Combine Risers: Christian Gonzalez, Deonte Banks, and Brian Branch Perform Well. After a relatively disappointing defensive draft last April in terms of first-round pass rushers, the top of the 2022 NFL Draft could feature multiple defensive ends. Florida Football: DT Zachary Carter NFL draft 2022 profile GatorSports.com Schedule Teams SEC Alabama Arkansas Auburn Georgia LSU Tennessee Texas A&M ACC Clemson UNC Big Ten Iowa Michigan. Teams are worried, however, about how much Thibodeaux loves football and the focus he has on "his brand." Multiple NFL team sources say there isn't a significant difference between Johnson and top-10 picks like Aidan Hutchinson. Pre-Snap Reads 2/28: 2023 NFL Draft could prove to be most . Addison thrived catching passes from . Despite not having a standout defensive prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft, Tyreke Smith joins Harrison to give the Buckeyes two of the top 10 defensive ends in the class. After finishing the 2022 season with a 3-14 record, the Chicago Bears have the No.1 pick in the NFL draft, in addition to seven other selections. Barno broke out in 2020, recording 6.5 sacks with 43 tackles, two forced fumbles and two passes batted. SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION HOLIDAY BOWL. The Cincinnati pass rusher has tremendous athletic upside, with explosiveness and the ability to bend around the edge. Techie with an interesting slant on player evaluation? He is a freak athlete though and a special pass rusher. That tells you a lot about what they think of Anderson's skill set considering he enters his senior year having only been a rotational player and never having been a three-down starter. The Grecian Goliath measures in at 64 and 275 pounds and is one of the strongest defensive ends in this upcoming class. Of course, his monster 2021 campaign inflated those values. 5 pick in 2022 draft NFL+ X Players Only Combine Presented by NOBULL Matthew Judon and Devin White join host Rhett Lewis for. The top group of defensive ends in the 2022 NFL Draft is full of different player types, and South Carolinas Kingsley Enagbare is just one example. (Lynne Sladky / Associated Press) Looking. This has provided a further showcase of his athletic ability to impact multiple phases of the game. The former five-star recruit who was ranked as the best player in the state of Ohio in the 2019 recruiting class has yet to produce to the level of expectation statistically. The sixth-round pick in this past April's NFL Draft played in nine games for the Carolina Panthers over the course of the year, totaling nine total tackles, with eight solo stops, and finishing the season with two total sacks to . He played well for the Gamecocks and then had a solid week at the Senior Bowl. 7/10/21: In 2020 Sanders was a dangerous edge rusher for the Bearcats, notching seven sacks with 31 tackles and five passes batted. Thomas wisely accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl, where he put together an okay performance. 122, select RB Zamir White", "Defensive lineman Neil Farrell Jr. selected after Raiders trade up to No. David Ojabo *, Michigan 5. Smith started playing better afterward, including putting up a big game against Penn State. Oklahoma has quite a few eligible defensive linemen in the 2022 NFL Draft. 44 with the Texans, pick up 68, 108, 124", "Chargers Acquire Six-Time Pro Bowl Outside Linebacker Khalil Mack", "2022 NFL draft: Bills trade back twice in second round with Buccaneers, Bengals", "Atlanta Falcons trade Julio Jones to Tennessee Titans", "Broncos trade star LB Von Miller to Rams for two 2022 NFL Draft picks", "Jaguars trade 2020 first-round CB C.J. He was impressive there, but no one could have predicted that he would outstrip his JUCO production in his first campaign in the SEC. Gaye racked up 9.5 tackles for loss with 2 sacks and a forced fumble last fall. The 2022 NFL Draft big board rankings are reflective of Bucky Brooks' top five 2022 NFL Draft prospects by position 1.0 and ESPN's NFL Draft "Best Available" list. NFL Draft Buzz is on the lookout for new contributors who would like a chance showcase their perspectives on the NFL draft. Team sources view Hutchinson as being a safe pick to be a solid pro, but they don't see huge upside. You're correct in his get-off being reminiscent of Von Miller at Texas A&M. 1 overall pick, and at least four others should come off the board in the first 50 picks. To view the players scouting report, click on the name of the player you want to learn . At 63, 260 pounds, Smith might not appear as imposing as his teammate. USC hurt his production by moving him around, playing him somewhat at outside linebacker, dropping him into coverage, and reducing his pass-rushing opportunities. He made big plays in run defense and the pass rush. In Perrion Winfrey, they have one of the best defensive tackles in the 2022 class. The draft also saw a record nine draft-day trades with first-round picks, which resulted in less than half of the first round selections being made by the teams that initially owned them. With strong, precise hands, Enagbare can maximize his length and combat extensions. Like any preseason list, these are subject to change throughout the year as some defensive ends elevate their stock and others falter along the way. 4/27/22: VanValkenburg is a sleeper defensive end who could be a nice value on Day 3 of the 2022 NFL Draft. Plant High School, Christian Watson was a lightly recruited prospect who was viewed as a developmental player due to his . While some NFL Draft prospects will ascend during the 2021 college football season, Myjai Sanders is carrying momentum from the previous campaign. Which defensive ends currently round out the top 10? 7/10/21: Paschal was a tough competitor in the ground game in 2020, but he did not produce much in the pass rush. Hes still raw from a hand usage standpoint, and the way Georgia used Walker, he was rarely rushing the edge in a pure defensive end role. 164 pick to the Los Angeles Rams", "Eagles trade three-time Pro Bowl TE Zach Ertz to Cardinals", "Bears trade pick 166 to the Bengals for picks 174 and 226", "Patriots trading guard Shaq Mason to Buccaneers for fifth-round draft pick", "2022 NFL Draft trade: Patriots, Texans swap Day 3 picks as Bill Belichick continues to be biggest draft mover", "2022 NFL Draft: Packers trade back eight spots in fifth round", "Sources: Chiefs shipping first-round pick, 3 others to Ravens for package highlighted by Orlando Brown Jr", "NFL Draft results: Detroit Lions trade back 7 sports, pick LB Malcolm Rodriguez in sixth round", "Panthers trade for Bills DE Darryl Johnson", "Broncos agree to terms on trade with 49ers to acquire LB Jonas Griffith", "Seahawks Acquire CB Sidney Jones In Trade With Jaguar", "Chiefs trade for Vikings CB Mike Hughes", "Jacksonville Jaguars trade QB Gardner Minshew to Philadelphia Eagles for conditional 2022 sixth-round pick", "Panthers trade LB Denzel Perryman to Raiders for sixth-round pick", "Packers acquire WR Randall Cobb from Texans for sixth-round pick", "Source: Bucs acquire starting Jets NT McLendon", "Jets acquire QB Joe Flacco in trade with Eagles", "Broncos trade rookie Kary Vincent Jr. to Eagles for 2022 sixth-round pick: Philadelphia adds secondary depth", "Jets make another trade by shipping linebacker Jordan Willis to 49ers in draft pick swap, per report", "New York Jets acquire pass-rusher Shaq Lawson from Houston Texans, sources say", "Steelers trade Melvin Ingram to Chiefs for 2022 sixth-round pick", "Rams trade for Patriots running back Sony Michel", "Buccaneers Select Ko Kieft with the 218th Pick of the 2022 NFL Draft", "The #Patriots are trading TE Ryan Izzo to the #Texans for a seventh-round pick in 2022, per source", "Patriots, Ravens agree to trade that sends rookie Shaun Wade to New England, per report", "New York Giants trade DL B.J. Anthony Richardson Combine Results: Florida Star Makes Case for QB1, Rakim Jarrett, WR, Maryland | NFL Draft Scouting Report, 2023 NFL Combine Hand Size Results: Notable Quarterback Measurements and More, 2023 NFL Combine Risers: Christian Gonzalez, Deonte Banks, and Brian Branch Perform Well. Barno must get stronger because his run defense is a real liability entering the NFL. The first round will take place on Thursday, with rounds two and three on Friday and the last four on Saturday. Hutchinson is a great athlete, standing at 66 5/8, 260 pounds. He could be more of a backup designated pass-rusher in the NFL. He decided to transfer to Mississippi State after the season. Given the timing, the injury could easily cause him to miss his rookie season. Rookie defensive end Amar Barno put together a solid start to his professional career in his debut season in 2022. 7/10/21: Over the past two seasons, Gunter was a dangerous edge rusher for the Chanticleers. Prospects No. If he continues on an upward curve with all those attributes, he will comfortably end up as one of the top defensive ends in the 2022 NFL Draft. Mafe can still work on his instincts and hand usage, but the traits are all there. hand-in-the-dirt defensive ends that can rush . You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds. Hall has good length and speed, but he is too light to line up every down on the inside. In 2019, he had 68 tackles with 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. After his impressive practices in Mobile, more team evaluators think Johnson will go late in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Whichever kind of defensive end you project a prospect to be, power and play strength are fairly important elements of success at the next level. Josh Paschal shouldve been able to register the backfield as a private domicile given how often he lived there this past season for Kentucky. They feel he could add 10 pounds and be a speedy defensive tackle like DeForest Buckner, or drop 10 pounds and be a standup outside linebacker, or stay as is and be solid base end like Cam Jordan. Copyright 2019-2023. Moreover, he accounted for 60% of South Carolinas forced fumbles. Yet, they dont define what makes Enagbare one of the top defensive ends in the class. It wasnt just Paschals skill set that stressed offenses, but also how he was used because he could take on a multitude of different roles. Nik Bonitto is one of the draft's best outside linebackers. Similar to teammate Lakia Henry, Williams is a junior college product who could be better in his third season with Ole Miss. He was a tough defender for the Aggies. At 63 3/4, Karlaftis has a dense 266-pound frame, but he was at times closer to 275-280 in college. Impressed? 4/27/22: Stills recorded 36 tackles, seven sacks and one forced fumble in 2021. Who among Aidan Hutchinson, George Karlaftis, and Jermaine Johnson II takes the top spot? In 2021, Thomas put up 71 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks. Hall helped himself with a quality week at the Senior Bowl. 4/27/22: Teams sources say Williams would be a first- or second-round pick if it weren't for significant character concerns that could cause him to go undrafted.