2022 Class will be better than we think!

I am starting to realize that this 2022 draft class is actually a helluva lot better than we are giving it credit for…. It’s not our fault, and it stems from the media and internets constant desire for “Hot Takes” and even “Clickbait.”

When guys like Rattler, JT Daniels, Stingley, Leal, Howell, etc we’re once suggested top 5-10 picks in May 21’, and replaced by Rattler, Corral, Howell, Stingley, and Elam in Oct 21’, it’s clear those making these lists are clueless…

Let’s take a look at these prospects…

  1. Hutch- I find myself scrutinizing him now, the same way many did a month ago with Thibz…. He’s a bit light for his height, his arms are short, and his bench was curious… however the rest was historically elite, his 21’ game tape was awesome, and his character and motor are on ANOTHER LEVEL!

  2. Thibz- this is starting to feel like a Micah Parsons level witch hunt. His bench shows his commitment to his body, and his 40 yard and 10 yard split are elite for 255 pounds. I predict his pro ends the chatter either way. If his drill times exceed Hutch’s, and he looks fluid dropping back etc, then I think we see a Vegas resurgence of his stock at #1-3

  3. Icky Ekwonu- whether he’s a Q Nelson type OG, or a J Peters type OT, he’s sure a worthy top 1-5 draft pick in most any class.

  4. E Neal is a Jake Long like specimen. Long, lean, mean and powerful. Him not running 4.8-4.9 at the combine at 337 is part of why things have quieted around him. He will be an elite level RT, or at least a really good LT in my opinion.

  5. Jermaine Johnson- take a look at Von Miller’s final year as an Aggie. That’s that same 17.5 TFL as Johnson, but Johnson had 1 more sack with 11.5. Both showed ability to drop in coverage that is unique for an edge. Miller was .14 faster in his lightning 40, but at 15 pounds heavier - J Johnson had a better 10 yard split. Johnson was benching 225 nearly 30 times in 2019! Miller was at 21 reps after his senior season. Similar broad jumps, but Miller got him in the vertical. When I combine this with J Johnson’s per snap prediction at GA, then I see a kid who likely could have had 2-3 double digit sack seasons had he gotten enough playing time.

  6. Sauce- a 6’2” 196 pound CB that allowed no tds, has had 3 interceptions all 3 years, had some nice sack and TFL numbers, has some pick sixes, and dropped a 4.41 forty time. Length, ball skills, consistency, instincts, athleticism. Great, great attitude. Yes please!

  7. T Walker- when you see a guy who looks like a freak, moves like a freak but only has 6-7 sacks, then what do you do? I guess playing another 600 snaps like Hutch or Thibz would have likely helped him see north of 10 sacks at 275 pounds and with long arms and 4.5 speed!!! Given he’s a proven monster artsiest the run, but can also be a really impactful “inside” rusher from 3T or 5T, he’s a valuable commodity in a 3-4 or 4-4 DL…. The power in his hands is clear against Michigan.

  8. D Lloyd- Lloyds RAS score of 9.33 put him in the top 147 of the last 2100 tested lbs since 1987!!! So when you see ideal size and arm length paired with solid 40, vertical, broad, 10y, etc… it confirms his ridiculous career. With a non covid shortened 2020-he would have put BACK TO BACK- 100 plus tackle, 20 plus TFL, and 8 plus sack seasons together- add the interceptions, defensive TDs and leadership, and I think this is the DROY all day. He’s a bigger, stronger, and FASTER, Darius Leonard….

  9. M Willis- his film is spotty, but I see more NFL throws etc from him than I did from J Allen or T Lance…. The 49ers were a few plays from a 2nd SB with Jimmy G, so regardless of the draft capital they spent, they wouldn’t be moving on if they didn’t see what they needed from Lance every day. Willis is faster, seems to have a bigger arm, and has the same positive demeanor, but also seems more alpha. He’s less of a project than Vick or L Jax were by far, and maybe a notch below Cam…. J Allen seems the perfect comp.

  10. D London- imagine if he has even a 35” vertical and 4.55 speed. At his size, and with little time to prepare for those tests. Then pop on the tape and imagine him playing with Mac Jones or Burrow in college. Kid is a beast that any QB would love to throw to…

  11. J Davis- make all the oxygen mask jokes you want, the kid is an animal. A freak like few others. When a guy plays 40% of the snaps on a National Championship team, it’s a bit different than if he were at Boston College…. He rotated in and out with a front 7 likely to post at least 2 top 15, and possibly 4 first rounders, and 2 more by the 3rd…. Bottom line their rotation worked and his film was insane for a 350 pound man. Nobody could run at him, and he caught some laterally!! What???

  12. G Wilson- this is a don’t reinvent the wheel pick. He’s a cleaner A Brown. Not just less crazy, but better routes, body control, ball tracking etc. AB hit his potential by being a gym rat, film freak and living at the facility early on. Will G Wilson? Can’t say, but his tape combined with 4.3 is worth a team drafting a better and faster Calvin Ridley.

In my opinion, there isn’t a bust on that list.

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I saw this on the Jags board. They are fully on-board with Hutch. They don’t want anyone else. We had to win that f-ing game against Jordan Love.

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I watched this and learned something.

There will definitely be a bust on that list (or 2-5), though figuring out who ahead of time is essentially guessing.

And while they’re fine prospects, the reason it’s called a weak class at the top is in the way it compares to other classes. Aside from the QBs, the guys at the top of last year’s class were not only great as rookies, but some of the better players at their position in the entire league. Just look at this list:

Kyle Pitts
Ja’marr Chase
Jaylen Waddle
Penei Sewell
Jaycee Horn
Patrick Surtain
Devonta Smith
Micah Parsons
Rashawn Slater

That’s just ridiculous and compared to that class, this one doesn’t hold a candle. Now I do think this one has some of the best depth so I wouldn’t call it a bad overall class. It would be great to be loaded up with 2nd and 3rd round picks.

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Again i don’t believe that hutch is a completely clean prospect and depending on what you are looking for you could justify a few different edge rushers based on athletic profile/potential

The win was big for team morale heading into the offseason, more important than getting the #1 pick… I’ll take KT or Walker as a consolation prize

Pulling the starters out of the game with the lead is a win in my book. And gives us the first overall pick and the obvious choice of Aiden Hutchinson.

Safe pick. Obvious? Not so sure. I think KT has considerably more upside as a pass rusher.

We’re talking about Dan Campbell not Matt Millen.

I’d rather have Hutch gone at #1 so we don’t have to listen to the whining when we don’t take him at #2 (if they choose not to take him that is…). I’m fine with whoever they select at #2.

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