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Buckeyes

Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert projects as a viable threat in an NFL passing game. Ruckert’s development as the primary tight end for the Buckeyes has spanned over several seasons—he’s been an enticing complementary piece of the puzzle but never someone who was asked to serve in a starring role as a pass-catcher. Ruckert’s best season in that regard comes in 2021 as the fifth option in the offense behind star receivers Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, and running back TreVeyon Henderson. But when Ruckert does allocate targets, he’s efficient in hauling in passes and with the spacing challenges posed by Ohio State’s 11-personnel grouping, Ruckert is usually isolated in a one-on-one matchup. He’s been a killer in the red zone, too (all five of his 2020 scores came in the red area).

In total, he hauled in 12 touchdown receptions in 51 career catches entering into his final contest, the 2022 Rose Bowl versus Utah. Many of those scores have come out of play-action, where Ruckert’s role as a blocker and his ability to climb to the second level on seal blocks can be well hidden and allow him to burst free on delayed releases out of stalk blocks and into the open. I think that Ruckert is a plus athlete for the position, or at least he plays like one. And with more freeing roles available to him in other offenses other than an OSU one that traditionally treats tight ends like afterthoughts, I think the ceiling is there for Ruckert to be a much better pro player than he is a college receiver.

In the blocking phases of the position, Ruckert is used often in split-flow fits and has the mass necessary to crack the end man on the line of scrimmage effectively. That experience will prove helpful as he looks to acclimate to an NFL responsibility that is likely to ask him to play in the box.

Ideal role: Starting tight end, featured move piece

Scheme tendencies: Split flow zone, 12-personnel-heavy groupings, vertical seam stretch in play-action.

Badgers

Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal developed into one of the most fearsome enforcers in the Big Ten in 2021, offering overwhelming hitting power with very good straight-line acceleration to play in attack mode as a blitz-heavy defender in Jim Leonhard’s defensive system with the Badgers. Wisconsin touted one of the fiercest, stingiest defenses in the country last season with Chenal and fellow linebacker Jack Sanborn serving in starring roles on the second level as the straws that stirred the drink.

There’s a rare level of production here with Chenal, who led the Badgers in both sacks and tackles for loss in both 2020 and the 2021 regular season (plus in total tackles in 2021). He’s featured in an abnormally high role as a pressure player, showcasing some alignment versatility to play mugged up in interior gaps or firing off the second level as a green-dog pressure add-on later in reps. Chenal gets high marks for his football character and is a visible catalyst of energy for his teammates.

With a rocked-up frame and some level of potential on passing downs, Chenal will have the opportunity to swoon an NFL franchise about his potential to become a more dynamic player in all phases. At the very least, he’s got a visible passion for the game and can be an early-down enforcer in a defensive system that puts “bumpers” around him and charges him with triggering downhill into the teeth of the point of attack to shoot gaps and attack lead blockers.

Ideal role: Early-down ILB in an odd-front defense

Scheme tendencies: Blitz heavy, aggressive defense with quality coverage options in the secondary (including the safeties)

Huskies

Cade Otton is a sufficient-level athlete with regards to downfield speed and separation quickness as a route-runner. In the run game, he is a very good in-line blocker with good power at the point of attack. He has some nastiness and tenacity to him in the run game. In the passing game, he demonstrates the football IQ and versatility to align at Y, F, or H. He has a very good catch radius and strong hands to pluck the football. He lacks elite separation quickness at the top of the route but does a good job catching the football away from his frame. He is a mismatch up the seams against smaller linebackers and does outstanding work between the numbers.

Ideal Role: Starting TE

Scheme Fit: Can play Y, F, or H

Cyclones

Breece Hall enters the 2022 draft process as one of the most accomplished running backs in recent history. Over Hall’s tenure at Iowa State, he has amassed nearly 4,000 rushing yards in three years. Hall has also received many awards and honors in this time span. Hall’s achievements are a testament to his productivity and durability throughout his career. Hall is a patient runner that allows holes to fully develop before he hits them. When in the hole, Hall has the burst and top speed to take the play the distance—this is the reason for a lot of his long TDs. Hall is not a back that you categorize as an overly creative or dynamic playmaker, but he should be viewed as a back who can take advantage of the running lanes that the offensive line has created. In the NFL, Hall should be best suited as a back in a zone scheme that takes advantage of his naturally patient running style.

Ideal Role: Part of a running back by committee

Scheme Fit: Zone scheme/One cut and get vertical

Cornhuskers

Nebraska cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt is one heck of an impressive player at the cornerback position. The Huskers implemented him in a number of coverages but he was most frequently used in zone coverages to allow his feel for attacking the football and triggering in the run game to shine most. Whether he was playing deep-third, clouded flat assignments, quarters, or even the occasional rep in the middle of the field, Taylor-Britt showcased a starting skill set with his eyes in the backfield. But he was also locked into man coverage on the perimeter and showcased sufficient turn-and-run skills for any team looking to get more man coverage reps out of him on the outside.

Taylor-Britt is an impressive athlete for his stature and was once upon a time a high school quarterback; he was a dual-threat passer with 30 total touchdowns in his final season before transitioning to the defensive side of the football upon his arrival in Lincoln. Taylor-Britt is an impressive leader who cut his teeth as a special teams player as a freshman before earning a starting role, which he’s held for three seasons as he served as a team captain in 2021. He’s twice been named Second-Team All-Big-Ten (2020 and 2021) and has flashed big plays in coverage just about every time he stepped foot on the field.

I think this is an NFL starter and a scheme-diverse one at that. Taylor-Britt has the ball skills, functional athleticism, and tackling prowess to see the field early on.

Ideal role: Perimeter starting cornerback

Scheme tendencies: Zone heavy system (Cover 3, quarters, etc.)

Sun Devils

Rachaad White is a former 3-star recruit coming out of Mt. San Antonio Junior College. He was a two-sport athlete playing basketball and football. According to 247Sports, White ranked as the No. 50 player in the nation, No. 5 running back, and No.12 player in Missouri. His road to Division I football was not easy. Despite putting up more than 2,000 all-purpose yards as a senior in high school, he was overlooked. In 2019, he initially committed to UCLA before decommitting a few months later. He found his way to the Pac-12 after enrolling in Arizona State. White is a patient runner with a good second gear in the open field. He’s a dangerous dual-threat back in space and excels as a pass-catcher. White does not run with great pad-level—he has an upright running style. As a result, he has to work harder to win the leverage battle.

Ideal Role: Open-field perimeter back. He could assume the third-down/receiving back role early on.

Scheme Fit: Zone-oriented (inside and outside)

Bobcats

Troy Andersen is the most versatile player in the 2022 NFL Draft. He made a notable impact at Montana State as a quarterback, running back, and linebacker. At the next level, he is likely a linebacker but offers some appeal as a two-way player if a team wanted to create some packages for him offensively.

When considering Andersen as a linebacker, his size, athleticism, urgency, and tackling skills make him an impact defender. He has true sideline-to-sideline range and is an explosive playmaker. He has easy movement skills in coverage and can serve as a matchup defender to play some man. With all of that said, Andersen is still very raw when it comes to processing and there are times where it’s abundantly clear that he’s still new to playing linebacker. He has to develop his ability to deconstruct blocks and play off contact in addition to improving his read and react skills.

I like him best as a pursuit-style linebacker to take advantage of his range and urgency. He should be an impact special teams player that has the ability to affect games in a variety of ways.

Ideal Role: Weakside linebacker, special teams

Scheme Fit: 4-3

Wildcats

Kentucky offensive lineman Darian Kinnard projects best in as a guard at the NFL level with the kind of functional power necessary to be a tremendous asset in the ground game. Kinnard has played right tackle throughout the course of his tenure with the Kentucky Wildcats program and although he appears to have the necessary measurables to continue playing on the outside in the NFL, I do believe that his skill set would be best optimized inside where he’s given tight angles and alignments.

The Wildcats’ offense featured a significant change in style ahead of Kinnard’s final season, but throughout the course of his tape, the volume to true pass sets he’s taken on the perimeter has been relatively lean and I’m plenty confident that the short sets and RPO blocks he’s taken will transfer well on the inside. Despite being a long-tenured starter, Kinnard is someone I see benefitting from additional coaching in fundamentals to help him optimize his punches and consistently maintain his blocks.

This is a viable starter in a gap/power-heavy system but he’s also got the functional athleticism to play in zone schemes and I appreciate his mobility despite his size. If you’re willing to work with him through the growing pains of a potential transition inside and are ready to brush up on some of his hand usage, you could be walking away with a quality, impact starter at guard.

Ideal role: Starting guard

Scheme tendencies: Scheme versatile in the run game; play-action pass-heavy offense

Bulldogs

Jamaree Salyer shows very good reactive athleticism on the perimeter, as well as good balance and body control in his set. In the run game, he is a physical presence who comes off the ball hard and is heavy at the point of attack. He generates vertical movement in the run game and plays with the nastiness and finish you like to see from linemen. He is very good on combo blocks and can engage at the second level surprisingly well for a young man with his size, mass, and girth.

In the passing game, he shows good initial quickness out of his stance and into his set. He plays with good awareness and instincts, which help him identify stunts and games. He can handle the cross face and displays the agility to redirect laterally. Although he appears to only have average length on the perimeter, this should be less of an issue with his projection to guard. His skill set will be better served on the interior, but his ability to get you out of a game at tackle only adds to his value—the team that drafts him will save themselves a roster spot due to his versatility.

Ideal Role: Starting NFL guard

Scheme Fit: Power-run scheme

Wildcats

Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson projects as an impactful weapon at the NFL level after a successful transition from the Nebraska Cornhuskers program to the Kentucky Wildcats in 2021. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen did a terrific job of making the most of Robinson’s skill set this past season—something that Nebraska struggled with during his two years of playing time in Lincoln.

Robinson is a quick-twitch athlete who is a natural playmaker with the ball in his hands. He’s electric to watch attack defenders and stress their discipline in space. The key to unlocking Robinson’s potential with the Wildcats was his role and usage as a primary wide receiver. Robinson was recruited as a running back and his transition into a wide receiver has steadily developed, culminating with more than 1,100 receiving yards in 2021’s regular season.

The Wildcats crafted some quick-hitting touches for Robinson with jet motion, screen passes, and attacking free access at the snap, but his role also featured vertical receiver and downfield efforts and allowed Robinson to show a pleasantly well-rounded skill set as a player despite his transformation from a backfield weapon. I don’t see the profile of a perimeter wide receiver when watching Robinson and slotting him in only one role would be missing an opportunity to maximize his potential impact on an offense—I’m hoping to see him land in a role that will continue to ask him to line up all over the middle of the field and in the backfield. He did partake in some reps as a returner as well and I think that’s a logical extension of his skill set as a quick-footed, agile ball carrier, too.

Ideal role: Starting slot wide receiver

Scheme tendencies: Scheme versatile in the run game; play-action pass-heavy offense

Mocs

Cole Strange started 44 games during his time at Chattanooga with 41 of those coming at left guard, two at left tackle, and one at center. He does offer positional flexibility but I like him best at guard where his run blocking and football IQ are best on display.

Strange is an aggressive but controlled blocker that has a nasty demeanor with good power. He’s a good athlete that showcases the ability to work laterally and hit blocks in space. He’s a people-mover in the run game and his motor always runs hot. In pass protection, his punch is firm and he has a stout anchor. He has terrific awareness and understands body positioning. He showcased himself very well against Kentucky in 2021 which helps ease any concerns about the quality of competition he played against at Chattanooga and will have the opportunity to compete at the Senior Bowl.

When it comes to concerns, Strange can be tardy to refit his hands and keep his feet engaged in pass protection. This leads to issues with opponents working to his edges and those edges being slippery. He will also turn 24 before the start of his rookie season. Overall, Strange can provide versatility as a reserve but has the traits needed to develop into a quality starter.

Ideal Role: Developmental starting guard

Scheme Fit: Zone

Bulldogs

Channing Tindall wasn’t a full-time starter for Georgia but has been productive when he is on the field. He is a good athlete overall, as evidenced in his movement skills as a blitzer off the edge. In the run game, he is physical and aggressive as a downhill, attacking linebacker. He can disrupt plays in the backfield when he is decisive. While he lacks ideal length as a true edge defender, he is heavy enough to set the edge and hold the point. He plays with good instinctive feel in the box. In the passing game, he has been productive. He can blitz from inside or off the edge. He doesn’t have a lot of swivel on the edge but can contour his body when blitzing from inside.

In the NFL, he could develop into a solid contributor in a rotation with pro coaching and further development. He will also be a core special teams player and should excel in this role

Ideal Role: OLB

Scheme Fit: 4-3 defense

Bulldogs

Georgia’s James Cook is yet another Bulldogs running back who looks to make an impact at the next level. He’s the brother of Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook and they share similarities in their running style. Cook has been a change of pace back for much of his career and he finally got an extended role this season as a senior and definitely made the most of his opportunities.

Cook is a good-sized running back with very good overall athleticism. He plays primarily on third downs and in passing situations but is used in a variety of ways. As a runner, Cook is patient to and through the hole, understanding how to set up blocks, and then has the quickness to bounce off his blockers. He is a smooth runner who can seamlessly make cuts and make people miss without ever breaking stride. He has good overall vision and takes what’s there. He isn’t the most physical back and won’t break many tackles. He lacks top-end speed to take it the distance and also doesn’t display consistent power.

Where Cook really helps himself is as a receiver. He is excellent as a receiver, having the ability to catch passes out of the backfield, the slot, or out wide. He runs excellent routes and has good body quickness to separate. He displays very good hands and can make catches outside of his frame. His ability to catch the ball naturally will allow offenses to get creative with how they deploy him. Cook projects as a change of pace back who can be a productive starter if necessary but is best used as a third-down option with mismatch possibilities.

Ideal Role: Change of pace and pass-catching back.

Scheme Fit: Zone scheme.

Bearcats

A multi-sport athlete from Illinois that competed in football, volleyball, basketball, and track, Alec Pierce made his presence felt as a true freshman on special teams before commanding a big role in the offense starting in 2019. A three-year starter, Pierce’s blend of size, speed, hands, ball skills, body control, and competitive toughness made him a dynamic playmaker for the Bearcats offense. His size, speed, and ball skills are a lethal combination down the field. His ability to track, adjust, and secure the football in traffic down the field is outstanding. Pierce is a deceptive route-runner that accelerates quickly and uses his ability to generate vertical push to open up his route tree and snap off breaks on the horizontal plane in addition to winning down the field.

Pierce is a receiver that “catches everything” and is an alpha in everything he does on the field. He brings the fight as a blocker and demonstrates toughness when competing against press coverage, dealing with contact as a route-runner, and winning at the catch point. While he hasn’t been overly productive after the catch in college, Pierce is decisive and physical with the ball in his hands and he accelerates quickly. When it comes to areas of growth, Pierce can still find more variety with his release package and do a better job of not offering as much surface area when competing against press coverage. He would also benefit from continuing to add functional strength to maximize his style of play at the next level. Pierce has the makings of a productive No. 2/3 receiver in the NFL and it shouldn’t take him long to produce for his offense.

Ideal Role: X receiver/big slot

Scheme Fit: Any

Cornhuskers

Nebraska linebacker JoJo Domann is a modern-day NFL linebacker prospect who is going to offer his next team plenty of value in the passing game. Domann lived as the field outside linebacker for the Huskers defense in 2021, frequently manning the hashes and aligning in space as a pseudo-nickel defender against spread formations. The Big Ten Conference schedule has offered Domann a nice mix of opportunities to showcase his skills—he played against several spread offenses such as Ohio State and Nebraska but also took on more traditional heavy-set offenses such as Michigan.

Domann projects as an NFL starter for defenses that need to account for spacing issues—I’m not sure how good of a fit he will be for teams in the AFC South, for example, where run-heavy offenses like Tennessee and Indianapolis will force you to have to play heavy and be ready to fill between the tackles with consistency. But in divisions like the NFC West, for example, I could see Domann maximizing his potential as an impact defender and serving as a starting linebacker. Domann is at his best in coverage, he’s got very fluid zone drops to collision routes and uses his peripheral vision to feel route combinations. His reactive quickness and transitions in space are excellent and I think he can create a lot of ball production in the pro game.

It is worth noting that Domann saw his season end two games early in 2021 after needing surgery on his left hand—although he played through most of the Purdue game with the injury and played the following week against Ohio State, one of the star performances of his career. He also suffered multiple ACL injuries early in his career at Nebraska, where he was originally a safety.

Domann is also an older prospect, he’s a sixth-year senior who will (probably) be 25 years of age before the start of his first NFL minicamp (DOB is 07/28/1997). But with experience playing in the secondary and impressive coverage skills, Domann is sure to appeal to NFL teams looking to bolster their ability to handle 12-personnel grouping conflicts or maintain their run-fit integrity against 11-personnel.

Ideal role: Starting linebacker with coverage assignments in base

Scheme tendencies: Scheme diverse to play man or zone, but his athletic profile projects best into frequent zone drops into flat or hook/curl areas

Trojans

Drake Jackson is a good reactive athlete, as evidenced by his get-off, swivel, and bend on the edge. In the run game, he is seemingly most effective when plays are run away from him, as he has moments of struggling when he is a play-side defender. Conversely, he can bend, get in the gaps, and disrupt run plays in the backfield with quickness and agility when he can use his athleticism and speed to pursue the football.

When plays are run at him, he can be inconsistent. When linemen get their hands on him, he can struggle to disengage. Although he displays good length on the edge, he is only sufficient as an edge setter. In the passing game, he uses his athleticism to beat linemen on the edge. He’s a little unrefined as a pass rusher but wins with pure athleticism and quickness. He effortlessly drops into coverage and is even athletic enough to walk out in coverage over slot receivers.

Jackson has moments where he feels like a finesse player who doesn’t play with the violent, contact-seeking temperament you’d like to see from defenders. He can afford to improve his strength at the point of attack. As a result, when linemen get their hands on him, he struggles to disengage. He exposes his chest much too much as a pass rusher and overall has been really inconsistent as a defender. Although somewhat unrefined as a pass rusher, Jackson has some redeeming value due to his length and athleticism on the edge.

Ideal Role: Edge rusher

Scheme Fit: 3-4 front

Buckeyes

Ohio State EDGE defender Tyreke Smith is a highly interesting prospect among this year’s crop of pass rushers. Smith has ample bright flashes on film and has been a productive pass rusher for the Buckeyes over the last two seasons—although his pressure rate doesn’t consistently yield final numbers in the stat sheet and you’ll need to look closer to appreciate the potential that’s illustrated in his game. Smith has been the Buckeyes’ best pass rusher for the last two seasons but has only a handful of sacks to show for his effort. There’s good twitch off the edge present here to allow Smith to challenge tackles in a variety of ways and he’s shown himself to become a progressively more nuanced player with his hand usage throughout the course of his time with the Buckeyes.

This is a player capable of winning from all angles and taking multiple rush lanes to do so—Ohio State even dropped him into coverage on occasion to try to buzz underneath some quick game in the flats. Smith feels like a player destined to become a more productive pro than he was in college but he’ll need to work through the nagging injury history that has dogged him in Columbus and helped to bog down his development as a finisher in both the run game and as a pass rusher. Smith was a pleasant surprise to study and his NFL team is getting a high-tools, high-motor, high-upside player who should be able to serve in a rotational role up front sooner rather than later.

Ideal role: Hybrid EDGE Defender

Scheme tendencies: Multiple front defense with ability to play both from a two and three-point stance

Bearcats

Coby Bryant is a former 3-star recruit out of Glenville High school in Cleveland, Ohio. According to 247 Sports, Bryant was the No. 1644 player in the nation, the No. 170 cornerback, and No. 66 player in Ohio. He played two sports in high school: baseball and football. As a junior, he played cornerback and safety. He was coached by Ted Ginn Sr. His brother, Christian, played defensive back at Ohio State (2010-14) and is a member of the Arizona Cardinals. Bryant is a competitive cover man with man and zone versatility. He has great ball skills and tracking abilities. He has a quick trigger to sit and break on shorter routes. Bryant is a solid athlete but twitchy receivers can force him to panic early in the stem. Poor tackling form has plagued him. He’d rather dive at the ball-carrier’s feet as an ankle-biter—improvement is needed in this area.

Ideal Role: Starting No. 2, field corner

Scheme Fit: Mixture of man/zone, Cover 1 and 3

Jaguars

Jalen Tolbert is a former 2-star prospect out of the state of Alabama. Tolbert is a fifth-year player that redshirted his first season and played sparingly until his sophomore year. Over the next couple years, Tolbert continued to develop his skills as a receiver and started to see the work pay off as his production steadily increased. Tolbert finished the 2021 season with 1,474 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.

Tolbert possesses a good combination of size and speed that makes him a versatile receiver for the South Alabama offense. Tolbert has the speed to be a vertical threat and also has the strength and size to become a good run-after-catch receiver. Tolbert has a high upside as a player. If he continues to work on the small intricate details of being a receiver, like becoming a detailed route-runner, Tolbert can develop into a No. 1 receiving option in an NFL offense.

Ideal Role: X or Z receiver

Scheme Fit: Scheme-versatile traits

Gators

A standout football and basketball player in high school, Zachary Carter held offers from nearly every prominent college football powerhouse in the country. After redshirting in 2017, Carter cracked the Gators’ defensive line rotation in 2018, his role grew in 2019, and he started in his final two seasons. While the Florida defense was a disappointment in 2021, Carter emerged and played his best football. Carter is a versatile defensive lineman that features a balanced skill set against the run and pass. He projects best as a 4-3 defensive end but has plenty of experience playing in the B-gap, which he should get chances to do in the NFL to maximize his ability to shoot gaps and rush from the interior. Carter has good length and plays with active hands, low pads, and thrives in tight quarters. When it comes to areas of concern for Carter entering the NFL, he is more of a linear athlete with modest flexibility. He will need to stay committed to developing his hand technique so that he can soften edges to get off blocks and make plays. Carter has the makings of a quality rotational defensive lineman with inside/outside versatility.

Ideal Role: Base end that gets chances to reduce inside

Scheme Fit: 4-3