With Aidan Hutchinson commanding a lot of attention, Ojabo broke out in 2021, recording 35 tackles, 11 sacks, five forced fumbles and three passes defended. While he may not become a starter, he has the potential to be a quality rotational backup. With Josh Sweat signing his 3-year, $40 million extension and soon-to-be 34-year old Brandon Graham coming off a ruptured Achilles, it makes sense to target another edge rusher within the first two days of the draft. Yet, they dont define what makes Enagbare one of the top defensive ends in the class. In 2021, Anderson totaled 32 tackles and five sacks despite limited opportunities. . Stills needs to improve in both phases to rise for the 2022 NFL Draft. ", Not all evaluators were high on Anderson because of him being a backup and rotational player. [2], Draft activities were held around two main locations on the Las Vegas Strip; invited players walked a red carpet stage constructed on the man-made lake in front of the Bellagio and its fountains. Although there are some areas for improvement, the Ohio State pass rushers length, speed, and strength combined with his ability to disrupt both around the outside track and from the interior make him one of the best defensive ends in the 2022 NFL Draft class. . They say that his tape and skill set are superb, but the off-the-field issues could push him down into the mid-rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft or lower. As Cincinnati emerged as a genuine College Football Playoff contender, Sanders amassed 31 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks. NFLN: Best of defensive backs press conferences from 2023 NFL Combine While Jackson was highly regarded in scouting circles, Jeffrey Gunter has the potential to be even better as one of the top defensive ends in the 2022 NFL Draft class. He has an elite combination of size, strength, a Drake is a quality prospect who possesses impressive athletic ability: he has a unique combination of speed, agility, power as wel David Ojabo may have the greatest upside of any player in the 2022 NFL Draft class with a unique combination of size, strength, an Arnold Ebiketie is an impressive pro prospect who has top-level athletic skills - he's explosive, has elite speed around the edge, Johnson has been rocketing up draft boards after his dominating 2021 season with FSU. 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. Easily the most physically imposing of all the top defensive ends in the 2022 NFL Draft, George Karlaftis combines size, power, and explosion to be a dominant defensive lineman. While Thibodeaux would benefit from refinement of his pass-rush toolbox, his ability to convert speed to power effortlessly will leave many offensive linemen embarrassed this fall. Azeez Ojulari was the featured defender, while Johnson, Adam Anderson and Nolan Smith rotated for snaps. 28 in rushing . 86 overall in Round 3 after trading up with Raiders", "Carolina Panthers use 3rd-round draft pick on QB Matt Corral amid Baker Mayfield trade speculation", "Colts trade up and draft Maryland safety Nick Cross in the third round", "Vikings acquiring TE Chris Herndon from Jets in trade following Irv Smith Jr.'s knee injury", "New Vikings CB Akayleb Evans Ready to Learn From Patrick Peterson", "Panthers trade into 4th round, select LB Brandon Smith", "Raiders trade up to No. In 2021, it would help him to continue to improve as a rusher while adding strength to be a tougher run defender. Hutchinson has issues holding up at point of attack. (Lynne Sladky / Associated Press) Looking. Nashville Tennessean. 2023 NFL Draft 3-4 Defensive End Rankings - NFL Draft Blitz In the months between the end of the NFL Draft and the start of the college football season, weve poured over hours of tape to compile our top defensive ends for the 2022 cycle. With his skill set, Jackson has the upside to improve his production as he gains more experience. On the contrary, he is deceptively athletic for his size. 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. Super informed fan? His power certainly comes first, but he does flash great burst off the line, as well as modest ankle flexion around the edge. That will be a terrifying prospect, as he establishes himself as one of the top defensive ends in the 2022 NFL Draft class. Thomas could be better in 2021 now that he has more starting experience. 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. As a result, Sanders enters the 2022 NFL Draft cycle as one of the top defensive ends in the class. 2022 September 2 2023 NFL Draft 3-4 Defensive End Rankings 2023 NFL Draft 3-4 Defensive End Rankings John Vogel September 2, 2022 in 2023 Rankings, Player Rankings - 6 Minutes 1. [1], The league awarded the draft to Las Vegas on April 23, 2020 after the Raiders officially relocated to Las Vegas. The NFL advance scouts listed Mafe as an outside linebacker, but at his size, he could grow into being a defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. 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. Jackson (6-4, 275) had an impressive debut for the Trojans in 2019. The NFL will absolutely love Gayes size and football smarts. Williams did a nice job of blitzing the quarterback off the edge in 2019, and he showed some nice ability to put pressure on the signal-caller. Let's take a look at some of their best options in the 2023 NFL draft. He is an interesting player because team sources say he shows some ability as a pass rusher, including functional strength to get off blocks, but that does not translate to defending the run, where he needs to get stronger for the NFL. Prospects No. 2022 NFL Mock Draft Defensive End Rankings: Travon Walker, Georgia Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State George Karlaftis, Purdue Along with the 1972 and 2000 drafts, it marked the third time defensive players were the first two picks after the first three picks in the previous year's draft were quarterbacks. ** - denotes 2024 prospect. 2022 NFL Draft - Wikipedia They think he is safe pick to turn into a solid, if unspectacular, pro. 4/27/22: Johnson totaled 70 tackles, 11.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes batted in 2021. He is a riser who could go in the early rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Oregon pass rusher also possesses great length. [16] The resolution rewards teams whose minority candidates are hired away for one of those positions by awarding draft selections, which are at the end of the third round, after standard compensatory selections; if multiple teams qualify, they are awarded by draft order in the first round. Here's a closer look. NFL Hokies: 2022 season recap - Virginia Tech Athletics video. 2022 NFL Draft: Defensive End Rankings - AthlonSports.com | Expert He has ideal size to play as a versatile defender in the trenches for Belichick, even if he's not a freaky athlete. 1. However, his stock is rapidly on the rise, with the potential to elevate himself into first-round contention. 2022 NFL Draft Prospects: Defensive End *Walt taking 2014 and 2018 Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates. Johnson contributed some pass rush in previous years, so he could rise now that he has some starting experience, plus he has a good end in Michael Clemons drawing attention on the other side. NFL Draft picks 2022: Complete list, results, selections of Round 1. . 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. David Ojabo *, Michigan 5. NFL Draft 2023: How Kansas defensive end Lonnie Phelps fits with the Last season, an injury deprived Aidan Hutchinson of the experience he needed to help elevate his draft stock. That versatility, in a way, could make him more coveted. Brad Holmes Detroit Lions 2022 NFL Draft Provides Reason for Real Hope In Perrion Winfrey, they have one of the best defensive tackles in the 2022 class. 2022 NFL Mock Draft: A Debate for the Best Defensive End Get the latest NFL Draft prospect rankings from CBS Sports. Multiple team sources who said they had spoken to recent Georgia staffers and recent former teammates of Anderson all reported those around the Bulldogs program were surprised and didn't believe he was that kind of guy. 29: San Francisco Miami Kansas City New England, No. Bears draft defensive end Dominique Robinson - Chicago Bears He likely fits best as a 3-4 defensive end at the next level, where hell see more interior reps. In his two-year career, Harrison has contributed just 10 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He could be a tweener defensive tackle/end, and he should probably gain weight to play on the inside as a pro. 1? Yet, theres no doubting his ability as a ferocious pass rusher. The 2022 NFL Draft is chock full of pass-rushing talent at the top of the class and deep into Day 2. 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. Its not much of a surprise, especially after seeing how Walker fared at the NFL Combine. Ojabo could stand to get better as a run defender for the NFL. From the college perspective, here are the best defensive end and edge rusher prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft. 7/10/21: Hall was listed as a defensive tackle on NFL teams' preseason watch list, but at his current size, he would have to move to defensive end in the NFL. Instead, its Florida States Jermaine Johnson II. Powerful, yet surprisingly agile for his size, he also plays the game with competitive toughness. Ever since his explosive freshman season when the college football world was introduced to Kayvon Thibodeaux, the Oregon DE has been earmarked to be at the top of the 2022 NFL Draft. He has massive upside as a pass rusher with Hall is an amazing athlete possessing an elite combination of strength, height, long arms, and ridiculous speed as well as change Cameron Thomas is rocketing up draft boards at the moment and with good reason, he's athletic with an incredible set of pass-rushi Mafe Boye has been rocketing up draft boards since his impressive Senior Bowl outing. He wants to with suddenness and athletic ability as a run defender, moving and slanting. The versatile DE has the physicality to play multiple positions along the defensive line. 1 overall pick conversation, and Georgias Travon Walker is one of them. Alongside the release of that big board, new positional rankings have also been compiled. 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. Top Defensive Ends 2022 NFL Draft 2022 NFL Draft - Top Defensive Ends (5-Technique DT) Most Recent Update: 4/27/2022 7:00 PM EST Position/Conference Rankings WR-S DL 1-TECH DL 3-TECH DL 5-TECH ILB KICKER BIG-12 AAC M-WEST C-USA SUN BELT 2021 RANKINGS 2020 RANKINGS Rank O/A Chng Player/School Ht/Wt Elig. He is a well-rounded base end who can hold his ground against the run and rush the passer. 2022 NFL Draft's best defensive scheme fits: Quay Walker, Kyle Hamilton