2022 Comprehensive Draft Thread

[TK]

 

[frontline205]

I was looking at Justin Field highlights and this guy Chris Olave just popped. If we keep our first rounder he might be a good receiver to keep an eye on

[Panninho]

5 hours ago, frontline205 said:

I was looking at Justin Field highlights and this guy Chris Olave just popped. If we keep our first rounder he might be a good receiver to keep an eye on

Was really surprised that he went back. Could have been a late first rounder this year, early second the latest. A bit similar to Devonta Smith last year. I doubt that he will have a season like Devonta though.

I really like Olave, great route runner. Another Ohio State WR to keep an eye on is Garrett Wilson. Wouldn't mind to add some more Ohio State guys to the roster

[Est.1974]

A year back my prediction was that RR would look for his next Kuechly, with OT/LB/CB being the likely priority....

 

For 2022, my prediction is that we look for another OT but the main focus will be all in for a QB. That’s assuming we don’t get one of the high end vets that may be on the trade block.

[KDawg]

2022 Early Thoughts:

 

Now that the 2021 Draft is out of our systems, I figured I'd start actually really looking at this year's class. These are early thoughts on each prospect, and I haven't had a chance to really deep dive them and as we know stuff changes fast. So short blurbs.

 

Also, as a coach, I use this stuff as a way to get better at what I do that isn't a part of my regular team stuff. Laser focus is so important, but sometimes I think taking a step back and watching others is a good way to hone your craft. So I use this to study the game. When I watch defenses I look for new ideas to run with my defense, or how they defend specific formations. So I appreciate having this here.

 

Full transparency: This is based off of highlight films and what I've seen of them live. I have not slowed down and watched portions of games yet. I'm not that nuts. 

 

Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina - His ball placement is absolutely surreal. On point nearly every time and has the arm strength and mobility to round out his skill set. Question is: Can he do it without Newsome/Brown/Williams/Carter? I think so. We'll find out. 

 

Derek Stingley Jr, CB, LSU - Likely won't do it in the pros but a damn good return man on top of coverage ability. Fast, athletic and has ball skills. Anticipates route concepts and will find the football and take it if the opportunity presents itself. 

 

Kedon Slovis, QB, USC - Going to depend on this season for me. He looks the part but he tends to have pretty high ball placement and when he scrambles he does it recklessly. Even watching highlights he looks like his reaction time is a bit slower than you'd like it to be. 

 

Drake London, WR, USC - Only took note of him because he seemed to be all over the Slovis highlight stuff. He also plays basketball at USC. I'm not sure what kind of prospect he is as a receiver but he plays like an Antonio Gates/every other BBall player turned NFL receiver. Great concentration and he seems to be a possession guy. 6-4, 200 lbs. Keep an eye on him. 

 

Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge, Oregon - Will literally bench press offensive tackles off of him. Long and plays with great reaction time. Fights through blocks and closes throwing lanes with his body and arm. Very athletic defensive end. Had a rough 2020 from a sack perspective, would need to watch more to really deep dive him. 

 

Christian Harris, LB, Alabama - So far he's a top defensive prospect in this draft. I was pretty high on the Jamin Davis selection but Christian Harris is a better overall backer and more battle tested. He's not quite as fast or versatile in coverage as Davis, but he is a downhill pad popper who will blast a guy and not ask any questions afterward. 

 

Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame - People gushed about JOK's ability last year on the ND defense. And he did have a freak athletic profile and made some great plays. But if you want to know why he was able to do some of what he did look no further than their safety: Kyle Hamilton. Fast, rangey, strong, solid tackler. He made some incredible plays against the best teams on their schedule. Finds the ball and either gets it or destroys who has it. Covers like a corner. Hits like a backer. Instincts. He has the entire package. 

 

Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M - I am extremely high on Wydermyer. He's not quite Kyle Pitts as a receiver, but he's not all that far off. He runs a full spectrum of routes and has great size, hands and speed. 46 rec, 506 yards, 6 TDs for production with A&M last season. Oh, and by the way, he is also a pretty good blocker and can play in-line or detached. He's a similar type of player as Pat Freiermuth just... much, much better at it. Depending where WFT picks next year this guy could and should be a prime candidate for our first rounder if its in in a similar spot as this season. I'm worried he doesn't make it that far. 

 

Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State - Tough, fast, strong, hands. He is a "bulkier" looking version of Terry McLaurin. Not much else I need to say. Biggest difference between he and McLaurin is he has some hype. Not sure on work ethic, though we hear its good. Gonna be tough to edge Terry there, though. 

 

Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson - 6-4, 210. Big body, go get 'em receiver who has helped Trevor Lawrence considerably when he's on the field. 

 

Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida - Not as explosive as Stingley at corner.  Or as flashy. But he has plenty of those things. He finds himself in good position and he's a better overall player than Henderson from the 2020 Draft Class. One thing I notice about him that I like is that while he doesn't always break up passes while enroute he has a GREAT "arm break" technique to create incompletions as the receiver tries to bring the ball in. 

 

Sevyn Banks, CB, Ohio State - Not a whole lot to say yet. Sticky, athletic, fast. I think he has a chance to be the best OSU corner in the last 3-5 years.

 

Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma - Pressure isn't even a thing for Rattler. First year playing this year. Rattler can change arm angles on throws and has a great in-game presence. He can also move the pocket. Pressure doesn't exist for Rattler. Every play is the same. They're all big.  Also, not eligible for 2022 but keep an eye on 2021 Sophomore Wide Receiver Marvin Mims. 

 

Thayer Munford, OT, Ohio State -  He has an extremely solid anchor. When he gets beat it seems to be he's trying to pay attention to too many things at once. He checks inside but turns his head while a rusher is coming directly at him. That throws his balance and anchor off a bit at times. He also tries to block more than his man to help his team which is an excellent motor but can be problematic schematically at the next level. He is an extremely strong run blocker that can maul people and he has a good power step and refocuses his hands well.

 

Evan Neal, OT, Alabama - Crowded line situation there last year meant this beast didn't always have a role. He will now. Athletic, strong and fast. Keep an eye on him. 

 

Jordan Battle, S, Alabama - Instincts, instincts, instincts. He is more of a strong safety/box safety. He hits like a freight train. He lowers his pad level into contact and delivers blow after blow. Not as fast in reaction as Hamilton and not the same kind of man coverage guy, but is a major boon to run support and can cover relatively well. 

 

I have a list of other guys I need to go through still as well. But this is what I had time for this AM.

 

 

 

 

 

[DWinzit]

20 minutes ago, KDawg said:

Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina , Christian Harris, LB, Alabama, Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame , Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M 

the 2021 draft thread is 540 pages deep. The 2022 thread can stop at page 4, WFT just needs to grab these 4 players.

[KDawg]

35 minutes ago, DWinzit said:

the 2021 draft thread is 540 pages deep. The 2022 thread can stop at page 4, WFT just needs to grab these 4 players.

Honestly these are the guys I’d target as of this moment:

 

Sam Howell, Spencer Rattler, Jalen Wydermyer, Kyle Hamilton

 

Having said that? I think we’re trading for a QB one way or the other in the next 12 months and Wydermyer/Hamilton are pipe dreams.

[DWinzit]

43 minutes ago, KDawg said:

Honestly these are the guys I’d target as of this moment:

 

Sam Howell, Spencer Rattler, Jalen Wydermyer, Kyle Hamilton

 

Having said that? I think we’re trading for a QB one way or the other in the next 12 months and Wydermyer/Hamilton are pipe dreams.

I'd plop Wydermyer and Hamilton on WFTs roster today.

I am a big Howell fan

[Anselmheifer]

1 hour ago, KDawg said:

Honestly these are the guys I’d target as of this moment:

 

Sam Howell, Spencer Rattler, Jalen Wydermyer, Kyle Hamilton

 

Having said that? I think we’re trading for a QB one way or the other in the next 12 months and Wydermyer/Hamilton are pipe dreams.

I agree. We are trading for a QB. Our roster is good enough to win the division for 3 years with a top 10 QB. 

Also, I'd way rather have Christian Harris than Hamilton. He's violent, instinctive, great against the run and great in coverage. He'd complete the front 7. I think that could be the best from 7 or 4-2 personnel in history if Chase is what we think he is. 

[Skinsinparadise]

“It’s a different league now,” said an NFL front office source. “It’s not just coaches getting fired, it’s GMs getting fired.”

Quarterbacks represent hope. Just ask Bears GM Ryan Pace, who made a bold attempt to erase one of the worst trades in NFL history Thursday night. The Bears gave a ransom – two firsts, a fifth and a fourth – for Justin Fields. It was necessary, of course, because the Bears traded up in 2017 for Mitchell Trubisky, which is the standard bearer for first-round front-office malfeasance.

 

“Everyone is realizing it’s a quarterback league,” said an NFL coach. “They’re trying to take their stab at the apple.”

This week, NFL scouts and personnel guys already began griping about the quarterback class of 2022. There’s UNC’s Sam Howell, USC’s Kedon Slovis, Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler, Georgia’s J.T. Daniels, Nevada’s Carson Strong, Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder, Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels and Liberty's Malik Willis. As of now, Howell is the only one we’d feel comfortable penciling into the Top 5.

 

There’s certainly not a Trevor Lawrence-caliber prospect in that bunch. But complain all you want, here’s predicting they’ll be five more quarterbacks drafted in the 2022 first round.

 

Just look at the past few drafts. They’ll be someone who rises like Wilson, Joe Burrow, Jordan Love, Daniel Jones, Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky or Carson Wentz from relative obscurity to a first-round pick. Of that bunch, Allen at Wyoming may have had the most NFL buzz heading into their final season.

 

NFL teams are falling harder than ever for quarterbacks. They’re trading away ransoms, abdicating roster sensibility and churning through them faster than ever.

And that pace isn’t likely to slow down. Not with the evolution of the passing game, necessary dynamism of that position and the profile of every recent Super Bowl winner not named Nick Foles. (We’ll tick that list back to Joe Flacco in the 2012 season and avoid any conversation about him being elite.)

 

It’s also important to remember that the league’s elite quarterbacks not named Mahomes are on the cusp of aging out. Brady (43) has eaten too much avocado ice cream to be a cyborg, even if he plays like one. Brees hung it up at 42. Ben Roethlisberger is 39 and staring at his twilight. Rodgers is 37 and clearly playing hardball for the right last call.

 

A new generation is needed, and the game has swung so heavily to that position that franchises are out of patience. Soon enough, the 1983 draft will be caught from behind.

And don’t be surprised if it becomes unusual that one-third of the first 15 picks aren't quarterbacks in the years to come. The way the game has gone, they’re all going to be the year of the quarterback.

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/the-5-first-round-quarterbacks-are-a-harbinger-for-where-the-nfl-draft-is-headed-051455138.html

[Est.1974]

2 hours ago, KDawg said:

 

Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame - People gushed about JOK's ability last year on the ND defense. And he did have a freak athletic profile and made some great plays. But if you want to know why he was able to do some of what he did look no further than their safety: Kyle Hamilton. Fast, rangey, strong, solid tackler. He made some incredible plays against the best teams on their schedule. Finds the ball and either gets it or destroys who has it. Covers like a corner. Hits like a backer. Instincts. He has the entire package

No idea where I’ve seen about this prospect before, but you posting this has reminded me. Isn’t Hamilton slated as being pretty special?

[Skinsinparadise]

1 hour ago, KDawg said:

Honestly these are the guys I’d target as of this moment:

 

Sam Howell, Spencer Rattler, Jalen Wydermyer, Kyle Hamilton

 

Having said that? I think we’re trading for a QB one way or the other in the next 12 months and Wydermyer/Hamilton are pipe dreams.

 

Yeah agree.  For all the sky is falling types because of no young QB who people have faith about on the roster.

 

Ron has talked about being aware he needs to find that guy.  He's not oblivious about it like some of his few critics have attacked him for.   

 

The vibe i get listening to Finlay and to some extent Keim, the likely master plan is to load the roster up and then plug in a really good veteran that they can land in a trade.  the 2022 version of the Stafford trade they attempted.  Could be as Standig mentioned Russell Wilson puts WFT on his short list next year if the roster looks loaded.  From everything I've been reading Wilson will almost for sure be trade bait next season.  People close to Seattle didn't think it would happen this year because of the cap hit but thought the odds are heavy it happens in 2022.  And some others might hit the market, too.

 

Keim suggesting in his podcast that they weren't going to go crazy to land a QB they like this year.  They want a QB they love.  Also talked about in a previous podcast that they didn't want to saddle a QB with a medicore roster.  They want to do what KC did which was give the QB a really really good roster. 

6 minutes ago, UK SKINS FAN 74 said:

No idea where I’ve seen about this prospect before, but you posting this has reminded me. Isn’t Hamilton slated as being pretty special?

 

Yeah some saying now top 5 pick

Edited May 2, 2021 by Skinsinparadise

[Silvernon]

Just give up all the picks for Rodgers. 

 

You have a legit 3-5 year window to win multiple super bowls. 

 

Rest of the team is good enough with that level of QB. 

[Est.1974]

23 minutes ago, Silvernon said:

Just give up all the picks for Rodgers. 

 

You have a legit 3-5 year window to win multiple super bowls. 

 

Rest of the team is good enough with that level of QB. 

I’d probably agree with this on balance. 

[Warhead36]

While yes it is a QB league, chasing saviors will get you into trouble, and the best path still is to build up your team and then go out and get your QB.

[Est.1974]

5 minutes ago, Warhead36 said:

While yes it is a QB league, chasing saviors will get you into trouble, and the best path still is to build up your team and then go out and get your QB.

We may well be at the stage of having built the team to the stage we ride out a year of Fitz then go all in at QB

[KDawg]

I mean it all depends on what happens, right? If Rodgers and Wilson are available how much do we want to part with and the more appropriate question is: how much can we afford from a cap point of view. Those guys have some nasty hits right now. 
 

I think, right now, in this very moment if you asked me how I’d acquire our QB my answer would be:

 

Trade up for Howell or Rattler. And actually do it. 
 

But my view could change on this 100 times. Right now 3 firsts and $40ish mil against the cap seems almost impossible to somehow pull off. But... who knows what the future brings. 

[Est.1974]

I could see a major draft move for a QB in 2022. Very long way to go but this roster is shaping up right now.

[Malapropismic Depository]

6 hours ago, Silvernon said:

Just give up all the picks for Rodgers. 

 

 

 

Well, you know he wants to be on Cheeseman's team.

We've got that as an attractive element.

[KDawg]

For what it’s worth, Rodgers won’t come to DC.

 

His fiancé is an actress and she works on the left coast. Hence why his wish list was Vegas, SF and Denver. 
 

He didn’t name LAC or LAR or SEA because they have franchise level quarterbacks. He knew what he was doing when he said those three teams. 
 

So, I think we should assume he’s not coming here unless something very drastic happens.

 

Our trade option at the moment is Russell Wilson. But the landscape changes quick.

 

Again, as of now, I’m looking to the 2022 Draft to trade up for our guy. As of now it’s Howell or Rattler.

[mhd24]

2 minutes ago, KDawg said:

For what it’s worth, Rodgers won’t come to DC.

 

His fiancé is an actress and she works on the left coast. Hence why his wish list was Vegas, SF and Denver. 
 

He didn’t name LAC or LAR or SEA because they have franchise level quarterbacks. He knew what he was doing when he said those three teams. 
 

So, I think we should assume he’s not coming here unless something very drastic happens.

 

Our trade option at the moment is Russell Wilson. But the landscape changes quick.

 

Again, as of now, I’m looking to the 2022 Draft to trade up for our guy. As of now it’s Howell or Rattler.

 

 

The NFL changes quick, but the following teams probably won't draft a QB next year:

 

NE

Buf

NYJ

Mia (unless Tua sucks)

Bal

Cle

Cin

Ind

Jax

Ten

LAC

KC

LV (unless they trade Carr)

 

Dal

Chi

Min (unless they move on from Kirk)

TB (unless Brady goes down a hill)

Az

SF

LAR

Sea (don't have a first)

 

Our competition would be:

Philly (unless Hurts shows he is a starter)

NYG (unless Jones shows he is a franchise QB)

Pitt (yes)

Hou (unless Watson is cleared/traded to a team on this list)

NO (yes, unless they love Winston or Hill)

Car (unless Darnold shows he is a franchise QB)

ATL (would sit behind Ryan for a year)

Den (yes)

GB (unless they love Love)

Det (unless Goff shows them something)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KDawg]

1 minute ago, mhd24 said:

 

 

The NFL changes quick, but the following teams probably won't draft a QB next year:

 

NE

Buf

NYJ

Mia (unless Tua sucks)

Bal

Cle

Cin

Ind

Jax

Ten

LAC

KC

LV (unless they trade Carr)

 

Dal

Chi

Min (unless they move on from Kirk)

TB (unless Brady goes down a hill)

Az

SF

LAR

Sea (don't have a first)

 

Our competition would be:

Philly (unless Hurts shows he is a starter)

NYG (unless Jones shows he is a franchise QB)

Pitt (yes)

Hou (unless Watson is cleared/traded to a team on this list)

NO (yes, unless they love Winston or Hill)

Car (unless Darnold shows he is a franchise QB)

ATL (would sit behind Ryan for a year)

Den (yes)

GB (unless they love Love)

Det (unless Goff shows them something)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of competition ahead.

 

Still, I think we could put together a nice package and move up if that’s what the FO wants to do.

 

Going to get Wilson, if he’s available is going to cost a ton in draft capital and cap space. Fitting that contract in to our cap will be tough so we’d need to maneuver some contracts. It’s not impossible to do, but given all the factors I think our best bet is a draft trade up.

[philibusters]

There is also a possibility Fitzpatrick or Heincke have a good year and that makes them the starter for next year.  Yeah Fitz is getting older, but he'll only be one year older next year.   If TH takes over due to injury and does well he is only 28 years.

[KDawg]

6 hours ago, philibusters said:

There is also a possibility Fitzpatrick or Heincke have a good year and that makes them the starter for next year.  Yeah Fitz is getting older, but he'll only be one year older next year.   If TH takes over due to injury and does well he is only 28 years.

There’s always the possibility something like that happens. But as of now, we know this team was looking at QB. Not desperate. But wanted a QB. Made decision to round out the roster instead. 
 

Whether Fitz is back or not the initial thought has to be that this team gets a QB next year. The only way that doesn’t happen: Heinicke or Allen plays and lights it up. 

Edited May 3, 2021 by KDawg

[CommanderInTheRye]

On 4/29/2021 at 12:35 AM, frontline205 said:

I was looking at Justin Field highlights and this guy Chris Olave just popped. If we keep our first rounder he might be a good receiver to keep an eye on

 

 

He was one of the guys that I recall flashed serious talent when I watched tape of Simba two years ago. At the time he stood out more than McLauren and he was just a freshman.