NFL Draft Community Mailbag: Which OT Prospect Should Go No. 1 Overall?

The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine starts next week. Too much is often made of the on-field portion of testing, but the festivities are vital to the evaluation process. 

Prospects in attendance are going through a difficult job interview in which they're poked and prodded and asked to operate at peak efficiency despite arduous circumstances. How they perform shouldn't make or break an entire evaluation.

However, they can help or hurt as scouts and decision-makers look for confirmation or leave Indianapolis in need of following up on what they saw. 

Plenty still needs to be decided between now and April's draft. The combine can serve as a potential differentiator when two or more prospects are closely graded. 

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department of Brandon Thorn, Brent Sobleski, Cory Giddings, Derrik Klassen and Nate Tice will be in attendance. Before leaving, each took the time to answer a question or two posited by B/R's app community about the event and how a few positions stack up for the 2022 draft class.

"What are your thoughts on Alabama's Evan Neal vs. North Carolina State's Ikem Ekwonu?" — DekeGeek

I see Neal and Ekwonu as the top two tackles in the draft and in the same tier as prospects.

At 6'7" and 350 pounds, Neal has ideal size with very good athletic ability, power and a well-rounded game. He played three positions over as many years at Alabama, which gives him proven versatility across the line. It also signals that he hasn't come close to reaching his ceiling at his most likely home as a pro (left tackle) due to not having back-to-back seasons at the position.

Ekwonu has a smaller stature than Neal, although he's far from small at 6'4" and 320 pounds. He offers a similar level of athletic ability as Neal, but with elite power. Ekwonu has more areas of his game to clean up in pass protection, whereas Neal has more technical areas to clean up as a run-blocker.

Given the roughly 30-pound difference between the two, it will be unfair to compare the results of their combine without factoring that into the equation. Look for Ekwonu to have a good shot at running a sub-5.0 40-yard dash and testing well in the workouts that measure linear explosiveness (broad jump/vertical leap).

I've been told not to expect Neal to do all of the workouts in Indianapolis since his status as the top tackle in the draft is more of a consensus around the NFL. That diminishes the need for him to go through all of the timed drills, instead focusing more on the on-field workouts.

Overall, Neal is a higher-floor prospect with a Pro Bowl-caliber ceiling, while Ekwonu has a lower floor and slightly higher ceiling because of his rare explosiveness. There really isn't a wrong answer in my eyes for which of these two to rank above the other.

With the margins being razor-thin between the two, the combine could serve as an effective tool for solidifying a position on each player.

— Thorn

"Which quarterback can help their case the most at the NFL combine?" — lucasjblum42

If Liberty's Malik Willis tests on an elite level in the athletic events and throws well in a clean setting versus air, he can take another jump up teams' draft boards. 

Right now, the NFL is dying for any quarterback prospect to assert himself as the class' top option. If Willis builds on the momentum that began at the Senior Bowl by continuing to show off his elite physical traits, he could very well emerge as the clear QB1. 

Granted, Willis' performance during his week in Mobile could be described as uneven thanks to his inconsistency when asked to work from the pocket. But the combine is the perfect setting to show off what attributes make his potential so alluring. 

In a weak quarterback crop, Willis has more raw upside than any of his classmates. A fluid athlete with a big arm will stick out among everyone else in attendance. 

— Tice

"Who will be the surprise standout of this year's NFL scouting combine?" — Volzzz

UTSA's Tarik Woolen is a 6'3⅜", 205-pound cornerback with 33½" arms and a 79" wingspan. The former high school basketball and track standout converted from wide receiver to defensive back prior to his redshirt junior campaign.

A late transition to the position makes Woolen a raw prospect, but his athleticism can't be denied. According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, Woolen posted a 4.34-second 40-yard dash and 11'5" board jump prior to his senior season.

Those numbers would have ranked second and first, respectively, among last year's cornerback class. 

— Sobleski

UCLA tight end Greg Dulcich can straight run on film and might be a surprisingly strong tester who helps his draft stock during the combine. The underclassman is an excellent all-around athlete and improved every season with career highs of 42 receptions for 725 yards during his final year on campus. 

— Tice

"Which prospect plays way faster than he will run at the 40?" — CJshoe

Cincinnati's Darrian Beavers feels like a good candidate for this category. When you watch the 6'4", 252-pound linebacker on film, he usually needs a few extra steps to really kick into gear, and even then, his top speed is uninspiring.

However, Beavers plays with such a hair-trigger and is rarely wrong that he tends to be on pace with or a step ahead of the play anyway. That holds up even in coverage, where Beavers excels at using his eyes and sinking into windows effectively.

— Klassen

"Will Georgia's Nakobe Dean Be the fastest linebacker in the NFL from the moment he plays his first snap?" — CJshoe

It isn't off the table, but he has some tough competition.

Dean has legit speed, and he will surely be counted among the top seven or so right away. But guys such as the Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Devin White and Arizona Cardinals' Isaiah Simmons all have turbo speed when they turn it on. The slowest of those three ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash prior to being drafted. 

Even the Kansas City Chiefs' Willie Gay Jr., who had a mini breakout year in 2021, clocked a 4.46-second 40-yard dash a few years ago and plays with impressive speed.

— Klassen

"Which WR best fits into Matt LaFleur's system for the Green Bay Packers?" — Robski44

The Packers will likely be looking for a larger target in this year's draft who can give them a physical presence and block in the run game and outside on their run-pass options.

A larger wide receiver like Clemson's Justyn Ross might be a perfect selection for them if he falls due to medicals. He missed the 2020 campaign after undergoing surgery to repair a congenital fusion on his spine. Purdue's David Bell and Georgia's George Pickens might be there in the late second round as well.

Optimally, one of the top prospects will slide to the 28th overall pick or the Packers will trade up to acquire an elite target. Arkansas' Treylon Burks and USC's Drake London are ideal fits, though both should be off the board long before Green Bay makes a pick.

If the Packers are forced to wait based on how the board falls, they can benefit from yet another deep wide receiver class, even though general manager Brian Gutenkunst failed to take full advantage of the position's depth in previous drafts. 

— Tice

"How much concern should there be regarding level of competition and tackling with Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner?" — CJshoe

The level of competition is not much of a concern for me. Gardner is a top-notch athlete who plays with very good technique.

Although he wasn't tested by Power Five wide receivers every week, the consensus All-American played against tough competition in Indiana, Notre Dame, and Alabama. During those games, he looked to be a comparable athlete in both the run and pass game. 

A slight learning curve may be forthcoming as the 6'3", 200-pound defensive back transitions to the speed and physicality of NFL competition during his rookie season, but I believe he will quickly adjust.

— Giddings

"Is any kicker worth drafting in this year's class?" — GOATGARDEN

The likes of Roberto Aguayo, Matt Gay, Austin Seibert and Zane Gonzalez may have everyone second-guessing the value of spending a draft pick on a kicker. The Baltimore Ravens signed Justin Tucker as an undrafted free agent, and Rodrigo Blankenship recently showed how a first-year kicker can quickly provide an impact despite not hearing his name called during draft weekend. 

However, the Cincinnati Bengals wouldn't have reached Super Bowl LVI if not for Evan McPherson's reliable right leg. They selected him with a fifth-round pick, making him the only kicker drafted in last year's class, and he rewarded them with a perfect postseason run.

Over the last 10 drafts, an average of two kickers per class have been chosen. LSU's Cade York and Oklahoma's Gabe Brkic are the most likely candidates to be drafted this year.

Those two separated themselves with their consistency from long range. York and Brkic have combined to convert 20 of 27 field-goal attempts of 50 yards or longer. York holds a slight edge, as he's missed only four total 50-yard attempts over the last three seasons. 

While those two kickers should draw interest, we would be remiss not to mention San Diego State punter Matt Araiza, who might become the class' highest selected specialist. The reigning Ray Guy Award winner and unanimous All-American broke the NCAA record with an average of 51.2 yards per punt. Araiza also doubled as the Aztecs' kicker, though his conversion rate beyond 40 yards failed to reach 50 percent. 

— Sobleski

"What does the bench press even measure and is it important for skill position guys?" — GorirraGrodd

There's a difference between weight-room strength and functional playing strength. The latter is far more important to a player's effectiveness and often deals more with tendon strength, grip, torque, explosiveness, etc. 

While the bench press itself is an outdated measure for raw strength, the event still plays an important part is less obvious scouting techniques. 

All-star events and the combine test prospects' competitiveness. Scouts and decision-makers love to see who wants to go out there and compete at all times. While the bench press isn't needed for all positions, a prospect's willingness to participate shows some of his internal makeup. 

Secondly, the bench press can help establish how much work a prospect is doing away from the practice field. A poor bench press number relative to other prospects at the position might expose someone who hasn't put in the necessary time and effort in the weight room. Conversely, a high number in this particular event could identify players who are already maxed out physically. 

Typically, 14 to 24 reps is a solid to very good number for skill-position performers. Outliers should be a cause for concern.

For example, the prospects with the top five bench press efforts in combine history didn't go on to do much of anything in the NFL. A big number doesn't automatically equate to overwhelming strength when a player steps onto the field. 

However, teams want to make sure that each prospect has the necessary work ethic to succeed in the NFL.

— Sobleski