NFL Draft Prospects with the Most at Stake at the 2022 Combine

At the NFL Scouting Combine, top prospects can make themselves a lot of money or they can give NFL teams a reason to pick them apart.

Players with the most at stake can see their stock surge or plummet after a few days in Indianapolis. In addition to the on-field drills and physical workouts, they'll meet with club representatives for interviews and go through full medical checks, which may make or break their standing with certain teams.

This year, the wide-open quarterback discussion puts pressure on all the passers, but one signal-caller may have a lot more on the line with a team in need of a starter reportedly eyeing him. Another player at the position probably has to make a strong first impression to keep his name in the QB1 chatter. 

After Senior Bowl week, several prospects will look to sustain some momentum from their performances in Mobile, Alabama. Others must make up ground or risk falling behind some of their peers who have more predraft buzz.

We'll take a look at seven players who have a lot to gain or lose in terms of their draft stock and what they need to prove at the combine in Indianapolis.

Malik Willis stood out among the quarterbacks when he became a headliner after the second day of Senior Bowl practices. The 2022 class doesn't have a clear QB1 favorite, but he may have put himself in the discussion for the top spot earlier in the month.

In Indianapolis, Willis will probably stand out as the most athletic quarterback of the bunch. Pro Football Focus' Anthony Treash said the Liberty product's tools put him in a "class of his own." While scouts should expect to see the dynamic quarterback's physical talents on display, they'll also focus on his accuracy and placement in the passing drills. He must show teams his ability to hit receivers in stride all over the field. 

As a dual-threat QB, Willis threw for 5,117 yards, 47 touchdowns and 18 interceptions and rushed for 1,822 yards and 27 touchdowns at Liberty. On a bit of a concerning note, his completion rate dropped slightly from 64.2 to 61.1 percent between 2020 and 2021. 

During Senior Bowl week, NBC Sports' Thor Nystrom reported the Pittsburgh Steelers have Willis ranked ahead of Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett. If the former continues to boost his stock, other quarterback-needy teams who pick within the top 10, such as the Carolina Panthers or Denver Broncos, may target him. 

Willis' showing at the combine could encourage the Steelers or any other club interested in him to make a predraft move up several spots.

As a redshirt junior (underclassman), Matt Corral didn't have an opportunity to participate in the Senior Bowl activities. Though aside from Malik Willis' standout performance in the rain, no one else in the quarterback group made a tremendous leap to the front of the pack.

Corral won't have to make up serious ground among his peers, and he's considered a potential first-round prospect. Based on his performance at the combine, he could cement a slot in the top 32 or fall behind Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder, Pittsburgh's Pickett and Willis, who are listed first, second and fourth, respectively, on Bleacher Report's most recent big board. 

In a draft that lacks star power at quarterback, the prospect selected fourth among the signal-callers may wait until the second round before a team makes a call for him. 

Corral's size may come into question as well. He's a slender 6'2", 205 pounds and exited his final collegiate game with an ankle injury in the Sugar Bowl. The Ole Miss product needs to move well on his feet since that's an appealing aspect of his game. In addition to 8,281 passing yards, 57 touchdowns and 23 interceptions, Corral rushed for 1,338 yards and 18 touchdowns at the collegiate level.

Jahan Dotson passed on a chance to showcase his skills during Senior Bowl week when he opted out of the event, which came as a bit of a shocker.

Yahoo Sports' Eric Edholm saw Dotson's decision as a "missed opportunity."

"Dotson opted out of the week and, we believe, missed an opportunity to set himself apart. A strong 40-yard dash is expected at the scouting combine, and he's flashed plenty on tape. But Dotson's absence surprised us considering he's not considered a first-round given. Meanwhile, other receivers used the week to gain some momentum."

Dotson had an impressive senior term, hauling in 91 passes for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns, but he's voluntarily skipped out on the Outback Bowl game and the workouts in Mobile, Alabama. Fair or unfair, team representatives may question his competitiveness.

Bleacher Report's post-Super Bowl mock draft linked Dotson to the Buffalo Bills at No. 25, which makes him a borderline first-rounder. If he doesn't perform at his best next week, the Penn State product's draft outlook among analysts and teams around the league could take a significant hit amid an underwhelming offseason.

On the flip side, if the 5'11", 184-pound wideout flashes his quickness, pushes out a decent number of reps on the bench press and tracks the ball in the pass-catching drills, he's a probable first-round pick.

Because of Bernhard Raimann's unique path to the 2022 draft pool, he has to check boxes and quell concerns at every step of the evaluation process.

Raimann falls into the category of raw prospects because he just started to play football a few years ago. In 2018, the Austrian native returned to the United States and settled in at Central Michigan, where he transitioned from tight end to left tackle. He made 18 starts at the latter position. 

Still learning the game, Raimann could go through some growing pains as he faces top-notch competition, which likely explains his mixed bag of reps during Senior Bowl week. 

At times, Raimann looked slow to react and out of position in one-on-one drills against defenders, but he eventually found his groove. Pro Football Focus' Mike Renner saw improvement between the first and second day of practice. 

"Spin moves are usually a cheat code in one-on-ones, but Bernhard Raimann is all over this one from Arnold Ebiketie. Thought the Central Michigan tackle settled down really well today after a shaky start on Tuesday," Renner tweeted.

Typically, offensive tackles can win over scouts with their athleticism and agility, which bodes well for Raimann. For the most part, he's a nimble prospect who can mirror an edge-rusher's counter moves.

If Bernhard's workouts outshine the fact that he's a lean tackle (6'6", 304 lbs) with average-length arms, he could creep into the back end of the first round. With a poor showing, his technical shortcomings could overshadow his potential.

Cameron Thomas built some momentum through a breakout 2021 campaign, logging 20.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and 17 quarterback hurries.

Thomas accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl event, but he suffered a hamstring injury during warm-ups, per The Athletic's Dane Brugler, which sidelined him for the entire week. The San Diego State product could have added some sizzle to his draft buzz as a potential top-40 prospect.

At the line of scrimmage, Thomas wins with quickness and good bend and sheds blocks to track down the quarterback or ball-carrier in the backfield. However, assuming he bounces back from his injury, the 6'4", 264-pounder must show more power and strength. Oftentimes, we overlook bench-press reps, but that's potentially an important number for him.

Of course, Thomas will need to get through a complete workout circuit to showcase his abilities. If he's unable to do that, expect him to drop significantly on big boards.

B/R projects a third-round spot for Thomas, while ESPN's Jordan Reid has him listed at No. 40 in his recent mock draft, a handful of spots behind South Carolina's Kingsley Enagbare (No. 36) and Cincinnati's Myjai Sanders (No. 35). Close to the cutoff line between Rounds 1 and 2, Thomas could solidify a slot within the top 50 or fall close to a Day 3 prospect with a forgettable or incomplete performance.

At a premium position, edge-rushers can surge up draft boards in a short period. This offseason, Jermaine Johnson II has emerged as one of the early risers.

Johnson made a name for himself during Senior Bowl week, routinely beating his competition. He immediately caught ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay's attention.

"Yeah, Johnson was awesome [at the Senior Bowl]. He came out the first couple of practices, he just—you could tell right away. I always say you can tell after, sometimes the first practice, but certainly after the first two, who the elite guys are. And Johnson showed it right away. You see ... the explosiveness with his upper body, the ability to get off of blocks. He was winning one-on-ones consistently. He was disruptive during team practices." 

McShay said he initially saw Johnson as a fringe first-round pick, but he's moved the Florida State product into the top 20 and firmly into the Day 1 discussion following his eye-opening performance in Mobile, Alabama.

At 6'4", 259 pounds, Johnson uses a combination of strength, power and length to get the best of offensive linemen. In 2021, he registered 70 tackles, 17.5 for loss, 11.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hurries.

At the combine, Johnson needs to show some flexibility to lock down a mid-round slot on Day 1 or possibly climb into the top 10. If he's a little stiff making cuts in tight spaces, team scouts may focus on that concern when they look at his film.

Derek Stingley Jr. hasn't played much football over the past two seasons, suiting up for just 10 games since the 2020 term.

Stingley flashed a lot of promise through the 2019 campaign, logging 15 pass breakups and six interceptions as a true freshman. Though solid when healthy, he didn't have much ball production over the last two years, recording just five pass breakups in that span.

In September 2021, Stingley suffered a foot injury and underwent a procedure that sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign, so his medical records could help him if everything checks out at the combine. 

On the field, Stingley has to show off fluid foot movement, particularly in his back pedal, and track the ball in the defensive back drills. NFL teams that consider him a top-10 pick will likely want to see shades of the player who stirred up a buzz in his first term at LSU. 

Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire and Browns Wire noted that prominent analysts moved Stingley out of premium draft slots after Senior Bowl week, which could reflect off-the-record conversations with team representatives.

If Stingley appears out of shape or looks a step behind the top cornerbacks in the class, he'll lose millions, dropping from a potential top-10 selection to the middle or end of the first round. B/R's recent big board ranks him as CB1, but Cincinnati's Ahmad Gardner could close the gap at the combine.

College statistics are provided by cfbstats.com.