NFL Draft

HEIGHT: 6'1 5/8"

WEIGHT: 211

HAND: 9"

ARM: 32"

WINGSPAN: 6'3 1/2"

40-YARD DASH: 4.60

3-CONE: 6.85

SHUTTLE: 4.18

VERTICAL: 34.5"

BROAD: 10'3"

POSITIVES

— Very good athlete. Quick, springy runner with enough speed in the open field.

— Quick and consistent release.

— Above-average accuracy to all three levels with flashes of great touch.

— Functional pocket manager. Shows moments of sliding around while keeping eyes up.

— Effective outside the pocket. Athletic enough to create his own chances; throws comfortably on the move.

NEGATIVES

— Arm strength is average, at best. Can struggle driving the ball into tight windows or to the sideline.

— Play against pressure can be erratic.

— Decent decision-maker overall, but tends to be a beat late when working beyond his first read.

— Lacks a defining, game-changing trait despite being competent in most areas.

2021 STATISTICS

10 G, 296-445 (66.5%), 3,034 YDS (6.8 YPA), 23 TD, 14 INT, 111 ATT, 402 YDS (3.6 AVG), 7 TD

NOTES

— 2-star recruit in 2017.

— Began career at Boston College before transferring to Brown in 2019.

— Started 2019 and 2021 seasons at Brown (2020 canceled because of COVID-19).

— 2019 and 2021 first-team All-Ivy League.

OVERALL

EJ Perry checks a lot of boxes to be a competent NFL quarterback, but he lacks the dynamic traits of a premium pick at the position.

Perry brings solid mental aptitude for the position. Brown's offense ran a fairly diverse set of passing concepts, and Perry handled the variety and responsibility well. He showed he can progress from one to two to three on his reads, though he does tend to be just a beat late even if he is generally on the right track. When paired with his quick release and above-average placement to all three levels, Perry can get the ball where it needs to be with consistency.

Perry is also a decent pocket manager. He needs to work on how effectively he throws when bodies are cluttering his space, but he shows moments of good pocket movement to avoid those scenarios to begin with. Perry can also get outside the pocket effectively. He is a quick, explosive athlete who can separate from defenders after bailing from the pocket. Perry typically throws well on the run, too.

Perry's game is largely hindered by his lack of wow traits. Though he clears the bar for accuracy and athleticism, neither trait is good enough to be game-breaking. Likewise, Perry's arm strength is average, at best, and he may struggle to fit upper-tier throws in the NFL. Perry is not an especially sharp and snappy processor, either, even though he does clear the bar for competency there as well.

In all, Perry boasts many traits to suggest he can keep a train on the tracks. The baseline processing skills, accuracy and athleticism are all there for Perry to be an effective spot starter type. Without any game-changing traits, however, Perry likely caps out as a high-level backup, particularly for offenses that live in more of a spread world.

GRADE: 6.4 (High-level Developmental Prospect - 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 164

POSITION RANK: QB8

PRO COMPARISON: Colt McCoy

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

HEIGHT: 6'2 1/2"

WEIGHT: 238

HAND: 9 3/4"

ARM: 32 3/4"

WINGSPAN: 6'6 1/8"

40-YARD DASH: 4.52

3-CONE: DNP

SHUTTLE: DNP

VERTICAL: 35.5"

BROAD: DNP

POSITIVES

— Very good straight-line speed. Effective as a field stretcher.

— Above-average YAC threat. Combination of speed and balance as a runner.

— Flashed the ability to drop his hips and change directions effectively on underneath routes.

— Willing and physical blocker in the run game. Brings it every snap.

— Effective pass protector. Does well to maintain his base and hold up in 1-on-1 scenarios.

NEGATIVES

— Limited route tree right now. Mostly a field-stretcher or manufactured YAC threat.

— Stiff route-runner, particularly on sharp in/out breakers to the intermediate area.

— Mediocre hands overall. Does not adjust to the ball outside his frame very well.

— Below-average length and strength limit his ability as a blocker despite good awareness and physicality.

2021 STATISTICS

13 G, 52 REC, 447 YDS (8.6 AVG), 5 TD

NOTES

— 3-star recruit in 2018.

— One-year starter.

— Missed 2020 season because of myocarditis.

— 2021 honorable mention All-Big Ten.

OVERALL

Chigoziem Okonkwo boasts a unique blend of straight-line speed and intriguing blocking skills.

Okonkwo is on the smaller side for a tight end at 6'2" and 238 pounds. That comes with its ups and downs, but it serves him well as a straight-line athlete.

At this stage, Okonkwo is not the smoothest or most natural mover in space, but he can fly when he takes off in a straight line. He regularly ran away from coverage on seam routes and deep crossers, consistently proving he could outpace linebackers and most safeties.

Okonkwo's speed shows up with the ball in his hands, too. He can be effective on short drag or flat routes thanks to his speed and fairly impressive balance as a ball-carrier.

With that said, Okonkwo has work to do as a route-runner. He runs stiff and high in most of his routes. As a result, he struggles to bend and snap off routes effectively, particularly when trying to run sharp routes to the intermediate section of the field.

Additionally, Okonwko's hands are average at best. He does not consistently find the ball outside his frame, nor is he a daunting contested-catch presence. Okonkwo needs to be allowed to find the ball cleanly in space at this stage.

As a blocker, Okonkwo brings the right attitude. He is a willing, forceful blocker in the run game and gives it his all on every rep. Okonkwo needs to improve his technique and stop lunging when he goes to strike defenders, but that can be fixed with time. His length and strength are a bit lacking as well, but he shows enough positive blocking reps to suggest he'll be serviceable.

Okonkwo may be even better in pass protection than he is in the ground game. He does well to maintain his anchor and stay in front of blitzers, seldom losing in one-on-one situations.

Okonkwo's premium speed and willingness to block his tail off should help him stick around in the NFL for a long time. With the right coaching, he could become an effective field-stretcher and underneath yards-after-the-catch weapon with the chops to hold his own as a blocker. Okonkwo's uninspiring route running, hands and play strength may all limit him from being an impact player right away, though.

GRADE: 6.4 (High-level Developmental Prospect - 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 179

POSITION RANK: TE11

PRO COMPARISON: Discount Gerald Everett

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 191

POSITIVES

— Moments of impressive burst, both as a route-runner and ball-carrier.

— Smooth, gliding mover who can maintain his pace while changing angles.

— Consistent hands when the ball is within his frame.

— Navigates traffic at the line of scrimmage and over the middle fairly well.

— Brings energy as a blocker.

— Was regularly used as Nebraska's motion and "gadget" weapon.

NEGATIVES

— Thin build. Hurts him as a blocker and when CBs get physical.

— Long speed is not threatening. Not going to generate many explosive plays.

— Can be stiff as a route-runner on routes that require sharp breaks. Needs more free-flowing routes and concepts.

— Catches well within his frame, but is not one to make tough or acrobatic catches.

2021 STATISTICS

12 G, 46 REC, 898 YDS (19.5 AVG), 5 TD

NOTES

— 2-star recruit in 2016.

— Started career at Montana. Transferred to Nebraska in 2021.

— 2019 first-team All-Big Sky.

— 2021 honorable mention All-Big Ten.

OVERALL

Samori Toure is a slot-only type of receiver with the ease of movement in space and blocking energy to stick as a depth player.

At 6'1" and 191 pounds, Toure is tall enough to play receiver in the NFL, but he is rail thin for the position. Nebraska often tried to mask that issue by keeping him in the slot for most of his snaps, as well as moving him around with motions and hiding him in stack/bunch sets. His NFL team will likely need to do the same.

Toure's blocking could also take a hit in the NFL due to his light frame and middling play strength. He brings plenty of energy, which is a good start, but he was hit-or-miss with finishing blocks at the college level.

Toure does offer some nice receiving skills. Though his top speed is uninspiring, he does well to get to a comfortable cruising speed and maintains that speed as he weaves through zones. Toure is much more effective weaving in and out of zones to find space than he is trying to snap off defenders in man coverage, in part because his route running can get stiff and clunky.

As far as catching the ball goes, Toure will not dazzle with stellar receptions, but he brings the ball in consistently when given clean looks and is comfortable looking for the ball over the middle of the field. Toure's yards-after-catch ability is nothing special, but he does show the occasional burst to separate in the underneath area.

Toure is a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. His blocking effort, smooth movement in space and consistent hands give him a nice floor to work with. Toure also has a clear role as an underneath target out of the slot who can occasionally be used as a motion or gadget weapon.

With that said, Toure does not have the speed, strength or sharp route running to be a core piece of any offense right now. He projects best as a backup slot who can provide competent play in a pinch.

GRADE: 6.1 (High-level Developmental Prospect - 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 218

POSITION RANK: WR31

PRO COMPARISON: Isaiah Ford

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

The Houston Texans are reportedly considering multiple prospects with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, including the two top cornerbacks in the class.

In his latest NFL mock draft released Tuesday, NFL Network's Peter Schrager mocked NC State offensive tackle Ickey Ekwonu to the Texans, but he noted that there is "a lot of noise" within the league regarding Houston taking either Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner or LSU corner Derek Stingley Jr.

While it isn't typical for a cornerback to go inside the top three, the position is a huge need for Houston entering the 2022 season.

Although Schrager did not mock a corner to the Texans, he does have Gardner going seventh overall to the New York Giants and Stingley going ninth overall to the Seattle Seahawks.

In recent years, the top three of the draft has typically been reserved for quarterbacks, offensive tackles and defensive ends, but it isn't unprecedented for a corner to go that high.

In fact, it happened in the 2020 draft when the Detroit Lions took Jeff Okudah third overall, although that was the first time since 1997 that a cornerback was taken that early.

Thus far, the Okudah pick has not worked out for the Lions, as injuries have limited the former Ohio State standout to just 10 games in two seasons, including only one contest in 2021.

Gardner and Stingley are both perhaps at or near the same talent level as Okudah, though, and either of them could be worth the risk for a cornerback-needy team like Houston.

In each of his three seasons at Cincinnati, Gardner finished with three interceptions. He also set career highs with 40 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks last season, making him one of the most versatile and well-rounded corners in the draft.

Stingley seemed like a slam dunk to be the top cornerback in the 2022 draft entering last season, but the injury bug bit him again and limited him to just three games.

That came on the heels of Stingley appearing in just seven games in 2020 due to injury, and it is difficult to ignore the fact that he didn't have a single interception in his final two collegiate seasons after reeling in six as a freshman.

Given what has happened to Okudah in the NFL and the durability issues Stingley dealt with at LSU, it is understandable why there may be some pause to spend a high pick on him.

The Texans have no shortage of needs on both sides of the ball, but it wouldn't be at all surprising to see them use the No. 3 overall pick on a defensive player given the history of head coach Lovie Smith.

Smith was the Texans' defensive coordinator last season, and he has been both a head coach and defensive assistant throughout his career, both in the NFL and collegiately.

With Smith at the helm last season as DC, the Texans ranked 23rd in the NFL in passing yardage allowed and tied for 16th in passing touchdowns allowed.

While that means Houston wasn't a bottom-of-the-barrel team against the pass, there is a ton of room for improvement, and the selection of either Gardner or Stingley could help significantly in that regard.

The Texans have addressed the cornerback position this offseason by signing veteran Steven Nelson, but they have no elite talent at corner.

That could be a significant issue for them in an AFC that is stacked with top-flight quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Russell Wilson and others.

The NFL is undoubtedly a pass-first league, meaning cornerbacks are more important than ever before, and that could lead to them being taken much higher in the draft than they traditionally have been.

The Philadelphia Eagles could reportedly use a first-round draft pick on a receiver for the third year in a row after selecting Jalen Reagor and DeVonta Smith the past two seasons.

"No one's ruling it out," Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported. 

The Eagles currently hold the No. 15 and No. 18 picks in the first round and five total selections in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL draft. 

Despite the past investments at receiver, the position remains a major need for the Eagles after finishing last season with the No. 25 pass offense in the NFL.

Smith showed a lot of potential as a rookie with 916 receiving yards on 64 catches, but Reagor has been disappointing in two years with just 695 total yards and three touchdowns. He finished fourth on the team with 299 yards in 2021, trailing 2020 sixth-round pick Quez Watkins.

With Zach Pascal the only addition in free agency, Philadelphia could use another reliable pass-catcher alongside Smith and Dallas Goedert to provide some help for young quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department projected the Eagles to select Ohio State's Chris Olave with the 15th pick in its latest mock draft, a prediction shared by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. The Athletic's Dane Brugler has the team taking USC's Drake London at No. 18 overall.

Garrett Wilson (Ohio State), Jameson Williams (Alabama) and Treylon Burks (Arkansas) are other potential first-round options for the Eagles.

Philadelphia does have other needs after finishing 9-8 last season. The team could use its two first-round picks to provide help at linebacker, strengthen the pass rush or add depth at cornerback. 

Taking a receiver is still a decent option despite the organization's recent draft decisions.    

The NFL Network's Charles Davis released his second mock draft Monday, projecting Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the top overall pick. 

He had Michigan edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson going No. 2 overall to the Detroit Lions; Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal at No. 3 to the Houston Texans; Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner at No. 4 to the New York Jets; and NC State offensive tackle Ickey Ekwonu rounding out the top five to the New York Giants. 

Other notable picks included three quarterbacks coming off the board in the first round: Liberty's Malik Willis to the Carolina Panthers at No. 6, Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 20 and Kenny Pickett to the Detroit Lions at No. 32.

Alabama's Jameson Williams is the top wideout off the board at No. 10 to the New York Jets. 

Walker would be a fascinating pick for the rebuilding Jaguars. There's no doubt he's a talent, but opinions are widely divided just how talented. 

The B/R Scouting Department has him ranked as the No. 26 player on its latest big board, which would make him quite the reach as the top overall pick. B/R has Oregon edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux atop its big board. 

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah had Walker at No. 6 on his latest big board, however, behind a top five of Hutchinson, Ekwonu, Gardner, Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton and Ohio State wideout Garrett Wilson. 

He called Walker a "versatile edge defender with exceptional length and athleticism" who is "very disruptive" and whose "best football is ahead of him."

And ESPN's consensus rankings from its four draft analysts—Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay, Matt Miller and Jordan Reid—had Walker ranked No. 7 overall, with Kiper the lowest on him (No. 10) and Miller the highest (No. 4). 

There has been buzz, however, that Walker could be the top overall selection:

Still, based on most of the draft prognosis out there, Walker going No. 1 overall would be considered a reach. For some, a massive reach. 

One thing that isn't up for debate is that the Jaguars cannot afford to get the pick wrong. Otherwise, they'll find themselves selecting No. 1 overall for the third straight year. 

Accurately forecasting what 32 different general managers will do in the NFL draft is always impossible. Even for the sharpest minds, this year's edition is especially tough to read.

NBC Sports' Peter King spoke to one general manager who outlined the wide variance on player evaluations ahead of the 2022 NFL draft.

"You can take the top 20 most plugged-in guys in your business. Ask them to pick the top 10 guys in this draft," the GM said. "I would bet a lot of money no two guys have the same top 10. When you don’t know who’s going one or two or three at this point of the year, you’ve got a mysterious year."

Plenty of ink has been spilled about the state of this year's quarterback class and how there isn't a clear can't-miss talent for QB-needy teams picking in the top 10. That largely holds true about the draft pool as a whole too.

Oregon edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux is the highest-rated player on Bleacher Report's big board with a 9.2 overall grade. Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal and USC wide receiver Drake London (both of whom are rated at 9.0) are the only other players given a top-10 grade.

By contrast, Trevor Lawrence led the way with a 9.6 grade on B/R's final big board for the 2021 draft. Kyle Pitts (9.4) and Justin Fields (9.3) also would've qualified as the best player heading into the 2022 draft.

Underscoring the uncertainty surrounding what will unfold in less than two weeks, King spoke with a GM and a head coach who projected Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker to be the No. 1 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars on April 28 in Las Vegas.

Walker is the No. 26 overall player on the B/R big board but projected to go third to the Houston Texans on B/R's mock draft.

Since nobody really knows all that much, the first few rounds of the 2022 draft should make for great television.