NFL Draft

HEIGHT: 6'5 1/4"

WEIGHT: 282

HAND: 9"

ARM: 34 1/2"

WINGSPAN: 6'9 3/8"

40-YARD DASH: DNP

3-CONE: DNP

SHUTTLE: DNP

VERTICAL: DNP

BROAD: DNP

POSITIVES

— Good length. Consistently able to engage on his terms.

— Above-average burst off the snap. Springy out of his stance despite a massive frame.

— Relatively easy mover for his size. Can cover decent ground in space.

— Shows good power in his hands upon engagement.

— Above-average eyes and discipline. Does well to stay in his gap and take on blocks as necessary.

— Functional anchor on the edge.

NEGATIVES

— Tweener frame. On the heavier side for an edge, but perhaps too light to slide inside in the NFL.

— Stop/start athleticism is a concern. Struggles to regain momentum if he slows down for any reason.

— Uninspired hand usage as a pass-rusher. Sometimes wins with length alone, but needs to find consistency as well as counters.

— Poor bend. Struggles to drop his hips while maintaining balance and momentum.

2021 STATISTICS

11 G, 30 TOT, 4.5 TFL, 3 SK

NOTES

— 3-star recruit in 2017.

— Multi-year contributor, one-year starter.

— 2021 honorable mention All-Big Ten.

OVERALL

Esezi Otomewo leaves college as a defensive end, but he may be best suited to kick inside more in the NFL.

At 6'5" and 282 pounds, Otomewo is a daunting figure for opposing offensive linemen. He sports great length to complement his height and weight, allowing him to nearly match offensive tackles in terms of build.

Otomewo backs up his frame with impressive play strength, both in his upper and lower body. He strikes well with his hands in the run game and often does a good job remaining firm in his anchor. Combine that with flashes of good snap get-of and smooth movement in space, and the result is an occasionally overwhelming defensive linemen.

On the flip side, Otomewo shows a stiff lower body when trying to turn the corner as a pass-rusher. He often struggles to drop his hips and generate leverage, and he also lacks the ability to widen himself out and run the arc. His stop/start athleticism is a concern as well, which makes it difficult for him to toy with stutters or counter-moves.

Otomewo does not have the best hand usage at this stage, either, which often makes him rely on leg drive and length to win pass-rushing reps. He can use those tools to win from time to time, but not consistently enough to say he is an effective pass-rusher right now.

Otomewo's tweener build and lack of pass-rushing traits make him a tough projection. He's likely only a fit for certain teams. With that said, Otomewo can slot in between 3-tech and 5-tech to provide reliable run defense off the bench.

GRADE: 6.3 (High-level Developmental Prospect - 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 186

POSITION RANK: DL18

PRO COMPARISON: Michael Dogbe

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

HEIGHT: 6'6 3/4"

WEIGHT: 290

HAND: 9"

ARM: 33 1/2"

WINGSPAN: 6'7 3/8"

40-YARD DASH: 4.88

3-CONE: DNP

SHUTTLE: DNP

VERTICAL: DNP

BROAD: DNP

POSITIVES

— Shows above-average twitch in his movements with light feet and quick, active hands.

— Solid contact balance to find his footing quickly when initially knocked off of a block to stay centered and die slowly in his anchor.

— Excels on wide zone kickout blocks—uncoiling his hips, generating torque to create lateral displacement and alleys off of his backside.

— Flashes of timing the snap and exploding out of his stance to execute quick overtakes and cut-off blocks.

— Plays with a physical, aggressive demeanor and wiry play strength; keeps his feet churning and fights to sustain and finish blocks once latched.

NEGATIVES

— Upright playing style with a high-cut, lanky frame and narrow lower half.

— Creates a short corner against high-side rushes; opens his shoulders quickly against wide rush angles, his base narrows and he tends to cross over when mirroring up the arc.

— Vulnerable to having his inside shoulder lifted and pried open by long-arm and speed-to-power techniques because of persistently high pad level and not being square on contact.

— Needs to do a better job of keeping his head out of blocks and not lunging into contact.

— Bad habit of stepping under himself, losing ground and being late to cut off the backside of zone runs.

— Inconsistent hit rate on the move despite plus-speed because of inconsistent angles.

2021 STATISTICS

— Started 12 games at LT.

NOTES

— Played both offensive and defensive line in high school, primarily recruited as a 4-star defensive tackle out of Ferriday High School in Louisiana.

— Suspended for three games during the 2020 season for violating team rules.

— Ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.88) of any O-lineman at the 2022 Combine.

— 20 career starts with 17 at LT and three at LG.

OVERALL

Rosenthal is a one-and-a-half-year starter with 12 starts at left tackle during the 2021 season in Kentucky's zone-heavy run scheme. He has a high-cut, lanky frame with a narrow lower half and an upright playing style.

Rosenthal excels using good twitch in his movements, with light feet and quick, active hands to initiate first meaningful contact on defenders. He has wiry strength and can generate torque on command to create alleys off of his backside on the frontside of wide zone runs, with spurts of timing the snap perfectly to execute quick cut-offs on the backside. Once latched inside the frame of defenders, he shows a physical, aggressive nature with the foot speed and effort to stay attached and finish blocks at a solid level.

Rosenthal looks to end reps quickly in pass-protection using firm, quick hands to strike or snatch rushers with light feet and solid contact balance to regain his footing and die slowly in his anchor against the bull-rush. His aggressive approach leads him to dipping his head and lunging into contact, leaving him vulnerable to getting swiped or chopped and unable to recover. Rosenthal creates short corners against wide rush angles by gaining minimal ground out of his stance, forcing him to open up early, cross over or step under himself. His high pad level results in his inside shoulder getting lifted with ease against effective speed-to-power and long-arm techniques.

Overall, Rosenthal has an intriguing blend of twitch and burst in his movements, with an aggressive, attacking demeanor. But he needs major work from the ground up with his technique, lower-body strength and pad level, which makes him a backup-caliber player with spot-start potential down the road.

GRADE: 5.8 (Backup/Draftable - 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 254

POSITION RANK: OT15

PRO COMPARISON: Roderick Johnson

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

While there's been much talk about this year's relatively weak quarterback class, multiple signal-callers could still hear their names called in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

At least that's the way NFL Network's Peter Schrager sees things going, according to a mock draft released on Thursday. Schrager has Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett going sixth to the Carolina Panthers, leading a group of four quarterbacks projected to go in the first round.

The other signal-callers taken in the opening round include Liberty's Malik Willis (Pittsburgh Steelers), Ole Miss' Matt Corral (Seattle Seahawks) and Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder (Detroit Lions).

Also notable is the selection of cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner by the New York Jets inside the top five. Here's a look at the complete mock draft:

The quarterback class is generating a lot of attention leading up to the draft, which kicks off April 28, because there's virtually no consensus on how things are going to play out.

Pickett is the safest bet coming off a senior season in which he tallied 42 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions across 13 games for the Panthers, but Willis presents the most upside if he can overcome some accuracy issues from his time with the Flames.

Corral and Ridder are also in the top-quarterback conversation, while UNC's Sam Howell is a sleeper candidate. Howell was mentioned as a potential No. 1 overall pick entering last season before he endured an up-and-down final campaign with the Tar Heels.

The situation is complicated by an uncertain outlook about which teams are targeting a signal-caller in the first round. There are obvious candidates, like the Panthers, Lions and Seahawks, but there are also squads like the Steelers, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles that could take a QB early with an eye toward the future.

It's going to make for an interesting draft night as teams who are looking at quarterbacks could end up jockeying for position via trades.

Meanwhile, Gardner is coming off a season with the Bearcats in which he was voted AAC Defensive Player of the Year and named a consensus All-American.

It capped a productive three-year college career that saw him record 99 total tackles, 16 passes defended, nine interceptions, 3.5 sacks and two touchdowns in 33 games.

In March, Gardner explained at the NFL Scouting Combine why he's the top corner in the 2022 class.

"My competitive spirit, my love for the game," Gardner told reporters about what sets him apart. "I truly believe I'm the best cornerback. I put the work in. Unseen work in required hours, just making sure I lead by example. I'm not a smoker, not a drinker. Never have, never will. Just make sure I do all the little things right."

His arrival would be a welcome sight for a Jets defense that ranked 30th in passing yards allowed per game (259.4) and recorded the second-fewest interceptions (seven) last season.

New York still has several other needs, including wide receiver and linebacker, so it's not a lock it'll go with Gardner despite the obvious fit.

The NFL Network's Peter Schrager projected Liberty's Malik Willis to land with the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 20 overall in his first-round mock for the 2022 NFL draft, but he noted the quarterback "could certainly go higher" in the first round.

"I know at least one NFL head coach who said he's his No. 1 QB on the board," Schrager wrote.

Willis has been in competition with Pitt's Kenny Pickett, Ole Miss' Matt Corral, Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder and others to become the first signal-caller selected when the draft gets underway April 28.

The 22-year-old from Atlanta started his college career at Auburn before transferring to Liberty after two seasons for a shot at more playing time.

He posted impressive numbers in two years as the Flames' starter, albeit against lower-level competition than he would have faced in the SEC. He completed 62.4 percent of his throws for 5,107 yards with 47 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,835 yards and 27 scores.

Willis has the most playmaking upside of any quarterback in the class. The question is whether his size (6'0½'', 219 pounds) and lack of consistency as a passer, especially in terms of hitting receivers in stride at the intermediate and deep levels, will prevent him from becoming a superstar.

In March, he expressed confidence the latter issues can be worked out by improving his footwork.

"That's where some of the flaws in my game come from, maybe some inaccuracies," Willis told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. "It's just from footwork. It's not from just being inaccurate. They can just say I can't throw, whatever."

This year's draft class doesn't feature a sure thing at quarterback. All of the names mentioned above are capable of becoming solid NFL starters and, if everything goes well in their development, they could reach a Pro Bowl level.

Willis is the one with the potential to reach the highest peaks if his accuracy improves even a modest amount. Otherwise, everything from his arm strength to the ability to pick up key first downs with his legs is exactly what you want for the modern NFL.

In turn, it wouldn't be a shock to see him come off the board far earlier than expected if a team is willing to make a big bet on that game-changing upside.

A year on the sideline operating behind Mitchell Trubisky while working on his footwork and learning NFL defensive schemes wouldn't be the worst thing for his development if he does slide all the way to the Steelers at No. 20, though.

Aidan Hutchinson is the betting favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are still keeping their options open with three weeks left before they have to make the selection. 

NFL.com's Peter Schrager has the Jaguars taking Hutchinson with the top choice in his first mock draft, though he noted hearing from people around the league that the pairing is "far from a slam dunk" at this point. 

As the pre-draft process has gone on, the consensus among draft analysts is the Jaguars are leaning toward the University of Michigan edge rusher with their first pick.

DraftKings Sportsbook has Hutchinson as a -280 favorite (bet $280 to win $100) to be the first player off the board. He is the only player with a negative betting line at this point. 

Georgia defensive end Travon Walker has the second-best odds at +300 to go No. 1 overall. 

The Jaguars hosted multiple players in Jacksonville this week as the front office and coaching staff continues to evaluate options leading up to the draft.

Hutchinson and North Carolina State offensive tackle Ickey Ekwonu both met with the team on Monday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

Jacksonville is the sixth team in NFL history to have the No. 1 pick in back-to-back years. The last team to do it was the Cleveland Browns in 2017 (Myles Garrett) and 2018 (Baker Mayfield). 

Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, has all the makings of a franchise quarterback. He struggled amid all the chaos last year with 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions as a rookie. 

This is a crucial draft for the Jaguars as they look for a quick reset after Urban Meyer flamed out in spectacular fashion last season. Doug Pederson is taking over as head coach after going 42-37 in five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016-20. 

Hutchinson finished second in last year's Heisman Trophy voting. The 21-year-old recorded 16.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks in 14 games for the Wolverines in 2021. 

The Jaguars are 15-50 in four seasons since reaching the AFC Championship Game in 2017.    

On Wednesday, Derek Stingley Jr. had one of the most anticipated pro days among 2022 NFL draft prospects. He had a solid performance, but talent evaluators may have lingering questions that his workouts couldn't answer, making him a tough sell as a top-10 pick.

Stingley didn't participate at the NFL Scouting Combine while on the mend from Lisfranc surgery. Teams probably wanted to see how he would bounce back in terms of physical ability. 

Well, Stingley looked explosive with a 10'2" broad jump and a 38.5-inch vertical. He also showed off his straight-line speed with 4.43- and 4.45-second 40-yard dash times.

After going through the drills at LSU's pro day, Stingley talked to NFL Network's James Palmer about his performance and standing within the draft class: 

Palmer asked an important question about the lapses in Stingley's availability, which is arguably the biggest concern about his resume. While the standout cornerback believes the film shows he's been the same playmaker through all three of his collegiate terms, some may disagree with him. 

On one hand, Pro Football Focus' Anthony Treash listed Stingley as the third overall pick in a recent mock draft, highlighting an exceptional true freshman year, but he didn't go beyond 2019 (in detail) in his analysis.

"Stingley produced the best true freshman season of the PFF College era in 2019 when he posted a 91.7 PFF grade and recorded 21 combined interceptions and pass breakups, all while allowing a catch on just 38% of his targets. He is a top-five talent and the kind of leader Lovie Smith would love to have on his defense."

Treash justifiably points out Stingley's dominant first year on campus. The 2019 consensus All-American recorded six interceptions and 15 pass breakups to put himself on the radar as one of the best in the country.

However, Stingley didn't match those numbers in the following two campaigns, partially because of injury, and draft analysts noted his inconsistencies on the field.

NFL.com's Charles Davis linked Stingley to the New York Jets at No. 10 overall, and he's a little more critical than Treash. 

"Plenty of questions about his last two seasons—see: uneven play, injuries—but it's impossible to forget Stingley's freshman campaign," Davis wrote.

Davis isn't alone with his mixed assessment. ESPN's Todd McShay dropped Stingley out of the top 10 because of inconsistencies over the previous two years. 

"Stingley is a tough evaluation," McShay wrote. "If Minnesota gets the 2019 version of his game, this is a steal at No. 12. But the injury-plagued uneven play we've seen over the past two years makes this pick risky." 

Here's the common thread among all three draft analysts. They acknowledged that Stingley had an impressive 2019 season, which drives the desire to pick him early in the first round.

With that said, we cannot ignore two years in which Stingley didn't look head and shoulders above the top cornerbacks in this class. In their mock drafts, Davis and McShay listed the LSU product as the CB2 behind Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, who stayed healthy and has a steady resume, logging at least three interceptions in all three of his seasons at Cincinnati.

For comparison, Stingley saw a significant drop-off in ball production from his true freshman year, recording just five pass breakups without an interception in the last two seasons. 

While looking over post-Senior Bowl week mock drafts, Jeff Risdon of Browns and Lions Wire noted a possible disconnect between outside public projections and team perceptions, which suggests that league talent evaluators may not have Stingley in the top 10 or first among cornerbacks on their big boards.

Risdon's train of thought aligns with McShay's mock draft, raising concerns about Stingley's injury history and less-than-stellar play through the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

While Stingley's solid pro-day may have squashed worries about his surgically repaired foot, teams will question his durability. He missed the last two games of the 2020 campaign against Florida and Ole Miss because of a leg issue before undergoing a procedure on his foot that sidelined him for 10 outings last year. 

NFL teams can see that as an unfortunate pattern that could continue into Stingley's pro career.

Perhaps Stingley has top-10 talent, but is he reliable? Will clubs have to prepare for a handful of contests without him every year because of injury? These questions can drop a prospect from the top 10 into the teens or 20s. 

General managers with the Houston Texans, New York Jets, New York Giants (depending on what happens with cornerback James Bradberry) and the Seattle Seahawks should think twice about Stingley if they're considering him with their top-10 selections. Gardner is a safer choice and still carries immense potential because of his size (6'3", 190 lbs) and collegiate production.

The Texans would be better off picking Stingley with the No. 13 overall pick rather than third. In a solid cornerback class, the Jets, Giants and Seahawks should attempt to trade back or consider prospects who may be available in the second round: Andrew Booth Jr. (Clemson), who recently underwent core-muscle surgery, according to NFL Network's Mike Giardi, Kaiir Elam (Florida) and Kyler Gordon (Washington) to avoid a riskier first-round selection. 

Though Stingley looks fluid in his movement and has speed, toughness and ability to press at the line of scrimmage or drop off to read the quarterback, he's been trending in the wrong direction leading up to the 2022 draft with his unavailability. While everyone raves about his stellar 2019 season, NFL teams shouldn't bank on his play from two-and-a-half years ago, at least not with a top-10 spot.

Most draft-day discussions about Stingley will start with two big ifs—his health and ability to replicate his freshman play at LSU, which may be enough to scare off teams early on Day 1. With him, the risk isn't worth the reward that high in the draft.

College football statistics provided by cfbstats.com.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.

Count ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. among the fans of Liberty quarterback Malik Willis heading into the 2022 NFL draft.

The draft analyst called Willis "the most talented quarterback" in this year's class during an appearance on Wednesday's episode of Get Up:

If you want the best quarterback on talent, and I go into the history, you learn from the history in the draft. Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, they weren't considered necessarily NFL-ready right away, but they had the most talent. And the most talent will win out. And for Malik Willis, in this draft, he's the most talented quarterback. That's why I have him slightly ahead of Kenny Pickett on the draft board." 

This is more praise for Willis, who seems to be trending in the right direction even if the overall quarterback class is considered by some to be weaker this year.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Tuesday that "it would be a major surprise if Malik falls out of the top 20" and suggested the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are potential destinations where he could temporarily sit behind Sam Darnold or Marcus Mariota and hone his game before potentially taking over long-term.

Willis' overall upside is clear whenever he starts to run from the backfield.

He finished his final season with Liberty with 878 yards and 13 scores on the ground while also throwing for 2,857 yards, 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. That ability to escape pressure helps him make plays downfield both as a runner and a passer who creates additional time for his receivers to break open.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department pointed out Willis has "very good arm strength that can drive on intermediate throws" and "can attack all parts of the field with his arm and throws a catchable deep ball."

It also projected him as the No. 2 overall pick in its most recent mock draft, with the Detroit Lions taking a chance.

Teams such as the Lions, Houston Texans, New York Giants, Panthers, Falcons or Seattle Seahawks could look to take a quarterback in the top 10, and Willis is the best option in the eyes of Kiper.