NFL Draft

While the biggest storylines of the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis will happen when the top prospects go through workouts and on-field testing starting Thursday, some of the future first- and second-rounders spoke to the media Wednesday.

Quarterbacks are always part of the discussion leading into drafts, but those who catch passes from them might dominate the first round this year.

After all, B/R's NFL Scouting Department's post-Super Bowl mock draft had seven wide receivers in the first round and another five in the second round. It was notable, then, that so many of them participated in Wednesday's interviews as they look to separate themselves at the combine. 

USC's Drake London believes he is the best pass-catcher available and told CBS Sports it is because he is a "Swiss Army knife" on the field who can do so many different things on deep routes, underneath coverage and with the ball in his hands.

Last month's big board from B/R's NFL Scouting Department would agree with him considering London sat atop the list of wide receivers and was followed by Chris Olave, Jameson Williams, Jahan Dotson, Treylon Burks and Garrett Wilson.

Perhaps Williams would have been No. 1 if he didn't suffer a torn ACL in Alabama's loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff national title game.

Yet he told Stacey Dales of NFL Network he is ahead of schedule and was off crutches three weeks after surgery. He said he expects to return in five to seven months, which could mean he sees the field during his rookie campaign.

Williams started his collegiate career at Ohio State before transferring to Alabama, and two of his former Buckeye teammates opened up about potential landing spots for the draft.

Olave told reporters he would be up for playing with his former college quarterback, Justin Fields, if he fell to the Chicago Bears at No. 39.

"Oh yeah, definitely," he said. "Having him in college as my quarterback, I know what he can do on and off the field, and I know how hard he works. I feel like we're very similar in ways and I feel like we can complement each other if we do end up on the same team."

Bears fans would surely dream of a Joe Burrow-Ja'Marr Chase situation considering the two college teammates were so dominant together while leading the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl this past season.

Fields also threw passes to Wilson at Ohio State, and the other potential Buckeye first-rounder told reporters Baker Mayfield "is my guy" considering they both went to Lake Travis High School near Austin, Texas.

"Watching him ball out when I was young was awesome," Wilson said of the Cleveland Browns quarterback. It wouldn't be a stretch to see Cleveland take him with the No. 13 pick, especially since it could use the help at wide receiver.

While Olave and Wilson were discussing potential quarterbacks they could play with, fellow Big Ten product Dotson provided a behind-the-scenes look at his skills:

Penn State Wideout Jahan Dotson is widely considered to have the best “hands” in this years group of draft prospects. He just said he lays in bed and throws the football to himself. Kids, take note. 🏈 @nflnetwork

— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) March 2, 2022

He and the rest of the wide receivers will need those hands to catch some of the passes that will be coming from this year's group of quarterbacks.

It might be considered a weaker class relative to recent ones at the position, but Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder, Matt Corral, Malik Willis and Sam Howell are all possible first-rounders, especially since quarterback-needy teams often take chances on draft day.

Pickett's hand size is one of the biggest question marks after he chose not to have them measured during the Senior Bowl. He explained he has done mobility stretches in an effort to increase his hand size before the measurements at the combine:

Pitt QB Kenny Pickett said he’s been doing exercises to increase his hand size

(via @MadelynBurke)pic.twitter.com/DVPyX9LaVf

— The MMQB (@theMMQB) March 2, 2022

"That's all bulls--t," one NFL quarterbacks coach said of the controversy around Pickett's hands, per Matt Miller of ESPN. "Can he play or can he not play? I think he can play."

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero previously added context to the situation:

Pitt QB Kenny Pickett didn’t have his hands measured here in Mobile, but he has a good reason: He’s double jointed, so his thumb naturally points an odd direction, and he’s doing extra exercises to get an accurate measurement at the combine in March. pic.twitter.com/KLMdraG9AC

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 31, 2022

Pickett's hand size is not the only question ahead of the draft considering Corral suffered a right ankle injury during Ole Miss' loss to Baylor in January's Sugar Bowl. He will not throw at the combine but did say the injury was "a high ankle sprain, no breaks, no tears," per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.

"They asked if I regretted it, and I said, 'Absolutely not,'" Corral said while explaining he has already started to throw and run again. "I never thought about opting out. ... It was never a thought in my mind. I was going to play regardless."

There were also some lighthearted moments, such as when Howell told reporters the Philadelphia Eagles asked him to shoot a basketball into a mini-hoop during an interview.

"I only made like two out of five, so I'm probably not high up on their board right now," he said.

It is not only Power Five conference quarterbacks who could go in the first round this year since Willis went to Liberty and Ridder attended Cincinnati.

“Somebody’s always gonna think you're trash,” Willis told reporters. "Everybody's gonna have an opinion of you, so if you focus so hard on whatever everybody's opinion is of you, you're never gonna be happy. I want to be happy, so I'm not gonna think about it. You can say what you want to. I'm going to let the opinion of people I trust and can respect affect me."

Confidence is also not a concern for Ridder:

The lights aren’t too bright for Desmond Ridder. Is he your QB1? pic.twitter.com/rv6YFWfrPG

— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 2, 2022

Frankly, it shouldn't be after he helped the Bearcats become the first Group of Five team to reach the College Football Playoff. Now he will have to wait to see if what he did on the field will be good enough to convince a team to draft him in the first round.           

ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. made a big change atop his mock draft Tuesday with the Jacksonville Jaguars opting to address the offensive side of the ball with the No. 1 overall pick.

In his second mock draft of the offseason, Kiper mocked NC State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu to the Jags. That differed from his first mock, which saw Jacksonville take Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

Here is a rundown of the top 10 selections in Kiper's mock draft 2.0:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State

2. Detroit Lions: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan

3. Houston Texans: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

4. New York Jets: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

5. New York Giants: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon

6. Carolina Panthers: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State

7. New York Giants (via CHI): Devin Lloyd, ILB, Utah

8. Atlanta Falcons: Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

9. Cleveland Browns (via DEN): Drake London, WR, USC (projected trade)

10. New York Jets (via SEA): Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa

---

Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal has been a popular pick at No. 1 overall in mock drafts across different publications, but Kiper is among the first to put Ekwonu in that spot.

Meanwhile, Kiper dropped Hutchinson from No. 1 overall to the Detroit Lions at No. 2 overall, slotted Neal to the Houston Texans at No. 3 overall and placed Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux to the New York Giants with their first of two top-10 picks at fifth overall.

In Kiper's estimation, the top of the draft will be dominated by offensive linemen and defensive players. He doesn't have an offensive skill position player coming off the board until ninth overall, which is where he projects the Cleveland Browns to trade up with the Denver Broncos for USC wide receiver Drake London.

Kiper also doesn't have a quarterback coming off the board until 11th overall with Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett going to the Washington Commanders.

If that holds true, it will be in stark contrast with last year's draft, which saw three quarterbacks come off the board in the first three picks and five in the top 15.

Also, each of the first six selections and seven of the first 10 were offensive skill-position players in the 2021 draft.

In terms of quarterbacks, Kiper only has three getting selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. After Pickett, Kiper has Liberty's Malik Willis going to the Pittsburgh Steelers at 20th overall and Ole Miss' Matt Corral getting taken 32nd by the Lions.

Kiper has no running backs or tight ends going in the first round, but he does envision several wide receivers getting grabbed over the first 32 picks.

In all, Kiper has six wideouts getting selected in London, Ohio State's Garrett Wilson, Arkansas' Treylon Burks, Ohio State's Chris Olave, Penn State's Jahan Dotson and Alabama's Jameson Williams.

That is the most of any offensive position besides offensive lineman, which Kiper projects will see seven players go in the first round.

The rest of the first round is dominated by defensive players, with 16 coming off Kiper's big board.

The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine will run this week in Indianapolis and should provide an even clearer picture of where the first-round pecking order stands.

Then, the 2022 NFL draft will be held from April 28-30 at the Las Vegas Raiders' Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.

ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. tipped his hand for where he'll have Pittsburgh star Kenny Pickett landing in his next mock.

Kiper said at the 22:09 mark of the First Draft podcast Monday that Pickett "would make an awful lot of sense" for the Washington Commanders with the 11th overall pick.

Kiper also said Pickett could become a "Derek Carr-type" quarterback at the next level, with ESPN colleague Todd McShay labeling the ACC Player of the Year the "safest bet" at the position.

Pickett had a prolific final year at Pitt, throwing for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns.

But he'll turn 24 in June and may not have the physical upside of Matt Corral, Malik Willis or Desmond Ridder. The 6'3" signal-caller ran for 801 yards over five college seasons compared to 1,338 for Corral, 2,180 for Ridder and 1,822 for Willis in two seasons at Liberty.

Listing Carr as the ceiling for an incoming rookie may not be exactly what a fanbase wants to hear, but Carr is a three-time Pro Bowler who's averaging 249.6 yards per game through the air.

That would be a massive upgrade over what the Commanders have had.

Quarterback is perhaps the most glaring need on Washington's roster. Taylor Heinicke is fine (3,419 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions) but clearly not a high-end starter.

Considering the organization's longstanding inability to develop young passers, going for the surest thing in the draft with Pickett might be the best play.

The NFL is exploring locations for the 2024 draft, and three finalists were revealed Monday.

Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy told reporters that the homes of the Packers, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders are being considered to host the event in two years.  

The team owners are reportedly expected to make a final decision at a league meeting in late March.

This year's draft will be held in Las Vegas, while next's years is set for Kansas City. The NFL draft's longtime home was New York City, but that changed in 2015 when Chicago hosted the event. The league has since brought the draft to various cities across the country.

The draft was held virtually for the first time ever in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The league was able to return to some form of normalcy last year when the event was held in Cleveland. The 2021 draft was notable for its talent at the quarterback position. A signal-caller was selected with each of the top three picks, and five were taken in the first round overall.

Out of the three finalists for 2024, Washington, D.C., is the only one of have hosted the event in the past, but that was all the way back in 1941. While the draft has never been held in Green Bay, it has taken place in Wisconsin. Milwaukee hosted it in 1940.

This year's event in Las Vegas will be interesting, considering there is no consensus top prospect in the class. The Jacksonville Jaguars own the No. 1 pick and can go in a variety of different directions such as defensive end or offensive line.

Quarterback-needy teams around the NFL will reportedly look for upgrades in trades and free agency rather than the draft this offseason. 

"There will be so much focus on the veteran market because the league is generally lukewarm on the draft class," Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported.

Howe listed Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson as potential trade candidates this offseason. The Washington Commanders, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers are among the teams that will be "diligent" in seeking new quarterbacks.

Trades for high-level quarterbacks will be costly, both in terms of the return package and the hit to the salary cap, but it could be a safer bet than relying on a rookie from the 2022 class.

Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder, Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett, Ole Miss' Matt Corral, Liberty's Malik Willis and North Carolina's Sam Howell are all battling to be the first player taken at the position, although none have stood out as a true No. 1. Bleacher Report's Scouting Department listed Ridder as the top quarterback in the class but ranked him just 17th overall. 

Several of the top options tried to prove themselves at the Senior Bowl, but they fell short of expectations. 

"A couple of veteran NFL evaluators told me late in the week that they don't believe there's a single NFL starter in this year's quarterback class," Albert Breer of MMQB reported.

It would be a significant change from the 2021 class, which featured five quarterbacks taken in the first 15 picks, including each of the first three overall. Teams also trusted these players early on, with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Mac Jones each starting at least 10 games last year.

This time around, NFL teams might target other positions in the draft and fill their quarterback needs with a veteran.    

HEIGHT: 6'2 5/8"

WEIGHT: 250

HAND: 9 3/4"

ARM: 31"

WINGSPAN: 6'3 1/2"

40-YARD DASH: 4.53

3-CONE: DNP

SHUTTLE: DNP

VERTICAL: 40.5"

BROAD: 10'8"

POSITIVES

— Great strength. Takes on blocks effectively and brings down ball-carriers with control.

— Violent player. Wants to bring the hammer against blockers and ball-carriers alike.

— Plays with good length. Keeps OL out of his frame.

— Very good block deconstruction. Knows how to free himself at the second level.

— Smart and smooth coverage player, especially with his frame.

— Effective blitzer, particularly inside.

NEGATIVES

— Hair trigger gets him in trouble. Runs himself out of plays at times.

— Redirection can get clunky working downhill.

— Not sure he can run in coverage with running backs and quicker tight ends.

2021 STATISTICS

11 G, 115 TOT, 18.5 TFL, 8.0 SK, 2 FF

NOTES

— 3-star recruit in 2019.

— Two-year starter.

OVERALL

Leo Chenal is a heavy linebacker trying to make it in a light linebacker's league.

At 6'2" and 250 pounds, Chenal is comfortably the thickest linebacker in the 2022 draft class. He plays to that size, too. Chenal sports high-end play strength, most notably when taking on blocks. Not only does he have enough anchor to hold his ground, but he has the upper-body strength and violent demeanor to consistently knock blockers back or pry them open. Chenal also plays with good length, proactive hands and a springy base in these scenarios, giving him every tool necessary to dismantle blocks however he pleases.

With that being said, Chenal "playing to his size" also works to his detriment in some ways. He is not a slug out there, but he does not have legit sideline-to-sideline speed, so he'll need a system that protects him from that as much as possible. Likewise, Chenal's change of direction in space can get clunky at times. He also plays with a bit of a hair trigger against the run. He is not wrong an alarming amount, but he is prone to taking himself out of plays from time to time and does not have the athleticism to recover consistently.

Chenal does have more passing-down value than his frame suggests, though. He may not have the fluidity and speed to keep up in man-to-man consistently, especially with running backs underneath, but Chenal is a sharp zone defender. He gets proper depth in all of his drops and knows how and when to slide across the field to keep throwing windows closed. Chenal is also a powerful blitzer, which Wisconsin took advantage of. Given his frame and block deconstruction, Chenal may even be able to flex down to the edge in specific packages in the NFL, similar to what Dont'a Hightower has done at times.

Chenal would fit best as an inside linebacker in an odd-front defense or as a "Sam" in an even-front defense. Middling movement skills may put a cap on his ceiling, but his unique build, block deconstruction and functional zone-coverage skills should be enough to form a capable starting NFL linebacker.

GRADE: 7.5 (Potential Impact Player - 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 56

POSITION RANK: LB6

PRO COMPARISON: Discount Dont'a Hightower

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

Kenny Pickett is still likely a first-round pick, but his predraft process has not generated an overwhelming amount of support. 

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network dropped Pickett 10 spots on his latest predraft rankings to No. 28 overall. While the Pitt product remains the top quarterback on Jeremiah's board, he's now just four slots ahead of Liberty's Malik Willis. 

That continues a trend over the last several weeks, with some experts even moving Willis ahead of Pickett as the top quarterback in this class.

The relative souring on Pickett does not appear to be of his own making. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2021 and was stellar during a brief appearance in the Senior Bowl, completing all six of his passes for 89 yards and a touchdown.

That said, this time of the football calendar is rarely about actual on-field play. Pickett's hand size and double-jointed thumbs have been making the rounds for weeks, with the 6'3", 220-pound quarterback choosing to delay hand measurements until the scouting combine.

Pickett downplayed the concerns at the Senior Bowl, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN:

“I think that’s like the No. 1 thing for quarterbacks in the draft process every year is hand size. The good news is that I play in Pittsburgh. Anyone that’s been to Pittsburgh knows it’s not the nicest place to play in October, November. So I’ve had experience playing in tough weather and I didn’t measure in this week. I just want to give the most measurement I can. I’m working on mobility things.”

Willis, by contrast, has been a riser thanks in large part because of his physical skill set. While it's clear Pickett is the far more NFL-ready passer for Week 1 of the 2022 season, Willis' combination of size, arm talent and speed have drawn comparisons to Josh Allen—making him the type of gamble that will intrigue teams in the middle of Round 1.

Deciding between the two may come down to whether a general manager wants to play it safe with the more refined Pickett or roll the dice on Willis' skill set. 

LSU star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. reportedly will not work out at this week's NFL Scouting Combine as he recovers from a Lisfranc injury that required surgery during the season, per the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

Stingley is planning to work out on his April 6 pro day, however. 

The junior played in just three games for LSU this past season, registering eight tackles and a forced fumble. But he had already emerged as one of the top defensive backs in the country during his freshman and sophomore campaigns, posting 65 tackles, six interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. 

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein has compared him to Carolina Panthers star cornerback Stephon Gilmore, calling him a "uniquely gifted cornerback with rare blend of size, speed and explosiveness that will have teams willing to judge his upside off of tape from two seasons ago."

"He's so much bigger than people realize," a scout for an AFC team told Zierlein. "I think he played too heavy in 2020, but his best pro weight is going to be around 205 pounds and he's still really fast at that weight." 

The concern with the 6'1", 195-pound Stingley is that he's played just 10 games the past two seasons and hasn't notched an interception since his six-pick freshman year. There are also consistency concerns. 

The NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, meanwhile, ranked Stingley as his No. 15 overall prospect on his latest big board, noting he has "all of the tools to be an elite cover man, but he needs to play with more urgency and aggression."

1. Sauce Gardner
2. Derek Stingley
3. Trent McDuffie
4. Andrew Booth
5. Roger McCreary https://t.co/CKASEPi3Hd

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) February 21, 2022

Stingley seems very likely to be selected in the first round based on his potential and tools, and missing the combine shouldn't affect his draft stock, especially if he has an impressive pro day. 

Quarterback prospect Matt Corral reportedly will not throw at the NFL Scouting Combine that begins Monday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The former Ole Miss star suffered a high ankle sprain in the Sugar Bowl, which came with a six-to-eight week timeline for recovery, per Pelissero. He resumed throwing two weeks ago and will be a "full-go" for his pro day on March 23.

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department listed Corral as the No. 3 quarterback in the 2022 draft behind Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder and Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett.

The signal-caller ended last season with 3,343 passing yards and 20 touchdowns with five interceptions in 13 games, finishing seventh in voting for the Heisman Trophy.

Though many top prospects opted out for bowl games, Corral was adamant about playing in the Sugar Bowl:

Matt Corral 💯 @OleMissFB pic.twitter.com/vGSJatbshr

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 30, 2021

The injury suffered in the 21-7 loss to Baylor has affected his preparation for the draft, but there is still time to showcase his ability before teams make their decisions in late April.

Last year's class showed that pro days can go a long way after the 2021 combine was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zach Wilson especially impressed during his pro day on the way to becoming the No. 2 pick in the draft.

A good performance at his pro day could help Corral climb the rankings with no one currently standing out at the position.

Corral, Ridder, Pickett, Liberty's Malik Willis and North Carolina's Sam Howell are all considered potential first-round picks with less than two months until the draft.