NFL Draft Notebook: Breaking down the New York Jets draft and more

NFL Draft Scouting Notes

• A defensive tackle who will likely fly up the draft board this season is Clemson’s, Tyler Davis. In 2019 Davis led all true freshman defensive tackles in sacks with 5.5 and also finished with nine tackles for loss. However, he missed significant time in 2020  due to a knee injury and saw his production drop. This spring though Davis has looked like he did as a true freshman, and was one of the standouts in spring ball for the Tigers. If he can have a strong 2021 season, he easily could end up being a late first-round pick.
• It will be interesting to see how Texas A&M offensive lineman Kenyon Green does with his switch from guard to tackle this season. He had an outstanding year in 2020 and was named a consensus All-American. While Green will likely establish himself well at tackle this year for the Aggies, his best position in the NFL will likely be back at guard due to him lacking the quick feet to play tackle in the NFL. One area he could improve on this season is not lunging as much when run blocking.
• One of the priorities for the Detroit Lions in the 2022 NFL Draft will likely be to add a quarterback. In fact, after the 2021 NFL Draft General Manager Brad Holmes stated that the team would have strongly considered taking a quarterback this year if a player they liked had been on the board. This is far from a vote of confidence for current starting quarterback Jared Goff and shows that he is not the long-term answer for Detroit.
• Speaking of quarterbacks, a quarterback who is getting some buzz is Malik Willis of Liberty. What is so enticing about Willis is his combination of arm talent and athletic ability. As a passer, he shows a strong arm and can easily throw while on the move. When asked to be a ball carrier he has the speed to go the distance and is also an elusive runner in the open field. The biggest issue with him is he has an awkward throwing motion and needs to do a better job of setting his feet when throwing.
• Two new additions to the Florida Gators defense that will attract NFL interest are defensive tackle Antonio Shelton and defensive tackle Daquan Newkirk. Shelton comes over from Penn State where he was named honorable mention All-Big Ten after finishing the year with 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5. Newkirk transferred from Auburn and started all 10 games for the Tigers last year.
• A school that has several special teams prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft is North Carolina State. Kicker Christopher Dunn holds the school record for field goals and was named to the All-ACC team in both 2019 and 2020. Punter Trent Gill holds North Carolina State’s record for career punting average with an average of 46.3 yards per punt and he also placed 18 of his punts inside the 20-yard line last year. Outside linebacker Vi Jones has also excelled on special teams having blocked three kicks last year.