NFL Draft Notebook: Dallas Cowboys address their defense and more
By John Blair
- Iowa State’s Mike Rose is one of the more versatile linebackers in the 2022 NFL Draft. As a pass defender, he has been outstanding in coverage and last year finished with the second most interceptions from a linebacker in Big 12 history finishing the 2020 season with five. He holds up well vs. the run as well and led the Big 12 in tackles last season with 96 and finished with the highest grade among linebackers vs the run according to Pro Football Focus. If Rose has another strong season this year and puts up good testing numbers he should get serious interest in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
- Pittsburgh tight end Lucas Krull is a tight end to watch this year. Despite only having ten career receptions and missing most of last season with a knee injury he is someone the NFL is well aware of. One of the reasons he is drawing scouts attention is his size coming in at 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds. He also had a strong spring and Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi has commented that he is looking like a first-round pick. One of the main reasons for his lack of production is he started his career off at Florida where he played behind Kyle Pitts.
- A player who had a breakout season last year is Virginia Tech’s Amaré Barno who made the move from linebacker to defensive end. Last season, he recorded 16 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks after not posting a single tackle for loss or sack in 2019. As a prospect, he is reminiscent of UNI’s Elerson Smith who went to the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He is similar to Smith as both players have good length, needed to add weight going into their senior seasons, and made their share of plays in opponents’ backfield as juniors.
- One of the more intriguing players in the 2022 NFL Draft is Utah tight end Brant Kuithe. What makes him such an interesting prospect is the variety of roles he can play in the NFL. He is an outstanding receiver who led the Utes in receptions in both 2020 and 2019. He is also a threat to carry the ball and has rushed for 150 yards over the past two seasons while averaging 11.5 yards per carry. His best position in the NFL will likely be as an H-back due to him lacking the size to be a traditional tight end (6-foot-2, 230-pounds) and the strength to be a fullback in the NFL.