Fansided
Fansided

NFL Draft Notebook: Peyton Manning scouting report coming out of college

By John Blair

Peyton Manning, quarterback from University of Tennessee. Selected as a first overall draft choice by the Indianapolis Colts is announced and introduced by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue at the 1998 NFL Draft on April 18, 1998 in New York, New York. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)
Peyton Manning, quarterback from University of Tennessee. Selected as a first overall draft choice by the Indianapolis Colts is announced and introduced by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue at the 1998 NFL Draft on April 18, 1998 in New York, New York. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 7
Next
Myjai Sanders, 2022 nfl draft
Cincinnati Bearcats defensive end Myjai Sanders is the most underrated defensive end in the 2022 NFL Draft Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY NETWORK /

Most underrated: Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
One of the best defensive players in the Group of Five is Cincinnati defensive end Myjai Sanders. Last season, he led the Bearcats in tackles for loss with 10.5 and in sacks with seven. He shows promising pro potential as well displaying an explosive first step and top-notch athletic ability. Despite this though NFL scouts are grading him as a day three pick according to Pro Football Network, which is way too low for a pass rusher like Sanders.

Most overrated: Drake Jackson, USC
A player who is receiving top ten buzz but is not worth that high of a pick is Drake Jackson of USC. Jackson was recently projected to go to the New York Giants in a recent Draft Network mock draft and is also rated as the fourth best player by Gil Brandt of NFL.com. While Jackson has the raw tools to develop into a player he has a long way to go to reach that potential. As a pass rusher he shows outstanding athletic ability but unfortunately shows very little in terms of pass rushing moves. These lack of pass rushing moves only allowed him to register sacks in one game last year. He also struggles vs. the run and shows very little power in this area.

Defensive end that should significantly improve his stock: Xavier Thomas, Clemson
Last season was a tough year for Clemson defensive end Xavier Thomas. He suffered through a severe case of Covid and also had to face complications from strep thought. These injuries and a lack of focus caused his production to slide significantly. However, this offseason Thomas has been extremely motivated and appears to be in the best shape of his life. It would not be a big surprise if he is one of the players who sees his stock rise the most this season if he can keep his concentration on the field and away from distractions.

Sleeper: Will McDonald IV, Iowa State
One of the most productive pass rushers in college football over the past two seasons is Will McDonald IV of Iowa State. Last season, he tied for the nation lead with 10.5 sacks and in 2019 was able to account for six sacks. Despite this he is not even rated as a top ten defensive end by most draftniks. While his lack of size could be a concern for NFL teams his outstanding quickness and proven ability to get after the pass should be enough to hear his name called in the third or fourth round.

Biggest risk: Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington
Washington’s Zion Tupuola-Fetui could be one of the bigger medical risks in the 2022 NFL Draft since he will be coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon. This injury will likely cause him to miss most if not all of next season. Another concern with him is despite being 280 pounds he lacks the strength and overall effort you would expect from a player his size. On the positive side he was one of the most feared pass rushers in college football last season leading the nation in sacks per game with an average of 1.75 sacks a game.

Top small school defensive end: Isaiah Chambers, McNeese State
Coming out of high school Chambers was rated as a four star recruit and spent his first year at TCU before transferring to Houston. During his time with the Cougars he led the team in sacks with five in 2019, and recorded 4.5 sacks in just five games in 2018. This past season he transferred again this time to McNeese State where he was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year and posted 32 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in just seven games.

Overall Rankings
1. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon (first round)
2. Zach Harrison, Ohio State (first round)
3. Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati (first round)
4. Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina (first round)
5. Brenton Cox, Florida (second round)
6. Drake Jackson, USC (second round)
7. George Karlaftis, Purdue (second round)
8. Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan (second round)
9. Will McDonald IV, Iowa State (third round)
10. Xavier Thomas, Clemson (fourth round)
11. Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington (fourth round)
12. Trajan Jeffcoat, Missouri (fourth round)
13. Amaré Barno, Virginia Tech (fifth round)
14. Ali Gaye, LSU (fifth round)
15. Tyreke Smith, Ohio State (sixth round)
16. Boye Mafe, Minnesota (sixth round)
17. Khris Bogle, Florida (sixth round)
18. Ochaun Mathis, TCU (sixth round)
19. Isaiah Thomas, Oklahoma (sixth round)
20. Andre Anthony, LSU (sixth round)
21. Cade Hall, San Jose State (sixth round)
22. Ali Fayad, Western Michigan (sixth round)
23. Justin Eboigbe, Alabama (seventh round)
24. Daniel Joseph, North Carolina State (seventh round)
25. Isaiah Chambers, McNeese State (seventh round)
26. Scott Patchan, Colorado State (seventh round)
27. David Anenih, Houston (free agent)
28. Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State (free agent)
29. Zach VanValkenburg, Iowa (free agent)
30. Jeffrey Gunter, Coastal Carolina (free agent)
31. LaBryan Ray, Alabama (free agent)
32. Durrell Johnson, Liberty (free agent)
33. Terrance Lang, Colorado (free agent)
34. Tyler Johnson, Arizona State (free agent)
35. Nick Figueroa, USC (free agent)
36. Trace Ford, Oklahoma State (free agent)
37. Micheal Clemons, Texas A&M (free agent)
38. DJ Coleman, Jacksonville State (free agent)
39. Tyree Johnson, Texas A&M (free agent)
40. Esezi Otomewo, Minnesota (free agent)

Home/NFL Draft