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

This weekend we saw one of the best quarterbacks in NFL History, Peyton Manning, enter the Hall of Fame. Manning had both tremendous personal and team success during his 18 year career. His greatest accomplishment might have been turning the Colts around from a bottom feeder team to a Super Bowl champion. Along with his success with the Colts, Manning also had an outstanding stint with the Denver Broncos winning one Super Bowl and also taking the team to the AFC West title each year he was in Denver.

In terms of personal accomplishments, Peyton Manning was one of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history. Some of his accomplishments included being named NFL MVP on five different occasions and also being named Super Bowl XLI MVP. In addition to these accomplishments, he set numerous records during his time in the NFL including throwing for the most yards and touchdowns in a season in 2013.

In this week’s 2022 NFL Draft Notebook we take a look at what scouts thought of Peyton Manning before the 2018 NFL Draft along with several other NFL topics including

• Breaking down Kayvon Thibodeaux game
• How two 49ers are rookies doing in training camp
• Who the top defensive ends in the 2022 NFL Draft are
• And much more

What did scouts get right and wrong on Peyton Manning

Going into the 1998 NFL Draft the big debate was what quarterback should go number one. This debate was largely between two players in Tennessee’s Peyton Manning and Washington State’s Ryan Leaf. While Manning ended up being the number one choice of the draft he was far from the consensus choice and in fact in a poll from Newsday among 20 NFL general managers, coaches, and personnel executives 14 of the 20 people chose Leaf. This begs the question what did scouts see or not see in Manning while scouting him.

The number one thing scouts got right with Peyton Manning in the predraft process is that he had all the intangibles to be a great player. Scouts for the most part loved the way Manning studied the game and his high football IQ. However, one scout made the ridiculous statement that Manning might actually take the game too seriously and that the top quarterbacks like Brett Favre, Fran Tarkenton and Joe Namath didn’t give a (expletive), so the fact Manning was a student of the game was a negative.

It was also evident to scouts that Peyton Manning was far from an elite athlete, which is still something even Manning’s biggest fans can’t argue. Manning was never going to beat teams with his legs and was not a threat to scramble. Despite this concern though Manning was able to destroy NFL defenses with his pinpoint accuracy and ability to find a weakness in any team he faced.

The number one thing scouting reports got wrong on Manning was that he had a limited upside. This was a knock on him as he didn’t have the arm a player like Leaf had coming out of college and was a pure pocket passer. While there was truth to his limited upside physically he had unlimited potential overall. As he grew as a pro he understood the game even more which helped him consistently make the correct reads in the passing game or make changes at the line of scrimmage. These two skills were things that ended up making him an all-time great.

Looking back on Peyton Manning’s career it is important to learn from what ended up separating him from Ryan Leaf. The number one reason why Manning became an NFL Hall of Famer while Ryan Leaf became one of the biggest busts is the maturity and overall intelligence he had. This is an important lesson to remember when looking at players in the upcoming NFL Draft and how intelligence and maturity should outweigh physical skills, especially at quarterback.

Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux has been a standout ever since he was suiting up for Oaks Christian in high school. As a prep, he had a very impressive 54 sacks including 18 sacks as a senior. His strong high school career allowed him to be named the top recruit in the 2019 class by ESPN. While he gave serious thought to Florida State, Alabama and Florida coming out of high school he decided to stay closer to home and attend the University of Oregon.

Thibodeaux made an impact from day one at Oregon. As a freshman, he recorded 35 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks and was named the Pac-12’s Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. He followed that up with a strong season last year posting 38 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in just seven games.

As a prospect, Thibodeaux is a complete defensive end who should be an every-down defender in the NFL. When rushing the passer Thibodeaux has the speed to beat defenders off the ball and also the strength to bullrush much larger offensive tackles. He has the power to play the run as well despite being only 250 pounds. In this area, he shows great pad level and a fierce first punch which allows him to shock the man blocking him.

The biggest concern with Thibodeaux is his lack of ideal size. Despite more than holding his own strength-wise in the Pac-12 the fact he comes in at only 250 pounds will be a concern for NFL teams. It also doesn’t help that Oregon will be lining him up in a two-point stance this year so his opportunities to prove himself in this area could be limited. Another concern with him is that he lacks a variety of pass-rushing moves and tends to rely too much on his power at times.

When it comes to where Thibodeaux will go in the draft a lot will depend on where NFL teams project him to play. If they are concerned about his lack of size and see him as more of a 3-4 outside linebacker or situational pass rusher he could slide out of the top-ten, but if they see him as a dominant every-down defensive end he will likely be a top-five pick.

• A player who has been turning heads in Tampa Bay is first-round pick Joe Tryon. He has impressed his teammates with his explosiveness off the edge with head coach Bruce Arians saying that Tryon was “whipping a lot of guys asses” and that he is “carving out a real, real nice role for himself.” Despite looking impressive so far though he will likely see limited reps in game action since he is behind two veterans in Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquil Barrett at outside linebacker.
• A rookie on the offensive side of the ball who continues to impress is New York Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore. Moore was a standout during OTAs and has continued to impress during training camp. While there is no doubt that Corey Davis is the Jets number one receiver the team is already finding ways to feature Moore on plays such as screens and is looking for him to stretch defenses. It will be interesting to see if Moore continues to impress once the regular season starts.
• While Joe Tryon and Elijah Moore have been two rookies who have impressed so far one who hasn’t is Jackson Carman. The Cincinnati Bengals took the former Clemson lineman with the 46th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and were counting on him to be a starter. However, since lining up with the first team in OTAs he has seen most of his time in training camp with the second and third team. Unless he looks outstanding in the rest of preseason he will likely lose the starting right guard spot to Xavier Su’a-Filo.
• It should be interesting to see how the San Francisco 49ers use quarterback Trey Lance this year. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already stated Lance will see the field this year even if it is just for certain situations. However, if the 49ers struggle or are not in playoff contention it would be a shock if Lance does not take over the starting job.
• Speaking of the San Francisco 49ers, a late-round pick who could see some playing time this year is sixth-round pick Elijah Mitchell. Mitchell will likely be competing with Wayne Gallman for the number three job behind Raheem Mostert and Trey Sermon and has already impressed offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. McDaniel has stated that they love the power he is running with and his vision as a runner which should be enough to earn him a roster spot.

• The next great Ohio State defensive end might be Zach Harrison. While Harrison has not produced at an overly high level he has all the skills to be a high first-round pick. The first trait he possesses that is a major plus for him is his outstanding speed. He has been timed at 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash and definitely flashes this speed on the field. In addition to his speed he has the size the NFL likes coming in at 6-foot-6 and 268 pounds and this size allows him to hold up vs. the run fairly well. If he can come close to double-digit sacks and continues to improve vs the run it would not be a shock if Harrison was a top ten pick next April.
• Despite posting 10 tackles for loss including 6.5 sacks North Carolina State defensive end Daniel Joseph is being overlooked. While Joseph lacks ideal size and speed he could be a perfect fit in a 3-4 defense. He has the ability to play this position in the NFL due to his outstanding hand use which consistently allows him to keep defenders off him. He also has a quick short burst as a pass rusher which is all you need from a 3-4 defensive end.
• Minnesota’s Boye Mafe is one of the better athletes in this year’s defensive end class. According to Bruce Feldman, Mafe has posted some impressive testing numbers a 4.57 40-yard dash, a 40.5-inch vertical jump and a 400-pound power clean. He has also produced on the football field when healthy leading the Gophers with four sacks in just six games last season. The concerns come with him supporting the run. He is routinely overpowered in this area and will have to improve in this area to be anything more than a late-round draft pick.
• When looking at purely his ability on the field Florida’s Brenton Cox has the look of a first-round pick. Cox plays a combination of outside linebacker and defensive end for the Gators and is one of the most athletic defensive ends in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has a knack for making plays as well, leading Florida in hurries with 18 and tied for first with 9.5 tackles for loss. However, the big concern with him might be off the field. He was arrested for marijuana as a freshman and was later kicked off the Georgia football team which led to him transferring to Florida.
• One of the more interesting stories in this year’s draft class is that of Missouri defensive end Trajan Jeffcoat. Jeffcoat had a promising freshman season playing all 13 games and going into his sophomore season was likely to start. Unfortunately, though he suffered an elbow injury that kept him out of fall camp and it was later announced in the season that Jeffcoat had unenrolled from the University of Missouri. Jeffcoat decided to return to school last season just ten days before the team’s season opener and it may have been the best decision of his life. He went on to be named All-SEC and finished the year with six sacks. If Jeffcoat can improve on those solid numbers this year and answers the question of why he left school he could be a mid-round draft pick.
• While it would not be a surprise to see Ohio State’s Tyreek Smith move up the draft board this year his lack of production does not match up to his top 10 defensive end ranking by both Mel Kiper and NFL Draft Scout. In his three seasons with the Buckeyes he has only had five sacks and last season was only able to account for nine tackles and two sacks. Part of his lack of production can be attributed to his poor hand use and his inability to get off blocks.
• It will be interesting to see how Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson fits in new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald’s scheme. The Wolverines will look to use Hutchinson in a similar way to the Ravens use their defensive ends including lining him as a linebacker at times and asking him to drop into coverage. This might not be the best fit for Hutchinson as the best part of his game is his strength and ability to stuff the run. It also doesn’t help that Hutchinson is only an average athlete and lacks the fluid hips to hold up in coverage.

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)

• One of the Cincinnati Bengals biggest weaknesses last year was defensive tackle and this position has already popped up as a concern this season. Starting defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi is battling a hamstring issue and the team has no one else who is a proven interior pass rusher. The team’s other starting defensive tackle D.J. Reader ranked 126th in pass-rush productivity among interior lineman according to Pro Football Focus and backup Mike Daniels ranked 123rd. While the team did spend a fourth round pick on Tyler Shelvin in the latest NFL Draft he is more of a run stuffing nose tackle who offers little as a pass rusher. If the team does not figure out some way to get pressure on the quarterback from these players, look for this to be a high priority for them in the 2022 NFL Draft.
• Last week, NFL Draft Notebook highlighted the New Orleans Saints lack of depth at the wide receiver position, and while this is a need the biggest question mark for the Saints is at cornerback. The team signed three corners to address this position last week in Brian Poole, Prince Amukamara, and KeiVarae Russell and while one of these players might give New Orleans something this year there was a reason they were still free agents at the start of training camp. The team has liked what it has seen from rookie Paulson Adebo but he will take time to develop. If he is able to develop this year the team could still be looking for a nickel corner in the 2022 NFL or someone to replace Marshon Lattimore who is scheduled to be a free agent.
• Another team who could be in the cornerback market in the 2022 NFL Draft is the Chicago Bears. The Bears only have one player who can be counted on this year in second year player Jaylon Johnson. Opposite of Johnson, Chicago currently has Desmond Trufant who has only appeared in 15 games over the past two seasons. The team does have some young corners in Kindle Vildor, Duke Shelley and Thomas Graham Jr. but if one of these players does not step up it is easy to see the Bears taking a corner high in the 2022 NFL Draft.

• A player who has shown great versatility is Houston’s Derek Parish. He has played defensive end, linebacker and fullback during his time with the Cougars and in fact started at both defensive and fullback in the New Mexico Bowl.
• Illinois moved Owen Carney Jr. from defensive end to outside linebacker this spring. Last season, Carney was named to All-Big Ten second team and finished the year with 28 tackles, seven tackles for loss and five sacks.
• One red flag the NFL is going to want to check out with Arizona State defensive end Tyler Johnson is his history of injuries. These injuries forced him to briefly medically retire after the 2019 season and will definitely impact his draft stock.
• LSU quarterback Myles Brennan will miss significant time with a broken arm. Brennan was the starting quarterback for the Tigers last year until he suffered a season-ending abdomen injury in October.
• Arizona linebacker Tre Haywood has returned to the football team. Haywood originally joined the Wildcats as a grad transfer from Western Michigan in January but left the program in May. He was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.
• Alabama defensive end LaBryan Ray has missed the first couple of practices. He is out due to a groin which is not good news for the injury prone Ray. Along with already missing time this fall Ray has seen his playing time limited each of the last three years due to injuries.
• Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross has been cleared to practice after missing last season due to a neck injury. Ross is currently rated as the fourth best receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft and carries a first round grade.

• Another wide receiver who is back to full health is Texas Tech’s Erik Ezukanma. Ezukanma missed spring practice due to a broken arm.
• College football lost one of the greatest coaches of all-time on Sunday when former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden passed away. During his time at FSU Bowden won two national championships and produced 31 first round draft picks.