Three positions on the Senior Bowl watch list that will have plenty of top talent for the 2022 NFL Draft.
The watch list for the Reese’s Senior Bowl was released today, and with that it truly starts to feel like the 2022 NFL Draft cycle is upon us. The list is full of excellent senior talent that could end up down in Mobile in the late winter, an event that is a must for draft fans.
Every year, certain positions have the cream of the crop when it comes to seniors. 2018 saw Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen lead the quarterbacks. The 2019 group had Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel headlining the wide receivers, and Erik McCoy and Elgton Jenkins on the line. 2020 had another good receiver group and talent across the defensive line.
Every position is going to look good on the early list because it’s so expansive. However, three positions in particular caught this writer’s eye. Let’s take a look.
Cornerback
It feels like the corner group always gets dusted down at the Senior Bowl, mostly because more juniors at corner declare early (an obvious statement). This year, though, the group could be fantastic and make life difficult for receivers in 1v1s.
Akayleb Evans transferred to Missouri this offseason, and he’s on plenty of radars for the 2022 NFL Draft. He has the length and attitude to be a disruptor in press coverage, and he’s a force in the run game. Evans also has some speed to carry vertically and transitions fairly well for his size.
Derion Kendrick also transferred after being let go by Clemson, and he joins a Georgia team that was looking for help in the secondary after four players left for the draft. Kendrick is still relatively new to the position after coming to college to play wide receiver, but he offers a lot of upside due to his ball skills and athleticism.
Arizona State boasts two corners on the list, Chase Lucas and Jack Jones. Both have had their inconsistencies, but have flashed enough to get down to Mobile in 2022 with a strong campaign this fall.
Sevyn Banks is the latest Ohio State corner with a lot of buzz, and while he probably shouldn’t have first round buzz to this point, he’s still an uber-athletic and fluid player who has the prototypical size to boot. If he refines his decision-making and his instincts to quickly read and break in coverage, he can be another high upside player.
TCU’s Noah Daniels ended up on Bruce Feldman’s freaks list to start the season. If he stays healthy, look out. He could end up firmly in the first round conversation. Josh Jobe is another corner who has done very well so far at Alabama. He’s patient, has strong technique and stays physical throughout route stems and at the catch point.
Tariq Castro-Fields and Coby Bryant are two others to make note of this season. Castro-Fields is incredibly physical and plays with the temperament you want in a press corner. Bryant is fluid as makes some very good plays at the catch point.
The corner class has so many to watch for during the season, and all of these guys could show up for the Senior Bowl and be picked in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Offensive Line
It sounds like a broken record when we say the offensive line has good depth in a draft process, and at the Senior Bowl, but here we are again talking the guys up front again for the 2022 NFL Draft. It might be cheating to incorporate every position, but we’re going to do it anyway.
Jaxson Kirkland leads the way in terms of tackles, and at 6’7″, he’s got outstanding quickness out of his stance and is rock solid in pass protection with active hands and a great anchor. He will likely be the one everyone watches should he attend. Abraham Lucas is another great pass protector with fleet feet that has stifled opponents for multiple seasons now. Darian Kinnard might end up moving inside, but he’s one to watch. Trevor Penning, Obinna Eze, and Daniel Faalele round out an intriguing bunch.
On the interior, Ben Brown (Ole Miss) is a fun study with his great football IQ and vision against stunts. Ed Ingram (LSU) is a powerful player with very good explosion out of his stance. Boston College had a few players on the list, including Zion Johnson and Alec Lindstrom, who both should have a good year on the interior. Cade Mays has been physically imposing his entire career at Tennessee, and Illinois Doug Kramer is full of experience and should be the leader this season at center.
Look for the offensive line to garner a lot of attention this fall and in the coming Senior Bowl, and keep an eye out for those names.
Tight End
The tight end position has likely disappointed you in the past couple drafts, outside of Kyle Pitts and Pat Freiermuth. The depth has been lacking tremendously. The 2022 NFL Draft could be very different, and the Senior Bowl has some great names on the watch list.
Cade Otton and Trey McBride should be the headliners on the list. McBride has an incredible blend of speed and toughness, and should be high on the rankings when the season starts. Otton does everything very well, from playing inline to good stems and great hands/adjustment skills.
Jeremy Ruckert will get a lot of attention at Ohio State this year, and his production was solid and hopefully takes a jump this season. He’s an average athlete, but being dominant in the red zone will help his stock. Cole Turner will get a great look as well, especially because he will catch plenty of passes from Carson Strong this fall.
Isaiah Likely is a very good athlete and plays with his hair on fire at Coastal Carolina, and Brent Kuithe is another intriguing name out of Utah. Iowa State has both of their guys on the list as well. There might not be many openings for guys to play their way into Senior Bowl conversation because of how deep the group looks already.