Five players who improved their 2022 NFL Draft stock in week one

Kenneth Walker, Running Back, Michigan State

Another transfer who had a big first game with his new team is Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker. Walker spent his first two seasons at Wake Forest where he saw limited playing time as backup. He finished second on the Demon Deacons in rushing yards in both 2019 and 2020 with 579 rushing yards each season.

However, in the first game of his Michigan State career, Walker has already established himself as a pro prospect. Against Northwestern on Saturday he became the first Big Ten back to rush for over 250 yards in a game since Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon did it in 2014. He also was able to account for four rushing touchdowns which is the most of Michigan State running back since 1971 when Eric Allen rushed for four touchdowns against Purdue.

When it comes to evaluating Walker as a 2022 NFL Draft prospect the first thing that stands out is his vision. Against Northwestern, Walker did a great job of finding the open hole and even cut back across the field to find green grass. He displayed good power for a smaller back as well, evident by him breaking several arm tackles against Northwestern.

The biggest concern with Walker is that he has only really had one outstanding game during his college career. NFL teams will also likely be concerned about his ability to help out in the passing game. Over the past three seasons, he has only caught six passes for a total of 47 yards. One other issue with him is that he possesses only average speed.

If Walker can keep producing at a high level he has a chance of sneaking into the third day of the 2022 NFL Draft and would be an ideal fit for a zone-based running game.