2022 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch: Tulsa vs. Oklahoma State
Tulsa DL Jaxon Player
There were four Tulsa defenders who garnered preseason all-conference honors across the first and second teams as selected by Athlon Sports. The Golden Hurricane even had a defensive player drafted in the first half of the first round of the NFL Draft last year, Zaven Collins. When it comes to the 2022 NFL Draft, Jaxon Player is a fascinating interior defensive line prospect.
There are many smart football people who consider Aaron Donald the best defensive player in the NFL and he’s an interior defensive lineman that was undersized (6’1” 285) coming out of college. Due to his success, many teams aren’t afraid of taking a defensive tackle anymore if they’re a bit undersized, as long as they display the requisite quickness, strength, and leverage to compete against NFL linemen.
Jaxon Player is a smaller defensive tackle prospect at 6’0” 290, but accounts for that by playing with elite strength, explosiveness, and athleticism. He’s also a tireless worker, both on the field chasing down ballcarriers and off the field, putting in the work to hone his craft. His quickness off the line sets him apart from the pack and allows him to knife into the backfield to blow up plays. Player made 15.5 tackles for loss across the 18 games he played in 2019 and 2020.
I remember the "woah, that's different!" feeling I got the first time I saw Grady Jarrett at Clemson. I just got the exact same feeling today when I stumbled on @jaxon_player from Tulsa.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) December 16, 2020
He is DISRUPTIVE. Tulsa plays Tite/Okie fronts a lot so he draws doubles but traits pop out! pic.twitter.com/oR6O93qy3J
He also excels at playing with a low base, which is made easier by his shorter stature, gaining leverage over his opponents, and getting to his spots often. Player is double-teamed frequently, but he will continue to fight despite that, at worst occupying two blockers and allowing his teammates to make plays. His pure power is something to behold and is a trait that really pops on tape.
To upgrade his 2022 NFL Draft stock, Jaxon Player will have to improve some of the more technical aspects of his repertoire, like getting off of blocks once engaged, and using his hands more effectively to keep players off of him. His pass rushing moves like a swim and spin could use some polish, and he would benefit from implementing some other situational counters to use when linemen are trying to block him.
This game between Tulsa and Oklahoma State is worth watching solely for the potential matchup of two 2022 NFL Draft prospects facing off against each other, Jaxon Player and Josh Sills. They’ll likely both have their mettle tested, and with this game we should find out more about how they stack up.