Category: 2022 Player Profiles

STRENGTHS
Boye has just started to put together all of his athletic talents with his high football IQ. He is big, strong, with long arms and long legs. He changes the line of scrimmage to his advantage on every down, using those long arms and natural strength to his advantage. Boye shows excellent leadership skills through his play on the field. He shows up just when his team needs a big play against the run or pass. Boye gets into the backfield quickly with his strength and long strides and is stout against the run, shedding and making tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He can play more than one position on your defensive front and in any style of defensive system because he has the potential to be a complete Defensive lineman for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
I’m not going to nit-pick this person just to try to impress you with my extensive football knowledge. Boye just needs more repetitions and better coaching to reach his full potential.

BOTTOM LINE 1.47
Boye’s improvement during the Senior Bowl week was dramatic and very impressive. Every repetition he showed improvement and took to the coaching quickly. He is very smart and understands quickly why a coach is correcting him and also understands why that correction will make him better. He shows on the film the potential to be one of the best pass rushers from this class once he gets on a team that identifies his talents. Boye could be considered as a top ten pick in this draft but I’m sure he won’t be because he will need some development. Nevertheless, he learns quickly and his development time will be quick. Boye is a playmaker, a team player, with excellent leadership skills to go along with excellent athletic talent and a high football IQ. That’s the combination I look for in a player I would consider selecting very early in any draft.

STRENGTHS
Calvin may be small but he has the speed, balance, toughness, and intelligence of a Klipspringer. (look it up, I can’t do everything for you) He shows good strong hands and the needed smooth stride to catch the deep ball. Calvin has no problems with the physical aspect of the game and this is important because of his size. He can take a hit or layout to catch a pass and jump right up ready for the next play. He will go up and get the ball against bigger players and does a good job adjusting to the ball to make the tough catch. Calvin has this calm, confident demeanor about him on the field. It’s the type of demeanor that subconsciously will motivate a play-caller or quarterback to call on Calvin when they need the big play.

CONCERNS
Remember size matters when it comes to selecting players in the draft but it doesn’t matter on the field, only production. Teams will always pick the 6’ 3” player who runs a 4.3 or 4.4 over a 5’ 7” player who runs a 4.3. That’s just the reality of the draft.

BOTTOM LINE 3.33
That’s right, a Klipspringer…did you look it up yet? Calvin was invited to the Senior Bowl and he did a very good job. He projects as a “move receiver” and a special team returner but if he can show off his speed on the cover units once he gets on the field, his value will go up quickly in spite of his size. Calvin will have to fight for a job every single year because he will not be selected early and because of his size. Every year there will be a bigger player who runs a 4.3 in the 40 to challenge him and it won’t matter even if Calvin is considered a starter on the offense. That being said, I predict that Calvin will be a fan favorite for every team he plays for in his career. Look for Calvin to be selected at any point after the 4th round or as a priority free agent after the draft. Then look for his impact to be as good as a player who got selected in the third round. Size does matter…just not once you get on the field. On the field, production and impact are the only things that matter.

STRENGTHS
Zion is what I call a unicorn offensive lineman. He can play any position on the offensive line, you need him to play at a high level. Zion shows the foot speed and quickness along with solid lateral agility to block in any style of offensive blocking system. He shows on film the ability to get out to the second level, change direction and make the block on a linebacker. He is very smart and shows leadership skills through his play on the field. Zion has the intellect needed to take what he leans on the field from practice, into the game and improve. He can get to the outside and be the lead blocker on sweeps and screens. As I stated before Zion is a unicorn and sometimes people find it very hard to believe they exist, even when they see them right in front of their own eyes.

CONCERNS
Zion, of course, will have to get stronger but the biggest issue is that teams will have to decide what position to play him at. Will it be center, because of his ability to adjust quickly and learn? Will it be guard, because he is as good a run blocker as he is a pass blocker? Will it be Offensive Tackle, because that is a position of need and he can play it at a high level because of his quick feet? It’s hard to pin down a unicorn.

BOTTOM LINE 1.72
At the Senior Bowl, they didn’t even wait for Zion to get off the airplane before they switch him from playing Left Tackle for his college team to playing the Center position. He did work out at times at guard but he was mainly used at the center position all week and on game day. It was amazing how fast he took to playing center at a high level all during the week. My guess is that he will be selected as an interior lineman and the team that feels he will be an upgrade at center will play him there. If a team has a good center then it looks to me like he will play guard until he is needed to play center. If you know me by now you know that I consider the skill positions on offense to be QB, LT, OC. I don’t care where you select those players in a draft but you will not have a playoff team if those three positions do not have pro bowl players or at least top cap dollar players. Zion will be that type of player. He will stretch the cap at whatever position he plays. It will be interesting to see at what position, and team, the unicorn lands with. The truth is, it was kind of magical how quickly he took to playing the center position.

STRENGTHS
Bryan reminds me a lot of former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison or for you, young Draftniks think a bigger Buda Baker. He loves to tackle and will fight through blocks to make tackles behind the line of scrimmage on those pesky sweeps and screens to his side of the field. He is a pure safety/hybrid type of player who will excel in the new 4/2/5 defenses. He has the size and athletic talent to be used up near the line of scrimmage or back in a two-deep zone. Bryan has good zone coverage skills because he is smart and instinctive and understands down and distance situations. He shows leadership skills through his intimidating style of play on the field. Bryan is the type of player who can be lineup deep and still make the tackle behind the line of scrimmage. When you need a tackle or an interception or someone to cause a drop pass, on third downs, Bryan will be the player on your defense that will make that all-important, impact play.

CONCERNS
Bryan is very good at not getting a lot of helmet-to-helmet hits, called against him but he will get “defenseless player” penalties called against him. (That is until the playoffs when the referees don’t call those penalties). He also needs the play in front of him to impact so expecting him to cover like a cornerback is asking a little too much of him. Bryan does cover very well in short zones and in matchup zone coverage but asking him to go down the field and cover like a corner is not his strength so I suggest you COACH BETTER.

BOTTOM LINE 2.17
Teams running a 4/2/5 defense should have Bryan high on their draft board. Bryan will make your defense better because as a safety/hybrid player he will make plays all over the field and behind the line of scrimmage. On passing downs, line him up deep, and believe me the middle of the field will be off-limits because of his intimidating hits. Bryan will make interceptions and he will cause players to fumble and he will scare the bejeebers out of any receiver coming into his area causing them to drop passes. If you want to give up selecting that type of playmaking talent because he can’t cover like a cornerback…I feel for you…I can’t reach you but… I do feel for you and your “average can’t get the offense off the field on third down”, defense.

STRENGTHS
Coby is a long-legged, long arm, technically sound cornerback. He works well with his teammates in the defensive backfield. He shows leadership skills through his play on the field. He has the ability to trail a receiver and still make a play on the ball because he has good solid speed and those long arms. Coby can cover a lot of ground quickly because of his long legs. He is smart and when he anticipates the receiver’s route he will make a calculated play on the ball. He has excellent hands to make the interception. Coby is a good tackler and is quick to come up and support the run. Coby has the ability to start in the right defensive scheme the day after you select him.

CONCERNS
Coby will struggle if you ask him to play too much single coverage. He struggles to change directions and explode out. Coby compensates for this with good anticipation and a high football IQ but at the next level, this concern will be magnified and taken advantage of on third downs.

BOTTOM LINE 2.14
Coby reminds me a lot of Josh Norman who played in a scheme that fit him perfectly and then went to a team in free agency and played in a scheme he struggled to impact in. Coby will impact and start and be an excellent cornerback. In Zone coverages, matchup zone coverage, and some single coverage situations where he can anticipate the route at the snap. He is very smart and will make a play on the ball and he will do an excellent job helping to lead the defensive backfield, just don’t think he can cover a receiver all over the field and not be taken advantage of. If you’re a team who thinks that then you are asking too much of Coby and that would be a shame because he has the potential in the right system to be an impact cornerback for the team that selects him…in the right system.

STRENGTHS
Hassan is what I call a “Bell Cow” starting, running back and he is still learning the position. He has the size and strength to run between the tackles and just enough speed and football intelligence to run on the outside too. He can catch the ball as good as any back in this draft and as a former linebacker, he knows how to identify and block for the blitz. He shows very good foot quickness to slither through the line of scrimmage, following his blocks making tacklers wish they missed him. He breaks arm tackles with ease and makes tacklers in the red zone, pray he goes to the other side and not right at them. Hassan might not be fast, might not be explosive but he will be an excellent starting running back for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
My guess is, Hassan will run about 4.6 in his forty. Not fast but very good for a running back. Hassan’s workouts will not change how teams think about Hassan and his potential for the next level. He has been pigeonholed as a back who is just a power back with little skills to be much more than that because of Michigan’s offense.

BOTTOM LINE 1.94
When I watch Hassan, I see another back who reminds me of former Broncos “Bell Cow” running back Terrell Davis. Hassan scored, 20 touchdowns this year, and that’s a stat that can not be manipulated. His quick feet and vision give him the ability to follow his blocks and slither through cracks in the line that most running backs would never recognize. Here are the facts, when you need him to run the ball outside he might be one of the cleverer and smarter running backs in this draft. He understands how to follow and wait for his blocks, and as the year went on, he started to understand how to set up his blocks to make it easy for his offensive line to block for him. Hassan has not yet reached his potential. You’re looking at 1st round talent most likely not selected till the later rounds. I see a potential impact, pro bowl running back in his future but…that’s just me, hanging out there on this limb all alone.

STRENGTHS
Cade has the size and athletic talents needed to become a very good tight end for the team that selects him. He is smart and will become a quarterback’s best friend on the field. He shows on film enough foot speed needed to run the typical Tight End routes. Cade has the agility to adjust to the ball in the air and the eye/hand coordination to catch most everything thrown to him. He has the ability and overall strength to break tackles and gain the needed yardage to move the chains. He is one of the best inline blockers in this draft. Because of his sure hands and inline blocking skills, these 2 factors will make Cade the type of player teams will target if they are using a play-action offense. In that style of offense, Cade should become a fan favorite and core player for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Cade is smart and runs excellent routes against zone coverages but he struggles to get open when up against single coverage. He will have to learn how to better “Sell” his routes and use his body to his advantage. He is an excellent in-line blocker but struggles when asked to block in the open field. He needs to be more aggressive and use better techniques when lining up off the line of scrimmage. I’m sure this will not be an issue for long.

BOTTOM LINE 3.22
Cade will need some time to refine his techniques and improve his overall strength but when he does he will be one of the core players for a play-action style of offense. He has the ability in the passing game, to be in the right place at the right time because he has a great feel for the game. Cade is dependable and that means everything to a quarterback on the field. He’s not fast but he will catch the ball and make the “chunk yardage” when you need it the most. He will make your red zone offense dangerous. He reminds me a lot of former Cowboys Jason Whitten because of his high football IQ and blocking ability. Jason Whitten was a 3rd round pick and ran a 4.65 in the 40. My guess is, that’s about where Cade will fall in this process because like Jason was, Cade is a match for a play-action offense. Cade’s draft status will be affected because a lot of teams are running spread offenses and looking for more pass-catching speed than Cade has but that will not affect how well Cade will play on the field.

STRENGTHS
If you’re looking for more explosiveness from the linebacker position then you should not pass on selecting Channing Tindall. He might be the fastest linebacker in this draft and his workout numbers should be outstanding and show that he can be used at any one of the linebacker positions. Channing is a sure tackler and makes plays all over the field. He can go sideline to sideline faster than you can blink. He has the agility to cover, dropping off into a zone and when singled up against those quick slot receivers or those big Tight Ends. He will run and chase players from behind as well as be able to take the angle and make the tackle behind the line of scrimmage from the backside. Channing has not reached his potential as a player and leader on the field. Out of all the very good linebackers in the draft class, Channing has the most upside to his game and most likely is the fastest. He is the type of linebacker you can build your defense around and you will be smart if that’s what you do. I call him Channing (Blink) Tindall.

CONCERNS
Channing just needs more repetitions. He’s the type of player who needs to get on the field and learn so at first, you will have to be patient with some of his mistakes. In the meantime, don’t blink or you will miss some unbelievable plays on the field.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.43
Channing reminds me a lot of a former Panther Linebacker who was selected as a Safety, Thomas Davis. He played for Georgia also and at the time was considered as one of the faster players in the 2005 draft. He ran a 4.66, 40 at the combine and that got him selected in the 1st round at the 14th pick. Channing is faster and quicker. Channing is made for the new defenses that use a 4/2/5 as their base defense. He is not limited to playing just one linebacker position or limited to just playing in one style of defense. There might be bigger linebackers in this draft but I do not believe that in the future there will be many from this class that will be better. Channing has the potential to get better and impact more than any of them given the time and the repetitions to do that. At least that’s what I see in the film because I kept my eyes open and didn’t blink.

STRENGTHS
Damone is a long-armed, long-legged linebacker with the size and athletic talent teams are looking for in this modern NFL. He shows good speed to run players down and the ability to be used to attack the line of scrimmage in schemes that allow him to make plays and tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He is a sure tackler in open space. Damone shows some leadership skills and might have the ability in the future to become a coach on the field for the team that elects him.

CONCERNS
There is not much on film, of Damone being used in single coverage but his body type sends the signal that he could be. At the senior bowl, he did show athletic talent but he still will need time to develop those skills. He does struggle to process if there is too much happening in front of him and that makes him hesitate and take wrong angles to the play. At the college level, his athletic talent made it easy for him to recover but at the next level, unless he can process and find the ball quicker, he will struggle to be consistent. Damone also struggles to get off blocks and make the tackle. Damone doesn’t make plays, plays are manufactured for him to make. There’s a big difference.

BOTTOM LINE: 3.44
My guess is if he is an OLB in a 4/3 defense that he should be pretty good but use him in the middle or in a 4-2-5 defensive system and he will struggle. Do not mistake thinking the word “process” means that Damone is not smart. There is nothing wrong with his intelligence. It just means if he sees too much in front of him he will struggle to analyze it and think quick enough to react. That’s why I’m suggesting that if he plays on the outside he will see less and have less to process. This will allow for his athleticism to work for him better. Put him on the whiteboard and there is no problem, so intelligence has nothing to do with how quickly a person can process. For the purposes of this draft, I think Damone will be a good player for the team that selects him but he is limited to a certain position in a certain style of defense and for me, that affects his draft status and talent level.

STRENGTHS
John is a big, strong, powerful, long arm Defensive Lineman. He has that natural strength that most offensive linemen will struggle to match no matter how many times they can lift 225 lbs in a workout. John has the ability to easily shed a block make a tackle between the hash marks because of his long arms. He uses excellent hand techniques to defeat the offensive lineman he is up against. John shows the good solid feet and the balance needed to push the pocket and that means he demands a double team on just about any down and distance. If you don’t double team him he will make a play. He will either make a tackle or disrupt the rhythm of the play or knock the pass down because of his height and long arms.

CONCERNS
John will collapse the pocket and QB’s hoping to move up in the pocket on passing downs will find him sitting there waiting for them. Otherwise, he is not going to give you much of a pass rush. He has excellent quickness but not much footspeed outside of the hash marks but then again, isn’t that why there are ten other players on the field? John will be pigeonholed as a Nose Tackle and that might affect his draft status. Nevertheless, he can play either tackle position and impact in any defensive front because you still will need to double team him.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.03
Defensive Linemen who can collapse the pocket and stop the run between the hash marks are as much value to a Defense as a good center is to an offense. Since I consider offensive center as one of the skill positions, I’m guessing you might guess what I think of the tackle position on Defense. That’s right I consider it as one of the skill positions for the defense. You will not have a consistent pass rush unless your team has a defensive tackle that demands the double team. Double-teaming John will allow your Edge Rushes to go one on one on the outside. Usually, players who will be rotated, and not used on third downs to rush the passer, will not be valued as high as I value them. All I can say to that is…if you want to get the other team’s offense off the field on third down then John will have to be on the field. The minute a good offensive coordinator see’s that John is not on the field on third downs then you get bet, on third and eight, he will call a play that runs the ball up the middle. Or on third and eight he will call for the deep pass because the QB can step up in the pocket, giving him more time to extend the play and complete the deep pass. Rotating Defensive linemen does keep them fresh but, it also gives the play-caller more options on third and long downs.

STRENGTHS
Perrion reminds me of former Bills DL Marcellus Wiley. He has excellent size, strength, and quickness to play multiple positions in a team’s front four. Perrion flashes power off the line of scrimmage that is unique to all the good defensive linemen in the NFL. He can play inside or outside and loves to rush the passer from both positions. Perrion can run the circle and change directions to finish. He is a good tackler and with his long arms, quick feet, and powerful strength off the snap of the ball, he is in the face of a quarterback in the backfield very quickly. One of Perrion’s best attributes is his effort, and his no-stop, run your ass down in the open field, competitiveness on every play. The name Perrion in French means “Rock”, in Africa it means “Love” so I think the fans of the team that selects Perrion are going to learn “love the rock” when they see the effort and talent Perrion puts into every single play.

CONCERNS
It takes time to become a complete defensive lineman and Perrion will have to go to run-stopping school but I’m convinced he will learn what he needs to learn very quickly.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.97
When I suggest that a player “reminds” me of another player, I am not suggesting that I think he might be as good as that player was. It is just a unique observation of how that Draftable player looks, stands, has the same gate, size, etc. As far as Perrion’s talent and who he might be equal to in the future, I look at him as a potential Michael Strahan type of player on the field. His quickness and mature pass rush moves, also remind me a lot of former Bills great Bruce Smith. You see I’m not afraid to suggest who a player reminds me of or who their talent could be equal to for fear it might come back to haunt me with other Draftniks. Perrion has the talents, and size that I have mentioned, of all of those former players. The question that has to be answered is, does Perrion have the character and off-field work ethic to bring that “potential” to the field for a 17-game schedule every year? Michael did it for 15 seasons and Bruce Smith did it for 19 seasons. My answer to that is, how the hell should I know…That’s up to him. BTW, Marcellus Wiley lasted 10 years and only had double digits sacks in 2 of those 10 years. So, that’s a wide range of Perrion’s potential to impact at the next level. For me personally, I’ll stick with the “Willey comparison”. It’s still worthy of a 1st round grade for me.