Category: 2022 Player Profiles

STRENGTHS
David Ojabo is an Edge Rusher in this draft who has possibly the most upside. He has those long arms and legs to go along with the strength and quickness to become a dominating and complete Defensive lineman for the team that selects him. David is stout against the run using his long arms to keep opponents away from his body to be able to shed and make tackles or keep the play from going outside. He shows a good burst off the line of scrimmage but it’s his long legs that allow him to cover ground quickly and get into the backfield and disrupt. David is excellent at not only sacking the quarterback but stripping the ball for a turnover. In fact, in this draft, he might be the best Edge Rusher at creating the strip-sack.

CONCERNS
Yes… David still has a lot to learn but it’s going to happen and while it does he will still make an impact. I could go into a lot of technical mumbo jumbo, but he shows on the field, the ability to learn from play to play and game to game. That is another unique skill set that he has.

BOTTOM LINE 1.43
When I watch David all I can think about is the movie Dirty Dancing when Johnny comes into the last dance and says “Nobody puts Baby in a corner”. David’s talents and impact have been overlooked for sure but I can assure you that the scouts are not overlooking his talents and potential impact. His skill in going for the strip-sack instead of just the sack makes him so very valuable because of the turnovers that he has created. Going for the strip-sack is a mindset and skill that requires the ability to find the ball in the process of the effort of getting into the backfield. This unique skill set should not be overlooked in the process of evaluating a pass rusher. Most excellent pass rushers do not have this skill. Most of the time when a strip-sack does happen it’s more of an accident or mistake by the person holding the ball. David doesn’t need the QB to make a mistake. He sees the ball no matter where it is being held and attacks the ball in the process of making the tackle. David had 5 forced fumbles this year. The whole Michigan team had 10 in total. Think about it. It’s time to come out David… as I stated before, nobody puts Baby in a corner.

STRENGTHS
Travis has the size, strength, power, and some unique hidden athletic talents to be a monster Defensive Lineman for the team that selects him. He has surprisingly quick feet and believe it or not, can run the circle, bending with more ease than most other defensive linemen. He has the athletic talent to rush the passer from the inside as well as collapsing the pocket and disrupting the rhythm of an offensive play. Because of his quickness to get into the backfield and disrupt he can play in a 1gap or 2 gap defensive line scheme. He has some pass-rushing skills and this makes it easy to use him on the nose. Travis will demand a double team by the offensive lineman when they are run blocking or pass blocking because he changes the line of scrimmage in his favor on every snap of the ball.

CONCERNS
Travis just needs to get quicker off the snap and quicker getting off his blocks so he can finish with more consistency.

BOTTOM LINE 1.94
As I stated before, Travis has the potential to be a monster Defensive Lineman. He requires a double team on every down or he will make you pay. As most of you might know by now, as far as I’m concerned, this is the type of defensive lineman that is required to be on the field for your defense to have a good and consistent pass rush. A pass rush starts with the collapse of the pocket and double teams on the inside so that your edge rushers can be one on one to beat their man. Travis will give you that collapse. He will also require double teams when offenses are run blocking and that means your linebackers are free to make plays against the run behind or at the line of scrimmage. My projection is that Travis will get you 3 to 5 sacks a year against double teams and your Edge Rushers and Linebackers will make a lot of money in free agency playing alongside him and behind him. I don’t know or care what round Travis will be selected in. I don’t care what technique or position on the defensive line you pigeonhole this kid into, so you can justify his draft status. I don’t care if you rotate him and that makes you believe his position is less valuable. I’m telling you that without a Defensive Tackle/Lineman with his unique talents, you will not have a consistent pass rush or a dominating playoff defense. These are the facts and they are undisputed.

STRENGTHS
Daxton is what I call a hybrid Defensive Back. He is a quick-twitch athlete with good size, speed, cover skills, and sure tackling skills to play any position in your defensive backfield. He can play up on the line or back, in the slot, or out on the outside. His style and ability to tackle in the open field remind’s me of former Bills, Steve Tasker. By that I mean, he has those quick feet and the speed and agility to change directions while running full speed to his target like a hypersonic missile. Daxton has good overall cover skills and will make a play on the ball when it’s in the air. He’s a playmaker who can excite his teammates and fans by making a tackle or making a play to intercept the ball. He can be used on any special teams’ unit because of his “missile-like” ability to tackle in the open field and his athletic talent to return punts and kicks. Daxton is an impact football player. He is the playmaking type of player, that every team needs to have to be a dominating playoff defense.

CONCERNS
Because Daxton is listed as a safety most teams will devalue his position unless his combine numbers show them otherwise. I believe those numbers will show that he has the cover skills of some of the best corners in this draft and when teams go back to his film, Daxton will move up quickly on most teams’ boards. The key for Daxton as a defensive back is to develop his communication skills. Players with Daxton’s talents struggle to tell others what they are about to do on the field because they are just reactionary players. Until the ball is snapped, they really don’t know what their next move will be. Other players rely on a script to make their next move. Players like Daxton rely on instincts and athletic talent, similar to former Steelers defensive back Troy Polamalu.

BOTTOM LINE 1.42
I will always rate corners and safeties who tackle, higher on my board than most other evaluators who may consider great “cover skills” as their priority in their evaluations. Daxton has excellent size and outstanding athletic talent. Add to that his ability to tackle in the open field, a high football IQ like Daxton has, and cover skills are a given, in my opinion. I believe Daxton can play any position in your defensive backfield in any style of defense but that’s just me, others might feel that he is just a safety and if that’s what they believe then that thinking will affect his draft status. Personally, I hope they do, so my favorite team has the ability to select him. He’s a winner as a safety or cover corner or lined up in the slot. You don’t pass on selecting a quick-twitch athlete with Daxton’s size, speed, and open field tackling skills just because on film, you don’t see the coverage skills of a cornerback. At least I wouldn’t.

STRENGTHS
Kenyon might be the best offensive lineman in this draft. He has excellent size and natural strength and uses excellent techniques when pass blocking. He can play more than one position for you on your offensive line at a high level but Left Guard should be his impact position for most teams. Kenyon has the mental strength and high football IQ needed to be successful at the next level the day after you draft him. He loves to use the correct techniques to defeat his opponent. When he is pass blocking he does not allow the pocket to collapse when he is playing inside. When he plays on the outside he takes pride in using the correct techniques and pride in his ability to once again not give up ground and get defeated. He shows the quickness out of his stance and foot speed, pulling in the running game, and is very patient working to the second level to make his blocks. Kenyon should be one of the best offensive linemen for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
He lacks confidence in blocking the run. This causes him to lose his techniques at times, and not make his blocks with the intensity needed to finish consistently. I believe this comes from Kenyon not being sure where the runner is going to go on any given running play. Don’t get me wrong, Kenyon is a very good run blocker overall, just not as consistent as he is a pass blocker. He is very regimental in his thought process and needs continuity to perform at the standards he holds himself to. He’s a perfectionist and being a perfectionist is a gift…and a curse…I know.

BOTTOM LINE 1.43
As far as run blocking, I am not suggesting that Kenyon is not good. I’m just saying I notice a lack of confidence and frustration when he goes to block for the run that I don’t see when he pass blocks. I believe a good offensive line coach will see the reason why, and I’m sure that Kenyon will work hard to eliminate that lack of confidence. Kenyon is an obvious perfectionist. Those that are, get very frustrated with themselves if they feel they are not doing things perfectly. His pass blocking falls into the category of him being able to control everything that’s in front of him and understand what is happening behind him. Run blocking for Kenyon is different because he has no control over what is happening behind him and that affects what is happening in front of him. As soon as he learns that being aggressive and blocking his man in front of him dictates what is happening behind him to the running back, instead of the other way around, he will be more confident and his run blocking will equal his almost perfect pass blocking. Of course, all of this is a moot point because he is one of the best offensive linemen in this draft and that really is the only point.

STRENGTHS
Devonte has all the attributes teams look for in a defensive lineman for the next level. He has the size along with the quick feet, long arms to shed blocks, and overall has what is needed physically and athletically to be an impact defensive lineman for the team that selects him. Devonte is quick and does an excellent job getting into the backfield on passing downs to make a sack or disrupt plays. He can run down quarterbacks who leave the pocket because of the effort and zeal he seems to have to make sacks and create havoc in an opponent’s backfield. He definitely fits what I call a 1 gap attack defensive line scheme and, in that system, could impact.

CONCERNS
Devonte, for his size and athletic talents, does not do well against the run. He doesn’t get off blocks or fight through double teams. He doesn’t change the line of scrimmage in his favor on running downs or seems to have an interest in using consistently the techniques needed to be successful at the next level to stop the run. Right now, I’m looking on film at a very talented player who lacks the mental strength to do the “grunt work” that his position requires to be consistent at the next level.

BOTTOM LINE 2.64
After playing four years at a top college program and with Devonte’s size and athletic talent I would expect more of a well-rounded Defensive Lineman than what I see on film. He has excellent talent but watching him flash on passing downs and then watching him be nullified on running downs makes me think that Devonte has a lot to learn about playing his position for the next level. Nevertheless, his athleticism and size impressed a lot of people at the senior bowl and we all know that there are a lot of media and Head Coaches that look at workouts and practice as the measuring points for their evaluations of players for the draft. I know, call me crazy…I look at film and how a player played the game all season long and when I see Defensive Tackles, handled in the running game the way Devonte gets handled, I sense that player will struggle to be consistent and effective at the next level. That being said, Devonte has the talent to impact in the right system but needs time to develop to be effective in any style of defensive scheme.

STRENGTHS
Garrett reminds me a lot of Rams, former Bills Robert Woods. He has good speed, quickness and is a wake-up screaming in the middle of the night, nightmare for Defensive Coordinators who want to use single coverages against him. He can be lined up in the slot or on the outside and because of his mature route running is a red zone touchdown-making machine. Garrett has those strong hands needed to catch the ball along with the agility to adjust to the ball in the air and make the tough, contested catch. He has the quickness to get off the line of scrimmage and the toughness to run the ball and be used on sweeps and receiver screens. Garrett is a very smart receiver and understands down and distance and where he is on the field and when running zone routes is aware of spatial issues also. Garrett projects as an impact receiver at the next level for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Garrett likes to get the ball early when running routes in the middle of the field against zone coverages. He likes to see where the hit is coming from so he can adjust and make his quick moves. He will get anxious and he will drop some balls if it’s not to him early or on time in the route. I’m nit-picking because Garrett is very tough mentally and physically and this is not a problem but it is a concern for play calling for the team that selects him.

BOTTOM LINE: 2.03
Usually, when I watch receivers on film, they are better against zone coverages than they are against single coverages. Garrett is just the opposite. Don’t misunderstand, Garrett does a good job running his routes and catching the ball with a very big catch radius against zone coverages. That being said, Garrett excels when he is up against single coverages because he is an excellent route runner and knows where the hit is coming from and that makes it easier for him to catch the ball without any worry. I do notice his offensive coordinator seems to line him up more on the outside against zone coverages and against single coverage will line him up more in the slot. That’s smart play-calling, and it allows Garrett to take advantage of using the sidelines to his advantage against zone instead of putting him in the middle of the field. Garrett doesn’t have a problem going across the middle but as I stated before, he does get anxious waiting on the ball and will at times, not look it into his hands because he has his head up, looking for what direction the hit might be coming from. Nevertheless, Garrett will be an impact receiver for the team that selects him, and isn’t that what the draft is all about finding impact players?

STRENGTHS
Travon reminds me of Former Cowboys/Broncos DeMarcus Ware. He is one of the most athletic defensive players at 6’ 5” 275 lbs that I have ever seen. He explodes off the line of scrimmage and with his hands, control’s his opponent better than most defensive linemen do at the college level. He is very strong against the run and can play multiple positions in the defensive front seven for the team that selects him. Travon shows leadership skills through his play on the field. He is smart and was used all over the field at different positions in any style of defensive front. His effort on every play is outstanding and that effort allowed him to be the most consistent defensive lineman on his team. Out of all the defensive linemen in this draft, Travon has the most upside.

CONCERNS
Basically, what I see on film is a player who is a worrier. He is worried that his teammates on any given play will not do their best “consistently” and this makes him hesitate and think too much. This “team-like” attitude is a gift and a curse. You see it in his stats…he has almost as many assists as he does solo tackles and he is way too athletic and gives way too much effort to have only 6 sacks for the season. Travon does not lack athletic talent, size, or anything that would hold him back from being the top pick in this draft. What holds him back is Travon. He is too worried his teammates will not do their assigned job and he tries to cover too much for them.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.43
As I stated before, Travon reminds me a lot of DeMarcus Ware who was the 11th pick in the 1st round of the 2005 draft and he played for Troy and not Georgia. Travon’s workouts and interviews at the combine will move him up quickly in this draft and his production and stats will become less of an issue. He looks to me on film, to be a quality football player who tried to do too much on the field, playing too many different positions and being rotated, and that lead to him not being as productive as his athletic talent suggested. Travon will be a plug-and-play type of player for the team that selects him and once he settles into playing just one position, he will impact very quickly. In fact, he could wind up being considered one of the best defensive rookies of this class. He has remarkable athletic talent, the type that makes the hair on the back of your neck not only stand up but, spin you around 180% so the hair can see Travon play for itself.

STRENGTHS
Darrian is a multifaceted, multi-position defensive player. He has excellent size and speed to play more than one position in your defensive front seven. Darrian is very smart and shows the agility to rush the passer from off or on the line of scrimmage. He has those long arms and legs that makes it easy to cover ground quickly without having the blazing speed and quickness that most teams will be looking for in workouts. In spite of playing numerous positions on defense, his instincts are better than most would expect. Darrian is patient and doesn’t get fooled into taking false steps when tracking where the ball is against play action. He has very good cover skills (for a linebacker) to go up against those pass-catching Tight Ends that cause so much trouble for most defenses. Darrian is a bit of an anomaly for the linebacker position and most teams’ evaluators, struggle with anomalies.

CONCERNS
Darrian is very good in coverage against the quick routes, close to the line of scrimmage. He also is surprisingly good in coverage on deep routes because, with his long arms and legs, he covers so much ground he can eliminate the cushion and trail the play and still knock the ball down. He will struggle to cover the intermediate pass routes because of his long legs and lack of quickness to change directions. That being said, because he covers ground so quickly, separation in those routes will not last long before recovers. If you use Darrian on the line as an edge rusher he will have to learn better pass-rushing moves and this will affect his draft status if a team, is projecting him at that position and not as a linebacker.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.72
The definition of the word “anomaly” is something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected. Darrian because of his size and athletic talent, deviates from what is the standard, normal, or expected athletic talent for those who “check all the boxes” when evaluating players for the draft. His workout numbers might not be what is the norm for a linebacker but because of his size, length, instincts, and high football IQ, on the field, those workout numbers will not reflect how well he plays, and how much of an impact he can have. Those workout numbers might not show the norm or standard to play the linebacker position. They may not show the perfect numbers to play Edge Rusher. They may not show the norm or standard for him to be good in coverage. All I can tell you is to forget the freaking numbers, stop checking the freaking boxes, and turn on a game he has played in and you will see him show more than the normal and standard player who impacts a game and makes a defense better.

STRENGTHS
Jermaine is a complete Defensive Lineman who has the natural strength to overpower his opponent. He’s the real key, he also has the athletic talent to speed rush and power rush from the outside or inside in any style defense line scheme. He reminds me a lot of the Saints Cameron Jordan in that he is strong enough to play inside or outside against the run as well as having the ability to pass rush from the outside or inside with quickness, agility, and effort on every down. Jermaine does an excellent job setting the outside, shedding tackles, and make the play behind the line of scrimmage. He changes the line of scrimmage in his favor off the snap on almost every down and distance. In short, Jermaine is a quality football player with the physical talent and mental strength to impact on any down at any point in a game. He’s is a defensive playmaker.

CONCERNS
Jermaine needs to…ah crap I’m not going to nit-pick just to write something. Interviews will be big for Jermaine…that’s all I have to say.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.41
If your team wants to pass on selecting a player who plays the game like Cameron Jordan then all I can say you better have a good reason to tell the fans why in a few years. As far as I’m concerned unless something comes up in his interviews I would not hesitate to select him early in this draft. But that’s just me, doing public profiles for the draft since 2004. Cameron Jordan wasn’t selected until the 24th pick of the 1st round in the 2011 draft. I rated him as a top 10 pick in that draft another “I told you so”…what can I say it’s a gift and a curse. I’m not sure why Jermaine is not being thought of as a top 10 to top 15 pick but maybe after the Senior Bowl showing he put on it will happen. For me, if I’m looking for a defensive lineman who can rush the passer from inside or outside, and can stop the run playing inside or outside, I’m selecting Jermaine before any other Defensive Lineman in this draft. But that’s just me and we all know just because I’ve been doing public profiles for 18 years doesn’t mean I know any more about players in the draft than anyone else. Then again…maybe it does…Mmmmm

STRENGTHS
Kyler reminds me a lot of the #Bills Tre’Davious White. He has the size and length teams look for in their defensive backs along with excellent athletic talent and a high football IQ to play any Defensive Back position in any style of defense. He can be physical when he needs to be and is an excellent tackler. Kyler can play on the outside because of his length or inside in the slot because of his tackling skills. He has solid change of direction agility and excellent make-up speed and burst when he gets fooled. Kyler can make the interception because he has good eye/hand coordination. He is smart and because of his ability to cover and tackle, could be used as a safety up close to the line to cover those big slot receivers and tight ends. He works well with his teammates and does an excellent job communicating when used in zone coverages. Kyler has the ability to be a franchise cover corner/ slot corner/ safety, for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
If he played in the SEC there would be no doubt about his cover skills and most teams will downgrade him because of that issue. For me its not an issue.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.81
I believe after the combine Kyler will be considered as one of the top defensive backs in this draft by most, if not all teams. Nevertheless, because of his teammate cornerback, Kyler is not being looked at on the same level. Big mistake because, Kyler is bigger and just as athletic, can be used at any position in the defensive backfield, and has cover skills similar or equal to the Bills Tre’Davious White. Kyler is a sleeper, hiding in plain sight starting and playing in a division one school. I guess we will all have to wait for the combine for anyone to notice. Not me, I believe he has 1st round talent and I would not hesitate to select him at any point in the 1st round especially if I were a cold-weather team.

STRENGTHS
Chad reminds me a lot of former LB standout Sean Lee. He has the size, speed, athletic ability, and the high football IQ to be a coach on the field as well as your best player on the field. He shows an excellent burst to the ball and has just enough coverage skills and anticipation skills to play any one of the linebacker positions in any style of defense. Chad has the athletic talent, speed, and size equal to any of the linebackers in this draft. Add that to his high football IQ, instincts to play the position like a defensive coordinator, and his leadership skills and you have yourself a player who just might be one of the best in this draft. So, let the nitpicking begin.

CONCERNS
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah yes, I know most will question the level of competition. I know most will question selecting a linebacker early because of the value of the position. I know most will suggest he is tight in the hips and will struggle to cover like a cornerback as if comparing his cover skills to a cornerback when he is a linebacker is logical! I know what I see on film, and I don’t nit-pick the obvious when I see the obvious, I draft them instead and, in this case, I would draft this one early.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.43
Cowboys selected Sean Lee at the 55th pick in the 2nd round. I had Sean listed in that draft as one of my top ten players. Panthers selected Luke Kuechly as the 9th pick in the 1st round in that draft. I had Luke listed on my board in the 2nd round because I felt he wasn’t strong enough against the run and seemed to always be tackling players after they gained the yardage they needed. I didn’t think his instincts were that good and he was late to react. Luke became an outstanding instinctive linebacker and Sean was an excellent linebacker when he was on the field. Both linebackers had the size, speed, agility and high football IQ to make the players around them better and to make plays and impact a game. My guess is Chad with these same talents and abilities will be selected at some point between the 9th and the 55th pick of this draft all because of one reason…level of competition. For me, he is a top 10 to top 15 pick on my board and right now sits as the 6th best player in this draft. That could change as I continue to do profiles but it will not change his talent nor will it change what I feel will be his impact at the next level. My guess is once I finish all the profiles Chad will still be sitting in my top 10. Level of competition my ass. That’s what they said about Josh Allen too, not me…those so-called “experts”