Category: 2022 Player Profiles

STRENGTHS
Tyler is an undersized Offensive lineman with good athletic talent and solid overall skills to overachieve and play at a high level for the team that selects him. He does a good job in pass protection against Nose guards because he is quick off the snap and uses excellent leverage. He has enough athletic talent to go to the 2nd level and make his blocks. Tyler is smart and can make all the snaps, under center or in shotgun. In the right offensive blocking system, he could be an overachiever who becomes an excellent offensive center for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Tyler lacks the quick lateral agility to handle those shoot-the-gap defensive lineman unless he gets help. He also loses leverage when moving laterally and can get overwhelmed and pushed back. His combine numbers will be big for Tyler and unless they are better or equal to Jason Kelce, teams will struggle to rate him as high as most in the media have him rated. For your information Kelce ran, 40yds – 4.89, 10 yd – 1.70, 20 yds – 2.83, 20 yd shuttle – 4.14, 3 cone drill – 7.22. look for those types of numbers from Tyler to be considered in the 1st round.

BOTTOM LINE: 3.00
Is Tyler a clone of Stefen Wisniewski a 2nd round pick for the Raiders and then proceeded to play for 5 different teams in 10 yrs? Or maybe he is like Eagles Jason Kelce who was a 6th round pick and the starting center his 1st year in the NFL and a leader of a super bowl winning offensive line? Or will he be like Colts Jeff Saturday who was signed as a free agent by the Ravens, then got cut and then signed and played for the Colts as their starting center for 12 yrs helping the Colts to win a super bowl? My point is where do you select an undersized player who could overachieve? This draft has a few teams with multiple picks in the 1st round. Most of you, who have followed me over the years know that I believe that Offensive Center, along with the Quarterback position and Left Tackle position are the skilled positions for any offense. Nevertheless, for me, it would be hard for me to select Tyler early in any draft, but that’s just me. I’m sure with all of the push behind this kid for the last 2 years, a 1st round selection might happen. I don’t see it on film and that’s how I do my profiles…from film. To me, Tyler is limited to playing in a certain style of offense line scheme. That doesn’t mean I would not select him or think he could be good. It just means I struggle to pick a player who is limited (IMO) early in a draft who does not show “unique athlete talent” to overcome his lack of size. I’ve been wrong before so don’t get too upset.

STRENGTHS
Ikem has excellent athletic talent and size to be an impact starting Left Tackle for the team that selects him. He has the quick feet, lateral agility, long arms, and overall size that teams look for in a player who will be called upon to protect the blind side of the quarterback. Ikem has the mentality of a warrior, strong, powerful, and through his play on the field, a leader of men. He can be nasty and when he run blocks he will punish his opponent and finish his blocks until he hears the whistle. Ikem has the athletic talent to play multiple positions on the offensive line. He reminds me a lot of former Bills/Eagles Left Tackle Jason Peters.

CONCERNS
Ikem has to get in better football shape and watch his weight. He gets too heavy and he seems to get sloppy with his techniques and moving his feet. He has a nasty streak and that can be a gift and a curse.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.44
As I stated before, Ikem reminds me a lot of former Bills/Eagles Left Tackle Jason Peters. Because of Ikem’s quickness off the snap, he can be used inside or outside as a guard or tackle. That being said, he has the potential to be a franchise Left Tackle in any style of offensive system so I doubt teams are going to think of him as a guard unless they have a franchise Left Tackle right now. For me personally, I don’t pass on offensive line talent like this even if I do have a proven franchise left tackle on the roster. I believe you build from the lines out and selecting Ikem and adding this type of talent to your offensive line is a no-brainer to me. I would suspect that Ikem will be selected very early in this draft. As far as I’m concerned, in any draft, Ikem is a top 10/top 15 pick and if a bad team in the top 10 passes on him then trust me, they will be picking in the top 10 in the next draft too.

STRENGTHS
Connor reminds me of former Steelers RB Jerome (The Bus) Bettis. He has quick feet, along with good size and strength to break tackles and gain yardage in chunks. He is quick and for his size shows excellent overall speed. Connor is an excellent blocker in open space because of his lateral agility. He runs good routes because of his quickness off the line of scrimmage. Connor has the athletic talent to play more than one position and because of his hand/eye coordination and ability to adjust to the ball in the air, there is no reason for him not to be on the field for all three downs in any style of offense. Right now, most everyone including Connor thinks that he is just a fullback, I’m the only one who believes that he can become a feature back because of his overall athletic talent. Connor is a sleeper hiding in plain sight.

CONCERNS
If Connor is selected by a team with a running back coach who sees in him what I see, then I will be right. If teams just use him as a fullback and don’t include him in the offense then he will not have the impact I think he could have. To be a featured back he will have to be more patient going to the line and develop his vision. He is a between the tackles type of running back and not an east/west type of running back. He can run off tackle slants but basically, he needs to keep his shoulders parallel to the line of scrimmage, very much like Derick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, and Jerome Bettis. My guess is, give him 20 touches and he will gain 100 yards along with 30 or 40 yards catching the ball and TD’s in the Red Zone. Nevertheless, it won’t happen if he is just used as a fullback and sits on the bench.

BOTTOM LINE 1.94
Now, let’s put this profile in perspective. It’s not likely Connor will be selected early in this draft. I’m also out on a limb suggesting he can be anything more than a FB who doesn’t see the field that much but…if Connor goes to the Senior Bowl and opens up some eyes with his play and overall talent then some team will see what I see and then who knows what will happen. I’m betting I’m right and if I’m a GM I’m targeting Connor because I believe he has unique talents and size to be a feature running back very much like Jerome Bettis, Derick Henry, and Jonathan Taylor. Once again this is why Rob and I started the 2-board system so watch to see what round he is most likely to be selected but remember I believe no matter what round he is selected that he truly has 1st round talent. Now it’s up to Connor to prove me wrong or right at the Senior Bowl workouts and move himself up on every team’s board.

STRENGTHS
Malik is an athlete playing the quarterback position. He shows the athletic talent to move the chains running the ball and scoring touchdowns. He has solid arm strength along with the ability in the red zone to run the ball for a touchdown. Malik shows the leadership skills needed through his play on the field. He shows excellent agility in the pocket to extend plays when they break down and make the big play when others might not be able to. Malik has a lot of talent to work with because of his overall athleticism for sure.

CONCERNS
I’m not convinced that Malik has the velocity and accuracy throwing the ball because of his inconsistent mechanics, for the next level. Malik also lacks the confidence in adverse situations to make the tough throw. He holds the ball too long and doesn’t anticipate or have confidence in his receivers. This has resulted in Malik having a lot of bad habits and in playing “Hero” ball way too much. It will take time for him to adjust mentally and physically to the NFL level.

BOTTOM LINE 2.64
Malik reminds me of former Steelers QB Kordell Stewart or for the younger draftniks…Geno Smith. The biggest problem those two players had or have, is taking what they learn in practice and applying it on the field in a game. Both of them were drafted so teams felt they had the talent for sure. Malik has the talent but, his bad habits of holding on to the ball, throwing off his back foot, leaving the pocket, not going through his progressions, struggling with his accuracy, from the pocket, and on the run, (the few times he does throw after leaving the pocket) will come back to haunt him at the next level. (I know that’s a long sentence). The Senior Bowl will be big for Malik. If he can show dramatic improvement every day and then take what he has learned into the game, he could move up in this draft for sure. Look for him to be on the field a lot to prove just that. Remember my talent scores do not reflect where a player might be selected in a draft, look at Rob’s value board for that information. The talent grade tells you how I feel about that player and his potential to develop and where I might be inclined to select them personally. This is why Rob and I started the 2-board system. Malik’s workouts could move him up in the draft for sure but my profile will not change based on workouts. My profiles are done using game film. Not by interviews, workouts, the combine, or any other person’s opinions. It’s up to you to accept them or not.

STRENGTHS
Bailey has the arm strength and solid velocity to be a starting quarterback for the team that selects him. He has a high football IQ that makes him dangerous at any point on the field. Bailey is confident and very comfortable playing from the pocket and when he needs it, has a quick release making him very hard to sack. He has enough athleticism to move the chains with his legs. Bailey makes quick decisions both in pre-snap and after the snap of the ball and doesn’t throw many interceptions because of this excellent quick-thinking skill. He shows excellent leadership skills and because he runs the offense with patience, and doesn’t look for the big play on every down, Bailey shows more intellectual football maturity than most starting NFL quarterbacks show. I believe this is the sleeper quarterback of this draft who is hiding in plain sight for all to see. He has Drew Brees like arm strength and talent and Drew’s high football IQ and that’s enough for me to consider him at some point early in this draft.

CONCERNS
Because Bailey is not the perfect height for a quarterback and does not have “bazooka-like” arm strength, most teams will downgrade him. Add to that the level of competition and the fact he plays in the “air raid” offense system and teams will have all those excuses they need to nit-pick him into the later rounds for sure. Nevertheless, I believe Bailey has Drew Brees type of football IQ and mental strength that allows him to minimize those concerns.

BOTTOM LINE 1.79
I do understand that in the draft teams are looking for players they can check off all the boxes. Checking all the boxes is a tool to use but as far as I’m concerned if that’s what you use to select players in the draft then don’t bother to use scouts, just plug the checked boxes into a computer and select. Selecting players is not about checking boxes…it’s about play on the field and Bailey plays on the field better than half the quarterbacks starting in the NFL right now. Do I consider Bailey as having top 10 talent? No, mainly because he doesn’t have that “bazooka-like” arm strength to make me have no doubts about how successful he will be. That being said, keep him in the shotgun and run multiple plays from multiple styles of offenses, from multiple formations and I have no doubt that he can be successful. The key is having an offensive coordinator and play-caller, smarter than this kid and who will put their trust in him to make a multiple style of offense go.

STRENGTHS
Desmond has good arm strength and velocity along with excellent accuracy to be a starting quarterback in the NFL for the team that selects him. He is an excellent athlete and can be dangerous when running the ball and able to pick up first downs in long-yardage situations. When given the time in the pocket, Desmond has the arm talent to pick a defense apart because of his accuracy. His ability to make plays with his legs along with his arm strength and accuracy makes him one of the most intriguing quarterbacks in this draft.

CONCERNS
My biggest concerns are that Desmond doesn’t have confidence in his own talent under adverse conditions. He doesn’t “create” plays to get himself and his team out of trouble when under pressure in the pocket. He struggles to manipulate the pocket and panics under pressure and throws off his back foot losing velocity. Desmond is very robotic and needs to have more confidence in his own athletic talents.

BOTTOM LINE 1.83
Right now, Desmond is successful because of the offensive system and coaching but he has the overall talents to be much better. He has the size, speed arm strength, and accuracy equal to any quarterback playing in the NFL right now. He reminds me a lot of Jimmy Garoppolo when he came out. Desmond’s talent is 1st round talent. Do not mistake my concerns for less but, his lack of confidence and leadership skills have to be developed or he will not make it for the team that selects him. He might make it for the next team after his first contract is up because players coming out with a lack of confidence in themselves seem to struggle and take longer to develop. I like him being selected in the 1st round because I would like that 5th-year option on him to give him time to develop. Desmond will move up very quickly in this draft because of his workouts and it will not surprise me if he is selected in the top 10 but for me personally, that is too high and too much pressure for him to develop the confidence he needs to develop on the field. The key to this draft is that there are teams with multiple picks in the 1st round so selecting Desmond at some point would be very smart. The question for teams will be, can Desmond develop like Jimmy or not develop his confidence and not be able to “create” like Drew Luck? Desmond’s talent suggests, that at some point in the 1st round you have to take that chance…just not in the top 10 for me. The label says, select early but handle with care.

STRENGTHS
Sam has the size the NFL is looking for in their Quarterbacks. He has good enough athlete agility to move in the pocket and extend plays. He runs like a fullback and if his team needs to move the chains running the ball, Sam can do that breaking tackles on the way. Sam has excellent mental toughness standing strong in the pocket. He has good arm strength and good enough velocity in the red zone. He also shows good accuracy when he is given the time in the pocket. Sam has excellent potential to be a starting quarterback for the team that selects him and he reminds me a lot of Dak Prescott when he came out. By that I mean, not in his play on the field but in his potential to be a better NFL quarterback than he is a college quarterback.

CONCERNS
Sam has a lot to learn. He needs to become more consistent with his mechanics throwing the ball, and before the snap, reading defenses, and changing his protection. In general, Sam like many others has to get much better in every phase of his game because he has a lot of bad habits. Sam is not disciplined in his play and has not improved from year to year as expected. In this aspect, he reminds me of Sam Darnold.

BOTTOM LINE 2.06
So, the question is, will Sam be selected by a team that will give him time to improve and hold him accountable to learn the quarterback position or will he be over-drafted and selected by a team with a poor coaching staff, that throws him on the field so that he continues to use all the bad habits he has developed and ultimately fail? The truth is for me, I think it’s a long road of learning and breaking habits and in general learning the way to play the quarterback position better, than he played it at the high school level. Unlike Dak Prescott I have not seen improvement in his play from year to year at the college level as I saw with Dak. The interviews will be very important for Sam along with multiple workouts to prove that he can take what they teach him in those workouts, onto the field of the next workout. If he shows that improvement then smart teams in the later rounds are sure to select him and develop him but if he does not pay attention to details and show more discipline then my guess is that most teams will think of him as backup material. I like him and I think he has excellent potential but for me, it’s in the later rounds very much like Dak was selected.

STRENGTHS
Jeremy is a pass-catching monster who reminds me of Travis Kelce and if selected by the right team WILL have an impact as Travis has had in the NFL. His catch radius and ability to catch contested passes is outstanding. His feel to run routes and get open is outstanding. He is a good blocker and takes pride in his blocking and is willing to block. Jeremy shows leadership skills in the fact he is willing to block and not be the main receiver in this offense. He has the lateral agility and quick feet to pass block, and block in the open field. His ability to block with his hand down for the run game is good because he is quick off the snap and keeps his feet moving after he engages. If the team that selects him realizes his overall talent in the passing game then Jeremy will be an impact player just like Travis Kelce.

CONCERNS
Jeremy is one of those players hiding in plain sight. A sleeper hiding in a big-time program. He will improve his route running and get stronger if you give him a chance. Jeremy is a complete Tight End. Jeremy might get lost in the shuffle, when compared against those pass-catching Tight Ends and other receivers who the fans and offensive coordinators seem to prefer.

BOTTOM LINE 1.86
If he is selected by the right team, Jeremy will be the next Travis Kelce. That being said if he is used the way his college team used him this year, as just a blocker, then most fans will not see much of an impact in the passing game and that will be a crime. Jeremy has 1st Rd talent because of his ability to catch the ball and to block in all phases of the game. But as we all know, a player who is not used in the passing game at the college level, will most likely not be selected in the 1st round. In most cases, it will be the 3rd round or even later. I believe that might change for Jeremy once he starts to work out at the Senior Bowl. The Scouts know this kid is special, trust me. I know this kid can be special and believe me after the senior bowl practices many more will know it too. I don’t have a clue what round Jeremy will be selected and that’s why we invented the 2-board system so you can see the possibilities of a player selected in the later rounds. I believe with the right team who throws to the Tight End that Jeremy will be the impact player Travis Kelce is. As far as I’m concerned…Those are the facts of his talent and they are undisrupted.

STRENGTHS
Derek has the size, length, and outstanding athleticism, to be a franchise shut-down cornerback for the team that selects him. He is a quick-twitch athlete, who shows excellent hands to make the interception. He has a smooth gate and stride and that along with his excellent hands makes him the type of player who could be used on both sides of the ball on offense as a receiver, and on defense as a Defensive Back. Derek can be used on special teams to return punts because of his sure hands and ability to make players miss in the open field. He does an excellent job reading the receiver and knowing when to turn to make the interception or to strip the ball at the last moment. He might be one of the best corners coming out at the college level at reading receivers. As I stated before, Derek has the potential to be a franchise shut-down cover corner.

CONCERNS
Derek has all the potential in the world but he hasn’t played that much at the college level because of injuries and will have to prove in workouts that he is healthy. Derek will also have to answer questions and convince teams that he has the mental toughness needed to play a 17-game schedule. Dereck will also have to become a more consistent tackler and use better form to secure his tackles or players will gain a lot of yards after the catch against him.

BOTTOM LINE 1.41
When I first saw Derek play for LSU he made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I had never seen a smoother, more athletic player at the cornerback position since Deon Sanders. Derek has the potential to be better than Deon but can you trust him to be better…that is the million-dollar question. It’s reported that he had foot surgery and then re-injured that foot the next year and that’s why he did not get back on the field after the injury. So, medicals will have to show that this foot injury will not be a chronic problem if a team wants to select Derek in the top 10 as has been projected. In his first year Derek recorded 38 tackles, 21 passes defended, and 6 interceptions. That is impressive no doubt. If Derek in his workouts, and medicals, can convince teams that he is healthy and has the mental toughness needed to be that productive at the next level, then there is no doubt in my mind that he can become one of the first picks in this draft. Nevertheless, be aware of the politics of the draft and how teams will try to deceive other teams into not selecting Derek early in this draft. It happens every year. My advice Derek, show up at the Senior Bowl just for the interviews and to network with all the teams. It will do you good.

STRENGTHS
George is a big-play receiver, with big-play speed, who runs mature routes, and has Randy Moss type speed, size, and potential. He has excellent hands and the ability to adjust to the ball in the air and make the impossible catch. George is smart and knows where he is on the field and will make the contested catch to move the chains on third downs. He understands zone coverages and how to sit down and give his QB a big target. He has the quickness inside the red zone to be used on the outside and separate. George’s length, size, speed, ability to catch anything thrown near him, makes him the type of receiver who is always open on every passing down regardless of what coverage you want to throw up against him to stop him.

CONCERNS
George has come back from his knee injury and showed in the bowl game that he is still the impact player he was before his injury. His interviews will be the biggest issue that teams will have to decide if George is a team-orientated player or just an entertainer. I’m not suggesting that he is just an entertainer but, there will be some who will question some of his “after big play” antics. You can see by my TBR that I don’t have a problem.

BOTTOM LINE 1.47
In this talented class of receivers, there will be teams looking for anything to separate them from each other and interviews will be the only way they can do that. George has a flamboyance that will bother some teams while teams will embrace it. That being said, this could affect at what point in the first round George could be selected and even drop him into the 2nd Round. It won’t affect my talent board rating at all because I think George should be considered in the top 10 to 15 in this draft. I think he is the closest talent that I have seen in years to Randy Moss who because of his “flamboyance” wasn’t selected until the 21st pick by the Vikings and then because of his continual “Flamboyance” played for 4 other teams before he was selected into the pro football Hall of Fame. This draft is filled with excellent receivers so where George might be selected is anyone’s guess but don’t be fooled, George is a big-play receiver with Randy Moss type of talent and I would not pass on that type of potential if I were selecting in the top 10 of this draft.

STRENGTHS
Ahmad is a quick-twitch athlete with the speed and the length most teams are looking for in their corners. He is aggressive getting off blocks and making tackles behind the line of scrimmage. In spite of his long legs, Ahmad can change directions quickly and has the pure speed to stay on the hip of those small speed receivers. He has the aggressiveness to play inside or outside and loves to attack the line of scrimmage for sacks, and against sweeps and screens. Ahmad has the potential to be considered one of the top corners in this draft for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Ahmad has a lot to learn and might struggle early in his career until he learns to trust his techniques instead of just his athleticism. His biggest problem is looking too early and too much into the backfield trying to anticipate the ball, when in single coverage. QB’s at the next level and smart receivers will turn this kid’s head around like Linda Blair’s head in the movie The Exorcist if, he doesn’t learn to read receivers better.

BOTTOM LINE: 1.89
I find when college players have excellent athletic talent they struggle at the next level until they learn to trust the techniques of their position MORE than they trust their god-given athletic talent. Why you ask…because at the NFL level, they are not the most athletic player on the field like they are at the college level. That’s why I came up with the expression, “It takes more than talent to play in the NFL”. I find that cornerbacks and offensive linemen are the 2 positions that players struggle to adjust if they are more athletic than the average player at the college level at their positions. I don’t care how talented a player is, if they can’t or won’t trust the techniques of their position over their athletic talent, they will not be effective at the next level. Ahmad can be an excellent cornerback but in single coverage, he has to learn to read receivers better, and until he does he will struggle. That doesn’t mean you don’t select him early in this draft. The draft is about potential and Ahmad has plenty of potential to offer the team that selects him.