The 2022 NFL Draft is right around the corner and is filled with difference makers at all positions. While not the best overall class in terms of top-end talent, the 2022 NFL Draft has great depth and gives teams plenty of chances of upgrading their roster. As it stands, wide receiver, edge rusher, and cornerback are by far the deepest positions with the offensive line boasting a few intriguing talents on its own. But oftentimes good players will be buried underneath surrounding talent and therefore fall into the underrated category. Sometimes these are players who may come from smaller schools, but more times than not it’s big-named, Power Five schools that produce underrated players.
The following list showcases a group of 2022 NFL Draft prospects who I consider to be underrated throughout this process.
Jaquarii Roberson – Wide Receiver – Wake Forest
Over the summer, Jaquarii Roberson had quite a few fans in the draft community and looked well on his way to making a name for himself in this class. He played well this season and certainly impressed on the stat sheet, however, he has remained one of the least talked about receivers in this draft class. Roberson showed better than average testing numbers this offseason, running a 4.5 flat in the 40-yard dash while posting a 4.13 short shuttle and a 6.88 in the three-cone drill.
Outside of testing numbers, Roberson showed above-average route running ability with consistent hands in contest catch situations. In terms of separation was able to freeze the hips of his opponents and leverage space down the field. Roberson’s age and surrounding prospects have caused him to be overlooked in many respects despite his talent. He carries a day two grade from me but will likely be a steal for teams looking for receiver help on day three.
Zach Tom – Center – Wake Forest
The center class is quietly one of the better position groups in the 2022 NFL Draft class, boasting a few starting-caliber players across the board. Tyler Linderbaum headlines the group, with players like Luke Fortner, Cam Jurgens, Dohnovan West, and even Alec Lindstrom viewed as potential difference-makers at the position. Lost in the static of the class is another Wake Forest prospect, Zach Tom. Although it seems the NFL loves him, the general public is almost unaware of his presence or talent in this class.
Athletically speaking, Zach Tom killed it this offseason, posting some incredibly awe-inspiring numbers both in the forty-yard dash and in the three-cone. Tom’s relative athletic score, which is an aggregate of all testing numbers for a given prospect, calculates Zach Tom as a perfect ten in terms of center athleticism. And this shows on film, as Tom is such an easy mover into the second level. Additionally, he displays great power at the point of attack despite being a lighter player.
Tom has the potential to go somewhere on day two given his athletic traits, promising film, and versatility along the offensive line. He’d be an incredible get for any team in need of a starting center.
Tyreke Smith – EDGE – Ohio State
Typically players who have participated in National Championship games should not be considered underrated in any sense of the word. However, it seems as though Ohio State edge rusher Tyreke Smith has become quite underrated in the 2022 NFL Draft class. As a clarification, this is not to say he should be regarded as a top-flight, three-down edge rusher that should be held in the same regard as a Travon Walker or Jermaine Johnson. However, if your team needs a speed rusher in your rotation, you could do a lot worse than Smith.
Aside from playing alongside some truly amazing talents such as Zach Harrison, J.T. Tumioloau, and Jack Sawyer, Smith doesn’t project as an every-down pass rusher so that likely diminishes his value overall. Additionally, Smith didn’t test as well and nowadays athleticism is a massive sticking point for many evaluators. Even so, Smith posted good numbers in the shuttle and three-cone drills so he does show much cause for concern in that regard.
As for his tape, Smith shows great burst off of the line scrimmage and can quickly sink into his pass rush arc. He displays some nice moves with the rip and two-hand swipe that he deploys quite frequently to challenge the pass sets of his opponents. Although he lacks plus functional strength, in my opinion, Smith can be a quality contributor for 3-4 based teams.
Kalia Davis – Defensive Tackle – UCF
While getting into the weeds of the 2022 NFL Draft class late last summer, I was recommended to watch a little-known defensive tackle by our own Devin Jackson. After tuning into Central Florida’s game against Boise State, nose tackle Kalia Davis put on an incredible display of power and physicality at the point of attack. A few games down the line, Davis unfortunately was forced to miss the rest of the season due to injury. While doing his final grade, I had to go back to the 2019 season for a more well-rounded look at his tape, and still did not disappoint.
Davis is a smaller defensive tackle at 6-1, 302, which for those who are sticklers for height and weight benchmarks is concerning. Conversely, his compact frame actually works to his advantage as he is able to play low in the trenches and create good leverage against his opponents. Davis is surprisingly strong in his lower half and plays with good hand placement on run fits.
The defensive tackle class isn’t as strong as it has been in years past so Davis could have made himself some real money if it were not for injury. His projection in this class is somewhat unclear however teams could get a steal in the later rounds with Davis.
Alontae Taylor – Cornerback – Tennessee
As mentioned in the introduction, the cornerback class of the 2022 NFL Draft is one of the deepest position groups, brimming with great talent everywhere. The top of this group is impressively talented while the players who are slated to go on day two are equally intriguing as well. Some players are a bit scheme versatile in terms of the roles they could play, but with players like Alontae Taylor, their projection may be a bit more centered on one specific scheme or another. In the case of Taylor, he has been labeled as a predominately zone-type cornerback and to most evaluators, that is a big sticking point.
This offseason, Taylor blew away my expectations in terms of athletic testing, posting impressive numbers in the forty-yard dash and shuttle but struggled in the three-cone drill. One of the issues with his film had been how shifty receivers were able to leverage separation against Taylor in man coverage. Despite this downside to his game, Taylor has thrived in press coverage and could see more snaps in that sort of role in the future.
Taylor will more than likely be a day two pick in the 2022 NFL Draft however he doesn’t quite get the same attention as his peers despite his talents. Zone corner or not, Taylor can be a viable contributor for teams at the next level.