NFL Draft

Devin Jackson Final 2022 NFL Draft Big Board and Positional Rankings

April 26, 2022
10 mins read

This 2022 Draft class will be special for me because this is the first year I was able to finish all of my evaluations before Draft Day and fully release all of my positional rankings and big board. Making it to this finish line is something that crossed my mind the first time I dove into the world of scouting during the back end of the 2019 class.

From the many conversations about prospects I’ve had since last May to finalizing each evaluation, this year, without a doubt, has been my most comprehensive and challenging year as a novice evaluator, pushing my limits as a content creator and delving into scheme fits over the summer.

First of all, I couldn’t do this without the support of the great team I have at Blue Chip Scouting, including my co-host, Mike Hrynyshyn, my good friend Tyler Forness, and the many others at Blue Chip who have made this an enjoyable draft cycle.

A special thanks goes out to people like Connor Rogers, Damian Parsons, Matt Alkire, Cory Kinnan, and Ben Fennell for the many conversations we’ve had dating back to the fall about a large portion of these prospects. Those discussions about scheme fits, identifying sleeper prospects and more have opened my eyes about my process and allows me to notice things on film I didn’t notice before. I appreciate you all.

Now that’s all out of the way, here’s my final 2022 NFL Draft Big Board with position rankings underneath them, and a small explanation of a player or two who stands out to me along each group.

  1. Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon

  2. Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

  3. Kyle Hamilton, SAF, Notre Dame

  4. Derek Stingley, DB, LSU

  5. Ahmad Gardner, DB, Cincinnati

  6. Ikem Ekonwu, OT, NC State

  7. Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State

  8. Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State

  9. Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

  10. Tyler Linderbaum, OC, Iowa

  11. Lewis Cine, SAF, Georgia

  12. Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan

  13. Zion Johnson, IOL, Boston College

  14. Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah

  15. Drake London, WR, USC

  16. Andrew Booth Jr., DB, Clemson

  17. Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia

  18. George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue

  19. Kenyon Green, IOL, Texas A&M

  20. Daxton Hill, SAF, Michigan

  21. Trent McDuffie, DB, Washington

  22. Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

  23. Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa

  24. Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia

  25. David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan

  26. Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama

  27. Kaiir Elam, DB, Florida

  28. Jermaine Johnson, EDGE, Florida State

  29. Sean Rhyan, IOL, UCLA

  30. Jalen Pitre, SAF, Baylor

  31. Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia

  32. Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State

  33. Kyler Gordon, DB, Washington

  34. John Metchie, WR, Alabama

  35. George Pickens, WR, Georgia

  36. Travis Jones, DL, UConn

  37. Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota

  38. Dylan Parham, IOL, Memphis

  39. Devonte Wyatt, DL, Georgia

  40. DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M

  41. Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State

  42. Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa

  43. Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming

  44. Phidarian Mathis, DL, Alabama

  45. Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis

  46. Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn State

  47. Perrion Winfrey, DL, Oklahoma

  48. Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

  49. Isaiah Thomas, DL, Oklahoma

  50. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State

  51. Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State

  52. Darrian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky

  53. Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA

  54. Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Oklahoma

  55. Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin

  56. Carson Strong, QB, Nevada

  57. Cameron Thomas, EDGE, San Diego State

  58. Skyy Moore WR Western Michigan

  59. Quay Walker, Georgia

  60. Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati

  61. Troy Andersen, LB, Montana State

  62. Logan Hall, DL, Houston

  63. Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh

  64. Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M

  65. Luke Fortner, IOL, Kentucky

  66. Roger McCreary, DB, Auburn

  67. Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

  68. Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina

  69. Josh Paschal, EDGE, Kentucky

  70. Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State

  71. Joshua Williams, DB, Fayetteville State

  72. James Cook, RB, Georgia

  73. Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State

  74. Cole Strange, OC, Chattanooga

  75. Pierre Strong Jr. RB, South Dakota State

  76. Kerby Joseph, SAF, Illinois

  77. Damone Clark, LB, LSU

  78. Cam Jurgens, IOL, Nebraska

  79. David Bell, WR, Purdue

  80. Drake Jackson, EDGE, USC

  81. Nicholas Petite-Frere, OT, Ohio State

  82. Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati

  83. Khalil Shakir, WR, Boise State

  84. Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan

  85. Abraham Lucas , OT, Washington State

  86. Myjai Sanders, EDGE, Cincinnati

  87. Markquese Bell, SAF, Florida A&M

  88. Jerome Ford, RB, Cincinnati

  89. Dominique Robinson, EDGE, Miami (OH)

  90. Chris Paul, IOL, Tulsa

  91. Sam Williams, EDGE, Ole Miss

  92. Zach Tom, IOL, Wake Forest

  93. Derion Kendrick, DB, Georgia

  94. Kyren Williams, RB, Notre Dame

  95. Daniel Bellinger, TE, San Diego State

  96. Coby Bryant, DB, Cincinnati

  97. Cade Otton, TE, Washington

  98. Romeo Doubs, WR, Nevada

  99. Cam Taylor-Britt, SAF, Nebraska

  100. Jelani Woods, TE, Virginia

  101. Dohnovan West, IOL, Arizona State

  102. Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State

  103. Jaquan Brisker, SAF, Penn State

  104. Tariq Woolen, DB, UTSA

  105. Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Maryland

  106. Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri

  107. Jamaree Salyer IOL Georgia

  108. Zyon McCollum, DB, Sam Houston State

  109. Luke Goedeke, IOL, Central Michigan

  110. Nick Cross, SAF, Maryland

  111. Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota

  112. Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson

  113. JoJo Domann, LB, Nebraska

  114. Bryan Cook, SAF, Cincinnati

  115. Hassan Haskins, RB, Michigan

  116. Brandon Smith, LB, Penn State

  117. Keaontay Ingram, RB, USC

  118. Dare Rosenthal, OT, Kentucky

  119. Darrian Beavers, LB, Cincinnati

  120. Cordell Volson, IOL, North Dakota State

  121. Martin Emerson, DB, Mississippi State

  122. Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Alabama

  123. Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss

  124. Max Mitchell, OT, Louisiana

  125. Jake Ferguson, TE, Wisconsin

  126. Kaleb Eleby, QB, Western Michigan

  127. Jean Delance , OT, Florida

  128. Sterling Weatherford, SAF/LB, Miami (OH)

  129. Sincere McCormick, RB, UTSA

  130. Deven Thompkins, WR, Utah State

  131. Thomas Booker, IDL, Stanford

  132. Smoke Monday, SAF, Auburn

  133. Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

  134. Jalen Tolbert, WR, South Alabama

  135. Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky

  136. Matt Waletzko, OT, North Dakota

  137. Abram Smith, RB, Baylor

  138. Ty Chandler, RB, North Carolina

  139. Marcus Jones, DB, Houston

  140. Tycen Anderson, SAF. Toledo

  141. Jack Coan, Notre Dame

  142. Brock Hoffman, IOL, Virginia Tech

  143. Bailey Zappe, QB, Western Kentucky

  144. Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor

  145. Cole Turner, TE, Nevada

  146. Tyler Goodson, RB, Iowa

  147. Kellen Diesch, OT, Arizona State

  148. Kennedy Brooks, RB, Oklahoma

  149. Kyler Phillips, WR, UCLA

  150. Calvin Turner Jr., RB/WR, Hawaii

  151. Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State

  152. Aqeel Glass, QB, Alabama A&M

  153. Leon O’Neal Jr., SAF, Texas A&M

  154. Mario Goodrich, CB, Clemson

  155. Alontae Taylor, SAF, Tennessee

  156. Hayden Howerton, IOL, SMU

  157. Tyler Allgeier, RB, BYU

  158. DaRon Bland, DB, Fresno State

  159. Brendan Radley-Hines, CB, Washington

  160. Matthew Butler, DL, Tennessee

  161. Jashaun Corbin, RB, Florida State

  162. Quentin Lake, SAF, UCLA

  163. Ali Fayad, EDGE, Western Michigan

  164. Jordan Jackson, IDL, Air Force

  165. Cade Mays, IOL, Tennessee

  166. Bamidele Olaseni, OT, Utah

  167. Demetrius Taylor, EDGE Appalachian State

  168. Clint Ratkovich, RB/FB, Northern Illinois

  169. Percy Butler, SAF, Louisiana

  170. Skylar Thompson, QB, Kansas State

  171. Arron Mosby, EDGE, Fresno State

  172. Derrick Deese Jr., TE, San Jose State

  173. Ja’Tyre Carter, IOL/OT, Southern

  174. Charles Williams, RB, UNLV

  175. Keegan Cryder, IOL, Wyoming

  176. Ronnie Rivers, RB, Fresno State

  177. Kolby Harvell-Peel, SAF, Oklahoma State

  178. Greg Bell, RB, San Diego State

  179. Tariq Carpenter, LB, Georgia Tech

  180. Armani Rogers, TE, Ohio

  181. Justin Hall, WR, Ball State

  182. Eric Johnson, IDL, Missouri State

  183. Kalil Pimpleton, WR, Central Michigan

  184. Keyshawn James, DL, Fayetteville State

  185. Dustin Crum, QB, Kent State

  186. Josh Babicz, TE, North Dakota State

  1. Malik Willis, Liberty

  2. Carson Strong, Nevada

  3. Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati

  4. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh

  5. Sam Howell, North Carolina

  6. Matt Corral, Ole Miss

  7. Kaleb Eleby, Western Michigan

  8. Jack Coan, Notre Dame

  9. Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky

  10. Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M

  11. Skylar Thompson, Kansas State

  12. Dustin Crum, Kent State

The one name from the list I would like to highlight is Cincy signal caller Desmond Ridder, who feels like the one player on this list who could see action in his rookie season. The ability to play out of structure and potentially operate a wide zone scheme offense makes him an intriguing player who could be selected in the mid-late first round, especially if Willis and Pickett are selected in the top 15. In the end, I only think the top 3 can be more than career backups, which is why the rankings ended up the way they did.

Running Backs

  1. Breece Hall, Iowa State

  2. Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State

  3. Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M

  4. James Cook., Georgia

  5. Pierre Strong Jr., South Dakota State

  6. Jerome Ford, Cincinnati

  7. Kyren Williams, Notre Dame

  8. Tyler Badie, Missouri

  9. Hassan Haskins, Michigan

  10. Brian Robinson Jr., Alabama

  11. Keaontay Ingram, USC

  12. Sincere McCormick, UTSA

  13. Abram Smith, Baylor

  14. Ty Chandler, North Carolina

  15. Tyler Goodson, Iowa

  16. Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma

  17. Calvin Turner Jr. Hawaii

  18. Tyler Allgeier, BYU

  19. Jashaun Corbin, Florida State

  20. Clint Ratkovich, Northern Illinois

  21. Charles Williams, UNLV

  22. Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State

  23. Greg Bell, San Diego State

Pierre Strong Jr. cracking my top five may shock some people but his combination of breakaway speed, vision and contact balance makes him a perfect modern-fit for an outside zone run scheme teams like the Rams, Browns, Falcons, Titans, and others employ. Each of the top five have somewhat of a different skill set, but bring something valuable from day one and can be immediate contributors in either in the running or passing games. Strong’s limited receiving profile is more of an indictment on his college scheme rather than him lacking the ability.

Wide Receivers

  1. Garrett Wilson, Ohio State

  2. Treylon Burks, Arkansas

  3. Drake London, USC

  4. Chris Olave, Ohio State

  5. Jameson Williams, Alabama

  6. John Metchie, Alabama

  7. George Pickens, Georgia

  8. Calvin Austin, Memphis

  9. Jahan Dotson, Penn State

  10. Skyy Moore, Western Michigan

  11. Christian Watson, North Dakota State

  12. David Bell, Purdue

  13. Alec Pierce, Cincinnati

  14. Khalil Shakir, Boise State

  15. Romeo Doubs, Nevada

  16. Justyn Ross, Clemson

  17. Deven Thompkins, Utah State

  18. Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama

  19. Wan’Dale Robinson, Kentucky

  20. Tyquan Thornton, Baylor

  21. Kyle Phillips, UCLA

  22. Justin Hall, Ball State

  23. Kalil Pimpleton, Central Michigan

Jameson Williams and Christian Watson are lower in my rankings than how the consensus view them and that’s more so because the lack of physicality I saw in both of their games’. They may be some incredible deep threats with the ability to stretch the field vertically, possessing extraordinary YAC ability, but too many times, they can be pushed off their spot and re-rerouted with defensive backs who can match their speed. I think in a vertical passing offense, both will thrive, but rounding out their overall skillset will behoove them.

Tight Ends

  1. Trey McBride, Colorado State

  2. Greg Dulcich, UCLA

  3. Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina

  4. Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State

  5. Daniel Bellinger, San Diego State

  6. Cade Otton, Washington

  7. Jelani Woods, Virginia

  8. Charlie Kolar, Iowa State

  9. Chigoziem Okonkwo, Maryland

  10. Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin

  11. Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M

  12. Cole Turner, Nevada

  13. Derrick Deese Jr., San Jose State

  14. Armani Rogers, Ohio

  15. Josh Babicz, North Dakota State

San Diego State tight end Daniel Bellinger has gained momentum for me, dating back to the Senior Bowl and his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s one of the few tight ends in this class that truly can do it all, from blocking in the trenches, to being productive in his limited pass reception opportunities. I think while he may not have the ceiling of players like Jelani Woods and Chigoziem Okonkwo, I see Bellinger becoming a reliable 10+ year starter or TE2 who gives you stability at the position.

Interior Offensive Linemen

  1. Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa

  2. Zion Johnson, Boston College

  3. Kenyon Green, Texas A&M

  4. Sean Rhyan, UCLA

  5. Dylan Parham, Memphis

  6. Luke Fortner, Kentucky

  7. Cole Strange, Chattanooga

  8. Cam Jurgens, Nebraska

  9. Chris Paul, Tulsa

  10. Zach Tom, Wake Forest

  11. Dohnovan West, Arizona State

  12. Luke Goedeke, Central Michigan

  13. Jamaree Salyer, Georgia

  14. Cordell Volson, North Dakota State

  15. Brock Hoffman, Virginia Tech

  16. Hayden Howerton, SMU

  17. Cade Mays, Tennessee

  18. Keegan Cryder, Wyoming

  19. Ja’Tyre Carter, Southern

Zach Tom has a chance to be an immediate starter on this list and while he played the last two years at tackle, I’m projecting him to play one of the three interior offensive linemen spots. With his Center background in 2018 and 2019, it makes sense why Tom would be a great fit: Patient, steady hands with excellent lateral movement, savvy with how he neutralizes pass rushers and anticipates stunts well. He could be the steal of the draft from an offensive linemen perspective because he certainly deserves to be a top 100 pick, but it’ll depend on how the board shakes out if players like Cole Strange and Luke Fortner are selected ahead of him.

Offensive Tackles

  1. Evan Neal, Alabama

  2. Ikem Ekonwu, NC State

  3. Charles Cross, Mississippi State

  4. Tyler Smith, Tulsa

  5. Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa

  6. Darrian Kinnard, Kentucky

  7. Nicholas Petite-Frere, Ohio State

  8. Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan

  9. Abraham Lucas , Washington State

  10. Daniel Faalele, Minnesota

  11. Dare Rosenthal, Kentucky

  12. Max Mitchell, Louisiana

  13. Jean Delance , Florida

  14. Matt Waletzko, North Dakota

  15. Kellen Diesch, Arizona State

  16. Braxton Jones, Southern Utah

  17. Rasheed Walker, Penn State

  18. Bamidele Olaseni, Utah

One of the more intriguing developmental offensive tackles in this class is Kentucky LT Dare Rosenthal, who showed flashes of high level play along a dominant Kentucky front five. Rosenthal has easy athleticism and movement skills that should aid him in handling quick twitched-pass rushers, plus his light feet but his hand placement/.technique must continue to improve, along with his play strength. It may take a year or two, but if a team has an aging veteran at one of the premiere tackle spots on their team and looking for a relatively cheap replacement, Rosenthal between rounds 4 and 5 would be great value.

Interior Defensive Lineman

  1. Jordan Davis, Georgia

  2. Travis Jones, UConn

  3. Devonte Wyatt, Georgia

  4. DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M

  5. Phidarian Mathis, Alabama

  6. Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma

  7. Isaiah Thomas, Oklahoma

  8. Logan Hall, Houston

  9. Thomas Booker, Stanford

  10. Matthew Butler, Tennessee

  11. Jordan Jackson, Air Force

  12. Eric Johnson, Missouri State

  13. Keyshawn James, Fayetteville State

This is my time to embellish on a Division II defensive linemen who I truly think can make an NFL roster with his initial quickness and deadly swim move. Fayetteville State defensive lineman Keyshawn James burst on my radar during the summer of 2020, and was absolutely dominant in college, finishing with 60.5 tackles for loss and 29.5 sacks. While he needs to continue to build his core strength and uses his hands to anchor his gap better, the ability to gap shoot and cause havoc may turn heads in an NFL camp. While his teammate Joshua Williams gets all the hype, I personally think we should be talking about James more as a legit NFL talent.

EDGE Rushers

  1. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon

  2. Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan

  3. Travon Walker, Georgia

  4. George Karlaftis, Purdue

  5. David Ojabo, Michigan

  6. Jermaine Johnson, Florida State

  7. Boye Mafe, Minnesota

  8. Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State

  9. Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma

  10. Cameron Thomas, San Diego State

  11. Drake Jackson, USC

  12. Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati

  13. Josh Paschal, Kentucky

  14. Dominique Robinson, Miami (OH)

  15. Sam Williams, Ole Miss

  16. Ali Fayad, Western Michigan

  17. Demetrius Taylor, Appalachian State

  18. Arron Mosby, Fresno State

This is EDGE class where you’ll find value all over the board, even after round one comes to a close. Where I differ on this class though, compared to the rest is how low I have Jermaine Johnson, who is projected as a top 10-15 pick. For me, Johnson does a fantastic job setting the edge, takes some excellent pursuit angles and is overall the most fundamentally sound defensive end in the class. There’s not a whole lot to dislike about his game, but I think compared to the guys ranked above him, his ceiling isn’t as high as them. I see Johnson as a solid 7-8 sack player who maintains and disrupts the flow of an offense.

Linebackers

  1. Devin Lloyd, Utah

  2. Nakobe Dean, Georgia

  3. Chad Muma, Wyoming

  4. Leo Chenal, Wisconsin

  5. Quay Walker, Georgia

  6. Troy Andersen, Montana State

  7. Damone Clark, LSU

  8. JoJo Domann, Nebraska

  9. Brandon Smith, Penn State

  10. Darrian Beavers, Cincinnati

  11. Tariq Carpenter, Georgia Tech

Ever since his ascension at the Senior Bowl, Troy Andersen has been a player who seems to be trending towards being a late second round pick. He was a player who I identified that made the most money for himself in Mobile, but little did I know he would test like absolutely freak. As I discussed with Connor Rogers earlier in the month, we both agreed he would best fit in a cover 3 scheme, especially in flat-curl pass drops because he excels closing in space and from depth.

Cornerbacks

  1. Derek Stingley, LSU

  2. Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati

  3. Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson

  4. Kaiir Elam, Florida

  5. Trent McDuffie, Washington

  6. Kyler Gordon, Washington

  7. Roger McCreary, Auburn

  8. Joshua Williams, Fayetteville State

  9. Derion Kendrick, Georgia

  10. Coby Bryant, Cincinnati

  11. Tariq Woolen, UTSA

  12. Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston State

  13. Martin Emerson, Mississippi State

  14. Marcus Jones, Houston

  15. Mario Goodrich, Clemson

  16. DaRon Bland, Fresno State

  17. Brendan Radley-Hines, Washington

Going to take this time to give some serious love to Fresno State defensive back DaRon Bland. One of the surprises when popping on his film, Bland has some incredible closing speed and ability to flip his hips and run with some of the fastest receivers in the Mountain West conference. His natural speed and hip fluidity, coupled with his aggressiveness provide an intriguing projection to the NFL and is a candidate to be a versatile secondary player who projects as a depth defensive back who can make the transition to safety with how he can close space and ball-hawking mindset.

Safeties

  1. Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame

  2. Lewis Cine, Georgia

  3. Daxton Hill, Michigan

  4. Jalen Pitre, Baylor

  5. Kerby Joseph, Illinois

  6. Markquese Bell, Florida A&M

  7. Cam Taylor-Britt, Nebraska

  8. Jaquan Brisker, Penn State

  9. Nick Cross, Maryland

  10. Bryan Cook, Cincinnati

  11. Sterling Weatherford, Miami (OH)

  12. Smoke Monday, Auburn

  13. Tycen Anderson, Toledo

  14. Leon O’Neal Jr., Texas A&M

  15. Alontae Taylor, Tennessee

  16. Quentin Lake, UCLA

  17. Percy Butler, Louisiana

  18. Kolby Harvell-Peel, Oklahoma State

Markquese Bell is very high in my rankings, and it’s because of his ability to affect the game in so many categories, from a tackling and coverage aspect. Bell projects as a free-roaming safety at the NFL level in a dual high structure that allows him to align in the box, in the slot, and rotating between two and single high alignments. He has tremendous upside as a core special teamer and sub-package player early on as he continues to develop his back end skills in coverage.