2022 NFL Draft Stock Report: Week 1
College football is so back and it feels so good. It’s also NEVER too early to start talking draft. The college football season represents the information process heading into the 2022 NFL Draft. These blogs go into my thought process of evaluating players heading into the 2022 NFL Draft.
Heading into Week one, we have a big slate of games to go over this week. My eyeballs were on Ohio State vs. Minnesota, North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech, Penn State vs. Wisconsin, Miami vs. Alabama, Georgia vs. Clemson, and LSU vs. UCLA. Big post this week. Enjoy. Every single week we will have a stock report post pertaining to the 2022 NFL Draft. Just a matter of how many games I watch that week.
Ohio State VS. Minnesota
Minnesota made it interesting but Ohio State was clearly the better team and found a way to win by two touchdowns. Let’s get the Golden Gophers done first here.
Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim had a big day (even though he sucks but we will get there) but left the game early with what looks like a bad lower leg injury. You could see in the broadcast something popped. Could be done for the year.
Against Ohio State, Ibrahim rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. On the surface, it looks like a good day but doesn’t really tell the story. Ibrahim had a 56 yard run on a wide open 4th and short run. Otherwise, he’s averaging 3.6 yards per carry on the day… which is exactly what he looked like. The 40 time here won’t be pretty either.
Take the injury part of it out of the equation. Let’s hope the guy is okay long term. However, this is a classic Big 10 running back. I’ve been playing a lot of NFL Head Coach 09 so let’s use this comp. That’s Mike Hart at Michigan out there all day. Big 10 running back that lacks explosion but can break just enough tackles to look semi productive. Will get drafted in the middle rounds and do nothing in the NFL. There you go. Come back to me three years down the line. You will see.
Minnesota’s quarterback stinks too. Tanner Morgan has no tools. He’s an old guy at this point that will end up as a college grad assistant two years from now as a coach. He also got bailed out on the stat sheet because of an ugly pick but got lucky that the refs bailed him out on a soft roughing the passer call.
On the day, Morgan went 14/25 for 205 yards and a score. Morgan just looks small out there and lacks the ability to make NFL throws. Not close to an elite level athlete either. PJ Fleck does the best he can with the guy but the truth of the matter is, he’s limited. Coaches tell you what they think of their guy. It’s an offensive that tries to get seven offensive linemen on the field and control the clock. It’s because his guy can’t go out there and win games.
There was a positive here for Minnesota. Dylan Wright looks like a potential gem here. Wright is a Texas A&M transfer and it takes about 12.21 seconds to see why. He’s not an SEC athlete but that doesn’t mean he can’t play. Wright looks long at 6-foot-3 and finished the day with 5 receptions for 57 yards and a score. Something to monitor as the year goes along.
The Ohio State defense was really disappointing. There is inexperience all over the map here. Haskell Garrett looks good by far from a stud up front. The Minnesota offensive line only allowed 2 sacks all night and one was just a total missed assignment. Josh Proctor came away with what should have been an interception that was called back on a BS flag. The secondary didn’t look good at all by Proctor looks comfortable playing centerfield.
The skill positions are the real story here. Master Teague blows. Trey Sermon is gone so the first game here is important. Miyan Williams (not draft eligible) started the game and immediately took a house call. Teague got his chance and looked like a slug. 6 carries for 29 yards isn’t a bad average but he looked awful.
Ohio State’s offensive line is loaded. They essentially have 4 starting caliber tackles out there that maul people. If JK Dobbins got hit by the Monstars in Space Jam and got his talent zapped, he would look like Master Teague. Sad, sorry excuse for a running back. This guy isn’t draftable. Teague is probably the 4th best running back on his own team and should be taken out of consideration on your draft board.
Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are two different stories. I’m high on both but I have a feeling I’m going to be higher on Olave than the consensus. I don’t even know how to describe this guy but he just glides, man. There isn’t anything that blows you away which is why he was a three star recruit. However, he’s just out there and moves better than everyone else.
Easy day at the office for Olave. Four receptions for 117 yards and two scores. His hands are awesome, the dude is always open, and will create yards after the catch. I have no problem taking this guy in the first round and that takes a lot for me to say.
Garrett Wilson is a different story. He has more pure talent but I really want to see him take that next step. Five catches for 80 yards and a score is nice but this didn’t prove anything that I didn’t already know. Wilson is fast and can win those deep balls. Is he strong enough or even smooth enough to look like DeVonta Smith? That should be the bar here. That we didn’t find out yet but I’m hopeful.
North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech
Let’s just come right out and say it; Sam Howell sucks. Okay… maybe he does suck but this is the most overrated quarterback in the country. I’ve been saying it for a while. Virginia Tech exposed Howell for what he really is. An overhyped sorry version of Baker Mayfield (and I’m not even high on Mayfield).
The only difference is he doesn’t have the moxy Baker does. Howell is the guy who only eats chicken nuggets. Look it up. Real story. The weird part is he even moves like Mayfield.
That doesn’t mean Howell can’t play. He does have some things going for him. The arm strength is there. Howell will be able to zip slants over the middle of the field. Overall, the talent is a bit overexaggerated.
The overall stat line for Howell wasn’t pretty. 17-32 for 208 yards which included one touchdown and three picks. NOT GREAT. It was an accurate representation of how he actually played. Piss poor location, sloppy footwork, and bad progression of reads. Turns out when you lose four important skill position players, life isn’t so easy.
This goes beyond just a bad game. Josh Allen didn’t always have the best stat lines in college. I didn’t care. You saw the talent. Here? NOPE. Mechanically, Howell is a mess and I’m not sure it’s fixable. Let me just show you a video here and break it down.
This is the only part you really need to see. Look at Howell’s follow through. Stiff plant leg no power off the back foot. I got serious deja vu of another UNC quarterback. If you know, you know.
Howell has more arm talent than Trubisky but the issue remains the same.
Ty Chandler was also disappointing. It was just such a shame to see him in that powder blue uniform based on what they had a year ago. Chandler doesn’t have the quickness of Michael Carter and doesn’t have the power of Javonte Williams. Chandler will probably get picked but he’s just not special. It wasn’t a bad day with 10 carries for 66 yards but we’re looking at a late rounder here.
I also want to shout out Virginia Tech corner Jermaine Waller. This dude really stood out. Looked long and totally shut down his side of the field. He also had a sexy interception that showed this dude is a problem when the ball is in the air. He makes that shit his.
Penn State vs. Wisconsin
This was football at its finest. 0-0 at half time with the final score of 16-10 being the final. No offense to be found. There are some dudes on Penn State’s defense but it’s hard to decipher if they’re that good or if the Wisconsin offense is that dreadful? Maybe both.
Joey Porter Jr., Tariq Castro-Fields, and Brandon Smith stood out to me. Something to watch for the rest of the season.
Truthfully, the focus for me were both of the running backs. Noah Cain missed basically the entire season a year ago but was electric as a freshman and was a big time recruit. Wisconsin dominated the line of scrimmage but I don’t think Cain looked that great despite averaging 6 yards a carry. Most of which came on one big run. Just didn’t look like 100 percent. Also was a bad look that Keyvone Lee and Devyn Ford look like they’re going to be very involved. Need to see more. Not sure what to think here.
I was mildly impressed with Chez Mellusi, the Clemson transfer. Mellusi has some serious Phillip Lindsay vibes going. Flowing hair out of the back, one cut and go, kept the legs driving, with underrated power. I had no expectations going in but at Wisconsin, we’re going to get a really good idea just how good this cat is. 31 carries for 121 yards and a score doesn’t totally do it justice. He’s got a little something to him.
Miami vs. Alabama
Outgunned, outmanned, and outclassed. Manny Diaz is clueless, D’Eriq King is a joke, and the U for sure is not back. Do I really have to waste my time here? The score of 44-13 wasn’t really accurate. The game was over two seconds in.
Henry To’oto’oo and Christian Harris are going to be menacing at linebacker. To’oto’oo, the Tennessee transfer looked the furthest from out of place. The Bama defense may as well been playing Toledo. D’Eriq King will go undrafted and is pathetic. Will not waste my time. We’ll find out more about this defense when they play real competition.
Two players are a real focus on the Bama offense. I think I sort of know what I’m getting here with John Metchie. The Canadian got some swag to him high stepping and catching bombs. Six receptions for 76 yards and a score. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Will take the top of the defense and do damage all year.
I want to know more about Brian Robinson Jr. and Jameson Williams. I thought Robinson looked okay. I think the bar here is Kenyan Drake but I’d be surprised if he reaches that bar. Robinson has waited forever for this sort of opportunity as a redshirt senior. 12 carries for 60 yards. Not anything to write home about but did his job against a joke program. Still thought Trey Sanders (is draft eligible but has not played much so likely will return to school) looked better but the game was basically over by the time Sanders got a carry.
Jameson Williams? Oh, different story. He fit the mold of receivers of the past at Bama. Quick, home run hitter, catches your eye. Four receptions for 126 yards and a score but the Ohio State transfer looks legit.
Georgia vs. Clemson
The dawgs are loaded. This was a hell of a football game and a hard fought 10-3 win by Georgia. I just want to start with overall takeaways here because I think it would be a mistake to dissect everything at face value.
Jordan Davis changes the entire game. Clemson’s quarterback was sacked seven times in this one. Trevor Lawrence was sacked 13 times all last season. Davis is someone I was fond of a year ago but went back to school. I can’t remember finding a defensive tackle this bad with this type of athletiscm. I want him on my team. That’s all I know.
Derion Kendrick looked good too at corner. Talk about a revenge game transferring from Clemson. Really only allowed one catch. Former converted wide receiver and looks really smooth. Tackling has been a weakness but guy covers his balls off.
Nolan Smith is an X-Factor. BIG time recruit with very little production coming into this year. Started the game off hot with a sack and then sorted of faded into the background again. Somehow he has become a more hyped and more potential version of Lorenzo Carter with even less production. Weird, sad, but true. What the hell do we do with this guy? Still have time.
James Cook still barely touches the ball. Really good sign he started the game but will be a better NFL player than a college player. Book it.
Zamir had a much better second half than first half. Might be just a guy that gets better as the game goes along. Very much a pure bruiser but not close to Nick Chubb level explosive or good. 13 carries for 74 yards was encouraging. Can very much play but not sure how special he is.
JT Daniels will be the toughest evaluation at the quarterback position heading into the draft. That’s if he even declares. Lot of dinks and dunks. Threw an ugly pick. I think he’s more talented than Kedon Slovis and ended last year on fire. Certainly not the greatest start against a respectable but beatable defense. Daniels is also missing his top two targets (that he should otherwise have) which didn’t help in fairness.
I want to spend some time on some offensive players for Clemson. A lot of weird questions here. I know Will Shipley is a big time recruit but what has he done to earn the everyday job (and he did not look great)? Why did Lyn-J Dixon have ONE carry (and it went for 10 yards). Dixon is a senior and I think very underrated heading into the draft process. Will he be more involved later in the year?
It was awesome to see Justyn Ross back out there but Joseph Ngata was the best receiver on the field. Six receptions for 110 yards and was by far the most consistent threat. First game back for Ross but I was a BIG fan of him two years ago. I want to see him really take strides forward the rest of the way.
I still love James Skalski. Major Ben Boulware vibes but I don’t care. Guy gets after it and is always in the right spot. Led the Tigers with 14 tackles to no one’s surprise.
LSU vs. UCLA
I don’t have much here because by this point in the day I was dead tired but I really tried to stay awake to see “my guy”? Carson Strong. Didn’t make it that far. Fell asleep before the end of this game. Plus I was mainly tuned into Georgia and Clemson. What I can tell you is I may have been a bit harsh to Zach Charbonnet? Another big game and this time made LSU look bad. 11 carries for 117 yards and a score. Had a SUPER impressive run too.
Hey, you can always tweet at me if you disagree with any of my 2022 NFL Draft takes. God, that was long but what a week of college football! We will be back for next week for more 2022 NFL Draft stock report notes.
