2022 NFL Draft Stock Report: CFB Playoff Semi-Finals
I know, I know… it’s been a while. 2022 NFL Draft content will return. I’ve just been all over the place (literally and figuratively). I haven’t watched a ton of Bowl season, but I tuned in to the College Football Playoff Semi-Final games. We’re going over the reports from players on Cincinnati, Alabama, Michigan, and Georgia. Let’s get right to it.
Cincinnati Vs. Alabama
Cincinnati
Cincinnati should have never been in the playoff. They didn’t embarrass themselves but there was never a point in the game you thought they were going to actually score a touchdown, let alone win the game. I want to get them over and done with first because most of the team isn’t worth mentioning. It’s filled with 6-year players that are good college guys but have hit a ceiling and won’t be impactful pros.
Mel Kiper belongs in a retirement home for putting Desmond Ridder as his QB1. It’s a joke. Kiper deserves a slap in the face for even mentioning the name Josh Allen as a potential comp. I didn’t like Ridder prior to the game and I certainly don’t like him after.
I don’t necessarily care about the stat line. The Cincy QB went 17-32 for 144 yards. No touchdowns or picks. Sure, his receivers didn’t bail him. The offensive line did him no favors. It doesn’t really matter. What you’re looking for is skill sets.
I just think pure performance is such a terrible way to evaluate players. You’re looking for projectable skills, not results. I see Jalen Hurts if Jalen Hurts wasn’t an Alabama level athlete. This shit isn’t going to work.
For the record, Josh Allen was outmanned and outgunned in college against Iowa. I was the only person in America that defended him. I want translatable skills. Screw the results.
I’ll be totally fair here. This was Ridder’s best throw during the game by a mile. Probably the only good throw he made all day. I just want you to watch him. Not the ball placement. No drive off the back foot. Lot of straight legged bullshit with the front leg. Not a great throwing motion. Looks difficult for him. Doesn’t have it.
We’re not talking about a rocket arm here either. Lot of lollipops. Throws outside the numbers look like they took Mike White level bad to get there. Accuracy not good. Inside the red zone, made some bad throws that could have been picked. Had a number of balls tipped. Probably because of that nonsense throwing motion.
I’m not sure he’s draftable and I’m being dead serious. I see Jalen Hurts except for the part where he looks like a three-star athlete instead. I don’t see how it works. What’s the best case scenario here? Daniel Jones? And that’s still being disrespectful to the athlete that Jones is and we’re still talking best case. I’ve been skeptical of guys that had flaws and saw how guys could potentially overcome it. Justin Herbert being a great example. There’s no shot with this one. Can’t even consider ranking him inside the top five quarterbacks for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Jerome Ford has something to him. You can also see why he was essentially Bama’s 6th string running back. Has some power. Limited explosion. Can get the job done on basic runs. Still not someone you’re pulling the trigger on until the late, late portion of the draft.
Sauce Gardner and Coby Bryant did their job in the secondary for the most part. You could see the game plan going in from a mile away. We’re going to win this game on the ground and Bama did just that anytime they wanted to. Not that it was overly difficult going against that three by three stack cheese defense Cincinnati runs. There was never a point to challenge Gardner on a frequent basis.
I like Gardner. Think he’s even special. Can tackle too. No issues pulling the trigger on him on draft day. However, the hype may have gotten a bit out of control. We’re still going with Derek Stingley as the CB1 and that won’t change.
Alabama
Brian Robinson will obviously go down as the big winner of the day. Truthfully, he won’t move drastically up my list cause I think I already have a really good idea as to what I’m getting. I see Kenyan Drake range talent. Not as fast but a better inside runner. He’s not as Damien Harris even. He’s an older back that carved out yards against a vulnerable Cincinnati run defense. It’s not always the results that matter. You’re trying to play some stock market cheese here and project.
I would guess Trey Sanders goes back to school. More talented than Robinson and Ford. Needs to stop being timid and get over his shit. Time to build on this.
Jameson Williams was held sort of in check. He still blows me away. I’m more in on him than I was on Henry Ruggs and that’s the type of guy I think he can be. Better route runner and appears much bigger. Still carries that same explosion. Appears more functional in an offense. No idea what to do with him yet either.
Really good game by Jordan Battle. All over the place making tackles. Think he’s closer to Xavier McKinney than anyone wants to admit. Which has a lot of separate meanings because I wasn’t that high on McKinney coming out.
DJ Dale looks like a monster and then disappears again. Shocking.
I’m glad Karl did the post on Will Anderson because he shined. Two big sacks in this one. He’s got some gumby to him. Not even sure what he is yet but god there is something there.
Georgia Vs. Michigan
Michigan
I had a funny feeling that Michigan was going to get killed. Ask the company Slack if it happened. I had a weird epiphany and every time I have one of those visions, they’re ALWAYS correct. So let’s get them over and done with first.
Vincent Gray played one of the worst cornerback games I’ve seen in a long time. No excuse for a senior to play like that. I could do this all day to most of the Michigan team. I’d rather focus my time on something more important.
The entire draft community is on crack with this Aiden Hutchinson thing. I’ve sparingly praised him in the past. I meant those words and still think the guy can play. He’s a big overpowering presence that commands attention. No question about it. However, we saw the truth today. Push comes to shove, what are we talking about here a slightly better version of Chase Winovich?
I thought Jamaree Salyer kicked his ass for 90 percent of the day (which is kinda what I expected). We gotta stop with this shit… now. Hutchinson can play and he’s a safer prospect than Rashaan Gary was. He’s not an SEC level athlete and never will be. If you think that guy is better than Kayvon Thibodeaux, go check yourself into a facility and seek help.
Georgia
Well, well, well… James Cook, huh. Guy f*cks, huh. Weird. So help me god, if one of these draft experts tries to list James Cook as their guy without giving me credit, I’m sticking a fork in someone’s eye.
Do you see the way the guy impacts the passing game? We’re talking a running back. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.
I’m dead serious when I say this. I think he might be the best one in the country. Are we going to stop this nonsense? Yes, Dalvin Cook’s slightly skinnier brother probably has some talent. I just want in on the record that I was somehow the only f*cking guy that noticed.
I could spend too much time on this defense, but let’s get this post over and done with. I’ve been debating this for a while, but it’s time to declare Nakobe Dean as the best linebacker on the team. They all look the damn same, but Dean has a little more juice to him. Still a far cry from Roquan Smith, but Dean looks good. More than good.
Love the breakout party by Nolan Smith. Dude was all over the place. Just feels like Lorenzo Carter but with a ceiling that hasn’t even been sniffed yet. Big sack in this one. Love the way he runs. This dude figures it out and he’s going to be a monster. Just might be a big chance he stinks too. Worth the gamble.
Derion Kendrick has such good ball skills he’s going to make it. Still looks like a twig and probably comes with tackling issues. God he’s good with the ball in the air. Came away with an interception in this one, which he seems to do quite frequently.
