2022 Official Bolts Draft Superthread

[Boltnut]

I'm assuming Evan Neal, Charles Cross, and Ikem Ekwonu are gone by the time that we pick.
I'm also giving up on the idea of moving Feiler to RT... although, if Chargers do go that direction I'd be all for it.
That leaves Penning, Walker, and Lucas (add any others you like) as your Round 1 prospects @RT. Tempted to add Kenyon Green and Zion Johnson to the OT list... but realistically... they're NFL guards.

Compare that RT list to the possible CB's available when we pick (McCreary/Gardner/Booth/McDuffie/Elam/Wright) in the 1st round. I just have each and every one of those CB's as BPA over the previously mentioned RT's. On top of that, Walker and Lucas are probably there in the 2nd round... and I'm very comfortable picking those RT's in the 2nd round.

What I'm not comfortable with is starting Tevaughn Campbell as my slot corner. Also not comfortable cruising into next year's playoffs with the possibility of Davis/Samuels injuries. Stack them high and deep, please!

[ghost]

Oday and his mother at the conclusion of the Washington game. Any person who treats their mother with such regard is a winner in my book. Addressing OG depth chart is good, but I expect Oday back as the starting RG for the 2022 season.

[Boltjolt]

I'm assuming Evan Neal, Charles Cross, and Ikem Ekwonu are gone by the time that we pick.
I'm also giving up on the idea of moving Feiler to RT... although, if Chargers do go that direction I'd be all for it.
That leaves Penning, Walker, and Lucas (add any others you like) as your Round 1 prospects @RT. Tempted to add Kenyon Green and Zion Johnson to the OT list... but realistically... they're NFL guards.

Compare that RT list to the possible CB's available when we pick (McCreary/Gardner/Booth/McDuffie/Elam/Wright) in the 1st round. I just have each and every one of those CB's as BPA over the previously mentioned RT's. On top of that, Walker and Lucas are probably there in the 2nd round... and I'm very comfortable picking those RT's in the 2nd round.

What I'm not comfortable with is starting Tevaughn Campbell as my slot corner. Also not comfortable cruising into next year's playoffs with the possibility of Davis/Samuels injuries. Stack them high and deep, please!

I'd add Nicholas Petit-Frere
To the RT list as a first rounder at this time since we may be picking in the 20's. He could rise too. Just too early to tell.
CB is a deeper position in the draft. May sign one too

[Formula 21]

This team is so thin, we can use help everywhere. I want an Edge, RT and Corner. And a WR with speed (that we won't use). Every year its the same thing. Too many holes, not enough picks.

[Bolt Dude]

Campbell took over the slot for part of that time, anyways (2 out of the 4 games).
Very small sample size to claim that he could/should be the starter at slot.
The last 2 weeks, injuries to Davis and Samuels have shown that you need CB's that can also play outside.
In a league that has become a throw-first league... I'm not leaving myself thin-and-developing @ the CB position.

IMO, the slot CB has to be a great defender (inside routes harder to defend than boundary routes) and must be a durable, physical tackler. With evolving, statistically driven, offenses... defensive philosophies will need to keep up. I think the slot CB position will become populated with uber-talented players. I just don't see those players in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Tre'vius Hodges-Tomlinson is the closest 3rd/4th round prospect I see. His size (or lack) is a concern for me in regards to asking him to tackle 220 lb NFL RB's on a regular basis.

I'm not forgetting about our need @ RT, EDGE, or DT. I agree that those positions are great needs. At this time, I see guys at those positions that I trust a lot more than any of the 3rd/4th round CB's. I'll keep digging on some of those mid-round CB's you mentioned earlier.

If one of the top-3 OT's is there @mid-20's... then sure, I'm going OT in the 1st. But if it's Trevor Penning vs. one of the top-4 CB's, I just think the BPA would be one of the CB's.
I think TT addresses DT in FA and I think that EDGE is a pretty deep class (extending into the late 4th round.

Several valid points.

The one thing I’ll disagree with is the depth of the EDGE class vs the CB class.

If we want an impact player at EDGE, I think R2 is the latest we can hit. The consensus is that this will be a deeper CB class than 2021, and if you remember last year, we could have taken Elijah Molden in the 3rd. He was largely considered the best slot prospect in the draft. I was mortified that TT didn’t take him. If he had, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

[Bolt Dude]

I’ve also started to think that Bosa’s future in this defense might be as a 4i instead of EDGE. He looked great rushing from the inside in this last game. I’d like next year’s down linemen to be Jones, Sebastian-Day, and Bosa. Tillery can kick rocks, or come in for Jones during 3rd and longs. Linval can come off the bench to spell the NT. If Bosa can gain about 10-15 pounds, he could be a force inside.

But that would put an even higher priority on drafting an edge.

It would have to be a 1st or 2nd rounder. In that scenario, we’d go EDGE and RT in R1 and R2 then draft CHJ’s replacement in R3. Or get a corner in FA and draft a RB in the 3rd.

[Boltnut]

This team is so thin, we can use help everywhere. I want an Edge, RT and Corner. And a WR with speed (that we won't use). Every year its the same thing. Too many holes, not enough picks.

A lot of those holes will be filled in the off-season. Once the Chargers cut Bulaga, they'll be $10+ million richer than any other NFL team. I'm hoping we sign another impact WR (instead of MW) in FA and fix our DL this off-season like we did the OL last off-season. Drafting Defensive Interior Linemen is so risky.

Draft CB, EDGE, and RT. Get a good RB in the 4th or 5th...

[Boltnut]

Several valid points.

The one thing I’ll disagree with is the depth of the EDGE class vs the CB class.

If we want an impact player at EDGE, I think R2 is the latest we can hit. The consensus is that this will be a deeper CB class than 2021, and if you remember last year, we could have taken Elijah Molden in the 3rd. He was largely considered the best slot prospect in the draft. I was mortified that TT didn’t take him. If he had, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

I don't know Dude... I see some nice EDGE players in 3rd-5th rounds. I might even double-dip @ EDGE. Assuming that Myjai Sanders, Jermain Johnson, Kingsley Enagbare, and David Ojabo all go in the 2nd round.... guys I like 3-5...

Nolan Smith
Sam Williams
Amare Barno
Boye Mafe
Ochaun Mathis
Xavier Thomas

I think any of those guys could develop just as well... and I certainly would put them against CB's in the same draft round range.

[Bolt Dude]

I don't know Dude... I see some nice EDGE players in 3rd-5th rounds. I might even double-dip @ EDGE. Assuming that Myjai Sanders, Jermain Johnson, Kingsley Enagbare, and David Ojabo all go in the 2nd round.... guys I like 3-5...

Nolan Smith
Sam Williams
Amare Barno
Boye Mafe
Ochaun Mathis
Xavier Thomas

I think any of those guys could develop just as well... and I certainly would put them against CB's in the same draft round range.

Yes, I see. This is exactly where we disagree. I’ll start by saying that, if I were TT, I wouldn’t touch Myjai Sanders with a 10 foot pole. Dude will do nothing to stop the run at the next level. I used to like him but he’s dropped way down my list. He’s the Hamilcar Rasheed of 2022. And your R3-R5 list is trash.

In my opinion, 2021 was a deeper edge draft and it produced 8 immediate impact players (9 if you include Parsons, which I don’t):
Ojulari
Paye
Philips
Oweh
Basham
Ossai
Tryon
Rousseau

There’s no reason to believe 2022 is deeper. It might be slightly more top-heavy, but not deeper. Here’s my list that will make an immediate impact:
Thibodeaux
Hutchinson
Karlaftis
Jermaine Johnson II
David Ojabo
Arnold Ebiketie
Zach Harrison (maybe)
Kingsley Enagbare (maybe)

The rest are either JAGs or take they’ll 1+ years to develop.

[Formula 21]

I’d love Ojabo.

[Formula 21]

Evan Neal, Aidan Hutchinson and more of PFF's top-50 2022 NFL Draft Prospects make Bruce Feldman's Freaks List




Orlando, FL, USA; Liberty Flames quarterback Malik Willis (7) looks to pass the ball during the second quarter against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers during the Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

By Michael Renner
Aug 12, 2021
Athleticism isn’t the be-all and end-all in the game of football. It doesn’t take much more than a cursory glance at the top combine performances at each position from the last decade to deduce that.

Still, there is no denying that athleticism matters. Combining elite tape with elite measurables makes draft evaluators feel that much better about a player's prospects of translating to the NFL. That’s why it’s notable that 15 of PFF’s preseason top-50 prospectsended up on Bruce Feldman’s 2021 Freaks List. Let’s break down exactly who they are and what it means for each.
PFF's 2021 College Football Preview Magazine offers a one-of-a-kind deep dive into every team and every conference in the FBS. You'll get PFF grades, position breakdowns, betting predictions, accuracy data and more, making it the only resource you'll need to prepare for the 2021 college football season.1. OT EVAN NEAL, ALABAMA (PFF BOARD RANK: 6TH)


If you’ve watched Neal’s tape at all the past two seasons at Alabama, this ranking should come as no surprise. What he’s able to do on a football field for a 360-pound man is nearly unprecedented. It’s why he stacked up the sixth-most big-time blocks in the country as a true sophomore. Now, he’s cut 15 pounds this offseason and is more nimble than ever, which should pay dividends in pass protection. That’s where his biggest room for improvement could come after earning a 73.1 pass-blocking grade in 2020.
2. EDGE AIDAN HUTCHINSON, MICHIGAN (29TH)


Hutchinson was done no favors by playing on the same line as 2021 first-rounder Kwity Paye. There’s no shame in being a noticeable step slower off the line of scrimmage than a guy who was Bruce Feldman’s No. 1 freak in 2020. The big difference is that Hutchinson will win in vastly different ways because he has a vastly different body type. At 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, Hutchinson can be a Justin Smith clone with his size and inside-outside versatility. Smith went fourth overall back in 2001 and ultimately became the game's premier 3-4 defensive end with the 49ers.
3. S KYLE HAMILTON, NOTRE DAME (4TH)


Yet another guy who possesses the kind of freaky athleticism that only looks more absurd when you factor in his size. He’s not the first person to have an explosive 41-inch vertical and 10-foot-8 broad jump, but not many that did it before him were 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds. This repeatedly shows on tape, which is why he’s collected five picks and 11 pass-breakups in two seasons. With top-five tape and athleticism, Hamilton is unlikely to be sliding down the PFF draft board anytime soon.


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7. EDGE GEORGE KARLAFTIS, PURDUE (36TH)


Karlaftis came into college football as one of the strongest true freshman defensive ends you’ll ever see, and he racked up 55 pressures that season. Injuries and a bout with COVID-19 limited his development as a sophomore, but his ranking here shows just how much he’s continued to develop physically. The craziest part of his physical profile is that his weight hasn’t changed since his freshman year, but his body fat has dropped 10 percentage points. That’s some insane physical development that I can’t wait to see on the football field.
9. CB DEREK STINGLEY JR., LSU (2ND)


It’s been well known that Stingley is a different breed ever since he ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash with a 42-inch vertical in high school. The bigger revelation here comes from the fact that Stingley is apparently confident he’ll top both figures at the combine and is at his lowest body fat percentage of his career. The continued commitment to improving his game even after the best true freshman season we’ve graded from a corner only makes us feel even better about his standing as the top position player on PFF’s draft board.
10. C TYLER LINDERBAUM, IOWA (11TH)


Feldman states in the article that Linderbaum has “elite feet,” which is all too evident for everyone who's watched him play. Last season, Linderbaum was the highest-graded center in college football, and he’s continued to pack on muscle since. His reported 4.22-second short shuttle, if run at the combine, would be the second-fastest ever for an interior lineman, behind only All-Pro Jason Kelce’s 4.14. That’s good company to share at the position.
20. EDGE MYJAI SANDERS, CINCINNATI (32ND)


Even though Sanders’ on-field production isn’t quite as dominant as you’d like, given his competition level, his position on the Freaks List is why he checks in where he does on the PFF draft board. Rushing the passer off the edge in the NFL is a very traits-based endeavor when there are high-level athletes in excess of 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds. Sanders not only has the ideal long body type at 6-foot-5 and 259 pounds, but he also has the explosiveness as outlined in the article. If he can build on his 84.3 overall grade significantly as a senior, he’ll be a first-rounder.
27. LB CHRISTIAN HARRIS, ALABAMA (30TH)


Feldman notes Harris’ explosiveness, which is his biggest selling point. His ability to stick a running back or stack an offensive lineman is why he’s our early LB2 in the class. There shouldn’t be too much debate about whether his athleticism can translate to a three-down linebacker role at the next level. We’d just like to see his coverage instincts improve from 2020 when he allowed 539 yards on the season.


30. QB MALIK WILLIS, LIBERTY (16TH)


I’ve called him the best runner at the position on numerous occasions. He was the only quarterback in the FBS to go for over 1,000 yards on the ground last year. So, it’s nice to see that backed up by a 4.5 40 and 38.5-inch vertical. We are high on what he can do as a passer, too, but those are great numbers for a running back, let alone the 6-foot-1 and 230-pound quarterback.
40. CB TRENT MCDUFFIE, WASHINGTON (13TH)


McDuffie is poised for a monster junior campaign after he yielded all of 52 yards in four games last season. While he’s not going to tick the height box for every team at his listed 5-foot-11, having the 41.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-9.5 broad jump will surely help make up for that in the NFL.
42. CB NOAH DANIELS, TCU (28TH)


We just need to see Daniels healthy at this point. In his four years at TCU, he has managed to play only 353 snaps. His 4.27 40-yard dash and 400-pound hang clean are ultra-freaky numbers. He has the tape and athletic profile of a first-round man corner in the NFL but the injury history of a Day 3 flier.
53. WR TREYLON BURKS, ARKANSAS (26TH)


Burks has been one of the best receivers in the class in contested situations, so it’s no surprise to find out he has massive 10.75-inch hands. Last season, Burks went 8-of-12 in contested situations for the Razorbacks. Now, we’d just like to see him run more routes from the outside, as he’s done so only 73 times in his career.
58. IOL IKEM EKWONU, N.C. STATE (25TH)


One doesn’t rack up 10 big-time blocks as a true sophomore without some freak power. That’s precisely what Ewkonu possesses. If he truly does run faster than Garrett Bradbury’s 4.92, as suggested in the article, the 327-pound Ekwonu will have put up one of the most impressive 40s from an offensive lineman in NFL history.
60. WR DRAKE LONDON, USC (22ND)


London’s 38-inch vertical should come as no surprise given his basketball background. His dunk contest performances from high school were the stuff of legend. While his speed is still a question mark, the 6-foot-5 London has one of the largest catch radii you’ll see from a draft prospect.
76. S JAQUAN BRISKER, PENN STATE (40TH)


One doesn’t become the best tackling safety in the country without some special athletic ability. Brisker made Feldman’s Freaks List last year for his 10-foot-7 broad jump and 355-pound bench. This year, it was his 4.07 short shuttle that turned heads. That explosive, agile and physical profile is why he missed only one tackle on 60 attempts in 2020.

[Boltnut]

I’ve also started to think that Bosa’s future in this defense might be as a 4i instead of EDGE. He looked great rushing from the inside in this last game. I’d like next year’s down linemen to be Jones, Sebastian-Day, and Bosa. Tillery can kick rocks, or come in for Jones during 3rd and longs. Linval can come off the bench to spell the NT. If Bosa can gain about 10-15 pounds, he could be a force inside.

But that would put an even higher priority on drafting an edge.

It would have to be a 1st or 2nd rounder. In that scenario, we’d go EDGE and RT in R1 and R2 then draft CHJ’s replacement in R3. Or get a corner in FA and draft a RB in the 3rd.

I like the idea of Bosa playing more 4i... especially in obvious pass rushing situations. Put a guy like Chris Rumph on his outside shoulder and let him go 1-on-1 with a guard. Speaking of Chris Rumph... I think they're mis-using him. Duke used to line him up outside and stunt him inside.

However, I think Bosa wouldn't hold up at 4i full time. He's not Aaron Donold... he's not Michael Brockers. Staley used to ask those guys to eat up 2 defenders and keep LB's free. Justin Jones, Sebstian Joseph-Day are good for that. Bosa (and Tillery)... not so much.