Here are Dane Brugler’s 30 best available remaining prospects:
26. Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson (6-0, 194)
Booth stays in phase because of his lower-body quickness and hip-flip skills to mirror routes, staying coordinated in his transitions and in position to make plays on the ball. There is nothing finesse about his play style, and he takes his contain responsibilities seriously in the run game, but his downhill aggressiveness makes his tackling an adventure. Overall, Booth’s tape has some volatility, and he must mature his feel for spacing, but he has fluid athleticism, finds the football and disrupts the catch point, three important ingredients to playing the position at a high level. He has NFL starting traits (if he stays healthy) and projects best in a man-heavy scheme.
28. Arnold Ebiketie, Edge, Penn State (6-2, 250)
Ebiketie explodes off the edge and stresses blockers with his arc acceleration, active hands and relentless play personality (registered at least one tackle for loss in 11 of 12 games in 2021). Though he uses his length well as a pass rusher, he struggles to consistently anchor, lock out and free himself to contain the run. Overall, Ebiketie needs to improve his refinement as a rusher and reliability vs. the run, but he is a long, twitched-up athlete with the motor and mentality to develop into a starting NFL pass rusher.
29. Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia (5-11, 229)
An athletic pursuit player, Dean has perimeter speed to chase down plays, and his instincts also show in coverage and as a blitzer. Although his frame looks maxed out physically, he is a strong open-field tackler, and his intelligence and intangibles will win over a coaching staff. Overall, Dean’s size is working against him, but he has the key/read/flow skills and play range vs. both the run and the pass to impact the game in different ways. He projects as an NFL starter in the Jonathan Vilma mold.
32. Malik Willis, QB, Liberty (6-1, 219)
Although his timing and accuracy go through lulls, Willis has a fluid release, outstanding velocity and a great feel for touch and placement on vertical-based patterns. With his escapability and body strength, the backfield was his playground, but he struggles to recognize pressures and takes too many sacks (he was equally responsible for finishing No. 1 in the FBS with 51 sacks in 2021). Overall, Willis needs time to mature his anticipation, vision and placement, but he has the potential to be a dynamic NFL playmaker because of his natural athleticism, arm talent and intangibles. He will likely need a redshirt year before seriously competing for an NFL starting role.
34. Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut (6-4, 325)
A big-bodied athlete with strong legs and arms, Jones is quick off the ball and powerful through his hips to be disruptive vs. both the pass and the run. He uses quickness and forceful hand moves to get his nose in the gap, but he needs to harness his momentum and consistently use his secondary moves to shoot through. Overall, Jones’ pass rush technique is still a work in progress, but he creates problems for interior blockers with his athletic movements and explosive upper body to stack, shed and toss. He projects as an early NFL starter with two-gap potential.
35. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State (5-9, 211)
With his vision and contact balance, Walker generates impressive burst off his plant foot to dart away from trouble and break tackles (led the FBS with 89 forced missed tackles in 2021). Once he clears the first wave, he can hit an extra gear to reach the corner or fend off chasing defenders. Overall, Walker must improve as a pass catcher and pass protector, but his instinctive ability to press the line, set up his cuts and create yardage will translate to the pro game, similar to former Pro Bowler Garrison Hearst. He projects as an immediate NFL starter.
36. Bernhard Raimann, OT/G, Central Michigan (6-6, 303)
An efficient pass protector, Raimann plays with the athletic reflexes and natural center of gravity to mirror/counter rush moves with his stubborn hands. He needs to get stronger through his roots/legs and he would benefit from more explosive hands, especially in the run game, but he has a crafty understanding of his body posture and hand placement to establish his base and absorb power. Overall, Raimann is still developing his strength and technique, but he is a fluid, balanced athlete with the reactionary skills and awareness to match up against NFL speed. He is older than ideal for a rookie, but he should compete for starting reps in year one.
37. Logan Hall, DL, Houston (6-6, 283)
Although he played primarily inside in college, Hall has the long levers and foot quickness to be an impactful pass rusher when given a runway off the edge. He has the body flexibility to bend, dip and attack from different angles but must continue to develop his anchor and shed strength, especially when his pad level rises. Overall, Hall has some tweener traits and lacks consistency, but with additional coaching, he can be a matchup weapon thanks to his athletic versatility, body length and disruptive nature. He projects as an NFL starting edge rusher who can slide inside in subpackages.
38. Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor (5-11, 198)
Pitre has the cover skills to challenge pass catchers man-to-man and the downhill instincts to make stops at or behind the line of scrimmage (31 tackles for loss in 23 games the past two seasons). He has a natural feel for proximity and angles but needs to clean up his break down skills on the move. Overall, Pitre has only average speed but projects best as a “big nickel” in a role that takes advantage of his athletic versatility, spatial awareness and competitive urgency. He will be an immediate special teamer and has NFL starting potential.
39. Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan (5-10, 195)
A physically and mentally tough competitor, Moore creates route leverage with his foot quickness and is extremely reliable at the catch point thanks to his large, sticky hands and quick-reaction ball skills. Although he isn’t an explosive YAC threat, he flashes natural instincts with the ball in his hands and makes it a chore for defenders to get him on the ground. Overall, Moore might have trouble creating sizable passing windows vs. NFL coverage, but he has outstanding hands and reflexes with the detail-oriented mindset to grow into a three-level threat. He projects best as an NFL slot receiver.
40. Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati (6-3, 211)
A mobile athlete, Ridder moves well in the pocket and possesses the arm and poise to drive the ball to every level of the field. He has experience making whole-field reads and working his progressions, but his ability to quicken his eyes and trigger vs. NFL speed will be the key to whether or not he finds sustained success at the next level. Overall, Ridder needs to become more consistent with his release, timing and accuracy, but his loose athleticism, self-confidence and experience are strong selling points. He has the physical tools and mindset to compete for starting reps early in his NFL career.
41. Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State (5-11, 217)
Hall, who is Iowa State’s all-time leading scorer, has a strong understanding of his strengths as a player and is a disciplined athlete by nature. He posted outstanding testing numbers, but there are times on tape you wish he showed more of an escape gear. Overall, Hall has room to improve as a blocker and pass catcher, and he doesn’t consistently play up to his testing numbers, but he runs with outstanding patience, vision and athletic footwork to be a starting-caliber back in the NFL. He projects best in a zone-based scheme (inside or outside).
42. Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State (6-2, 206)
Brisker covers a lot of ground and is most comfortable when he can walk down and attack the line of scrimmage with his physical play demeanor. Though he competes with non-stop urgency vs. the run, he isn’t a consistent wrap-up tackler, which leads to misses. Overall, Brisker lacks ideal explosiveness and size on paper, but his innate toughness and timing fuel his playmaking skills. He projects as a starting strong safety in the NFL.
43. David Ojabo, Edge, Michigan (6-4, 250)
An athletic rusher with a long, nimble frame, Ojabo has the balanced feet and hip flexibility developed from years of basketball and soccer training to work tight spaces and grease the edge as a pass rusher. His defensive role shouldn’t be restricted to only rushing the passer, but he needs to improve his functional strength and body positioning to make plays in the run game. Overall, Ojabo is admittedly “still learning” various aspects of football, but he is naturally explosive with the upfield burst and stride length to overwhelm tackles with arc speed. He will be a subpackage rusher when he returns from his Achilles injury and offers down-the-road Pro Bowl upside as a hybrid linebacker.
44. Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming (6-3, 239)
Muma’s college film is catnip for NFL teams: He can run, fills up the stat sheet and boasts top intangibles — at worst he will have an important role on special teams at the next level. He doesn’t have any major deficiencies as a prospect, but his average lateral range and take-on skills will be tougher to mask vs. NFL competition. Overall, Muma is a high-energy tackling machine with excellent play speed, compete skills and the awareness to always be around the football.
46. Christian Harris, LB, Alabama (6-1, 226)
Harris is a do-everything breed of linebacker with the multidimensional skill set to drop in coverage, get downhill vs. the run or make plays in the backfield as a blitzer. He has a good feel for play direction but needs to pull the trigger a half-second quicker and better leverage his gaps as a take-on player. Overall, Harris must become more consistent diagnosing the action, but he is a versatile athlete with the play speed and intangibles to grow into a dependable NFL starter. Although still developing in several areas, he has the ceiling of a scheme-diverse, three-down player.
47. George Pickens, WR, Georgia (6-3, 195)
Pickens is a balanced athlete with fluidity at the stem and the wheels to win vertically, skillfully tracking the deep ball. Though his competitiveness is a plus, he lacks discipline in several areas of the position and lost a year of on-field development because of his injury. Overall, Pickens has a discount sticker on him after missing most of the 2021 season, but he is a graceful athlete with outstanding ball-tracking and 50-50 finishing skills. He has WR1 traits and potential if he returns to pre-injury form and continues to refine his routes.
48. Boye Mafe, Edge, Minnesota (6-4, 261)
Mafe bursts out of his stance with the muscle twitch, arc acceleration and active hands to capture the corner. Despite his unique athletic gifts, his on-field instincts and impact don’t consistently mirror his traits, especially in the run game (averaged only 2.6 tackles per game in 2021). Overall, Mafe isn’t yet the sum of his parts and requires further schooling as a run defender, but he can get after the passer with natural explosion in his lower body, hips and hands. He projects as a subpackage NFL rusher with starting potential as he continues to be coached up.
49. Cam Jurgens, OG/C, Nebraska (6-3, 303)
Jurgens has above-average movements skills with explosiveness in his upper half and rare range to reach and cut off pursuit angles. Though he shows core strength when engaged, his overaggressive and undisciplined tendencies lead to negative reps. Overall, Jurgens lacks the brute power to easily control defenders, but he is a twitched-up athlete with play quickness and competitive toughness that will translate to the NFL. He is the round two version of Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum and will grow into a starter for a zone-based offense.
51. Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington (6-0, 194)
Gordon has freakish athletic abilities with the impressive acceleration to plant and drive or close the gap after a lost step. Although he played more decisively with his read-react in 2021, he is still figuring out how to dissect his keys and prepare for different types of route runners. Overall, Gordon needs to continue maturing his technique and cover awareness, but his fluidity and toughness are ideal for the next level. As he continues to develop the mental side of the position, he has the skills to become a full-time NFL starter.
52. Darian Kinnard, OT/G, Kentucky (6-5, 322)
Kinnard looks to impose his will early and manhandle everything in his path to create movement at the point of attack. He has the quickness to square half-man rushers, but he relies more on his upper body than lower body to get the job done, which leads to balance issues. Overall, Kinnard’s NFL ceiling will hinge on his ability to refine his sloppy tendencies, but he has the physical tools and bully mentality to be a dominant, scheme-diverse run blocker. Teams are split between guard and right tackle as his best NFL position.
53. Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma (6-4, 290)
Winfrey has an imposing frame and length that no blocker wants to deal with, playing with the shock in his hands to jar blockers or toss bodies from his path. His tendency to play tall and inability to break down and be flexible leads to missed plays in the backfield. Overall, Winfrey needs to improve his pad level and play discipline, but his size, energy and the power in his hands help him to terrorize blockers. He has NFL starting-level traits.
54. Jamaree Salyer, OT/G, Georgia (6-3, 321)
Salyer is very efficient in his setup and plays with outstanding body control, balance and core strength to stay centered through contact. Although he tends to get narrow with his steps and has some bad habits, he understands depth, angles and how to effectively respond with his hands. Overall, Salyer had 22 of his 23 career starts in college at offensive tackle, but his stout frame, quick reactions and overall skill set are ideally suited on the interior. He projects as a plug-and-play NFL guard while offering position versatility in a pinch.
55. Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn (5-11, 190)
McCreary plays sticky in coverage because of his fluidity to shadow and his awareness to recognize route concepts. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and looks to mix things up, but his physical nature will backfire in coverage and lead to wild habits as a run defender. Overall, McCreary lacks ideal length, but he is a quick-reaction athlete with the ball skills and competitive mentality to face off against NFL receivers. He offers inside/outside versatility and should compete for a starting role as an NFL rookie.
56. Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss (6-2, 212)
Although undersized, Corral plays with natural twitch to process quickly, move his feet and comfortably throw with zip from different platforms. He doesn’t show enough anticipation as a passer, and his post-snap decision-making from the pocket will need to improve. Overall, Corral is still unproven in several integral aspects of playing the position, but he is an instinctive athlete with the live arm and competitive toughness to create plays. With continued development and less hero-ball, he has a chance to be an eventual playmaker in the right scheme.
57. Cam Taylor-Britt, CB, Nebraska (5-11, 196)
Along with his plus size and length, Taylor-Britt has the springy athleticism and body control to disrupt passes and the toughness to be a force in run support, which will translate to cornerback or safety. He played a lot of bail and side-saddle technique in college, and his patchy transition skills often left him out of position in coverage and contributed to missed tackles. Overall, Taylor-Britt must improve his route recognition at all levels, but his physical traits (size, length, athleticism), competitive nature, and ball skills give him NFL starting potential in press-man or zone-heavy schemes.
58. Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin (6-3, 250)
Chenal has outstanding eyes, aggressive flow and feel for run-blocking development, which allows him to play ahead of climbing blocks and pile up tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage. Though he has the range to hold up in coverage, his questionable fluidity and ball skills are a cause for concern. Overall, Chenal has room to grow as both a cover man and blitzer, but he has exceptional run instincts with above average key-and-diagnose skills and contact balance downhill. He compares favorably to
Jordyn Brooks as a prospect.
59. Jalen Tolbert, WR, South Alabama (6-1, 194)
Aside from the occasional focus drop, Tolbert shows impressive catch-point timing and adjustment skills. Although he doesn’t have elite top-end speed, he has fluid footwork and uses slight hesitation in his route breaks so he can mash the gas and create pockets of separation. Overall, Tolbert needs to tighten up a few areas of his game, but he has NFL starting traits with his ability to track deep or sink and work back to the football.
60. Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina (6-1, 218)
The Tar Heels’ scheme spread out the defense and gave Howell a chance to show off his mobility and toughness, as he accounted for seven 100-yard rushing games (not including lost sack yardage) in 2021. He is more of a see-it thrower and must develop his anticipation and read efficiency, but he is a confident passer with twitch in his delivery and arguably the best deep ball in the draft class. Overall, Howell needs to clean up his footwork and develop as a pocket passer, but he has NFL-quality arm strength, athleticism and work ethic and operates with a slow heartbeat. He projects as a low-end NFL starter, flashing similarities to
Baker Mayfield.
61. Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State (6-4, 208)
With his smooth acceleration, Watson displays vertical tempo as a route runner and is quarterback-friendly with the way he works back to the ball and expands his catch radius. He never faced an FBS opponent while at NDSU and will see a sizable jump in speed and physicality when facing NFL competition. Overall, Watson is unpolished as a route runner and must improve his consistency at the catch point, but he is an intriguing size/speed athlete with the explosiveness to win vertically. He projects as a WR4 as a rookie with WR2 upside and offers kick-return experience.
