Craig Strachan, brings us his brand new Pre-Senior Bowl Top 100 Big Board
The deadline for underclassmen to declare has now passed with a large number of juniors yet again making themselves eligible to be selected in April’s Draft. We’re also a couple of weeks away from the first of the major pre-Draft milestones – the Senior Bowl – so now feels as suitable a time as any to release my first Top 100 Big Board of 2022.
The full list is shown below, but first here’s a few things for you to look out for, delivered in the style of M-People.
Movin’ on up
Image Credit: GoHeels.com
I often find myself tweeting about North Carolina QB Sam Howell (@UK_draft if you want to come and follow me) and I continue to be a major advocate of his. He’s smart, a great leader, has developed his ability to scramble and run the ball when needed and has a fantastic arm. I’ve got him as my QB1 and my number 12 overall prospect at the moment but when Dan Campbell and the Lions get up close and personal with him at the Senior Bowl it wouldn’t shock me if they identify him as their future quarterback and end up taking him with the 2nd overall pick.
Devin Lloyd is my LB1 at this point sitting at number 17, just 4 spots ahead of Nakobe Dean. I love what both of them bring to the party (sorry…work event) but until the last few days I’ve had Dean as my number 1 linebacker. Lloyd’s performances against Oregon that I’ve only recently got round to watching, and the PAC-12 title game in particular, are what have made me move him up though. I suspect I might flip-flop between these two over the coming weeks.
Every year most draft analysts have a guy they instantly fall in love with the first time they watch him and spend a whole host of time trying to convince everyone else to move him up their boards. This year my guy is Boise State WR Khalil Shakir. He’s a tall, lean catching machine – some of the one-handed grabs I’ve seen him pull in this season are just unbelievable. I don’t like doing pro comparisons, but you’re going to find me drawing lots of Davante Adams and Cooper Kupp parallels when it comes to pure catching ability.
Movin’ on out
Image Credit: USAToday
Texas A&M defensive tackle DeMarvin Leal started the season as pretty much a consensus top 5 pick. Not anymore. His 2021 tape is decidedly underwhelming and while the physical traits are all still there and he flashes elite characteristics at times, deciding whether he was holding himself back to ensure he didn’t get injured or whether he’s plateaued as a prospect is going to be really difficult. I’ve got him at number 23 but I’m really torn on him right now.
Bubba Bolden, the Miami safety, is someone I had in my top 32 in preseason but has now completely dropped out of my top 100. He’s made a bit of a habit of picking up targeting penalties, likely as a result of not being able to diagnose plays quickly enough and having to hurl himself at breakneck speed towards players in order to try and make a tackle.
One player I was never particularly sold on was Clemson receiver Justyn Ross. To come back from a potentially career-ending spinal injury is incredibly impressive and I love his desire to play the game. However he just doesn’t look like the same player he once was and as much as I want him to succeed, I just don’t believe he’s got it in him to become a starting NFL wide receiver anymore.
Time to break free
A quick list of names of those who just missed out on being included in this iteration of my Top 100 but who will hope that nothing can stop them from making it by the time I do my next version.
D’Vonte Price, RB, Florida International
Jaivon Heiligh, WR, Coastal Carolina
Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA
Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin
Amare Barno, EDGE, Virginia
Sevyn Banks, CB, Ohio State
Here’s the list in full then.
Top 100 Big Board
1-50
No
Name
College
Position
1
Kayvon Thibodeaux
Oregon
EDGE
2
Kyle Hamilton
Notre Dame
S
3
Evan Neal
Alabama
OT
4
Aidan Hutchinson
Michigan
EDGE
5
Ikem Ekwonu
NC State
OT
6
George Karlaftis
Purdue
EDGE
7
Tyler Linderbaum
Iowa
IOL
8
Charles Cross
Mississippi State
OT
9
Derek Stingley Jr.
LSU
CB
10
Andrew Booth
Clemson
CB
11
Chris Olave
Ohio State
WR
12
Sam Howell
North Carolina
QB
13
Treylon Burks
Arkansas
WR
14
Matt Corral
Ole Miss
QB
15
Ahmad Gardner
Cincinnati
CB
16
Garrett Wilson
Ohio State
WR
17
Devin Lloyd
Utah
LB
18
Kenyon Green
Texas A&M
IOL
19
Jordan Davis
Georgia
DT
20
Drake Jackson
USC
EDGE
21
Nakobe Dean
Georgia
LB
22
Kaiir Elam
Florida
CB
23
DeMarvin Leal
Texas A&M
DT
24
Jameson Williams
Alabama
WR
25
Malik Willis
Liberty
QB
26
David Ojabo
Michigan
EDGE
27
Kenny Pickett
Pittsburgh
QB
28
Drake London
USC
WR
29
Daxton Hill
Michigan
S
30
Trevor Penning
Northern Iowa
OT
31
Trent McDuffie
Washington
CB
32
Jahan Dotson
Penn State
WR
33
Carson Strong
Nevada
QB
34
Isaiah Spiller
Texas A&M
RB
35
Myjai Sanders
Cincinnati
EDGE
36
Jaquan Brisker
Penn State
S
37
Nicholas Petit-Frere
Ohio State
OT
38
Roger McCreary
Auburn
CB
39
Jalen Wydermyer
Texas A&M
TE
40
Kingsley Enagbare
South Carolina
EDGE
41
Travon Walker
Georgia
DT
42
Desmond Ridder
Cincinnati
QB
43
Christian Harris
Alabama
LB
44
David Bell
Purdue
WR
45
Trey McBride
Colorado State
TE
46
Darian Kinnard
Kentucky
OT
47
Jermaine Johnson II
Florida State
EDGE
48
Derion Kendrick
Georgia
CB
49
George Pickens
Georgia
WR
50
Kenneth Walker
Michigan State
RB
51-100
51
Bernhard Raimann
Central Michigan
OT
52
Martin Emerson
Mississippi State
CB
53
Perrion Winfrey
Oklahoma
DT
54
Lewis Cine
Georgia
S
55
Daniel Faalele
Minnesota
OT
56
Breece Hall
Iowa State
RB
57
Zion Johnson
Boston College
IOL
58
Cameron Thomas
San Diego State
EDGE
59
Jeremy Ruckert
Ohio State
TE
60
Khalil Shakir
Boise State
WR
61
Nik Bonitto
Oklahoma
EDGE
62
Kyler Gordon
Washington
CB
63
Sean Rhyan
UCLA
OT
64
Jalen Tolbert
South Alabama
WR
65
Brandon Smith
Penn State
LB
66
Jaxson Kirkland
Washington
OT
67
Kyren Williams
Notre Dame
RB
68
Travis Jones
Connecticut
DT
69
Arnold Ebiketie
Penn State
EDGE
70
Logan Hall
Houston
DT
71
John Metchie III
Alabama
WR
72
Jamaree Salyer
Georgia
IOL
73
Phidarian Mathis
Alabama
DT
74
Josh Jobe
Alabama
CB
75
Devonte Wyatt
Georgia
DT
76
Charlie Kolar
Iowa State
TE
77
Tyler Allgeier
BYU
RB
78
Wan’Dale Robinson
Kentucky
WR
79
Darrian Beavers
Cincinnati
LB
80
Marcus Jones
Houston
CB
81
Max Mitchell
Louisiana-Lafayette
OT
82
Damone Clark
LSU
LB
83
James Cook
Georgia
RB
84
Romeo Doubs
Nevada
WR
85
Hassan Haskins
Michigan
RB
86
Sam Williams
Ole Miss
EDGE
87
Haskell Garrett
Ohio State
DT
88
Ed Ingram
LSU
IOL
89
Chad Muma
Wyoming
LB
90
Mykael Wright
Oregon
CB
91
Smoke Monday
Auburn
S
92
Alec Pierce
Cincinnati
WR
93
Zamir White
Georgia
RB
94
Abraham Lucas
Washington State
OT
95
Jerome Ford
Cincinnati
RB
96
Josh Paschal
Kentucky
EDGE
97
Bailey Zappe
Western Kentucky
QB
98
Coby Bryant
Cincinnati
CB
99
Cade Mays
Tennessee
IOL
100
Christian Watson
North Dakota State
WR
What are do you think of Craig’s top 100 big board? Let us know over on twitter @NinetynineYards & @UK_draft
