Stu’s Postional Rankings – Offence

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The NFL Draft is within touching distance and excitement is at fever pitch. So better late than never, Draft Talk’s Stu had finally got round to releasing his Offensive positional rankings of the 2022 Draft prospects

Quarterbacks

1. Mailk Willis – Liberty
2. Desmond Ridder – Cincinatti
3. Matt Corral – Ole Miss
4. Kenny Pickett – Pitt
5. Sam Howell – North Carolina
6. Carson Strong – Nevada
7. Bailey Zappe – W. Kentucky
8. Kaleb Eleby – W.Michigan
9. EJ Perry – Brown
10. Jack Coan – Notre Dame

Cincinatti Bearcat QB Desmond Ridder is a polarising figure and I am probaly higher on him than some. He is an accomplished 4 year starter with plenty of arm talent and size. He has dual threat ability that means OC’s will not have to take too much off the table from their playbooks. He will need to improve his accuracy at the next level. For some this is a red flag. However, he has plenty of traits and I feel he could flourish given the opportunity.

Running Back

1. Isaiah Spiller – Texas A+M
2. Kenneth Walker III – Michigan State
3. Breece Hall – Iowa State
4. Kyren Williams – Notre Dame
5. Hassan Haskins – Michigan
6. Dameon Pierce – Florida
7. James Cook – Georgia
8. Rachaad White – Arizona
9. Abram Smith – Baylor
10. Jerome Ford – Cincinatti

We had the opportunity to interview Rachaad White just prior to the Senior Bowl – check it out if you havent already. White has good size and athleticism. He is a patient runner with good contact balance. He also has great hands in the receiving game. He does need to work on his pass protection, something he did tell us he had been focusing on. However, he has the tools to be successful at the next level

Wide Receivers

1. Jameson Williams – Alabama
2. George Pickens – Georgia
3. Garrett Wilson – Ohio State
4. Drake London – USC
5. Chris Olave – Ohio State
6. Jahan Dotson – Penn State
7. Treylon Burks – Arkansas
8. Skyy Moore – Western Michigan
9. John Metchie III – Alabama
10. David Bell – Purdue

John Metchie III has almost become the forgotten man of this draft cycle. He has the size and quickness to play as a ‘Z’ recevier or from the slot. He is difficult to tackle in the open field, making him a potential dynamic playmaker at the next level. He separates incredibly well, a trait that is sure to translate.

Tight Ends

1. Isaiah Likely – Coastal Carolina
2. Trey McBride – Colorado
3. Greg Dulcich – UCLA
4. Jeremy Ruckert – Ohio State
5. Cade Otton – Washington
6. Jake Ferguson – Wisconsin
7. Chigoziem Okonkwo – Maryland
8. Jelani Woods – Virginia
9. Charlie Kolar – Iowa Sates
10. Cole Turner – Nevada

Whilst the tight end class lacks the elite players that we may have seen in previous years, there certainly is plenty of depth to be had in the mid-rounds. Isaiah Likely, for me, is the best receiving option of all the tight ends. His speed, route running and RAC ability in a pass happy league will intrigue teams. His blocking, although not at the level of some of the other guys, is not to be sniffed at either.

Offensive Tackles

1. Ikem Ekwonu – NC State
2. Evan Neal – Alabama
3. Charles Cross – Mississippi
4. Trevor Penning – Northern Iowa
5. Tyler Smith – Tulsa
6. Nicholas Petit-Frere – Ohio State
7. Bernhard Raimann – Central Michigan
8. Abraham Lucas – Washington
9. Sean Rhyan – UCLA
10. Daniel Faalele -Minnesota

Charles Cross is the elite pass protector in this draft class, and team may well see him as their number 1 guy for this reason. He has exceptional technique and hand usage. His balance control and lateral movement are at an elite level. His ability to completely shut down opposing pass rushers means he will go high in this draft

Interior Offensive Line

1. Kenyon Green – Texas A&M
2. Tyler Linderbaum – Iowa
3. Zion Johnson – Boston College
4. Darrian Kinnard – Kentucky
5. Dylan Parham – Memphis
6. Jamaree Salyer – Georgia
7. Cole Strange – Chattanooga
8. Lecitus Smith – Virginia Tech
9. Ed Ingram – LSU
10. Thayer Mumford – Ohios State

Chattanooga’s Cole Strange is such a fun player to watch. He has positional flexibility, having lined up all over the offensive line at Chattanooga. His run blocking ability and football IQ ideally sets him up to play as a guard at the next level. A tenacious blocker, he is a real throw back.

So there you have it. As always let us know your thoughts on Twitter @NinetyNineYards or you can hit me up @stuie17. Enjoy the draft when it come round!