NFL Hot Press: Senior Bowl 2022 Rumors Monday

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Senior Bowl 2022 Rumors Monday

Updated Jan. 31, 2022
By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.

With all the general managers, coaches and scouts in attendance for the Senior Bowl there is a lot of chatter going around. Here are some of the highlights from around the league on day one of the 2022 Senior Bowl week.

Leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, there could be a lot of movement of prospects rising high into first round and sliding lower. In speaking to scouts from around the league, this year’s draft lacks clear-cut high-end talent for the first round. Scouts do not have prospects graded out as high as those in last year’s elite group like Kyle Pitts, Ja’Marr Chase and Penei Sewell. Hence, the players projected to go as top-10 picks in the 2022 could be more risky than in typical years. To gauge the prospects who could rise high in to the first round, WalterFootball.com surveyed a number of league sources.

Two names led the offensive prospects: USC wide receiver Drake London and Tulsa left tackle Tyler Smith.

Pro teams have some speed concerns with London, but they love his mismatch size and his yards-after-the-xatch ability. Some sources think that he could be a cross between Mike Evans and Keenan Allen as a pro. Multiple sources from teams with top-5 picks love London, so he could rise into being a top pick by the time of the 2022 NFL Draft. Four of the top five teams picking in the top five need wide receiver help: the Jaguars, Lions, Texans and Jets. Thus, London has multiple landing spots that could lead to him going high in the first round.

Smith went under the radar during the 2021 season, but area scouts who cover Tulsa raved about him.

Here’s what one area scout texted me about Smith, “If Tyler Smith blows up his combine and workouts, he could go top 10. He’s more gifted than the other offensive tackles in this class besides the N.C. State kid. Smith is 6-foot-5, 325 pounds with 34-plus-inch arms. As violent as he plays and the fact he can play guard also, I could see someone pushing him up because he’s only 20 and smart also. He’ll hover bottom 1/early 2 until workouts and then we’ll see how he handles process.

Offensive tackle is always a premium position, and there are a lot of teams throughout the first round that are in real need of offensive line help. If Smith puts together good workouts, he has a shot to be a high riser for the 2022 NFL Draft.

For defensive prospects, multiple sources said Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner has the potential to end up as a top-10 pick. Gardner has excellent size, and evaluators have rave about his tape from last fall. A year ago, many were not expecting South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn to rise into being the first defensive player drafted, but that is where he ended up. Gardner has the potential for a similar climb this year in the 2022 NFL Draft.

London and Gardner have some rare skills, and that helps them to be potential risers for top-10 picks, but as stated above, the 2022 NFL Draft does not have a group of clear-cut top-10 prospects. Here is what one director of player personnel had to say, “Guys that belong in the teens in most drafts will go top 10 this year because of the lack of elite guys. There could be some surprises in the top 10.”

Two players with top-10 potential are LSU cornerback Derek Stingley and Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. One question mark about either going that high is medical concerns because Stingley barely played in 2021 because of a foot injury while Hamilton ended his yearearly after injuring his knee against USC. In the week prior to Senior Bowl, NFL team sources told me that they are hearing both Stingley and Hamilton are fine medically. By the sounds of it, both players could be healthy enough for the combine and pre-draft workouts.

The NFL was shocked when New Orleans Saints’ Sean Payton decided to step down as head coach, and his resignation could have big ramifications on the veteran quarterback marketplace. Sources with the Saints organization said the team was inclined toward targeting a veteran quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson or Derek Carr. The team has a good defense that almost carried the Saints into the playoffs this year despite losing starting quarterback Jameis Winston to a season-ending injury, so the franchise felt it was in position to win now. That mindset could have seen New Orleans interested in using its first-round pick in a trade package rather than for taking a rookie.

Payton’s departure could change that plan. Coaches know, hoewver, that NFL stands for “Not For Long” so the team’s new coach could easily be of the mindset to make a big push for a veteran quarterback to try to win big immediately as Payton’s successor.

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