We are roughly a week away from the 2022 NFL Draft. Now that the pro days are over and the visits are wrapping up, NFL teams have turned their attention to finalizing their draft boards. As they make the final adjustments, prospects are rising and falling on draft boards.
There are plenty of rumors swirling around, but don’t believe everything you hear. Let’s look at a few players who are either trending up or down boards heading into the draft.
Draft Risers
Drake London (WR – USC)
Many in the scouting world had Drake London as the No. 1 wide receiver on their draft board before his pro day workout last week. Some are disappointed London didn’t run a 40-yard dash. But he likely made the right decision not to run a 40-yard dash coming off a fractured ankle injury he suffered last season. Before his workout, London was sliding down draft boards behind Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and others.
While most of the receivers in the draft class have taken part in all the activities in the pre-draft process, London couldn’t work out for scouts until last week. However, he had a strong performance at his pro day and showed no signs of the injury impacting his play. London likely doesn’t make it out of the top-11 picks.
Leo Chenal (LB – Wisconsin)
Leo Chenal might not be someone the casual NFL draft fan recognizes, but he has severely helped his stock during the pre-draft process. While Nakobe Dean and other linebackers have seen their stock slide recently, Chenal has been on the rise. At 6’3″ and 250 pounds, Chenal ran a 4.53 40-yard dash time while posting a 41-inch vertical jump and a 128-inch broad jump. All three rank in the top 91 percentile for linebackers.
In his final year at Wisconsin, Chenal had a career year. He ended the year with 115 total tackles, 18.5 going for a loss, and eight sacks. Chenal isn’t a lock to get drafted in the first round. However, given his athletic testing performance, no one should be surprised if it happens.
Lewis Cine (SAF – Georgia)
Like Chenal, Lewis Cine isn’t a household name for the casual NFL draft fan. However, the draft nerds are in love with Cine, understandably so. He was a critical part of Georgia’s elite defense last season but hasn’t gotten the national media attention Jordan Davis, and Devonte Wyatt received. At 6’2″ and 200 pounds, Cine ran a 4.37 40-yard dash and posted a 133-inch broad jump. Both numbers rank in the top 95 percentile for safeties.
Not only can he start right away on defense, but Cine should earn a critical role on special teams as a rookie. Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton will be the first safety drafted this year. After that, it’s a toss-up between Michigan’s Daxton Hill and Cine. No one should be surprised if Cine is a top-25 pick.
Draft Fallers
Tyler Linderbaum (IOL – Iowa)
If you only watch the tape, Tyler Linderbaum is arguably the best interior offensive lineman prospect since Quenton Nelson in 2018. Yet, there are two reasons why Linderbaum could slide out of the first round after being a potential top-10 pick in February. The first issue is his size. Linderbaum measured in the bottom five percentile among offensive linemen in weight at 296 pounds and arm length at just over 31 inches. Some teams are worried he doesn’t have the size or length to hold up at center in the NFL.
The second issue for Linderbaum is the lack of center-needy teams in the first round. The Baltimore Ravens at pick 14 need a center, but they prefer bigger and heaver offensive linemen. After that, there isn’t a clear landing spot for Linderbaum in the first round. Unless a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars or New York Giants trade back into the first round, Linderbaum could slide into the second round.
George Karlaftis (EDGE – Purdue)
George Karlaftis is one of the safer prospects in the draft class, but NFL teams still have two concerns with him. The first is the lack of sack production in college. Karlaftis had only 14 sacks in his career at Purdue. Seven of those sacks came his freshman year. Over the past two years, Karlaftis had only seven sacks. While he only played in two games in 2020, Karlaftis averaged a sack per game. But in 2021, he had only 4.5 sacks in 12 games.
The other issue is the lack of scheme versatility. Some don’t believe he can stand up in a 3-4 defense as an outside linebacker and drop into coverage. At the same time, others wonder if he’s a 4-3 defensive end or better suited as a 5-tech in a 3-4 defense. Depending on how many teams view him as a tweener or not an ideal fit for their scheme, Karlaftis could slide into the late 20s on draft night.
Jalen Wydermyer (TE – Texas A&M)
Most scouts think Colorado State’s Trey McBride is the top tight end in the draft this year. After him, the opinions all change. Some view Isaiah Likely as the next player, while others consider Cade Otton or even Jelani Woods as the No. 2 tight end. Not long ago, Jalen Wydermyer was in that conversation, but he is no longer a second or third-round prospect after his pro day.
Wydermyer measured just under 6’4″, putting him in the 27 percentile for all tight ends in height. His athletic testing numbers were also eye-popping and not in a good way. He had a 109-inch broad jump, 25.5-inch, and a 5.03 40-yard dash time. All three rank in the bottom 25 percentile for tight ends. At this point, Wydermyer will be a late-round pick and could end up going undrafted.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive follow him @Mike_NFL2.
