NFL Draft: Under The Radar 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl Prospects

The biggest week for draft prospects, outside of the NFL combine, is upon us. The Reese’s Senior Bowl is less than a week away and is loaded with talent that will fill this year’s NFL Draft.

The biggest week for draft prospects, outside of the NFL combine, is upon us. The Reese’s Senior Bowl is less than a week away and is loaded with talent that will fill this year’s NFL Draft. On offense, there’s quite possibly the best group of quarterbacks this event has had with six of the consensus top seven prospects that will be throwing all week. While on the defensive side, they’ve compiled a special group of edge rushers that should make one-on-one’s fun all week long. Jim Nagy and his staff are on their way to putting together another successful year of highlighting the nation’s top seniors. There’s a number of players that will be recognized, but specifically these five are ones that deserve early attention.

Jalen Pitre, Safety, Baylor

One of the biggest surprises of the season were the Baylor Bears and their stout defense. Finishing 12-2 on the season and as a top-five team in the country, Pitre was a huge building block for the team. As a fifth-year senior, Pitre gave the defense veteran leadership on the back end. Started games as a true freshman in 2017 and was an impact player for four years while redshirting in 2019, before coming back for the 2021 season. Coming back for his fifth year paid huge dividends for his draft stock as he put together special games down the stretch. Pitre totaled 75 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions, all while logging over 600 snaps in the slot, 100 in the box and 100 across the line of scrimmage.

Pitre has been compared to players from the previous draft such as Jevon Holland, who put together an extremely impressive rookie campaign. Pitre was used in a similar way as Holland was at Oregon. Both have the ability to cover from the slot and be moved all over the box. He’s a smooth moving athlete that excelled in off-man coverage. Hips are fluid and feet move with receivers at the top of routes. Pitre was able to make plays at all times on defense and knew his assignment well, as he made splash plays when able to blitz off the edge after his receiver moved pre-snap. He has the athleticism and tackling ability to make an impact right away for an NFL defense and on special teams. NFL defenses have coveted safeties they can move and create different matchups with on the field and Pitre falls right in that line.

Travis Jones, Defensive Tackle, UConn

UConn hasn’t been a powerhouse for top prospects in the past, but they’ve been able to produce a star in Jones. Since coming into the program as a freshman in 2018, Jones let his presence be known early in his career. However, Jones didn’t step onto campus as a star; he actually came to UConn in 2018 as a 356-pound guard before making the move to defensive tackle. Jones’ weight was one of the main reasons he ended up at UConn as other schools didn’t see the ability to cut off the bad weight. Soon enough, Jones was able to cut down to 330 pounds while being one of the quickest players on the field. This weight loss and body transformation didn’t come out of nowhere as the UConn staff and Jones’ incredible work ethic put him in position to succeed today. Defensive coordinator Lou Spanos said about Jones last summer, “If we walk in the room, you’ll see Travis first. If he’s 10 yards behind me, you’ll see Travis first.” The staff had nothing but great things to say about his work ethic.

As a defensive tackle, Jones has put up great tape since his freshman year in 2018. UConn wasn’t able to play in 2020 due to COVID, making Jones a three-year starter. His massive size and strength has made him become a problem in the middle of the defensive line against competition as high as Clemson. Jones projects as a pure nose or one-tech, but has the acceleration and twitchiness to rush the passer on third downs. He’s shown the ability to take on double teams and anchor well. As a pass rusher, his length makes it tough for linemen to latch their hands on him and he works his own hands with speed to win reps consistently. Nose tackles with the ability to rush the passer are rare and for many schemes in the NFL, Jones will be a perfect fit.

Jermaine Johnson II, Edge, Florida State

Probably, the most well-known player on this list, but it’s hard to watch Johnson and not fall in love with his game. Another player with a unique path to the Senior Bowl, Johnson started out at Independence Community College in 2017 as a freshman. He quickly became one of the top names in the 2018 JUCO transfer cycle and committed to Georgia in December of 2018. For his junior and senior seasons, Johnson was used as a pass-rush specialist in one of the deepest position groups in the country for Georgia. Johnson didn’t play as much as he expected for the Bulldogs, but it’s impossible to knock him for being a part of a group that talented and not securing a starting job. In 2021, Johnson transferred to Florida State as a fifth-year senior where his production exploded with a fulltime role as an edge rusher. Per PFF, he recorded almost 50 pressures, 14 sacks and 30 tackles for loss. Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell talked about what Johnson meant to Florida State: “He impacted the future of Florida State football because he chose to come here and establish a foundation. When he came through the door, I told him we needed him to be an example of what a leader should look like."

When watching Florida State on defense it’s hard not to notice No. 11 pop off the screen almost every play. His blend of size, length and explosiveness creates havoc for offensive tackles. His first step is strong and covers a ton of ground, and he needs to time snaps more consistently. But he has the twitchiness to push vertically quickly. His hand usage is exceptional, plays fast and controls the point of attack consistently. Also, possesses multiple pass-rush moves with his two-hand swipe and swim move. Doesn’t show NFL caliber power as a rusher, but has the frame to add more strength. Athletically proficient to play in space against the run and make tackles. Johnson has the opportunity to push his stock into the first round while showing his strengths against senior offensive tackles all week long.

Khalil Shakir, Wide Receiver, Boise State

Each and every draft cycle, NFL teams are looking for value at the wide receiver position on Day 2. There may be a couple of underclassmen that will hear their names called before Shakir, but he will be one of the most impressive seniors all week in Mobile. At Boise State, Shakir made a name for himself as a sophomore in 2019, becoming the Broncos’ leading receiver and a starter they could count on going forward. Even with a COVID-shortened junior season, Shakir was able to build up enough hype to be a consensus preseason All-Mountain West pick by many different outlets and a third-team PFF preseason All-America. He sure enough lived up to the hype, hauling in 77 catches, 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns. Most notably, Shakir put his name on the map of NFL Draft analysts from his highlight-reel catches that he made almost weekly. Boise State head coach Andy Avalos had this to say about Shakir, after a huge win against UTEP: "I mean, it's cliche, that's the type of player he is, I'm telling you guys, even better person, that he's the most selfless people you'll ever meet. He cares about his teammates." Shakir finished the game with over 160 yards and two Sportscenter top-10 plays that night.

When translating to the NFL, Shakir has a lot to love as a prospect. At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Shakir has the size and athleticism to play any position out wide for an NFL offense. He has NFL caliber speed and acceleration to be a threat to all three levels of a defense. His route running is by far his most likable trait, he’s smooth throughout his breaks and knows how to win against press. He does a great job of changing speeds and manipulating cornerbacks to create separation. All on top of creating the biggest plays of the season when being able to climb the ladder and haul in big-time catches. Shakir will be one of the most talked about receivers this week in Mobile and should be a consistent winner in one-on-ones.

Troy Andersen, Linebacker, Montana State

One of the most unknown players coming down to Mobile, is Andersen. Coming off a FCS national championship loss, Andersen was a huge contributor on the defense that got them there. His career has been unlike any other at Montana State. In 2017, Andersen became Big Sky Freshman of the Year, starting games at both running back and linebacker where he excelled at both. After his freshman season, Andersen was asked to play quarterback where he not only broke multiple single-season records as a runner, but also became first team All-Big Sky quarterback. Going back to starting at linebacker in 2019, Andersen was named first-team All-Big Sky as a linebacker while also starting games at fullback and running back when needed. These mind-blowing first three seasons just speaks to the level of athleticism that is being talked about as Andersen was the best at his position no matter what side of the ball he was playing. After a COVID ruined senior season, Andersen returned in 2021 to become the FCS National Defensive Player of the Year and lead his team to a national-championship appearance.

The resume’ that Andersen has been able to create is something that college football may never see again. Fast forward to 2022 and Andersen is on his way to being showcased as a top linebacker at the Senior Bowl. What makes him such an intriguing linebacker is his ability to play in the modern NFL where passing is king on offense and coverage mirrors that on defense. Andersen is 6-foot-3, 235 pounds and has the physical tools that NFL defenses look for and his athleticism is what helped him dominate at the FCS level. Dropping back as a hook-to-seam defender will fit him well and he can match up with tight ends on crossing patterns. Fitting rush lanes and making tackles in space are both areas where he excelled as a Bobcat.

Looking past Andersen as a prospect, his leadership and work ethic are both things that have been praised by his entire coaching staff. A hint to any football player: you don’t become an All-Conference player by accident, much less on both sides of the ball! Andersen has out-worked the rest of the country to get where he is and it’s put him in the position he is today. His own teammates recognize him for the type of player and person he is as they’ve already spoken out about putting a statue of Andersen on campus. The sky's the ceiling for Andersen as a draft prospect, the versatility of his skillset and leadership alone should put him toward the top of any NFL team’s board.

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• Reese’s Senior Bowl – February 6^th, 2022 (Mobile, AL)
• East-West Shrine Bowl – February 3^rd, 2022 (Las Vegas, NV)
• NFLPA Collegiate Bowl – January 29^th, 2022 (Pasadena, CA)
• Hula Bowl – January 15^th, 2022 (Orlando, FL)
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