A Very Early 2022 NFL Draft Big Board

How are the individual position groups shaping up in the 2022 draft class? Zach Dietz has the answers, plus a first edition of his personal 2022 NFL Draft Big Board.

We have officially hit the halfway point of the NFL season, ladies and gentlemen! The number of takeaways so far from 2021 is so long, it would be treacherous to list all of them.

In terms of teams already looking forward to the upcoming offseason, which obviously includes free agency and the 2022 NFL Draft, there are more than a handful of teams at this point.

So today, to celebrate the halfway point of this fantastic season, I have for all of you my first big board for the aforementioned NFL Draft this coming spring.

This big board is NOT A MOCK DRAFT--my second mock will be coming very, very soon. The purpose of a big board is to simply sort the players in the upcoming draft class from best to worst based on the grade they were given (which in this case is my personal grade).

Before we jump into it, I figured I’d give my opinion on the state of each positional group for the 2022 NFL Draft.

• Quarterback: A class not as top-heavy or star-laden as the last two years have been, but I like the potential of some of the top guys, and the depth is pretty nice.
• Running Back: We likely won’t see a first-round pick at the running back position this season, but there is ample Day 2 talent for teams that need a new face in their backfield.
• Receiver: There are many different opinions on who is the WR1 in this class, but the talent remains immense, and I have a total of 19 wideouts in this list of 150.
• Tight End: We may not have a tight end go in the top 50, but the rounds three to five range is chock full of good values. Good class, just not top-heavy.
• Offensive Line: Between the tackles and interior guys, this is a fantastic class. One of my favorite aspects of a lot of these plays is the positional versatility they bring to the table.
• Interior Defensive Line: Once you get past DeMarvin Leal and Jordan Davis, this class falls off of a cliff. Free agency is where most teams will seek their defensive tackle needs.
• Edge: The best overall positional group, this 2022 edge-rusher class is endowed with top-end talent (including the best player in this class) and boatloads of depth. Giants fans should be VERY excited about this.
• Linebacker: We may see one off-ball linebacker sneak into the bottom half of Round 1, and the Day 2 depth is very impressive. A lot of these guys have improved their stock tremendously in 2021.
• Cornerback: Similarly to the edge group, this cornerback class has everything you want--a handful of potential stars and great mid-round talent, all coming in different shapes, sizes, and skillsets.
• Safety: Likely the most underrated group in this class. Some potential stars at the top and great values as you look down the list.

So here we go. After studying this class immensely since the middle of May, here is my first big board for the 2022 NFL Draft, which is subject to change after the college football season, postseason all-star games, the NFL Combine, and Pro Days! 

EARLY 2022 NFL DRAFT BIG BOARD

1. Kayvon Thibodeaux - ED, Oregon
2. Kyle Hamilton - S, Notre Dame
3. Derek Stingley Jr. - CB, LSU
4. Andrew Booth Jr. - CB, Clemson
5. Tyler Linderbaum - IOL, Iowa
6. Demarvin Leal - IDL, Texas A&M
7. Evan Neal - OT, Alabama
8. Aidan Hutchinson - ED, Michigan
9. Drake Jackson - ED, USC
10. Trent McDuffie - CB, Washington
11. Treylon Burks - WR, Arkansas
12. Garrett Wilson - WR, Ohio State
13. Sam Howell - QB, UNC
14. Malik Willis - QB, Liberty
15. Drake London - WR, USC
16. Jordan Battle - S, Alabama
17. Matt Corral - QB, Ole Miss
18. Adam Anderson - ED, Georgia
19. George Karlaftis - ED, Purdue
20. Ikem Ekwonu - IOL/OT, NC State
21. David Bell - WR, Purdue
22. Jordan Davis - IDL, Georgia
23. Kaiir Elam - CB, Florida
24. Nicholas Petit-Frere - OT, Ohio State
25. Kyler Gordon - CB, Washington
26. Darian Kinnard - IOL/OT, Kentucky
27. Charles Cross - OT, Mississippi State
28. George Pickens - WR, Georgia
29. Chris Olave - WR, Ohio State
30. Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington
31. Kingsley Enagabare - ED, South Carolina
32. Kenyon Green - IOL/OT, Texas A&M
33. Carson Strong - QB, Nevada
34. Jalen Catalon - S, Arkansas
35. Devin Lloyd - LB, Utah
36. Derion Kendrick - CB, Georgia
37. Nakobe Dean - LB, Georgia
38. Zach Harrison - ED, Ohio State
39. Travon Walker - ED/IDL, Georgia
40. Lewis Cine - S, Georgia
41. Jack Campbell - LB, Iowa
42. Kenneth Walker III - RB, Michigan State
43. David Ojabo - ED, Michigan
44. Perrion Winfrey - IDL, Oklahoma
45. Martin Emerson - CB, Mississippi State
46. Sauce Gardner - CB, Cincinnati
47. Tykee Smith - S, Georgia
48. Isaiah Spiller - RB, Texas A&M
49. Daxton Hill - S, Michigan
50. Jestin Jacobs - LB, Iowa
51. Abraham Lucas - OT, Washington State
52. Jaquan Brisker - S, Penn State
53. Zay Flowers - WR, Boston College
54. Jahan Dotson - WR, Penn State
55. Boye Mafe - ED, Minnesota
56. Isaiah Likely - TE, Coastal Carolina
57. Cade Otton - TE, Washington
58. Jameson Williams - WR, Alabama
59. Sean Rhyan - OT, UCLA
60. Edefuan Ulofoshio - LB, Washington
61. Breece Hall - RB, Iowa State
62. John Metchie III - WR, Alabama
63. Zion Johnson - IOL, Boston College
64. Jermaine Waller - CB, Virginia Tech
65. Roger McCreary - CB, Auburn
66. James Cook - RB, Georgia
67. Cory Durden - IDL, NC State
68. Dohnovan West - IOL, Arizona State
69. Devontae Wyatt - IDL, Georgia
70. Demani Richardson - S, Texas A&M
71. Khalil Shakir - WR, Boise State
72. Wan’Dale Robinson - WR/RB, Kentucky
73. Isaiah Foskey - ED, Notre Dame
74. Myjai Sanders - ED, Cincinnati
75. Rachaad White - RB, ASU
76. Isaiah Thomas - ED/IDL, Oklahoma
77. Amari Gainer - LB, Florida State
78. Cole Turner - TE, Nevada
79. Yusuf Corker - S, Kentucky
80. Braxton Jones - OT, Southern Utah
81. Trey McBride - TE, Colorado State
82. Lecitus Smith - IOL, Virginia Tech
83. Trevor Penning - OT, Northern Iowa
84. Cameron Thomas - IDL/ED, San Diego State
85. SirVocea Dennis - LB, Pittsburgh
86. Avery Young - CB, Rutgers
87. Isheem Young - S, Iowa State
88. Tanner McKee - QB, Stanford
89. Romeo Doubs - WR, Nevada
90. Smoke Monday - S, Auburn
91. Ricky Stromberg - IOL, Arkansas
92. Jack Sanborn - LB, Wisconsin
93. Zach Charbonnet - RB, UCLA
94. Travis Jones - IDL, UConn
95. Tyler Badie - RB, Missouri
96. Austin Stogner - TE, Oklahoma
97. Nolan Smith - ED, Georgia
98. Ochaun Mathis - ED, TCU
99. Jack Jones - CB,. Arizona State
100. Brandon Joseph - S, Northwestern
101. Hendon Hooker - QB, Tennessee
102. Daniel Faalele - OT, Minnesota
103. Zonovan Knight - RB, NC State
104. Jalen Wydermyer - TE, Texas A&M
105. Bernhard Raimann - OT, Central Michigan
106. Grayson McCall - QB, Coastal Carolina
107. Dontay Demus - WR, Maryland
108. Jahleel Billingsley - TE, Alabama
109. Jeremy Ruckert - TE, Ohio State
110. Zachary Carter - ED, Florida
111. Eric Gray - RB, Oklahoma
112. Haskell Garrett - IDL, Ohio State
113. Taulia Tagovailoa - QB, Maryland
114. Tyrese Robinson - IOL/OT, Oklahoma
115. Mykael Wright - CB, Oregon
116. Charlie Kolar - TE, Iowa State
117. Brenton Cox Jr. - ED, Florida
118. Jacob Cowing - WR, UTEP
119. Alec Lindstrom - IOL, Boston College
120. Ed Ingram - IOL, LSU
121. Brandon Smith - LB, Penn State
122. Demetrius Taylor - IDL/ED, Appalachian State
123. Merlin Robertson - LB, Arizona State
124. Justin Shaffer - IOL, Georgia
125. Tre’Vius Hodges-Hamilton - CB, TCU
126. Ainias Smith - WR/RB, Texas A&M
127. Kyren Williams - RB, Notre Dame
128. Desmond Ridder - QB, Cincinnati
129. DeMarvion Overshown - LB/S, Texas
130. Leo Chenal - LB, Wisconsin
131. Tre Turner - WR, Virginia Tech
132. Christian Harris - LB, Alabama
133. Rasheed Walker - OT, Penn State
134. Kolby Harvell-Peel - S, Oklahoma State
135. Chamarri Conner - S, Virginia Tech
136. Jake Ferguson - TE, Wisconsin
137. Jaxson Kirkland - OT, Washington
138. Tyreke Smith - ED, Ohio State
139. Javon Heiligh - WR, Coastal Carolina
140. Justyn Ross - WR, Clemson
141. Josh Jobe - CB, Alabama
142. Riley Moss - CB, Iowa
143. Micah McFadden - LB, Indiana
144. Nik Bonitto - ED, Oklahoma
145. James Mitchell - TE, Virginia Tech
146. Zacch Pickens - IDL, South Carolina
147. Emil Ekiyor Jr. - IOL, Alabama
148. Jayden Daniels - QB, Arizona State
149. Joey Blount - S, Virginia
150. Nehemiah Pritchett - CB, Auburn

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