The most underrated prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class

When we media yahoos talk about “sleepers” in any draft class, it’s true what NFL teams will tell you — it’s generally a case of the media simply catching up to what those teams have known about those prospects for months. Perception versus reality means that what we’re really talking about are prospects we’re just getting around to after the top-tier players at every position.

So, maybe it’s better to say for the purposes of this exercise that the prospects you see here are the ones whose tape stands out beyond the recognition they’ve gotten. With days to hours left until the 2022 draft, these players are the ones you may not have heard of, or have experienced in passing but haven’t watched, or have watched and wondered where they might be drafted.

Any of these guys going in the first round would be a longshot, but they each have remarkable attributes that show their professional potential, and could seal their NFL futures.

Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

(James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports)

The difference between Howell’s 2020 and 2021 seasons was pretty clear: In 2020, Howell had Javonte Williams and Michael Carter at running back, and Dazz Newsome and Dyami Brown at receiver. All four of those players went to the NFL in 2021, which left Howell with an entirely new structure. Howell still completed 62.5% of his passes for 3,056 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions last season, and he grew exponentially as a runner, gaining 828 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Some think of Howell as a system/RPO guy, but there’s more than enough examples of his ability to throw into tight windows, and with anticipation, to make his NFL transition interesting.

Things change in the NFL all the time; having a quarterback who can roll with those changes takes one thing off the coaches’ to-do lists.

He’ll make the occasional head-scratching decision, but if you’re looking at an iffy quarterback class, and trying to pull the quarterback with the most traits out of the box… Howell isn’t Malik Willis, but there’s a lot to like here.

Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida

(Syndication: Gainesville Sun)

Last season, Pierce ran the ball 100 times for 574 yards and 13 touchdowns. To say that his workload was a major case of malfeasance on the part of former Florida head coach Dan Mullen would be an understatement, because when you watch Pierce on tape, it’s clear that he was as good as any back in the NCAA last season. His nine carries against Georgia’s thermonuclear defense, in which he gained 69 yards, should have been a serious heads-up. You just didn’t see a lot of guys running through that defense as Pierce did.

Pierce has shown everything NFL teams should want from power, speed, receiving, and blocking perspectives; the only question is how many of those teams will look past his workload and see the top-tier potential.

Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State

(Syndication: Argus Leader).

When you’re watching small-school players, the one non-negotiable you want to see is total domination against “lesser” opponents. Strong, who gained 1,694 yards and scored 18 touchdowns on the ground last season, qualifies over and over on tape. Strong isn’t a power runner at 5-foot-11 and 207 pounds, but at his best, he brings to mind some of the better speed rushers in the league over the last few seasons; most notably LeSean McCoy. 30 of Strong’s carries last season were good for more than 15 yards; he gained 920 yards on those plays, and when you watch Strong’s tape, the burst and acceleration are next-level.

Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky

(Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)

I have two smaller receivers on this list, and the more I’ve watched football over the last year or so, the more I’m estimating how NFL offenses can beat the increase of two-high coverages. One thing that comes to mind is the intelligent implementation of smaller, faster receivers who can make quick gains in underneath areas against coverages in which safeties are either both up post-snap, or spinning down.

Robinson, who had 104 catches for 1,334 yards and seven touchdowns last season, has some Deebo Samuel characteristics to his game, and even though he’s 5-foot-8 and 178 pounds, he’s powerful enough to break tackles and make plays after contact. And certainly, he’s quick enough to make things happen — both underneath and in the open field.

You’re not going to see Robinson as any NFL team’s X-iso guy, but in today’s NFL, where 3×1 sets are the norm, that’s hardly a handicap. You put this guy in the right offense, and good things are going to happen.

Calvin Austin III, WR, Memphis

(Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports)

Speaking of X-iso receivers… when watching Calvin Austin III in Memphis’ offense, it was really intriguing to see how often he lined up in that role at 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds. Austin averaged 16.3 yards per catch over four seasons with the Tigers, and the 4.33 speed he blazed at the combine certainly shows up on tape.

Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina

(Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports)

Any NFL team looking for a tight end capable of making explosive plays from just about anywhere in the formation should be looking hard at Likely, one of the stars of the Chanticleers’ breakout offense. Last season, Likely caught 59 passes for 912 yards and 12 touchdowns, and it’s also about how many of those catches were explosive plays — he had seven receptions of 20 or more yards for 191 yards and four touchdowns. This catch against Kansas has Likely aligned as the boundary X receiver, making it very tough for his cornerback to get anywhere near him, and making it even more difficult for anybody to tackle him.

Max Mitchell, OT, Louisiana

(AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Mitchell played both (mostly) right and left tackle for the Ragin’ Cajuns, and he availed himself well at both spots. He allowed three sacks and 13 total pressures on 430 pass-blocking reps last season, and looked really good in the run game. His left tackle reps against Texas showed how well he could work in a spot where things weren’t planned…

…and he wound up with a Senior Bowl invite after a strong season. Mitchell looks like a potential starter on the right side, and should be a third-day steal.

Vederian Lowe, OT, Illinois

(Syndication: Journal-Courier)

Last season, Lowe allowed four sacks in a rough two-game stretch against Maryland and Purdue. In 10 other games, he allowed no sacks, two quarterback hits, and two quarterback hurries. But even in those rougher games, Lowe showed some nice reps against Purdue’s George Karlaftis, who’s projected by most as a first-round prospect.

Where Lowe needs work is in the finishing of plays — say, the last 10% of his reps — but if he’s able to work that out, he has second-day potential as a power tackle in the right offense.

Off the field, Lowe’s story is more compelling. He adopted his younger brother, Vydalis, after the passing of their mother, Veneka, and officially gained guardianship in July 2021. He also has two children with his wife, Haylee.

“These are things that have happened to me that I never thought would happen at this age,” Vederian told Illini Inquirer vis 247 Sports. “I always wanted to get married and have a family and all that, but I never thought I’d be a senior in college and it would all be done. It definitely feels put together, though. I’m glad I got my life started like this earlier than later. It has really helped me in all aspects of my life. It has helped me prioritize things that needed to be prioritized. It helped me prioritize school, stay on that and get that done and not slacking off on that. It’s also made me a better man and a better football player. I’m glad it’s happened the way it has.”

William Dunkle, OG, San Diego State

(Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

If you’re in the market for a power guard in a primary gap-scheme offense, you won’t be able to do much better than Dunkle in this draft class. At 6-foot-4 7/8 and 324 pounds, Dunkle can get a defensive lineman on a track, and that defensive lineman will have a very bad day as a result.

Dunkle will let pressure through to either side at times, but he never allowed a sack over three seasons on 1,012 pass-blocking reps, and as a run-blocker, his tape speaks for itself. He should find a home in the middle rounds with an NFL team that prizes power above all.

Dylan Parham, OG, Memphis

(AP Photo/John Amis)

If you select Dylan Parham to be a part of your offensive line, you’re not doing it because you need a guy who’s going to nuke a safety 20 yards downfield with a perfectly-targeted block. You select Parham because you want an in-line demolition expert. projects very well as a power guard to either side. He’ll need work on the finer points of pass-blocking unless he’s in a RPO-heavy, quick passing game as shown by the Dolphins, Steelers, and Chiefs, but he’s fairly scheme-versatile.

Over his last two collegiate seasons, Parham allowed just one sack, four quarterback hits, and 14 quarterback hurries on 1,047 pass-blocking snaps. And as he shows on this two-level block against Mississippi State, Parham at his best anchors and moves well to both levels.

Parham is a fine power blocker, but he’ll be even better when he learns to finish throughout the play, and get a few protection issues solved.

Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky

(Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)

The centers who can pop at the second level and do athletic things in space are the ones who tend to get more public praise, because it’s not as “fun” to watch a center who can just work defensive tackles closer to the line of scrimmage. But if your game is gap and inside zone power, you’d better have a headbanger at the pivot. Fortner isn’t the biggest center, at 6-foot-4 1/8 and 307 pounds, but he knows how to use technique and leverage to impose his will as other centers might not. And there’s enough to go on in space to make Fortner a more than decent prospect in speedier offenses. He’s not a big name, but Fortner has NFL-level play all over his tape.

With Fortner, even the ugly reps turn out pretty well — he has a series of adaptive and recovery strategies to keep him from getting truly beaten on a regular basis. That’s what you want in a center from snap to snap.

Matthew Butler, IDL, Tennessee

(Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel)

Butler’s fifth season with the Vols was by far his best, as he totaled 31 pressures and 28 stops. At 6-foot-4 and 297 pounds, he’s not the biggest guy on the block, but even when he’s playing head-up nose tackle, he’s got the strength, quickness, and lateral agility to turn things in a bad direction for enemy offenses.

And when you put him out at three-tech or 4i, Butler uses his hands to engage, his strength to displace, and his aggression to knife through just about anything. Butler isn’t a big name, but his tape shows one of the more underrated defensive linemen in his draft class.

Matt Henningsen, IDL, Wisconsin

(Syndication: The Post-Crescent)

Another lighter defensive lineman at 6-foot-3 and 289 pounds, Henningsen had his best collegiate season in 2021 with 10 pressures and 27 stops. Wherever you line him up, Henningsen will bring the angry with aggressive forward movement, and a relentless style that produces all kinds of negative plays based on effort and technique.

Henningsen will occasionally get washed out by bigger linemen, but if he’s in a defense where he can hunt in a straight line, he’s got starting potential as a plus disruptor.

Cameron Thomas, EDGE, San Diego State

(Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

When I was putting together this year’s list of the Top 11 edge defenders for Touchdown Wire, Thomas forced me to turn it up to 12, because his tape was too good to ignore. Last season, no edge defender in the 2022 draft class had more total pressures than Thomas’ 77, and he wasn’t just doing it against smaller schools — he had eight pressures against Arizona, eight against Utah, and 10 against Boise State.

Thomas has exceptional movement skills for a player his size (6-foot-4, 267). On this sack against Boise State, he widens his path off a head-up alignment against the left tackle, and then flattens his rush to the pocket.

Thomas will play too high off the snap at times, which leads to his getting washed out when he shouldn’t. But if some NFL team calls his name in the second day of the draft, don’t be surprised. He’s got all kinds of potential.

Joshua Paschal, EDGE, Kentucky

(Syndication: Online Athens)

Paschal has already been through a lot in his young life. His collegiate career path was delayed when he was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 2018, and he had several operations to battle the cancer — a process that ended in August, 2019. He had 3.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in 2019, fell off a bit in 2020, and put up a ton of good tape last season with 38 total pressures and 20 stops from every gap — 23 snaps in the A-gap, 87 snaps in the B-gap, 287 snaps over the tackle, and 252 snaps outside.

For a guy weighing nearly 270 pounds, Paschal has an ferociously quick close to the pocket. His acceleration and short-area quickness are his alpha attributes from the edge.

Paschal might be one of those prospects who slipped through the cracks a bit as a prospect without a defined position, which would be silly when you consider how important gap versatility is these days. The right NFL team will have a real force when adding Paschal to its roster.

Channing Tindall, LB, Georgia

(Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

It wasn’t easy for any defender to stand out in Georgia’s defense, given the ridiculous amount of talent, and as a linebacker, it wasn’t easy for Channing Tindall to stand out with Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker on the field. But Tindall managed to do just that with his sideline-to-sideline range and impressive athleticism. Whether he was using it on the edge to take the quarterback down…

…Tindall has shown that he can take anything away as a horizontal range defender, and he’s just the kind of linebacker the modern NFL prefers in that regard.

Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming

(Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)

Muma proved to be one of the NCAA’s most effectively versatile linebackers in 2021. He put up 21 pressures, 68 stops, 115 solo tackles, three interceptions, and he allowed an opponent passer rating of 77.5. Logan Wilson of the Bengals proved last season that a Wyoming linebacker can be one of the most important players on an NFL defense, and Muma appears to have even more on the ball from a potential perspective.

Muma is great at working through gaps and sifting through trash to get to the ballcarrier…

Muma isn’t an old-school forward-moving linebacker; he’s all about versatility and movement and spacing — which means that he’s precisely what the modern NFL requires at the position.

Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn

(John Reed-USA TODAY Sports)

McCreary comes into the 2022 draft class with one of the shorter wingspans in recent memory — his 70¼” span is in the first percentile for defensive backs in this class, and since 1999, only Boise State’s Avery Williams has a smaller wingspan. It’s an important measurement for defensive backs — the more you can cover and all that — but when looking at a player’s physical limitations, you also have to look at their adaptive strategies.

McCreary, who allowed 34 catches on 75 targets for 442 yards, 163 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, 13 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 57.8 last season against some of the NCAA’s toughest competition, has adapted to that particular limitation by becoming one of the stickiest defenders you’ll see. If you’re tied to your receiver through the route, it matters a bit less how long your arms are.

McCreary can stick with receivers all over the field, and though some will debit him because of things he can’t control, some NFL team is going to get a great defender who has already proven that wingspan isn’t everything.

Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA

(Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports)

At 6-foot-4 1/8 and 205 pounds, Woolen put up an athletic profile at the scouting combine the likes of which we’ve really never seen before.

Of course, we’ve all seen athletic marvels flame out on the field, so the next question is, how well does Woolen take all of this to what we can see on tape? Last season, he allowed 23 catches on 40 targets for 335 yards, 139 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, one interception, five pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 99.5.

There are times when he’ll get lost in press coverage, as was the case on this long touchdown against Western Kentucky…

Woolen is a developmental defender whose upside could provide a preposterous bargain over time as a middle-round pick.

Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati

(Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

The 2021 Bearcats played as much press and single-high as any NCAA defense last season, which meant that it was on Cook to patrol the deep third, often on his own island. Last season, Cook allowed 22 catches on 37 targets for 202 yards, 101 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 51.9. One of those picks came against Alabama in the Cotton Bowl.

Cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner gets most of the praise from Cincinnati’s defense, and rightly so. But Cook has the potential to be a starting single-high cover safety at the NFL level, and you just don’t find those players very often.

Verone McKinley III, S, Oregon

(Syndication: The Register Guard)

Safeties in today’s NFL have to be versatile, and McKinley qualifies. Over four seasons with the Ducks, McKinley played 1,178 snaps at free safety, 450 in the box, 493 in the slot, 27 at cornerback, and 33 at the defensive line. And in 2021, McKinley allowed 17 catches on 29 targets for 209 yards, 80 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, six interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 64.4. This shows up all over his tape, especially as a deep defender, where he’s quick and agile enough to break up any long boundary throw. Wherever the ball is, McKinley will get there.

That said, McKinley will work well as a deep safety and slot defender at the next level; he just needs the right system.

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