Each year, as the NFL draft creeps closer and I finalize my rankings, I like to unveil my list of favorite prospects at every position for the class. It has become an annual tradition, highlighting one player from quarterback through safety whom I like more than most.
This is not a list of the best overall prospects in the 2022 class nor is it a list of the guys I consider the best at each position. These are the prospects whom I've:
Often rated higher than other evaluators within the draft media or than team evaluators with whom I discuss prospects, or ...
Ranked higher in close debates within position groups, or ...
Watched and rewatched on tape, just because I like the way they play the game.
This class is so interesting because we're less than two weeks out from the start of Round 1 (April 28 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and ABC), and we still don't really know where the quarterbacks will go. That makes every scenario still possible. Let's start with my favorite signal-caller in this class, and I'll include projections on the round in which each prospect is likely to be drafted. I'll also give a few fun nuggets and stats for all 12 prospects:
Quarterback
Malik Willis, Liberty
Willis is electric with the ball in his hands and has a cannon for an arm. What's not to like? He didn't play with much NFL talent in college, but he made everyone around him better. He took an FBS-high 51 sacks last season -- some were because he held on to the ball too long -- and still finished with 878 rushing yards (yes, college football still counts sacks as negative yards for quarterbacks).
Willis took a leap forward as a passer in 2021, even with a trio of three-interception games. He had 63 plays of 20-plus yards over the past two seasons, which ranked seventh in the country. He is extremely accurate when he gets outside the pocket. Again, he did this at Liberty, which doesn't have any other draft picks in this class. Like any young quarterback, Willis needs to go to a team with talent around him (Pittsburgh?) to be at his best. But he has the highest ceiling of all the 2022 signal-callers.
Projection: I think he's going to land in the top 10, maybe for a team trading up to get him.
Running back
Pierre Strong Jr., South Dakota State
I mentioned Strong as an under-the-radar prospect everyone should know back in September, after he looked great in wins over Colorado State and Indiana State. He finished the season with 1,673 rushing yards and 18 scores while averaging 7.0 yards per carry. He has great balance through the hole, can hold his own in pass protection and was durable for the Jackrabbits.
Strong is really good at most everything. He impressed at the combine, too, running a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at 5-foot-11, 207 pounds.
Projection: Strong is going to be drafted late on Day 2 or early on Day 3, and I really think he could be a steal. He has a chance to be a starter in the NFL in the right situation (and given a little time to adjust).
Wide receiver
Alec Pierce, Cincinnati
Pierce probably isn't going in Round 1, but it wouldn't totally shock me if he sneaks into the top 32 picks. He has the physical traits that could make a team fall in love with him. He ran a 4.41 40 and had a 40.5-inch vertical at the combine. Pierce isn't just a workout warrior, though; he averaged 17 yards per catch, scored eight touchdowns and was one of the best vertical threats in the country last season. He's going to run by defensive backs at the next level.
I also thought about Western Michigan's Skyy Moore here. He's only 5-foot-10, but he had the biggest hands of any receiver at the combine. He's dynamic after the catch.
Projection: I comped Pierce to Jordy Nelson, and Pierce could go right around where Nelson did in the 2008 draft (No. 36 overall).
Tight end
Trey McBride, Colorado State
This tight end class is just OK -- I included only two at the very end of my recent two-round mock -- but McBride will be able to make an instant impact as a pass-catcher. He had the most catches (90) and yards (1,121) of any tight end in the country last season, playing in-line, in the slot and out wide.
Really, you have to trust the tape with McBride; his workouts won't wow you, and he's not the most physically imposing player. But in a game, he has the ability to catch nine passes, go for over 100 yards and burn your safety a few times.
Projection: McBride will likely land in Round 2, potentially to a contender in the back half, which means he could be playing in meaningful late-season games as a rookie.
Offensive tackle
Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
The easy one here is Ikem Ekwonu (NC State), but he's likely going in the top six picks, so let's go with Penning, whose tape is entertaining to watch. I say that because he's a nasty and physical finisher who will put defenders on their butts and get in their face (sometimes after the whistle). The big test for him was at Senior Bowl practices in January, and the 6-foot-7, 325-pounder held his own against some great players. He has the versatility to play left or right tackle in the NFL.
Projection: Penning will likely be drafted among the top 20 picks, with a chance for the top 13 depending on how the board shakes out.
Interior offensive line
Dylan Parham, Memphis
I'm combining center and guard for this year's favorites list, because there's not a center whom I love. I am, however, a big fan of Parham, who started 51 games in college, playing both guard spots and right tackle. He's not a massive road grader in the run game -- he measured 6-foot-3, 311 pounds at the combine -- but he is very technically sound. He knows exactly what he's doing on every snap. He allowed just one sack last season.
Projection: Parham could be a value pick in Round 3, because he could stay at guard or move to center. I think he'll be ready to play early.
Defensive end
Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State
OK, I'm sneaking in Ebiketie here at defensive end, even though he might be better suited for outside linebacker at the next level. I wanted to use another OLB, though, so bear with me. My pal Todd McShay keeps arguing with me about Ebiketie, saying I have him too high in this class. I'd take him in Round 1, though. He leveled up after transferring from Temple last season, racking up 9.5 sacks and 46 pressures.
Every team needs pass-rushers, and Ebiketie is a complete player. (He can get swallowed up at times in the run game, but his limitations are overblown.) He'll play all three downs in the NFL, and he has All-Pro potential.
Projection: Ebiketie is going to go somewhere in the top 40 picks. I had him going to Dallas at No. 24 in my recent mock, but I could see the Lions, Giants or Jets taking him early on Day 2 if he's still available.
Defensive tackle
Matthew Butler, Tennessee
Want a Day 3 pick who will play a long time in the league? That's Butler. I love his tape, and he rarely left the field for the Volunteers the past two seasons. At 6-foot-4, 297 pounds, he can split double-teams (or blow them up) and is incredibly disruptive (seven sacks from the interior since 2020). Turn on the film from the Alabama game to see him wreak havoc on the Crimson Tide, even in a blowout loss.
And like I said, his stamina and consistent effort is rare for 300-pounders in the NFL. He's not going to be an every-down player early in his career, but he has the tools to get there.
Projection: I have a Round 4 grade on Butler, but I still feel like I might be underrating him. You can bet I'll be mentioning him in my draft grades in two weeks.
Outside linebacker
Channing Tindall, Georgia
How about a linebacker who could go in the top 50 who never actually started a game in his college career? Tindall played in 50 games for the Bulldogs but was behind Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker on the depth chart. He was finally put into a consistent role last season and he showed flashes of being a star. He flies to the football and has some juice as a pass-rusher. He could end up as an inside or outside linebacker, depending on the scheme.
Tindall ran a blazing 4.47 40 and posted a 42-inch vertical at the combine, solidifying what he showed on tape. I'm looking forward to seeing where he lands in the NFL.
Projection: Tindall is going to go in Round 2, and it could be in the 30s.
Inside linebacker
Troy Andersen, Montana State
I love Andersen's versatility. As a freshman in 2017, he started games at both linebacker and running back for the Bobcats. In 2018, he was the first-team All-Big Sky quarterback. He ran for 21 scores that season. Now, he couldn't really throw much, so he stuck at linebacker from 2019 on, and he put up 150 tackles last season.
Andersen did not look out of place at Senior Bowl practices, and he ran a 4.42 40 at the combine, which was the second-fastest time among the front seven players there. He's legit.
Projection: I'm just going to say Day 2 here for now, because I could see him going late in the second round or closer to the middle of the third round. It's a big step up from the FCS to the NFL, so he'll need some time to adapt to the speed of everyone around him.
Cornerback
Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
I'm going to stick with a corner I've loved since 2019, when he looked like a candidate to be a future No. 1 prospect on my Big Board. As a true freshman for that LSU national title team, he had six interceptions and blanketed his side of the field. He was unbelievable. The problem is that he has had injuries the past two seasons and has played just 10 games since that dazzling debut year. That's an issue for NFL teams, who want to see consistent reps over a few seasons.
Still, I would bet on Stingley's talent, and he has the talent to be a true shutdown No. 1 corner in the NFL. Plus, he proved at his pro day earlier this month that he has recovered from his foot injury.
Projection: I don't think Stingley is going to fall out of the top 12 picks, with Minnesota lurking as his floor. He could still be picked over Cincinnati's Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner.
Safety
Daxton Hill, Michigan
Let's end with a defender I moved all the way to No. 13 overall on my Big Board. The former five-star recruit was kind of a tweener for the Wolverines, and he spent most of last season at slot corner. He had some inconsistent snaps there, but that versatility is appealing to NFL teams. He has already gotten reps at nickel corner and all over the field as a safety. Hill could be best as a center fielder at the next level; he ran an elite 4.38 40 at the combine.
He can get a few sacks and interceptions, and he'll smother tight ends who try to outmuscle him. He is also an excellent tackler in space.
Projection: Hill is going in Round 1, likely in the 20s.