Ian Cummings’ Big Board of Top 300 Players for the 2022 NFL Draft

The 2022 NFL Draft is finally here after a long and tumultuous cycle. With that, here is my final Top 300 Big Board. See who makes the cut, leads each position, and finds their way into the top 10.

2022 NFL Draft Big Board | Top five prospects

There’s been a lot of movement throughout the 2022 NFL Draft cycle. At various points, I had Kayvon Thibodeaux and Kyle Hamilton as my No. 1 overall prospect. But as I dug deeper and re-evaluated, I wasn’t comfortable with anyone in that spot. But for the final 2022 NFL Draft Top 300 Big Board, I finally settled on my guy.

Thibodeaux, Hamilton, and plenty of others are close to the top. They’re all phenomenal players with bright futures. But these are my official top five prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State

Earlier in the cycle, I wrote a feature piece pitting Thibodeaux and Aidan Hutchinson against one another for the EDGE1 spot. I went with Thibodeaux, but as I watched more and more of Jermaine Johnson II‘s tape, I started to wonder if he had a better case than both of them. His dominant Senior Bowl showing was something else entirely. But on the tape, Johnson flashes all the necessary traits to be a truly special defender.

Johnson played a lot of contain at Florida State, so even on pass-rushing reps, he sometimes had to read the run, which delayed his attack at times. But his pass-rushing ability is undeniable. Johnson is 6’4 5/8″, 254 pounds, with 34″ arms. He’s very explosive, with a 10-yard split in the 95th percentile. With that burst and length, he can generate massive amounts of power. But he’s also a violent technician with his hands, with a vast arsenal of hand moves and the ability to stack counters in rapid succession.

Going further, Johnson is extremely twitchy. He has great lateral agility, and his motor runs hot. But to top it all off, he also has much better bend capacity than he’s given credit for. He can roll his hips through the apex. Johnson can reduce his surface area and accelerate around the corner with impressive ankle flexion. And his run defense isn’t even a question.

In the NFL, where Johnson will be able to pin his ears back and rush without any hesitation, I feel confident in saying that he has the best all-around skill set of any prospect in this class.

Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

Evan Neal is likely the one prospect you expected to see in the top three in this 2022 NFL Draft Big Board. That’s a testament to Neal’s talent and his tape. Few prospects have been as sturdy at the top of the class as Neal has this cycle. While others rose and fell, Neal entered and left as a top-five prospect.

Neal is an elite physical specimen at 6’7 1/2″, 337 pounds, with 34″ arms. Even with his size, he moves well in space and around the edge. He’s a smooth, easy lateral mover with incredibly efficient footwork, and his hands are forceful and calculated. Neal’s discipline as a pass protector helps to maximize his physical tools, but he can also be a road-grader in the running game.

On top of it all, Neal can play left and right tackle. He has one of the best high-floor, high-ceiling combinations in this class.

Lewis Cine, S, Georgia

Hamilton was long considered the runaway top safety in the 2022 NFL Draft. I still believe he’s a top-10 prospect. But in my opinion, he’s not at all on his own. Lewis Cine and Daxton Hill are right there with him. And if you ask me, I give Cine a slight edge.

Regrettably, I wasn’t able to finalize Cine until last month. But I had a good impression of him before then. A long, athletic safety. A hard hitter coming downhill. But there’s so much more on tape to like on top of the enforcer element he provides.

Cine is an elite athlete. He’s twitchy, fluid, and effortlessly smooth on transitions for his long 6’2″ frame. He can sustain acceleration through transitions and match receivers in space, and he has the searing range and closing speed to erase windows. He’s not only incredibly physical but also intelligent and a quick processor. Cine is much more consistent in every facet than he gets credit for, and he has the elite length-athleticism combination to be a versatile and dynamic defender.

Cine, Hamilton, and Hill are all close enough that it can be up to preference. But to me, Hamilton has the size, instincts, and explosiveness. Hill has the burst, fluidity, and physicality. Cine has it all. He can play big slot, two-high, or single-high while being a playmaker at every spot.

Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson

There’s a sense that Andrew Booth Jr. will go lower than expected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Medicals have frequently been brought up as a concern for Booth, who wasn’t always fully healthy in college. He also tweaked his hamstring this offseason and underwent core muscle surgery.

Booth’s injury issues will turn some teams off. But at a certain point in Round 1, I think you have to take that leap and select him — because he’s a top-five prospect on my board.

After finalizing my grade of Booth, I’m all the way in on the Clemson defender. In my opinion, Booth is the best all-around playmaker at cornerback. He has lightning-fast feet and unreal corrective twitch and energy in his movement. He’s supremely explosive, with impressive fluidity, physicality, and run support. At the catch point, Booth is hyper-instinctive, and he makes gravity-defying plays on the ball.

He and Derek Stingley Jr. are close. Stingley is more technically sound at this point. But Booth is longer, noticeably better in run defense, and has a slightly higher ceiling.

Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

Booth gets a slight edge on Derek Stingley Jr. in my 2022 NFL Draft Top 300 Big Board. But if you had Stingley as your top-rated cornerback, I wouldn’t bat an eye. Much has been made of Stingley’s reduced production and injury history over the past few seasons. But he’s quietly remained that sticky cover man on the boundary, and he has lockdown tools at the next level.

Stingley did get knocked below Booth for two reasons. Booth is legitimately elite in run support, while Stingley’s tacking is more inconsistent. And Stingley doesn’t quite have Booth’s length. But aside from those factors, Stingley is right there at the top of the class. And in a CB superlatives list, he’d take home quite a few awards.

As young as he is, Stingley is already a masterful technician. He’s patient, disciplined, and can match receivers stride-for-stride off the line. He’s fluid and explosive, and when the ball comes his way, he has rare playmaking talent. He and Booth are in a tier by themselves in that category.

If you’re worried about Booth’s medicals, there should be no hesitation in moving one spot down the board. Stingley is just as good.

2022 NFL Draft Big Board