MAC 2022 NFL Draft prospects and scouting reports

2022 MAC Preseason Summer Scouting | Draft prospects to know

We continue with the 2022 NFL Draft prospects to keep in mind for each MAC team.

Kent State Golden Flashes Draft Prospects

The last time Kent State had a player selected in the draft was 2014, but there’s an outside chance a member of the Golden Flashes could be selected next April.

Dustin Crum, QB | Grade: 3.10 | Projected Round: FA

Dustin Crum receives a lot of love from many on the outside, but I grade the quarterback as a free agent, as do most scouts. He is a solid college quarterback, but he’s a product of the Kent State offensive system that employs receiver screens and short passes. Crum grades highly in quarterback intelligence and command of the offense, yet he lacks size, athleticism, and arm strength. His inability to accurately throw the ball downfield will prevent him from being drafted.

Miami RedHawks Draft Prospects

Tommy Doyle, who was picked in the fifth round last year, was the earliest selection from Miami in a half-dozen years. There’s a good chance no player from the program is drafted this year.

Sterling Weatherford, S | Grade: 3.17 | Projected Round: FA

Safety Sterling Weatherford is smart, tough, and incredibly instinctive. He’s constantly around the ball, makes plays against the run or pass, and rarely has a lapse on the field. Weatherford is aggressive yet plays within himself and the system. What he lacks is speed and burst for the safety position. Tipping the scales at 218 pounds and measuring 6-foot-4, I could see Weatherford putting on 10 pounds and moving to linebacker in the NFL. 

Ryan McWood, LB | Grade: 3.03 | Projected Round: FA

Ryan McWood is an undersized linebacker who plays like his hair is on fire.

Mike Brown, S | Grade: 2.81 | Projected Round: FA

Safety Mike Brown has terrific size and flashes ability. He’s in the mold of a strong safety with solid ball skills but average speed.

Northern Illinois Huskies Draft Prospects

NIU has not had a player selected in the past two drafts. It will take the departure of their top junior to break that trend next April.

Marques Cox, OT | Grade: 3.43 | Projected Round: 5th

Marques Cox was someone I graded as a late-round pick last summer, and the big offensive tackle showed significant development in his game in 2020. He’s a long and mobile blindside protector with good footwork off the edge. He also possesses the ability to block at the second level. Cox needs to improve his run-blocking strength but comes with a large upside.

Erin Collins, RB | Grade: 3.20 | Projected Round: FA

Erin Collins is a nice-sized downhill ball carrier who picks up yardage off initial contact.

Kyle Pugh, LB | Grade: 3.13 | Projected Round: FA

Linebacker Kyle Pugh is an undersized, run-and-chase linebacker who stands out in pursuit. He played reasonably well last season after missing all but two games in 2019 with injury. As a sophomore, Pugh totaled 106 tackles with 5 tackles for loss.

Ohio Bobcats Draft Prospects

Ohio is a solid college program that rarely produces NFL talent of note, and that won’t change during the 2022 NFL Draft.

De’Montre Tuggle, RB | Grade: 2.88 | Projected Round: FA

De’Montre Tuggle is a smallish scatback who can create yardage and make defenders miss. He lacks size as well as speed and must make his mark on special teams.

Armani Rogers, QB | Grade: 2.73 | Projected Round: FA

Armani Rogers is a pocket passer who flashed ability on occasion dating back to his time at UNLV. He has the size and arm strength to play in the NFL, but his game is woefully incomplete. Moreover, the offense employed at Ohio will do nothing to help his game.

Toledo Rockets Draft Prospects

From Diontae Johnson to Kareem Hunt to John Greco, most of the Toledo players who have made their mark in the draft have come from the offensive side of the ball. That will change in the near future.

My top four Toledo prospects are all on defense — three have draftable grades.

Jamal Hines, DE | Grade: 3.38 | Projected Round: 6th

Jamal Hines is an undersized college defensive end who shows a lot of ability rushing the passer. Hines is fast up the field, can bend off the edge, and gets a lot of penetration. He has size limitations and may be better standing over tackle.

Desjuan Johnson, DE | Grade: 3.34 | Projected Round: 6th

Desjuan Johnson is another undersized defensive lineman who penetrates the line of scrimmage with excellent quickness off the snap. Johnson is fundamentally sound but also has size limitations.

Sam Womack, CB | Grade: 3.27 | Projected Round: 7th

Sam Womack possesses solid ball skills and plays with a feisty attitude. The problem is that Womack measures under 5-foot-10, but he should line up in dime packages at the next level.

Vitaliy Gurman, OT | Grade: 3.22 | Projected Round: FA

Vitaliy Gurman lines up at left tackle for Toledo but is best inside at center or guard. He was effective for the Rockets last year, his first season with the program, and he could sneak into the late rounds with a strong 2021 campaign.

Tycen Anderson, S | Grade: 3.21 | Projected Round: FA

Tycen Anderson is a tough, run-defending safety who could make a next-level roster as a core special-teams player.

Western Michigan Broncos Draft Prospects

After a two-year drought, WMU broke through with a Day 2 pick in April as the Seattle Seahawks selected receiver D’Wayne Eskridge. Most seniors on the depth chart are late-round/UDFA types, though WMU has one of the more underrated signal-callers in the nation.

Kaleb Eleby, QB | Grade: 3.64 | Projected Round: 3rd

Kaleb Eleby is a smallish RPO quarterback with a big-time arm and a good head for the position. He can make all the throws, uses all his weapons, and needs only to polish his game. I presently grade Eleby as a third-round pick, but he will move up draft boards if he improves his game.

Ali Fayad, DE | Grade: 3.31 | Projected Round: 6th

Ali Fayad has a disappointing campaign in 2020 but took advantage of the additional senior season offered by the NCAA. He’s a pure edge rusher who can come out of a three-point stance or stand over tackle. Fayad has size limitations and may be best at OLB in a 3-4 alignment.

Draft-Eligible Prospect Rankings: MAC

You can sort my prospect rankings below by team, position, projected draft round, and conference (we’ll add new conferences throughout the summer). You can also utilize the search function to quickly find whatever you may be looking for. Mobile users: Please note that the database is best viewed in landscape mode.