Our goal at Pro Football Network has always been to offer honest, insightful analysis. As we inch closer to the 2022 NFL Draft, we’re offering you a weekly glimpse inside the process that leads to the content you see on our site. In my weekly NFL Draft Scouting Notebook, you’ll find my thoughts on some of the prospects — in this class and in future classes — that have caught my eye, and some of the backstories that don’t make it into my articles.
2022 NFL Draft Q&A
As part of our commitment to honest and insightful analysis on the NFL Draft from 2022 and beyond, we want to be able to communicate more closely and clearly with you. We want to be able to meet your thirst for knowledge — whether that relates to prospects, draft philosophy, or our own process. As part of that, I opened up the first segment of this week’s NFL Draft Scouting Notebook to some questions from social media.
Q: The safety class has some depth and high-end talent. But they all provide different skill sets. Jalen Pitre and Daxton Hill are more nickel safeties, Lewis Cine and Jaquan Brisker are more part of a traditional tandem. How do you see their value in the draft, and where do they get chosen? – Kevin Sayer
You’ve hit the nail on the head with the depth. I have 20 safety prospects across my latest Top 300 Big Board, with a couple more who I intend to watch that could potentially sneak into the final edition. Like the wide receiver class, there’s a “pick your poison” approach to their rankings, with individual skill sets to meet every flavor.
Kyle Hamilton is not only my top-ranked safety but my No. 1 overall player. Then, the four players you asked about fall in line from 2-5. Lewis Cine is my second-ranked safety, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him come off the board midway through the first round. We talked about him on a recent PFN Premier NFL Draft Podcast. There are very few holes in his game. Daxton Hill is close behind, and I’d be willing to bet on him being selected in the 20s. All three carry a first-round grade from me.
Jaquan Brisker is a fringe first/early second-round pick, and I see Jalen Pitre as a mid-to-late second-rounder. There are plenty of teams with safety needs in the NFL Draft. In my eyes, the Dallas Cowboys have long been a favorite landing spot for Pitre. Meanwhile, I could imagine Brisker biting knee caps for Dan Campbell in Detroit.
While I agree that Hill and Pitre are likely viewed as nickel safeties, I think Hill in particular has a versatile athletic profile and skill set to contribute from any alignment at the next level. Taller and longer than Pitre, he’s got the speed, twitchiness, hip fluidity, and lateral agility to cover the length and breadth of the field.
Q: What are your thoughts on Georgia running back James Cook? – Phil Kirk
There’s plenty to love about James Cook, that’s for sure. He’s on the fringe of my top 100 prospects right now, with running back being one of the positions I haven’t finalized yet. Although the margins were tight, I was surprised to see him come in a split second slower than teammate Zamir White at the NFL Combine.
However, that could be a by-product of the almost 10 pounds he gained between his listed weight at Georgia and his Combine measurement. That could be important for Cook’s NFL Draft stock and NFL projection. One of the things that I noted in Cook’s scouting report was that he sometimes lacks in the physicality department. That was evident both as a blocker and between the tackles.
With his exceptional receiving talent, there’s every reason to believe that Cook can be a three-down back in the NFL. He has soft hands and a natural pass-catching style. He also displays excellent route-running ability. Furthermore, Cook possesses the vision, footwork, and ability to put together multiple moves to create in traffic.
Combined with the long speed to excel in space and limited tread on his tires, I’d expect interest to be high amongst NFL teams. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Cook is selected on Day 2, and he will represent excellent value if he slides into the early part of Day 3.
5 NFL Draft prospects you need to know
This week, I’ll shine a light on some NFL Combine and pro day warriors whose athletic testing translates to the field. I’ll quantify their testing performances using Kent Lee Platte’s Relative Athletic Score (RAS) metric while adding my scouting observations. While there’s no guarantee that they’ll be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, these under-the-radar prospects should get the opportunity to prove their value in an NFL training camp.
Andrew Ogletree, TE, Youngstown State
Youngstown State tight end Andrew Ogletree first appeared on my 2022 NFL Draft radar during the all-star game cycle. In a two-play stretch during the Hula Bowl, Ogletree demonstrated his ball-tracking skills, body control, reliable hands, and spatial awareness to bring the ball down in the back of the end zone while maintaining possession in bounds.
The game-day performance was just the icing on the cake of a great week of practice for the small school tight end. Ogletree followed that outing by stealing the show with a 9.03 RAS at the Miami (OH) Pro Day. Despite being surrounded by more highly-ranked 2022 NFL Draft prospects, Pro Football Network’s Chief Draft Analyst Tony Pauline reported that the Youngstown State prospect drew a crowd of teams, including the New York Jets.
When you study his pro day numbers, the interest is no surprise. Possessing the ideal size of an NFL tight end, Ogletree stands at 6’5″ and 260 pounds. He showcased strength with 26 bench press reps. Although his 4.76-second 40-yard dash isn’t out of the ordinary, Ogletree’s short-area burst was aptly demonstrated with a 1.62-second 10-yard split. Furthermore, Ogletree aced explosion drills with a 35″ vertical and 10’4″ broad jump.
Zander Horvath, RB/FB, Purdue
A personal favorite of mine, Zander Horvath plays the game with a physicality that you’d expect from a 6’3″, 230-pound running back. Yet, he combines that physicality with an athleticism associated with a smaller-framed athlete.
The Purdue RB also has the hands of a wide receiver while possessing the blocking ability that most playmakers can only dream of. While he has played exclusively as a running back for the Boilermakers, his size and skill set should see him effortlessly transition to fullback in the NFL like former Purdue RB Mike Alstott did for Tampa Bay.
Horvath tested as you’d expect for a player with obvious athleticism relative to size, earning a 9.82 RAS. The Purdue playmaker earned a great agility score after posting a 6.75-second three-cone. Meanwhile, he demonstrated explosion with a 10’3′ broad jump.
While his 4.61-second 40-yard dash isn’t particularly fast, it was faster than Texas A&M RB Isaiah Spiller. Furthermore, Horvath posted an impressive 2.58-second 20-yard split.
Ryan Van Demark, OT, Connecticut
While Travis Jones has been rocketing up 2022 NFL Draft boards, UConn has an under-the-radar prospect on the other side of the ball. Ryan Van Demark is a multi-year starter at left tackle for the Huskies, with his performances earning him an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Van Demark’s an intelligent, athletic offensive tackle with plenty of alluring traits as an offensive tackle prospect. He’s showcased a decent anchor, quick footwork, and strong, independent hand usage. During Shrine Bowl practices, he demonstrated the ability to eradicate the threat posed by both power and speed rushers. Meanwhile, he worked out at both bookends of the offensive line, helping him showcase versatility.
Van Demark’s athletic prowess was showcased at the UConn Pro Day following a surprise snub from the NFL Combine. A 30.5″ vertical and 9’4″ broad jump showcase his explosion. Short-area burst was demonstrated with a 1.75 10-yard split. Meanwhile, the UConn OT’s agility was quantified with a 4.5-second shuttle and 7.5-second three-cone. Earning a total 9.44 RAS, Van Demark’s athletic prowess and intelligence should earn him a Day 3 call.
Sam Okuayinonu, EDGE, Maryland
A Liberian national who moved to Lowell, Massachusetts, at the age of 12, Sam Okuayinonu has traveled a unique path to the 2022 NFL Draft.
Prior to Maryland, he played at the JUCO level where he was a highly productive (21.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks) playmaker for Mesabi Range Community College. His transfer to Maryland has yielded 12 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors in his final season.
At 6’1″ and 269 pounds, Okuayinonu is a unique size for the defensive end position. He’s strong, explosive, and with 33.5″ arms, has the length to be disruptive at the point of attack. He has the power to bulldoze straight through opposing offensive tackles. When Okuayinonu gets to the opposition’s backfield, he uses his length to ensure there’s no escape from his tackles.
The Terps’ defensive lineman impressed scouts on hand to watch teammate Nick Cross at the Maryland Pro Day. Posting an 8.06 RAS, Okuayinonu would have received an even higher RAS if not considered a smaller EDGE prospect. A vertical jump of 35.5″ and broad of 10’3″ are testament to great explosion. A 1.62-second 10-yard split is indicative of his burst. Meanwhile, 31 bench-press reps are a true indicator of the Maryland product’s strength.
D’Marco Jackson, LB, Appalachian State
Having talked about Appalachian State wide receiver Corey Sutton in previous 2022 NFL Draft Notebooks, let’s switch focus to the Mountaineers’ defensive prospects.
Linebacker D’Marco Jackson put on a show during the pre-draft process, including the NFL Combine. Having run a 4.55-second 40-yard dash, Jackson scored an elite speed score. More impressively, the Appalachian State linebacker recorded a 10-yard split of 1.46 seconds.
Furthermore, Jackson registered good explosion grades, with an elite 10’5″ broad jump at 233 pounds. With good agility scores, Jackson received a RAS of 8.22. Comparable RAS include Darron Lee and Roquan Smith. As you’d expect for a linebacker who received a poor size score, Jackson’s 6’0″ height will mean he’s considered undersized at the NFL level.
However, the Appalachian State linebacker’s speed makes him an alluring sideline-to-sideline prospect at the NFL level. He’s also a reliable tackler. Additionally, Jackson’s length means he’s adept at shedding blockers both at the line of scrimmage and in space. Jackson is also an experienced special-teams player, giving him additional NFL value. Of the players listed here, he’s the one most likely to penetrate the early Day 3 range.