Quarterback Hank Bachmeier, Boise State
Hank Bachmeier became a favorite of mine in his first-ever game, the opening week of the 2019 season against Florida State. He displayed grit, determination, and a lot more maturity than a freshman should have had on the road in a hostile environment. Boise State went home with the win. Overall, he’s physically limited and will have to rely on his processing to make it to the next level.
Running Backs Braydon Bennett, Coastal Carolina, and Toa Taua, Nevada
Braydon Bennett has good speed, not great speed. Was the Sun Belt conference champion in the 100M high hurdle. Has a little bit of power to his game, mostly caused by his momentum. Very difficult player to bring down in space. Has excellent contact balance against secondary players. Definitely has some explosive ability to his game.
While his body structure isn’t what is typically seen at the running back position, Toa Taua is an intriguing option for NFL teams looking for an explosive rotational back. More quick than fast. Doesn’t have the speed to get through secondary. Doesn’t have that third gear. Very strong runner between the tackles and getting downfield. His change of direction is excellent. Incredibly shifty. Strong jump cut and is difficult to predict. Very solid, natural hands. Has ability to stretch the field as a receiver as well, makes catches downfield too. Wide catch radius for his frame.
Wide Receivers Jake Bobo, UCLA, and Malik Knowles, Kansas State
A transfer from Duke, Jake Bobo was about the only real threat in Duke’s passing game last year. While he’s an average athlete overall, he’s smooth through his routes and has good hands. Bobo was constantly targeted at Duke and just about every play was schemed for him to get the football. I would imagine that at UCLA, his role will only increase and he will be playing with an NFL prospect at quarterback, Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Malik Knowles doesn’t have a lot of straight line speed, but is an adequate athlete. Flashes some explosiveness, perhaps in the 34-35 inch vertical range. Offers some deep threat ability. Shows the desire to pick up a lot after the catch, just seems to be missing the tools to do it. Kansas State wanted him to be their RAC guy but he struggled consistently to make big plays happen with the ball in his hands.
Tight End Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion
A transfer from Penn State, Zach Kuntz did a little bit of everything for the Monarchs in 2021. He was a blocker, a boundary receiver, and a special teams coverage player. While he’s not particularly quick or fast, he has suitable athleticism for the next level. Good, strong run blocker. Get’s in the way of defenders well. Technique is still pretty raw, but there’s good upside.
Offensive Tackles BJ Wilson, Quincy, and Isaac Moore, Temple
BJ Wilson is nimble and can bounce around the offensive line playing a variety of roles. Turn on a Quincy game, and Wilson’s athleticism pops on tape immediately. In fact, it’s clear that he’s consistently the best player on the field. The biggest question mark that really remains is whether he can handle more talented players and if his hands are as heavy as they look at Quincy.
Isaac Moore has a solid anchor and set, which makes him an intriguing swing tackle prospect as Temple has been a heavy run team behind Moore’s power and strength. He’s still a little raw with his hand placement but he has good bend to his set and can handle more powerful defenders well.
Offensive Guards Jaylon Thomas, SMU, and John Paul Flores, Virginia
Jaylon Thomas ends up on almost every watchlist known to man and no one in the media talks about him! His contribution to the SMU team has been stellar. He’s started at right tackle, left tackle, and left guard over his career but he best projects as a guard in the NFL because of his lack of lateral movement ability.
John Paul Flores is a transfer from Dartmouth where he was a very successful left tackle, starting through the 2019 and 2021 seasons (the 2020 season was canceled due to covid in the Ivy League). Right now, he’s projected as a center for Virginia in 2022, but his best projection at the next level is as a guard where he can utilize his power. That being said, he will have range and versatility to play all across the line and make him a valuable NFL prospect.
Center Mike Novitsky, Kansas
Mike Novitsky transferred to Kansas from Buffalo, following head coach Lance Leipold. Novitsky is a pass protector at center and hasn’t missed a game since making his first start in 2019. He enters the 2022 season with 32 consecutive starts. Coach Leipold wanted Novitsky with him to help establish the culture in Kansas, which says a lot about his leadership and presence on the team.
Defensive Tackles Cole Godbout, Wyoming, and James Ester, Northern Illinois
There are really about 5-6 plays per game that Cole Godbout consistently creates a big impact on. Whether he’s jumping the snap and penetrating or just flat out disrupting with his effort and relentless motor, Cole Godbout is one of the names we will be talking about in January – probably at the Senior Bowl.
Coaches rave about James Ester and the work that he has put in since coming to Northern Illinois. Flashes good, strong hands. Has the size to work through the block and make a play on the runner as he goes by. Ester is a very high-upside prospect with a strong work ethic who can realize his potential.
Edge Rushers Tyler Batty, BYU, and Praise Amaewhule, UTEP
Tyler Batty is another very high-upside prospect who hasn’t quite realized his potential. He’s been consistently brewing the last couple of years, generating 4 sacks in each of his first two seasons but doubling his pressure and hit totals from 2020 to 2021. Very decent speed. Has the speed to stay with lower-level athletes and contain the edge (quarterbacks mostly scrambling). Solid tackler – really does a solid job wrapping up ball carriers. Can offer strong run support.
Praise Amaewhule is an electric, exciting prospect who has been heavily schemed against by schools in the C-USA. He has flashed the ability to take over a game. He’s generated 6 sacks in each of the last two seasons while almost doubling his pressure total from 2020 to 2021. Certainly has an explosive first step, but inconsistent at timing with the snap. Shows good hand placement when engaging with the blocker.
Linebackers Trey Cobb, Appalachian State, and Kristopher Moll, Washington
Trey Cobb looks like a great half-field linebacker prospect who could stay on the field and play through nickel downs. He’s a decent tackler, although sometimes he overestimates his athletic ability. He flashes the ability to play good pass coverage and that’s the most important part of playing that position in the modern NFL, so he should be considered a draftable prospect on day three.
Kristopher Moll is an intriguing linebacker prospect who has transferred into Washington from UAB. Solid wrap up tackler. Shows some good space defending ability. Positions himself well to limit the gain. Pursuit angles could be better – wants to work downhill with his angle and can’t always do that to the boundary. Shows good range.
Cornerbacks Kyu Blue Kelly, Stanford, and Justin Ford, Montana
A couple of years ago, many draft analysts in the media talked about Kyu Blu Kelly as a stud NFL prospect. As Stanford slipped into a couple of rough seasons, it’s almost like Kelly has been forgotten. He plays excellent man coverage ability, especially while working downfield. Smart, physical defender. Fights to keep positioning. Can catch the ball through contact. Plays the catch point very well. Shows some solid stop-and-go ability to change direction and adjust to the new threat.
Justin Ford is a transfer from Louisville who became a starter in the 2021 season and took over as the leader of the secondary. He’s primarily a man cornerback who can play the boundary and has the ideal size to play anything he’s asked to. The only issue is that Ford is not as young as most teams would want to see, he entered college football in 2017 and will be playing in his sixth season of college football.
Nickel/ROVER Tyler Murray, Memphis
Tyler Murray has been through some schools, entering his fifth year of college football. He started at Troy and transferred to Charlotte for the 2020 season. After two fruitful and productive years, he’s on to the AAC to play for Memphis with two years of eligibility remaining. Very solid tackler when he wraps up. Plays downhill well in the box. Has to play smarter with the quarterback. Delivers a very nasty hit. Typically shows good timing as a blitzer. Relatively quick to react in zone coverage.
Safeties Trevon Flowers, Tennessee, and Jason Taylor II, Oklahoma State
Trevon Flowers is a little bit undersized, but these safeties have found a role in the NFL over the last few years. Offers a good punch coming downhill, but prefers not to wrap up. That’s concerning. Might not be a strong enough tackler for the NFL. Struggles to adjust to moves. Good speed, especially for his positional group.
Jason Taylor II always stands out on tape because he’s always near the football. He made 48 tackles last season and collected 2.5 sacks. He’s not just a run supporter or pass rusher either – he broke up 4 passes and intercepted another 2. His speed is good, he pursuits well, and delivers a nasty hit. It’s hard to believe that there aren’t more people in the media talking about him.
