Multiple Prospects Primed to Rise in the 2022 NFL Draft

The next wave of prospects who can shoot up draft boards with a strong 2021 season

Author:
Chris Spooner
Publish date:
Sep 1, 2021 8:00 AM EDT

College football is finally here! Week Zero has concluded, and we've already seen some great performances. We'll have more on that next week, along with the performances we're sure to see in Week One. But before we get to all of that, we have a few more prospects to look at! Before the college football season really gets going, we have three more positions to take a look at.

In our first installment of the series, we took a look at quarterbacks, offensive tackles, and edge rushers. Our next installment looked outside for wide receivers, tight ends, and defensive backs on the rise. Today we're coming back inside and focusing our attention on some of the unsung heroes. Players at positions that may not get the love they deserve, whether from the national media or the scouting world. Let's talking about running backs, defensive tackles, and off-ball linebackers.

As we have in the prior two installments, we're defining a player primed to rise as one who has a significant difference in their Current Player Value and Potential Player Value. Those values have been determined by the scouting team here at NFL Draft Bible. Now with that out of the way, let's dive into our final three prospects!

Max Borghi, Washington State, RB

If you're a fan of Pac 12 football -- and specifically Pac 12 After Dark -- then Washington State running back Max Borghi is likely a name you're familiar with. If you're not a fan of Pac 12 football, you're missing out! The games may be on late for those of you on the east coast, but it's some of the most fun football in the nation!

Over the past three seasons, a lot of that fun has come at the hands of Borghi. Since his arrival, Borghi has been a fixture for the Cougars, starting all 13 games in his freshman and sophomore seasons. Borghi's biggest asset is his ability to contribute in the run and pass game, tallying over 1100 yards on the ground, 140 receptions, and 29 total touchdowns for the Cougars.

Being able to contribute in both the running and passing game means Borghi will have a place in the league. Every team is looking for backs who don't have to come off the field on third down. If they can split out wide and line up as a receiver -- as Borghi can -- even better! That versatility alone will make Borghi a commodity. But Borghi isn't just versatility without result. He's an explosive athlete who is a natural pass catcher. Get him the ball in space, and he can make things happen.

With the ball in his hands, he possesses very nice contact balance. A low center of gravity and a thick, powerful frame makes Borghi hard to bring down in the open field. He needs that ability, as he's not a creative runner in the open field, and he lacks that second gear to run away from defenders. If Borghi develops more creativity and wiggle, along with putting another healthy year on film, he can develop into a solid starter but sits as a developmental prospect right now.

Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh, Defensive End

The Pittsburgh Panthers defensive line lost a ton of talent to the NFL in the 2021 NFL Draft. Both defensive ends -- Patrick Jones II and Rashad Weaver -- and defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman were selected. Pittsburgh had a lot of rebuilding to do, but perhaps the most talented defensive lineman of the group remains Calijah Kancey.

On the physical side of things, Kancey is incredibly explosive on the inside of the defensive line and has the fluidity to move around the line and wreak havoc on the opposing interior offensive line. Kancey may not have the most lower-body strength, but what he lacks in power, he makes up for in leverage and flexibility. He's a nightmare to block one-on-one, and even with multiple defenders, he finds a way to affect the play with impressive regularity.

On the technical side, Kancey has an impressive pass rush plan -- especially for a prospect of his age. He's adept at using his hands to create the initial advantage and has the hand quickness and strength to swipe the offensive lineman away when he doesn't beat them to the punch. Pass rush plan is something that even the most seasoned rushers can struggle with, yet Kancey can chain moves together quickly and with purpose.

The biggest thing working against Kancey is his size. Even a severely undersized player like Donald outweighs Kancey by a good 15 pounds. The other tic in the "con" column for Kancey is playing time. With how talented the previous Pittsburgh defensive line was, Kancey was little more than a rotational player. There isn't a whole lot of tape to go on. The attributes are there, but he needs to put more on tape to prove he can consistently convert traits to production.

If he can do that, his Current Player Value of 7.7 jumps to a Potential Value of 8.9. That would take Kancey from a solid backup to a solid starter who has All-Pro potential.

Brian Asamoah II, Oklahoma, LB

The Oklahoma Sooners produced first-round talent at the linebacker position when Kenneth Murray went 23rd to the Los Angeles Chargers just two years ago. Arguably, he should have been taken sooner in that draft, too. But regardless of draft status, Brian Asamoah II had some massive shoes to fill in Murray's absence. Shoes that he's managed to step into and prove that he should be on folks' first-round radar in his own right.

Asamoah II stands 6'1" tall, comes in at 230 pounds, and displays great quickness and power for his stature. He's the prototypical sideline-to-sideline linebacker, exhibiting both the speed and fluidity to be trusted in space no matter where he is on the field. He has the range to cover tight ends down the seam and running backs out in the flat and is talented enough in coverage to do both well. Asamoah is every bit of a three-down linebacker, a critical trait to have in today's NFL.

Where Asamoah's game is going to need to develop is against the run. He has excellent burst and understands leverage, so he's able to keep himself clean and can be a force against the run. All too often, however, Asamoah doesn't trust what he's seeing in front of him, will panic, and trigger too early, taking himself out of the play. That trust will come with time, as Asamoah is still a raw prospect who has seen limited playing time.

Asamoah also has some technical aspects to clean up, namely keeping his upper and lower body in sync while in man coverage. He'll also need to develop better hand usage. Should he be able to make these strides, he'll go from a backup-level player (7.0 CPV) to a solid starter (8.7 PPV).