Three Prospects Primed to Rise in 2022 NFL Draft

What prospects could be on the rise in the upcoming NFL Draft?

Chris Spooner | Aug 18, 2021

Three Prospects Primed to Rise in 2022 NFL Draft /

The NFL has officially kicked off their preseason slate of games. The college football season is just around the corner. Soon enough, we’ll all be huddled around our TVs, cheering on our favorite teams and seeing our playoff hopes realized — or dashed. Some players seemingly come out of nowhere every year and parlay a great season into a significant boost in their NFL Draft stock. Today we’re going to look at three players who may be poised to do just that and what they’ll need to show this season to achieve it.

Carson Strong - QB, Nevada

There are many different ways to identify players poised to see a significant bump in their NFL Draft stock. For our purposes today, we’re looking at players who have a substantial differential in their Current Player Value and Potential Player Value as determined by the NFL Draft Bible scouting department. The first player on our list is Nevada quarterback Carson Strong.

Strong is an apt name for the Wolfpack quarterback, as the first thing you inevitably notice when watching him is the howitzer strapped to his chest. Strong possesses a powerful arm — possibly the strongest in the entire 2022 NFL Draft class. Unlike many strong-armed QBs before him, Strong does exhibit the ability to throw with touch as well, a massive checkmark in his developmental favor.

The biggest thing standing between Strong and his potential is the need to completely overhaul his mechanics. Strong is anything but when it comes to consistency with his lower body. Strong trusts his arm almost to a fault, which can lead to his lower body being out-of-sync with the upper half, causing inaccuracy. He will also have to develop his ability to read the entire field and make throws with anticipation before he garners serious first-round consideration.

Click Here: View The NFL Draft Bible 2022 NFL Draft Rankings

The excellent news for Strong is that all of his flaws are correctable. He’s a two-year starter for Nevada and is looking to make the year-three leap. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to show his improvement, with non-conference games against California and Kansas State, along with a robust conference schedule. NFL Draft Bible has Strong with a Current Player Value of 7.3 — a solid backup, with a Potential Player Value that boosts him up to the All-Pro category at 9.0.

Evan Neal - OT, Alabama

Arguably the three most important players on the field on any play are:

The quarterback,
The guy protecting the quarterback, and
The guy trying to sack the quarterback.

There’s a reason those three positions are so highly sought after — and highly paid — by NFL teams. We’ve covered a quarterback poised to make a leap in 2022; now it’s time to talk about a quarterback protector: Alabama guard/tackle Evan Neal.

Neal has seen time on both sides of the line at Alabama, playing both left guard and right tackle. That position versatility is going to serve well when it comes to the 2022 NFL Draft evaluation process. Neal’s most likely projection at the next level is as a left tackle, a position the team at NFL Draft Bible believes Neal could blossom into an All-Pro. He has many tools that can get him to that caliber, but he’s far from a finished product as of today.

Click Here: View The NFL Draft Bible 2022 NFL Draft Rankings

Athleticism is the name of the game for Neal. He is a rare blend of incredible size — standing 6’6” and weighing in at 360 pounds — while also possessing excellent foot speed and the ability to get to the second level. His length allows him to get his hands on pass rushers early, and he has the foot speed to stay with them and push them out of the play. Combined with his willingness and desire to “get nasty,” and you have the makings of an outstanding tackle prospect.

However, that willingness can sometimes get Neal in trouble, as he can sometimes exhibit an overeagerness that gets him out of position. Neal has considerable work to do refining his technique at the tackle position. Lucky for him, he’s going to have plenty of opportunities to showcase his development, playing an always brutal SEC schedule. Neal has had to wait his turn behind the likes of Jedrick Wills and Alex Leatherwood; 2021 should be his time to shine.

Drake Jackson - EDGE, USC

The last stop on our tour of players who could see a significant bump in their 2022 NFL Draft stock takes us out west to the Pac 12. The conference has been in the news a lot lately, but that’s an issue for another day. For today, we’re taking a look at explosive EDGE rusher Drake Jackson from the USC Trojans.

Much like Neal, Jackson has excellent position versatility. He has lined up all over the front-7 — from shaded inside as a defensive end to middle linebacker. However, his home at the next level is likely to be as an EDGE rushing 3-4 outside linebacker. A position that, with a bit more refinement, Jackson should excel at a different position. Right now, NFL Draft Bible has Jackson with a 7.7 Current Player Value but a 9.4 Potential Player Value, vaulting him from a solid backup to a potential All-Pro if he fully develops.

Click Here: View The NFL Draft Bible 2022 NFL Draft Rankings

Defensive coordinators love guys who have multi-position versatility and allow them to play multiple fronts, and that’s what Jackson will give someone. He’s got great length for the position and plays with exceptional burst and quickness. He has solid — if inconsistent — hand usage and has some great counter moves in his arsenal.

Jackson will need to show significant improvement in his ability to convert speed to power. Getting to the corner with speed and dip around is crucial, but it’s not going to work every time. When it doesn’t, Jackson isn’t able to adjust and physically impose his will on the guy across from him. That may come with getting into the weight room and putting on good weight.

Jackson is also going to need to put in some significant work refining his pass-rush plan. Too often, Jackson is caught thinking about what his next move will be, rather than knowing what he can do and playing on instinct. Should he develop in these two areas, we could be talking about Jackson as the next great pass rusher in the NFL.