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A Very Early 2022 NFL Draft Big Board

How are the individual position groups shaping up in the 2022 draft class? Zach Dietz has the answers, plus a first edition of his personal 2022 NFL Draft Big Board.

Zach Dietz

A Very Early 2022 NFL Draft Big Board
A Very Early 2022 NFL Draft Big Board /

We have officially hit the halfway point of the NFL season, ladies and gentlemen! The number of takeaways so far from 2021 is so long, it would be treacherous to list all of them.

In terms of teams already looking forward to the upcoming offseason, which obviously includes free agency and the 2022 NFL Draft, there are more than a handful of teams at this point.

So today, to celebrate the halfway point of this fantastic season, I have for all of you my first big board for the aforementioned NFL Draft this coming spring.

This big board is NOT A MOCK DRAFT--my second mock will be coming very, very soon. The purpose of a big board is to simply sort the players in the upcoming draft class from best to worst based on the grade they were given (which in this case is my personal grade).

Before we jump into it, I figured I’d give my opinion on the state of each positional group for the 2022 NFL Draft.

  • Quarterback: A class not as top-heavy or star-laden as the last two years have been, but I like the potential of some of the top guys, and the depth is pretty nice.
  • Running Back: We likely won’t see a first-round pick at the running back position this season, but there is ample Day 2 talent for teams that need a new face in their backfield.
  • Receiver: There are many different opinions on who is the WR1 in this class, but the talent remains immense, and I have a total of 19 wideouts in this list of 150.
  • Tight End: We may not have a tight end go in the top 50, but the rounds three to five range is chock full of good values. Good class, just not top-heavy.
  • Offensive Line: Between the tackles and interior guys, this is a fantastic class. One of my favorite aspects of a lot of these plays is the positional versatility they bring to the table.
  • Interior Defensive Line: Once you get past DeMarvin Leal and Jordan Davis, this class falls off of a cliff. Free agency is where most teams will seek their defensive tackle needs.
  • Edge: The best overall positional group, this 2022 edge-rusher class is endowed with top-end talent (including the best player in this class) and boatloads of depth. Giants fans should be VERY excited about this.
  • Linebacker: We may see one off-ball linebacker sneak into the bottom half of Round 1, and the Day 2 depth is very impressive. A lot of these guys have improved their stock tremendously in 2021.
  • Cornerback: Similarly to the edge group, this cornerback class has everything you want--a handful of potential stars and great mid-round talent, all coming in different shapes, sizes, and skillsets.
  • Safety: Likely the most underrated group in this class. Some potential stars at the top and great values as you look down the list.

So here we go. After studying this class immensely since the middle of May, here is my first big board for the 2022 NFL Draft, which is subject to change after the college football season, postseason all-star games, the NFL Combine, and Pro Days! 

EARLY 2022 NFL DRAFT BIG BOARD

  1. Kayvon Thibodeaux - ED, Oregon
  2. Kyle Hamilton - S, Notre Dame
  3. Derek Stingley Jr. - CB, LSU
  4. Andrew Booth Jr. - CB, Clemson
  5. Tyler Linderbaum - IOL, Iowa
  6. Demarvin Leal - IDL, Texas A&M
  7. Evan Neal - OT, Alabama
  8. Aidan Hutchinson - ED, Michigan
  9. Drake Jackson - ED, USC
  10. Trent McDuffie - CB, Washington
  11. Treylon Burks - WR, Arkansas
  12. Garrett Wilson - WR, Ohio State
  13. Sam Howell - QB, UNC
  14. Malik Willis - QB, Liberty
  15. Drake London - WR, USC
  16. Jordan Battle - S, Alabama
  17. Matt Corral - QB, Ole Miss
  18. Adam Anderson - ED, Georgia
  19. George Karlaftis - ED, Purdue
  20. Ikem Ekwonu - IOL/OT, NC State
  21. David Bell - WR, Purdue
  22. Jordan Davis - IDL, Georgia
  23. Kaiir Elam - CB, Florida
  24. Nicholas Petit-Frere - OT, Ohio State
  25. Kyler Gordon - CB, Washington
  26. Darian Kinnard - IOL/OT, Kentucky
  27. Charles Cross - OT, Mississippi State
  28. George Pickens - WR, Georgia
  29. Chris Olave - WR, Ohio State
  30. Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington
  31. Kingsley Enagabare - ED, South Carolina
  32. Kenyon Green - IOL/OT, Texas A&M
  33. Carson Strong - QB, Nevada
  34. Jalen Catalon - S, Arkansas
  35. Devin Lloyd - LB, Utah
  36. Derion Kendrick - CB, Georgia
  37. Nakobe Dean - LB, Georgia
  38. Zach Harrison - ED, Ohio State
  39. Travon Walker - ED/IDL, Georgia
  40. Lewis Cine - S, Georgia
  41. Jack Campbell - LB, Iowa
  42. Kenneth Walker III - RB, Michigan State
  43. David Ojabo - ED, Michigan
  44. Perrion Winfrey - IDL, Oklahoma
  45. Martin Emerson - CB, Mississippi State
  46. Sauce Gardner - CB, Cincinnati
  47. Tykee Smith - S, Georgia
  48. Isaiah Spiller - RB, Texas A&M
  49. Daxton Hill - S, Michigan
  50. Jestin Jacobs - LB, Iowa
  51. Abraham Lucas - OT, Washington State
  52. Jaquan Brisker - S, Penn State
  53. Zay Flowers - WR, Boston College
  54. Jahan Dotson - WR, Penn State
  55. Boye Mafe - ED, Minnesota
  56. Isaiah Likely - TE, Coastal Carolina
  57. Cade Otton - TE, Washington
  58. Jameson Williams - WR, Alabama
  59. Sean Rhyan - OT, UCLA
  60. Edefuan Ulofoshio - LB, Washington
  61. Breece Hall - RB, Iowa State
  62. John Metchie III - WR, Alabama
  63. Zion Johnson - IOL, Boston College
  64. Jermaine Waller - CB, Virginia Tech
  65. Roger McCreary - CB, Auburn
  66. James Cook - RB, Georgia
  67. Cory Durden - IDL, NC State
  68. Dohnovan West - IOL, Arizona State
  69. Devontae Wyatt - IDL, Georgia
  70. Demani Richardson - S, Texas A&M
  71. Khalil Shakir - WR, Boise State
  72. Wan’Dale Robinson - WR/RB, Kentucky
  73. Isaiah Foskey - ED, Notre Dame
  74. Myjai Sanders - ED, Cincinnati
  75. Rachaad White - RB, ASU
  76. Isaiah Thomas - ED/IDL, Oklahoma
  77. Amari Gainer - LB, Florida State
  78. Cole Turner - TE, Nevada
  79. Yusuf Corker - S, Kentucky
  80. Braxton Jones - OT, Southern Utah
  81. Trey McBride - TE, Colorado State
  82. Lecitus Smith - IOL, Virginia Tech
  83. Trevor Penning - OT, Northern Iowa
  84. Cameron Thomas - IDL/ED, San Diego State
  85. SirVocea Dennis - LB, Pittsburgh
  86. Avery Young - CB, Rutgers
  87. Isheem Young - S, Iowa State
  88. Tanner McKee - QB, Stanford
  89. Romeo Doubs - WR, Nevada
  90. Smoke Monday - S, Auburn
  91. Ricky Stromberg - IOL, Arkansas
  92. Jack Sanborn - LB, Wisconsin
  93. Zach Charbonnet - RB, UCLA
  94. Travis Jones - IDL, UConn
  95. Tyler Badie - RB, Missouri
  96. Austin Stogner - TE, Oklahoma
  97. Nolan Smith - ED, Georgia
  98. Ochaun Mathis - ED, TCU
  99. Jack Jones - CB,. Arizona State
  100. Brandon Joseph - S, Northwestern
  101. Hendon Hooker - QB, Tennessee
  102. Daniel Faalele - OT, Minnesota
  103. Zonovan Knight - RB, NC State
  104. Jalen Wydermyer - TE, Texas A&M
  105. Bernhard Raimann - OT, Central Michigan
  106. Grayson McCall - QB, Coastal Carolina
  107. Dontay Demus - WR, Maryland
  108. Jahleel Billingsley - TE, Alabama
  109. Jeremy Ruckert - TE, Ohio State
  110. Zachary Carter - ED, Florida
  111. Eric Gray - RB, Oklahoma
  112. Haskell Garrett - IDL, Ohio State
  113. Taulia Tagovailoa - QB, Maryland
  114. Tyrese Robinson - IOL/OT, Oklahoma
  115. Mykael Wright - CB, Oregon
  116. Charlie Kolar - TE, Iowa State
  117. Brenton Cox Jr. - ED, Florida
  118. Jacob Cowing - WR, UTEP
  119. Alec Lindstrom - IOL, Boston College
  120. Ed Ingram - IOL, LSU
  121. Brandon Smith - LB, Penn State
  122. Demetrius Taylor - IDL/ED, Appalachian State
  123. Merlin Robertson - LB, Arizona State
  124. Justin Shaffer - IOL, Georgia
  125. Tre’Vius Hodges-Hamilton - CB, TCU
  126. Ainias Smith - WR/RB, Texas A&M
  127. Kyren Williams - RB, Notre Dame
  128. Desmond Ridder - QB, Cincinnati
  129. DeMarvion Overshown - LB/S, Texas
  130. Leo Chenal - LB, Wisconsin
  131. Tre Turner - WR, Virginia Tech
  132. Christian Harris - LB, Alabama
  133. Rasheed Walker - OT, Penn State
  134. Kolby Harvell-Peel - S, Oklahoma State
  135. Chamarri Conner - S, Virginia Tech
  136. Jake Ferguson - TE, Wisconsin
  137. Jaxson Kirkland - OT, Washington
  138. Tyreke Smith - ED, Ohio State
  139. Javon Heiligh - WR, Coastal Carolina
  140. Justyn Ross - WR, Clemson
  141. Josh Jobe - CB, Alabama
  142. Riley Moss - CB, Iowa
  143. Micah McFadden - LB, Indiana
  144. Nik Bonitto - ED, Oklahoma
  145. James Mitchell - TE, Virginia Tech
  146. Zacch Pickens - IDL, South Carolina
  147. Emil Ekiyor Jr. - IOL, Alabama
  148. Jayden Daniels - QB, Arizona State
  149. Joey Blount - S, Virginia
  150. Nehemiah Pritchett - CB, Auburn

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Zach Dietz
ZACH DIETZ

Zach Dietz is an NFL Draft and college football writer for Giants Country. His previous work can be found at NFL Draft Bible, Blue Chip Scouting, and SUNY Cortland's The Red Beat. 

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