2022 NFL Draft Ultimate Preview: Defensive Line

The Green Bay Packers have only five defensive linemen under contract and a need to add some twitch to their pass rush. Here's a look at the 2022 NFL Draft class.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Even with the addition of Jarran Reed to join old standbys Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry, the Green Bay Packers enter the 2022 NFL Draft with a need to add to their defensive line.

State of the Packers

Clark and Lowry, a pair of 2016 draft picks, are together for a seventh season. With the veteran Reed, a second-round pick in 2016 who had 10.5 sacks in 2018, and the hoped-for second-year jump from TJ Slaton, Green Bay’s got a potentially strong four-man rotation.

Just like he did in 2019, Clark earned Pro Bowl honors in 2021 by rushing the passer and commanding double teams. Clark recorded 48 tackles, four sacks, six tackles for losses and 13 quarterback hits. That’s better than his 42 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for losses and six quarterback hits in 2020 but not as good as his 62 tackles, six sacks, nine tackles for losses and seven quarterback hits in 2019.

Lowry started every game for a third consecutive season and recorded a career-high five sacks. However, Kingsley Keke (released in January) and Tyler Lancaster (unsigned) are gone and the depth chart is as thin as this morning’s newspaper.

Ranking the Draft Need

Out of 11 position groups, defensive line ranks as the eighth-biggest need. The Packers have only five players under contract – Clark, Lowry, Reed, Slaton and Jack Heflin, an undrafted free agent last year who played 17 snaps in four games. The need isn’t dire, but the Packers could use another impact player and they could use depth with only Clark, Slaton and Heflin under contract for 2023.

“You would love to add a high-level, third-down pass rusher,” defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery said. “I think we’ve got a solid group that can do both but I think you (would like to) have a little bit twitchier guy that can add to the rush from that standpoint. But anything he [general manager Brian Gutekunst] gives us, we’ll be happy with.”

Our rankings will slant a bit more toward those twitch guys.

Perhaps You Can Forget These Prospects

Based on Green Bay’s draft history, LSU’s Neil Farrell is one of the defensive line prospects who might not be on the Packers’ board.

Ranking the Defensive Linemen

Devonte Wyatt, Georgia

Measureables: 6-2 7/8, 304. 32 5/8 arms. 4.77 40, 4.63 shuttle, DNP bench

Analytical stats: Wyatt started all 24 games during his final two seasons. He was a key part of the national championship defense with 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for losses and two forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus, there are 80 defensive linemen in this draft class who rushed the passer more than 220 times. Wyatt finished 12th in PFF’s pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap.

Sports Info Solutions has data on its top 28 defensive linemen. Its adjusted tackle depth-plus metric gauges a player’s effectiveness vs. the run. Wyatt finished seventh. Runs directed at him were bounced to another gap 48 percent of the time, seventh in the class. He missed four tackles (11.1 percent), according to PFF. Of the 137 defensive linemen in the draft class to play 157 snaps vs. the run (that’s Jordan Davis’ number), Wyatt ranked fourth in PFF’s run-stop percentage, a metric that measures impact tackles and mirrors Green Bay’s win/lose method of grading.

Personal touch: Wyatt’s sprint into the first round began with a track meet. As a junior at Towers High School in Decatur, Ga., Wyatt recognized some of the kids running in the 100 and asked if his coach if he could compete.

“He was, like, ‘Hey, I can beat those guys,’” Dr. Brian Montgomery, his football coach, told Dawg Nation. “His coach says, ‘Why don’t you go ahead and win the shot put first and we’ll see what we can do. If you do, we’ll go over there and put you in the 100.’”

Wyatt won the shot. Then, he won the 100. Montgomery sent video of the race to some college football contacts. Wyatt became the first student from Towers to play at Georgia in four decades. “It was crazy the way they got off so fast, but I just kept scrambling hard, running hard,” Wyatt said. “I believed in myself. Once you believe in yourself you know you can do anything. I believed I could beat them, and I did.”

It's easy to get lost in the shadow of Jordan Davis – the All-American who is big enough to eclipse the sun. But Wyatt didn’t see it that way. "I don't even feel like the other guy,” he said at the Scouting Combine. “I felt like the family, I felt like a brother.”

His love for football was stated simply. “Ninth grade, I knew I loved football. Once I get to hitting people and you get up and smile, it's different. It's like, OK, I love this sport." He’s got a big game and a big personality. Asked at the Combine what he’d write about himself if he were a draft analyst, Wyatt said, "If I was writing about myself, I'd be like, 'This guy's amazing! He's the best guy I've ever met!' If that was me, I'd definitely be like I love this guy, he's got a great personality, he can move. He's definitely going to be a great player in the NFL, that's something I'd say about myself."

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Possessing a long and explosive first step, Wyatt threatens and beats blockers with his great get off. He gets penetration against sliding fronts right off the snap. Using his hands, he breaks free when attacking upfield by using a rip move or double hand swipe. Wyatt shows upper body strength to pull waist bending blockers. As a run defender, he consistently penetrates the backfield and utilizes his upper body strength to shed blocks. A high effort player, Wyatt frequently gets home thanks to his motor.

Jordan Davis, Georgia

Measureables: 6-6 3/8, 341. 34 arms. 4.78 40, DNP shuttle, DNP bench.

Analytical stats: Davis started 33 of 47 appearances over four seasons. He set career highs with two sacks and 5.5 tackles for losses in 2021, his freakish size-athleticism combination leading to first-team All-American honors and the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top lineman.

How hard is a player to block? Look at the holding penalties. He drew five, second-most among defensive linemen, according to SIS. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked 43rd out of 80. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked fourth out of 28. Oddly, despite his mammoth size, he had one of the lowest bounce rates in the class (30 percent), meaning running backs weren’t exactly inclined to change course when running at him. Some of that probably is because Georgia’s defense was so strong that there were no weak links. He finished second in PFF’s run-stop percentage.

Personal touch: The Charlotte native grew up playing basketball. As a freshman, he was 6-foot-6. When he changed schools for his sophomore year, he was persuaded to try football. He was merely a three-star recruit when he arrived at Georgia. He left a legend.

Davis measured his performance not by looking at his stats. "I actually look at the linebacker stats because I know if the linebackers get a lot of tackles, that means I'm doing my job right," Davis said in 2019. "I always say two on me, somebody's free. So usually when the linebackers make a tackle for loss, it's usually dealing with something on the d-line."

On Senior Day, he scored a rushing touchdown. "Let me find the joy in the little things," he said afterward. "I always say 'small victories.' Every day is not going to be your best day, so you have to find those small victories, whether that's talking to a friend or giving a compliment,” Davis said. “I'm a believer in good karma, so I try to do good things, and hopefully good things return to me. That's pretty much my mindset on life. I try to take things day by day and try to enjoy the little moments, because you never know when it's going to be gone.”

His role at Georgia was stopping the run game. Even he admitted his pass-rush game went by the “wayside.” He knows that’s something that must improve. “I did a lot of self-reflection and I understand that’s one of my Achilles heels,” he said at pro day, “but that’s what I worked on in the offseason and that’s what I’m getting better at. A lot of people think that it’s end all be all at Georgia in that scheme, but I’m putting the work in and doing my best to be a complete player and do all the necessary things to be in on pass rush too.”

At the Combine, his 4.78 in the 40 was the fastest ever for a player topping 310 pounds. Davis, of course, was 341 pounds – 31 pounds heavier than that threshold but down about 9 pounds from his playing weight.

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Nose tackle with great size and strength. Davis eats up space on the interior with his strong anchor. Putting on a clinic in how to stack and shed, he takes advantage of his length and upper body power to extend as he pleases. With that strength, he enforces his will, twisting opponents and disengaging with violent hands. As a pass rusher, Davis pushes the pocket, using leg drive and length. He counters his naturally high pad level by extending and preventing opponents from getting under his pads.

Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma

Measureables: 6-3, 5/8, 290; 35 1/4 arms. 4,89 40, DNP shuttle (hamstring), DNP bench.

Analytical stats: The junior-college transfer was second-team all-Big 12 in both seasons. As a senior, he was superb with 5.5 sacks and 11 tackles for losses. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked ninth out of 80. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked first out of 28 but was in the middle of the pack with a 36 percent bounce rate and a woeful 59th in PFF’s run-stop percentage. He had a lot of production; imagine if he hadn’t missed six tackles (28.6 percent, worst among the prospects listed here).

Personal touch: Winfrey arrived at Oklahoma as the top-ranked junior-college defensive lineman. Football was easy. Academics were the challenge. “It wasn't easy,” Iowa Western coach Scott Strohmeier told The Oklahoman. “There were times, and it was to the last minute, of making sure that he did what he needed to do academically to get it done… A lot of people questioned that he would even make it out of junior college. We just really stuck with him, and he deserves all the credit for putting in that time.”

With talent comes opportunities to lead. “Honestly, I’ve been that way my whole life. I’ve actually found it to be a negative thing — wow, why are people always looking at me and anything I do? It’s magnified,” Winfrey told The Tulsa World. “Now I look at it as a benefit. Because the way I do something or the way that I talk, it moves people. I’m able to motivate people in a different way than other people. I love the fact that I’m able to come into a room and change the mood of the room or change the environment. Based on my energy, I can build the room up or build the room down. I’ve just been focused on keeping my energy high the whole time.”

For the Big 12 Championship Game against Iowa State, you can see imprinted portraits of “Halloween” slasher Mike Myers on one thigh pad and Jason from “Friday the 13th” fame on the other. "I love the theme of scary movies," Winfrey told The Statesman. "Honestly, I feel like any advantage I can have over my opponent is one up, and honestly, I feel like my appearance is (intimidating) to people and they fear myself just by appearance.”

Winfrey questioned his usage; it will be interesting to see if teams will ding him on that. Perhaps not. “He’s probably, within the locker room, one of the more beloved members on the team,” Sooners coach Lincoln Riley told OU Daily. “He’s just so for everybody in that room and the guys see that. He’s got a passion for playing the game and works really, really hard at it. He’s a fun guy to be around off the field (and) always got a smile on his face. … A lot of people have really taken to him.”

He was voted MVP of the Senior Bowl with two sacks. "I just wanted to show I was one of the most dominant defensive players in the country," Winfrey said afterward.

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: The JUCO transfer is a strong linear athlete with both burst and speed. He has a quick first step out of his stance to penetrate when working in a straight, downhill line. Winfrey’s explosiveness allows him to work to half-man and win with leg drive. He has potential as a gap-shooter in the NFL. What’s more, the Sooners’ standout has solid power when he initiates to displace blockers. If he gets leverage, he flashes power through full-man with a bull rush or speed to power move. When he wins the pad-level battle, Winfrey has shown he can push the pocket.

DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M

Measureables: 6-3 7/8, 283. 33 1/4 arms. 5.00 40, 4.49 shuttle, 17 bench.

Analytical stats: Leal was an impact player all three seasons but a game-wrecker in 2021, when he moved up and down the line and tallied 8.5 sacks and 12.5 TFLs to earn second-team All-America. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked 15th out of 80. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked ninth out of 28. However, his bounce rate on runs directed at him was 26 percent, one of the lowest. He led the draft class with 18 percent of the Aggies’ pressures.

Personal touch: “As a kid, I had a hard time trying to find what I liked the most,” Leal told The Express News. “Then I ran into football, and everything for me just came together.” It was quite the odyssey for Leal. He was the ripe old age of 4. “All my life, football has been the thing that brings me complete comfort. It’s my way of living; it’s what I live for. I love the ins and outs, the hard times and the good times. I love the game and the purpose behind it.”

Coach Jimbo Fisher said Leal loves everything about the game, from practice to workouts. “He’s a monster and can play on the end or in the interior,” A&M offensive lineman Kenyon Green, a fellow first-round prospect, said. “He’s so fast to be that big, it’s crazy. He wants to be in the backfield each play, and you’re going to have to do everything you can to stop him because he’s going to be back there regardless.”

Leal was a five-star recruit with a five-star work ethic. He was recruited by A&M beginning as a high school freshman in San Antonio. “He has an unbelievably competitive nature,” Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher said after Leal intercepted a pass vs. Alabama in 2020. “When he’s on the field, I don’t ever see him loaf for one second. I don’t care what drill it is, what we’re doing or how we do it. Those kinds of guys change cultures of an organization. Because they’re great players, and they’re highly recruited players who play like they have no ability — with their effort and toughness.”

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Leal was moved all over the defensive line, which hints at one of his biggest strengths, versatility. His size suggests he will move to an interior role on the defensive line, but he has shown to be proficient in every technique. Extremely strong at the point of attack, demonstrates a lot of power in his punch into the chest of the offensive lineman. Explosive get-off out of his stance to drive as much as possible as he makes contact. Hands stay active to attempt to bat passes down when he can’t get to the quarterback.

Travis Jones, Connecticut

Measureables: 6-4 3/8, 325. 34 1/4 arms. 4.92 40, 4.58 shuttle, DNP bench (pectoral).

Analytical stats: Jones had 4.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for losses in 2021, a strong bounce-back after the Huskies’ 2020 season was canceled. He drew only one hold. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked 28th out of 80. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked 20th out of 28.

Personal touch: First off, Jones is a big man. “If we walk in the room, you’ll see Travis first,” defensive coordinator Lou Spanos said at UConn media day. “If he’s 10 yards behind me, you’ll see Travis first.” A three-star recruit from New Haven, Conn., the NFL wasn’t necessarily Jones’ goal. “I just came in saying I wanted to play ball. If that stuff happens, it happens. I’m not really worried about it right now. [My goal] is still to play football and have fun.”

He's not a wordsmith. Huskies offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark called Jones a game-wrecker. Asked if that was true, Jones simply said, “Yes.” When he arrived at UConn, he was about 360 pounds. “I remember when Trav first took his visit here,” Van Demark said. “We were at practice and this big guy just walks up and everyone is like, ‘Who the heck is that? Huge mother …”

Jones’ work ethic made him a captain. “Growing up in New Haven, I’ve been watching these guys play for a long time,” Jones said. “To be able to become a captain is a great honor. I know guys look up to me. If they see me stepping up and doing the right things, they’re going to follow.”

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Jones has excellent play strength and above-average movement skills, regularly dominating one-on-one situations. When he lands his punches early, the Huskies’ star throws blockers around while flashing counters, hand fighting and a speed profile. He has the upper body strength to bench press, the length to manage distance and the power to close. The UConn standout’s strength, hand usage and solid change of direction help him disengage at will. Jones exhibits relentless leg drive to walk through full or half-man as blockers bounce off his frame. Against the pass, the Huskies’ captain pushes the pocket with a bull rush, creating sacks for his teammates when unable to record one himself.

Phidarian Mathis, Alabama

Measureables: 6-4 1/4, 310. 34 5/8 arms. DNP 40, 4.91 shuttle, DNP bench.

Analytical stats: Mathis moved into the starting lineup – and into the opposing backfield – with nine sacks and 12 tackles for losses to earn second-team All-America in 2021. A good gauge of how difficult a player is to block is to look at the holding calls. He led the draft class with six. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked 24th out of 80. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked a woeful 27th out of 28. His bounce rate on runs directed at him was 24 percent, also 27th. On the other hand, he was 13th in PFF’s run-stop percentage. Consistency is the issue.

Personal touch: Mathis was a top recruit. He announced his decision to go to Alabama at the grave of his friend and second cousin, Tyrell Cameron. Cameron played at nearby high school and suffered a broken neck during a game and died.

"I remember walking off the field," Mathis told NOLA.com. "I didn't make it to the locker room. I always keep my phone on the sidelines. I had seen a lot of missed calls and I got a message from my girlfriend that said, 'Tyrell gone.' That's when I just flew up this way. It broke my heart."

So, when it was time to announce which college he’d attend, he sat at a folding chair alongside Cameron’s grave. Cameron wore No. 48; Mathis wore No. 48 at Alabama.

He was a team captain in 2021. “It’s just my passion for the game,” Mathis said at the Senior Bowl. “I love the game a lot. It just brings me so much joy, and I feel like why play the game if you’re not going to have fun with it. So that’s something that I take from the game and I try to bring into the game every week.

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Experienced, active defensive tackle with above-average size and good length. Mathis is best when he can shed blockers at the point of attack where he utilizes quick hands to beat aggressive blockers. He is very good against zone blocking, maintaining active feet and displaying lateral moving skills before gaining outside leverage and shedding with a rip move. As a pass rusher, he is active when taking on multiple blockers, breaking free late based on effort alone. His swipe move is effective thanks to good hand placement.

Eric Johnson, Missouri State

Measureables: 6-4 3/8, 299. 34 1/4 arms. 4.86 40, 4.66 shuttle, 20 bench. (His 40 time trailed only the Georgia duo of Devonte Wyatt and Jordan Davis in the draft class.)

Analytical stats: Johnson was second-team all-Missouri Valley in 2020 (1.5 sacks, 6.0 TFLs) and 2021 (1.5 sacks, 6.5 TFLs). Taking his Pro Football Focus pass-rushing productivity mark from FCS to FBS, he would have ranked 35th. He had two pressures in the opener at Oklahoma State.

Personal touch: Taking advantage of the COVID bonus year, Johnson played in a school-record 55 consecutive games as a five-year starter for the Bears and was an all-Missouri Valley second-team selection each of the past two years.

Johnson was picked for the NFLPA all-star game, then was a late addition to the Senior Bowl. "I feel like I showed I was a pretty good player but I also feel like there was some shock value as well," Johnson told The News Leader. "A lot of the scouts there weren't aware of me. Coming from Missouri State, compared to a lot of the others, that's a small school. Me coming out from a small school and showing out that I have the build and mixture of speed and power to play at that level just kind of shocked a bunch of people that they didn't expect it."

His father, Eric Sr., played at Illinois State and in the XFL. Eric Jr. finished second in his weight class at the Illinois state wrestling tournament in 2015.

He had a predraft visit with the Packers.

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: As a pass rusher, Johnson has displayed steady improvement. Especially during the all-star game cycle, where he was arguably the best performer at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. The explosiveness, strength and pass rush prowess shown in California earned Johnson an invite to the prestigious Senior Bowl, where he had a good week. He could be a surprise third-round pick as he has no obvious limitations in his game.

Matthew Butler, Tennessee

Measureables: 6-3 7/8, 297. 33 1/2 arms. 5.00 40, 4.81 shuttle, 17 bench.

Analytical stats: Butler had a breakout final season, with the team captain registering five sacks and 8.5 TFLs. He drew five holding penalties. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked 39th out of 80. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked 25th out of 28. His bounce rate of 51 percent was the best in the class, and he’s also one of the best tacklers. He missed only four in his career, according to SIS.

Personal touch: Butler was excellent on and off the field. He was a second-team Academic All-American and was named to the 2022 National Football Foundation's Hampshire Honor Society. Butler earned his degree in political science in 2020 with a 3.63 GPA. He was a 2021 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient – the seventh in Vol football history – and a five-team SEC Academic Honor Roll member.

As part of the VOLeaders Academy, he took a service trip to Rwanda. “We were able to bring sports internationally,” he said in a story for 247 Sports. "If you know the history of Rwanda, you know that they went through genocide, acts of war, acts of violence. So, the first thing on your mind after that is not sports. When you're taking sports which are predominant in the United States and bringing it to Rwanda, they talk about how they've seen it on TV and whatnot, and how they've learned things. You see these young children, these young men and young ladies, who have actually developed skills for the game that they've been watching on television. … Then looking at the culture and being able to try different food and learn a little bit of their language and truly immerse yourself in their culture. You know, as much as I went to Rwanda to try to pour into that, to Rawanda and the people there, they really poured into me.”

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Butler has a relentless motor, always pushing and never giving up on plays. He is a high-energy and explosive player with the competitive fire that coaches love. His lower body is impressively strong, showing great anchor to hold his position in the run game. Butler translates his lower body strength with great leg drive and good leverage when attempting his bull rush move, making it difficult for linemen to stay on balance. His initial punch is powerful and can send linemen into the backfield with thunderous initial contact.

Eyioma Uwazurike, Iowa State

Measureables: 6-6 1/8, 316. 35 1/8 arms. 5.32 40, 4.75 shuttle, 23 bench.

Analytical stats: With length for days, Uwazurike had a dynamic final season with nine sacks and 12 TFLs. He drew five holding penalties. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked third out of 80. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked 11th out of 28. Runs directed at him were bounced 62 percent of the time, by far the highest rate in the draft class.

Personal touch: At the Scouting Combine, Uwazurike wore a necklace with a framed picture of his father. Roland died in 2019. He was Uwazurike’s best friend, even though he was convicted in 2010 of smuggling heroin into Michigan through textbooks.

“Enyi has such a fascinating story,” Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said. “It’s probably not my job to tell the entire story, but what he’s come from, as a 17-year-old young man out of Detroit, he loses his father during his time in high school and then he loses his father for the rest of his life three days before we leave to go play Notre Dame (in the 2019 Camping World Bowl). He’s an incredible brother/father figure to his younger brother who has autism. Enyi is a pillar of strength for him and his mother. He’s one of those guys where it’s like, ‘Yeah, he’s a great player.’ If you watch his game on Saturday and want to talk about big-time football, the guy is playing nose guard half the game and dominating. Then he’s playing defensive end half the game and dominating there, too.”

Because of academic issues, Uwazurike was not recruited by his home-state schools of Michigan and Michigan State. He landed at Iowa State, where he was ruled academically ineligible for the 2016 season.

"I had to re-learn how to love school," Uwazurike said at the Scouting Combine. "In Detroit, it was hard to get through school because it was almost a free-for-all. I was in the (Iowa State) academic center late nights, every day. My first year, when I was academically ineligible, I had 18 credits. I had like nine classes and I was doing that and football at the same time, really learning how to love school and that part of it. They made it fun and it wasn't fun before. I feel like that's what really changed my whole opinion on school. It started off rough, but it's always about how you finish. I finished in the right way."

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Uwzurike has a stout and thick frame which leads to a natural leverage advantage and he brings physicality to the trenches. Versus the run, Uwzurike is best versus gap scheme base blocks, where he regularly plays with low pad level and when he strikes his hands before his blocker does, he can stack blocks to control the point of attack with force. Occasionally, Uwzurike shows flashes of a swim move to disengage from blockers and create penetration behind the line of scrimmage. In addition, it’s a pleasure to watch a guy with his size have a good motor as Uwzurike will regularly chase down plays to the sideline or past the sticks, showing competitiveness.

Curtis Brooks, Cincinnati

Measureables: 6-2, 287. 31 7/8 arms. 4.90 40, 4.44 shuttle, 33 bench.

Analytical stats: Brooks was a menace with 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for losses in 2021 to earn first-team all-ACC but somehow wasn’t invited to the Combine. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked first out of 80 by a significant margin. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked 19th out of 28. More than just a pass rusher, he ranked second in the draft class with 41 tackles and first in run-stop percentage, according to PFF. He missed seven tackles (12.3 percent).

Personal touch: Brooks parlayed a superb final season into his ticket to the NFL. It almost didn’t happen.

“The funny story behind this, my son started out in the little league in Danville (Va.),” his mom, Sylvia, told The Chatham Star Tribune. “He played all the way until he got into the ninth grade, and he said I don’t want to do this sport anymore. That’s the crazy thing about that. He didn’t want to do it,” said Brooks’ mother, Sylvia Brooks.

Brooks joined the marching band, instead. Then, one day, the high school coach saw Brooks lifting weights, “and he was out-lifting some of the football players,” she continued. “They kept talking to him. They kept asking him, ‘Play this sport. Play this sport.’ Coach (Nick) Anderson would call me and say, ‘Get your son to play.’ My son, he’s his own person. Nobody can make him do anything he doesn’t want to do. But when his granddaddy said, ‘Hey, I really want to see you play,’ he decided to play in the eleventh grade, and the sky was the limit after that.”

Because of COVID, the NCAA gave players an additional year of eligibility. Brooks redshirted in 2016 and started six times the next four years. In 2021, he started all 14 games and ran his career count to 62 games. “It’s definitely been a journey since I decided to come back for an extra year, and this is all I could have dreamed of,” Brooks said.

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Brooks plays with a low pad level constantly leading him to winning leverage battles. Lots of experience and has played in multiple different alignments across the defensive line. Against the run he is at his best versus outside zone. He shows good lateral range from backside 3-tech. Good overall quickness and lateral agility and plays with solid technique and leverage. When isolated vs a guard as a 3 tech he will rush with a plan using footwork and hand usage together. Outstanding competitive toughness and motor constantly runs hot.

John Ridgeway, Arkansas

Measureables: 6-5 1/8, 321. 33 3/8 arms. 5.30 40, 4.69 shuttle, 25 bench.

Analytical stats: Ridgeway stared 40 of 42 appearances during his career, which started at Illinois State and ended with one year at Arkansas. An 11-game starter as a senior, he had two sacks and four TFLs. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked 60th out of 80. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked 22nd out of 28. He was 16th in PFF’s run-stop percentage, though.

Personal touch: The native of Bloomington, Ill., was all-state in football and a state champion as a wrestler. So, why did he end up at Illinois State to start his career rather than, say, Arkansas? "Coming out of high school I just slacked," Ridgeway told Arkansas Online. "I didn't really pay attention in class. So that kind of took away my chances to get recruited. ISU took a leap of faith with me."

Four years later, Ridgeway wanted a bigger challenge. So, he entered the transfer portal. "When I did get in the portal it kind of felt like I was a 5-star recruit. I just had my phone blowing up every second of the day. Coaches calling me at 10:30, 11 o'clock at night. I was like, 'Wow!'"

Ridgeway spend his first season at Illinois State as a redshirt offensive lineman. In 2018, he made the move to defense. The plan? "You line up over the ball, you see the ball, the ball moves and it's, 'John, knock that guy into next week,'" Illinois coach Brad Spack said. "He likes that. John likes a combative situation. The less structure and the more streetfight it becomes, the more he really likes it."

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Ridgeway is a well-built defensive lineman who can line up over the center, and also at 1-technique or 3-technique. He has impressive explosiveness with power and burst upfield from his stance. Rideway also possesses some of the strongest hands in the class in terms of pure, raw power.

Zachary Carter, Florida

Measureables: 6-4 1/4, 282. 33 1/2 arms. 4.99 40, 4.56 shuttle, 19 bench.

Analytical stats: Carter had eight sacks and 11 tackles for losses as a senior and 17.5 sacks and 27.5 TFLs during his final three seasons. He played on the edge for Florida but lacks the athleticism for those chores in the NFL. Taking his pass-rushing productivity on the edge and moving it to the interior, he would have tied for 36th.

Personal touch: His older brother, Frank, played on the offensive line at Jackson State. “My brother is definitely my role model. He is four years older than me so I’ve always looked up to him. When my parents were gone he was always there,” he said in a Senior Bowl Q&A.

Carter redshirted in 2017 and barely played from scrimmage in 2018. That led to some trying times and hard lessons. “It’s hard for a lot of guys to really understand patience and waiting your turn and keep working," Carter told Bay News 9. "But, I got to grip that concept as a freshman in college, so in the moment, I was mad and things like that. But, it turned out to only help me in the long run and I think it’s going to really help me during this process.”

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Carter demonstrates fairly good functional strength along the defensive line and can at least hold his own. Possesses strong hands to rip through blocks in order to disengage and pursue the ball. At his current body type, he is versatile enough to play all over the place as a 3-technique, 5-technique, and 7-technique. Flashes some quickness off the line of scrimmage to slip through gaps. Poses more of a threat as a pass rusher from the traditional defensive end position.

Haskell Garrett, Ohio State

Measureables: 6-2, 300. 31 7/8 arms. 5.07 40, 4.80 shuttle, 24 bench.

Analytical stats: Garrett started eight of his 12 games as a fifth-year senior and had career highs of five sacks and 7.5 TFLs. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked 24th out of 80. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked 17th out of 28. His bounce rate on runs of 22 percent was the lowest in the class. He tied for 65th in PFF’s run-stop percentage, worst of our prospects listed here.

Personal touch: Garrett wasn’t just first-team all-Big Ten as a senior. He was named the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year. Of Samoan descent, he was part of a “Polynesian Pipeline” to Columbus. “I always preach to them, let’s do something out of our comfort zone,” Garrett told Cleveland.com. “Let’s move far away from home and clear the path for other Polynesians. … We’re all showing all the other Polynesians that they can come to the East Coast and compete at the highest level.”

That Haskell is even playing is a miracle. On Aug. 30, 2020, he was shot in the face while trying to break up a fight. The bullet went in one cheek and out the other, through Garrett’s teeth and tongue. “The first thing I said was, ‘Does my handsome boy have a face?’” his mom told The Columbus Dispatch. “And he says, ‘Mom, I don’t know.’ He didn't know. The fact that he could talk on any level was amazing to me because his mouth was a mess. … He's been blessed. I don’t know how that happened. But it was a relief and a godsend. It was a miracle.” Several surgeries were required. Eating was a challenge, and said he still has PTSD from the incident. As he said at the Combine, “I'd say without the adversity, I'm not who I am today. It really fuels and drives me. Going through that has made me a better person, a better teammate and overall, better man in this world.”

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Garrett attracts double teams often because of his ability on the defensive line, which allows other rushers to get freed and swarm to the ball carrier. He has a quick get-off with an average lower-body explosion. He has the strength to bull rush but plays with a more finesse style to his game. Garrett's swim move is effective and can work when paired with his quick get-off. He has a big motor which is a big reason why he's a leader on the defense. His anchor can produce run stops, as he's not easy to move in the run game.

Matt Henningsen, Wisconsin

Measureables: 6-3 3/8, 289. 33 1/8 arms. DNP 40 (hamstring), 4.29 shuttle, 22 bench.

Analytical stats: Henningsen went from walk-on to 29-game starter. He had three sacks and 5.5 TFLs as a senior. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked 67th out of 80. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked 16th out of 28. He missed only one tackle (2.9 percent; best among the prospects listed here). Quietly, he ranked 10th in PFF’s run-stop percentage.

Personal touch: Henningsen was one of the 13 finalists for the William Campbell Trophy – aka the Academic Heisman. He graduated in 2020 with a degree in electrical and computer engineering. He received a 4.0 GPA, the only one of the 13 to accomplish that feat. Twelve months later, he earned his master’s degree in a program that typically takes 16 months. In Summer 2020, Henningsen worked on a project modeling the brain using electrocorticographic data.

"At the end of the day, a lot of stuff that I do is just a math problem," Henningsen told UWBadgers.com. "What's a math problem? It's essentially a puzzle and that's how I think about the Wisconsin playbook. Pieces fit together in certain ways. You can kind of figure out your assignment based on what other people are doing. If I know what 10 people on the field are doing, I can extrapolate what the 11th person is going to be doing."

The Wisconsin native arrived at Wisconsin as a walk-on because he was a lifelong Badgers fan and became of the engineering program. He redshirted in 2017 and started in 2018, when he was put on scholarship. “When you talk about walk-ons, a lot of them don’t make it. A lot of them get cut, quit the team, get overwhelmed. It’s definitely a harder path for a walk-on than it is for a scholarship guy,” Henningsen told Bally Sports. “There’s no doubt about that but at the end of the day though, when you’re at Wisconsin you treat everyone the same, you give everyone a fair shot. I was able to earn a scholarship, earn a spot in the starting rotation. I’m sure glad I did it. I went to Wisconsin because I knew it was one of the top programs in the country and it was also one of the top schools in the country.”

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Henningsen projects as a 3-4 defensive end, whose job is to stop the run. He is very powerful and explosive out of his stance, blowing offensive tackles off their spot. He is able to drive guards and tackles back and then shed them to make a play on the ball carrier. Henningsen’s motor is very good, allowing them to make plays when the offense breaks down.

Thomas Booker, Stanford

Measureables: 6-3 3/8, 301. 33 1/4 arms. 4.94 40, 4.41 shuttle, 31 bench.

Analytical stats: Booker had a career-high four sacks in 2019 but 1.5 sacks and five TFLs in 12 starts in 2021. He drew four holding penalties. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked 59th out of 80. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked 28th out of 28. On the other hand, his bounce rate of 47 percent ranked ninth. Using PFF as the official source of tackles rather than the schools, Booker’s 42 tackles ranked No. 1 among the defensive linemen in this draft class. But he was only 53rd in run-stop percentage. He missed seven tackles (10.9 percent).

Personal touch: Not only did Booker start 27 games across four seasons, he was an impact person off the field. He was a two-time Academic All-American, a member of the Senior CLASS team and a finalist for the William Campbell Trophy – aka the Academic Heisman. He was a double major in economics and communication. He created a four-minute video for the Pac-12 Network last year, breaking down the differences between overt and covert racism.

“As athletes, so much of the time, we’re told to stay away from the controversial topics and play it safe,” Booker told The San Francisco Chronicle. “Sometimes that can minimize who you are as a person. If you have strong viewpoints about things that matter to you, you should feel completely justified in sharing those things publicly and standing on those things. For me to be able to speak out on that truth for me and a lot of other Black people was important. That goes to every single facet of your life.”

His father, Thomas Booker III, was a linebacker at Wisconsin who started as a freshman. “We think competing is what it’s all about,” the elder Booker told The Baltimore Sun, “knowing how to compete constructively, so … when I saw him embracing that in everything he does, that’s when I kind of knew. He not only [put in the work], but he did it willingly and with passion and when that happened, it was just about getting the film in the can. He really did have a passion for this game.”

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: As a leader for the Stanford defense, Thomas Booker has developed all facets of his game during his tenure with the Cardinal. He's an agile defender with quick feet. Plays with a level of suddenness to his game that makes it hard for linemen to predict his approaches. Plays off of his strong punch with decent arm extension. He uses these same qualities to stack and shed opponents with above-average timing.

Jordan Jackson, Air Force

Measureables: 6-4 1/2, 294. 33 3/4 arms. 4.95 40, 4.40 shuttle, 18 bench.

Analytical stats: After missing 2020 with a shoulder injury, Jackson was a dominant force in 2021 with 7.5 sacks and 12.5 TFLs. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked third out of 80. SIS did not have run-defense numbers. He tied for 65th in PFF’s run-stop percentage, worst of our prospects listed here.

Personal touch: Because of service commitments, the Air Force Academy has had only one player drafted since 2000: long snapper Austin Cutting by the Vikings in 2019. With the Department of Defense easing its service-timetable requirements for athletes, Jackson might break that streak.

“It’s something I dreamt of since I was a kid and being able to be here for the rest of the Air Force football team and all the service academies, this is a great honor,’’ Jackson said at the Scouting Combine. “There were people who came before me who tried to make it and it didn’t work for them. They kind of paved the way and helped people like me to be here.”

Jackson earned his civil-engineering degree in December. During the pandemic, he was allowed to go home to Jacksonville, where he delivered food for Uber Eats. Remember this the next time the pizza arrives at your front door. “Definitely to cherish what delivery people do,” Jackson said. “Definitely a tougher job than most people expect.”

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Jackson has the size you want in a 3-5 tech type of defensive linemen and is built for a one-gapping style of defense. He has a ton of effort plays on tape, fighting for leverage and tracking down run plays from the backside or forcing pressure up the middle making the quarterback uncomfortable. He keeps his hands and feet working at all times, fighting for space to make a play.

D.J. Davidson, Arizona State

Measureables: 6-3 3/8, 327. 33 arms. 5.20 40, 4.71 shuttle, 23 bench.

Analytical stats: Davidson had a half-sack, 6.5 TFLs and four passes defensed in 12 starts as a sixth-year starter in 2021. In PFF’s PRP, he ranked 71st out of 80. In SIS’s ATD+, he ranked 25th out of 28 but ninth in bounce rate vs. the run. He ranked third in the draft class with 37 tackles and sixth in run-stop percentage, according to PFF. He missed six tackles (10.7 percent).

Personal touch: In 2016, Davidson didn’t play because of grades. In 2017, he redshirted. In 2018, he missed the end of the season with a broken ankle. His wife, Alexis, helped him through some hard times. "It definitely helped to have someone to talk to," he told AZCentral. "If I had a bad day she always knew what to say to make me feel better or she knew when I just needed to get something off my chest."

He didn’t start playing football until high school.

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Davidson is a powerful player at 6’3” and 325 pounds. That shows up quite often on the tape. He’s got 33-inch arms that often aid him in getting a well-timed punch on his opponents that jar them off-balance. He’s got terrific strength in his hips that he can roll forward to drive his man backward or rotate to throw his man to the side. His thick lower half also shows up in more ways than one. Once he gets into a blocker, he uses impressive leg drive that can even move double-teams in the opposite direction.