The 2022 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will take place on January 29th, offering the opportunity for NFL draft hopefuls to showcase their skills in front of hundreds of NFL scouts.
In its 10th year, the bowl is considered one of the premier pre-draft All Star games. Notable game alumni include Darnell Mooney, Shaquill Griffin, L’Jarius Sneed, Tarik Cohen, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Troy Apke, Will Dissly, and Grover Stewart, among others.
The event is managed the NFL Players Association, and coached by former NFL greats. Former players have spoken very highly of the week-long experience, helping them to learn the speed of the game as well as the real NFL lifestyle.
With the game coming up soon, let’s take a look at the best players in the 2022 NFLPA collegiate bowl.
2022 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Top Players
Cole Kelley, QB, SE Louisiana (National #7)
Cole Kelley is an extra-big (6’7″ 260 pounds) quarterback who began his career at Arkansas before transferring to the FCS to play for Southeastern Louisiana. There, he turned himself into the most dominant passer in the nation.
In 2021, Kelley threw for 5124 yards, 44 touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions while completing a very impressive 73% of his passes. He also ran for a team-leading 491 yards and 16 touchdowns. Despite not being surrounded by talent, Kelley dominated the competition.
He played well in the Hula Bowl, and also accepted his invitation for the NFLPA collegiate bowl. His big arm, dramatically improved accuracy, and relative athleticism for his size make him a very intriguing draft prospect in a week QB class.
Dai’Jean Dixon, WR, Nicholls State (American #85)
Dai’Jean Dixon is a big (6’4″) wide receiver who is shifty after the catch and has excellent body control.
He attacks the ball in the air and knows how to use his frame to his advantage. His hands and footwork are advanced, and he’s been dominating the competition his entire career.
In a Nicholls offense that didn’t pass the ball super well, Dixon still hauled in 1006 yards and 8 touchdowns over 10 games this past season.
Top end speed will be the question mark, but he could be a massive riser if he shows he can separate from the DBs at the collegiate bowl.
Kalil Pimpleton, WR, Central Michigan (National #88)
Kalil Pimpleton is undersized (5’9″ 175), but he is exceptionally shifty and even made LSU’s defense look silly trying to tackle him.
He lines up all over the field, and is capable of producing right away as a gadget player or in the slot. He’s a great route runner with good body control, balance, and hands.
He’s truly dynamic in the open field and performs as well against top competition as he did against other MAC teams.
Pimpleton totaled 960 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air this past season.
Braylon Sanders, WR, Ole Miss (American #83)
Braylon Sanders is an elite speedster who’s coming off his most productive season at Ole Miss.
The 6’0″ 195 pounds receiver averaged a ridiculous 22.9 yards per catch, totaling 549 yards and 4 touchdowns off the hand of future-1st rounder Matt Corral.
He’s dominated practices so much that he received a senior bowl invite during the week. His top end speed on deep routes and quick start-stop ability has been impossible for the DBs to match up with.
While there’s still room for improvement in his game, he’s improved consistently throughout his career and has “plus” athleticism in a solid frame.
Austin Allen, TE, Nebraska (American #45)
Austin Allen is a very big (6’9″ 255 pounds) tight end who was named the tight end of the year in the Big 10.
Watching him on tape, you forget how big he is. And that’s a compliment. He’s very fluid in his routes and fast for his size, offering versatility as a route runner and enough athleticism to average 15.8 yards per catch from the tight end position.
Allen also has reliable hands, and unlike some other tall tight ends is able to use his height to his advantage on jump balls.
He put together an impressive 2021 campaign, totaling 602 receiving yards on the season.
Peyton Hendershot, TE, Indiana (National #86)
Hendershot has been a bit of a forgotten man in a deep tight end class, but he has enough size and athleticism to be a legitimate NFL threat.
He’s a solid blocker with a good frame (6’4″ 255 pounds), and is an intelligent route runner with good hands.
Quickness is the biggest thing holding him back, but he was a mismatch at the college level with 45 receptions for 537 yards this past year, and 622 yards in 2019.
He’s looked good in practices so far, and could separate himself from the competition with a good week.
Josh Sills, G, Oklahoma State (American #72)
Josh Sills is big, versatile, and experienced. At 6’6″ 325 pounds, he’s played almost every position on the offensive line during his time at Oklahoma State and West Virginia.
He was named 1st Team All-Conference each of the past two years, showing great power to redirect defensive linemen in the run game, and light enough feet to hold up in pass protection.
While he doesn’t have elite athleticism, Sills is a 6th year player with the experience, size, and versatility to contribute day 1 at the NFL level.
Jayden Peevy, DT, Texas A&M (American #92)
It’s a surprise to my that Peevy hasn’t been invited to the Senior Bowl, as the big 5th year senior consistently disrupted plays for Texas A&M.
He’s got a strong frame with phenomenal length, standing at 6’6″ with long arms.
Peevy shows a consistent motor and ability to get sideline to sideline, totaling 43 tackles from the interior of the line along with 7 tackles for loss.
He’s been a menace in NFLPA bowl practices, using his length and bend to consistently beat interior linemen.
As a productive SEC player with good size and athleticism, he’s clearly got a draftable grade come April.
Jordan Jackson, DT, Air Force (National #94)
It’s always fun to root for the service academy guys, and Jordan Jackson is as likeable as they come. The 6’5″ 290 pound defensive lineman is an incredible leader with a consistent motor and great length.
He’s dominated the Mountain West Conference over the past 4 seasons, breaking out as a sophomore in 2018 with 12.5 tackles for loss from the interior.
Jackson is an experienced, productive prospect with enough size and athleticism to compete at the next level.
Sam Williams, EDGE, Ole Miss (National #90)
Sam Williams absolutely dominated SEC offensivee linemen this past season, finishing 5th in the nation with 12.5 sacks, along with 57 total tackles.
At 6’4″ 265 pounds, the former linebacker has plenty of size to stay on the edge at the next level. He plays with good power, and has an advanced use of the swat move to get off linemen, particularly on inside twists. He also excels at getting straight into the body of the linemen and driving them back into the pocket.
Williams gives consistent effort as a pass rusher, with enough size and athleticism to do a bit of everything.
Josh Ross, LB, Michigan (National #52)
Josh Ross is an experienced linebacker for Michigan who hits hard and rarely misses tackles.
He broke out this past season with 106 total tackles and 9 tackles for loss, showing the ability to get sideline to sideline.
He diagnoses plays well and is able to get off blocks, while offering a quick first step to take down running backs. He was heavily used as a QB spy against running QBs, and showed an advanced football IQ.
With his strong frame, experience, and pedigree, Ross will likely be a favorite of NFLPA coaches.
Kolby Harvell-Peel, S, Oklahoma State (National #28)
Harvell-Peel is a powerful and versatile safety who mostly played single high this past year, but also has the strength to line up in the box, and enough athleticism to defend tight ends out of the slot.
The 4th year junior totaled 10 interceptions over the past 3 seasons, including 5 interceptions and 13 more pass breakups in 2019. Harvell-Peel is a good tackler with a strong upper body and decent top end speed.
He was named 1st team All-Big12 this past season, and was part of maybe the most dominant safety tandem in the league this past year.
His ball skills and ability as a deep ranging safety are impressive, while he also has the football IQ and size (6’0″ 205) to play multiple roles in the NFL.
Gregory Junior, CB, Ouachita Baptist (National #27)
Greg Junior has played exceptionally well in practices this week, showing some consistent technique to lock down receivers.
Having played at the division 2 level, Junior hasn’t struggled with the increased competition he’s seen at the NFLPA collegiate bowl.
He shows extremely smooth hips, eye discipline, and good body control for mirroring receivers. He has a smooth back pedal and enough athleticism to recover when needed.
His stats at Ouachita Baptist aren’t nearly as dominant as you’d expect, with zero interceptions over the past 2 seasons. While his ball production definitely needs to improve, he’s looked like the top corner on the field and is very coachable.
Nick Sciba, K, Wake Forest (National #10)
Nick Sciba is as accurate as any kicker in the draft, having set an NCAA record with 31 consecutive made field goals.
Sciba was 23-of-25 this past year, and a ridiculous 89.8% field goal percentage in his career. For comparison, that would put him fourth all time on the NFL field goal percentage list. He was also 193-for-193 on extra points.
That being said, Sciba never hit a 50+ yarder in his career, only ever attempting 1. The 5’9″ 190 pound kicker lacks leg strength, and NFL coaches would tell you that power is more important than accuracy for prospects since accuracy is more coachable.
Still, Sciba will have a chance to show his leg strength to NFL coaches, and has a strong mental game that will shine in interviews.
Other Players in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
Complete game rosters can be found here: collegiate.nflpa.com
Other players to watch
Chase Garbers, QB, California (American #7)
Michael Woods II, WR, Oklahoma (National #11)
Jequez Ezzard, WR, Sam Houston State (American #86)
Jahmir Johnson, T, Texas A&M (National #58)
Caleb Jones, T, Indiana (American #77)
Josh Rivas, G, Kansas State (National #71)
Doug Kramer, C, Illinois (American #63)
Ferrod Gardner, LB, Louisiana-Lafayette (National #57)
Tyreek Maddox-Williams, LB, Rutgers (American #43)
Markquese Bell, S, Florida A&M (National #34)
Trenton Thompson, S, San Diego State (National #22)
Greg Eisworth II, S, Iowa State (American #22)
Daron Bland, CB, Fresno State (American #25)
For more draft coverage, check out our 2022 NFL Draft prospect rankings.
