2022 NFL Draft – Guard Rankings

Complete NFL Draft Rankings – G:

You are currently viewing the best guards in the 2022 NFL Draft. Our top guard prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the best interior offensive linemen in college football. Even though only about 10-15 will get selected in the draft, dozens more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite. Find who is a first round talent, and who is likely nothing more than a training camp body. Find draft sleepers, draft stars, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued.

BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2022 offensive guard prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated:  April 26, 2022)

2022:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | EDGE | LB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Boston College has produced a number of interior offensive linemen over recent years, and Zion Johnson is next in line. A run blocking specialist who started his career at FCS Davidson, Johnson is a hard worker and exceptional leader who’s worked his way to the top. While his overall size is underwhelming, Zion has a powerful lower body and anchors well against bigger defenders. He’s got very quick feet and a powerful burst off the line, helping him to swing outside to left tackle in 2020 (before returning to left guard in 2021). His recognition and understanding of pass rush is impressive, while his patience and hand placement in pass protection stands out. He showed some really fast hips at the combine, but his fast recognition can help them play faster on tape. He was very impressive at the senior bowl, and showed the versatility necessary from a smaller guard.

2021 Stats

12 games, 12 starts. 4+ year starter at LG/LT. 1st Team All-ACC

Kenyon Green is an elite athlete with great positional versatility and the ability to perform well in any system. At 6’4" 325 pounds, the former 5 star recruit looks the part of an NFL guard. He was a day one starter at Texas A&M, earning Freshman All-America honors to begin his 3 year career as a starter. He played primarily at left guard or right guard, but also gave many productive snaps at right tackle. Green has the athleticism necessary to dominate games from the interior and get to the second level, with very quick feet and fluid hips. He has very strong hands and understands the nuances of countering defensive rush moves, and displays a very impressive anchor thanks to his powerful lower body.

2021 Stats

12 games, 12 starts. 3 year starter at LG/RG/RT. 1st Team All-SEC

Kinnard is a powerhouse prospect who played tackle in college, but is being heavily scouted for the interior due to his play style. With a wide frame, long arms, and a 6’5" 345 pound frame, Kinnard is a big body with great athleticism and first step. He’s explosive into blocks and plays with a strong competitive fire, and his frame makes it especially hard to get around him in pass protection. Kinnard’s long first step has helped him on the outside, but a tendency to rely on his power and poor hand usage could lead to some struggles if he remains on the outside. As a run blocking prospect on the interior, Kinnard can make best use of his physical traits, while imposing his power on less shifty interior defensive linemen.

2021 Stats

13 games, 13 starts. 3+ year starter at LT/RT. 1st Team All-SEC

Ed Ingram is an experienced true-guard for LSU who excels in pass protection. Ingram has great length for an interior lineman, very quick hands, and a high football IQ which all help him dominant against stunts and protect the gaps. He showed inconsistencies in tape this past year, as did most LSU players, but had great tape in 2020 against top tier SEC competition. Ingram plays with a strong base and looked like a fluid athlete in drills at the combine, while also having a strong performance as the Senior Bowl. He’s an above average athlete with plenty of experience who can step in as a day 1 starter, while having the intelligence and enough size to improve beyond that.

2021 Stats

11 games, 11 starts. 3+ year starter at LG. 2nd Team All-SEC

It took me a while to come around on the Cole Strange hype train, but there’s a lot to like about him when you watch him face off against top prospects. A 5 year starter primarily at left guard, Strange has ideal experience and football IQ to match his plus-athleticism. At 6’5" 305 he has positional versatility, and showed some of the best flexibility and foot speed in the class. While he was inconsistent at the senior bowl, he had plenty of big time reps and got scouts buzzing despite the occasional poor rep. He’s one of the best in the class in terms of hand strength, with good bend and open field speed to help in screens and pulls. The biggest issue will be his lean frame and subsequent core strength. This could limit his upside particularly in the run game.

2021 Stats

9 games, 9 starts. 5 year starter at LG. 3rd Team FCS All-American (AP)

Complete 2022 G draft rankings

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2022:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | EDGE | LB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

There’s always good depth at guard, but there’s not always many good options at the top. This year, we get a little bit of both. Most of the top guards in my group are converted tackles or could look to move to center, such as Kinnard. I opted to evaluate him, and several others, on the inside given their size and/or skillsets. Interior offensive lineman is one spot where we saw a lot of players take advantage of the extra year of eligibility from 2020, meaning we have a large number of 6th year seniors. This could help them be more NFL ready, and maybe lead to a few surprise late round picks starting early in the NFL. Kenyon Green and Zion Johnson help the class impress at the top, but the middle rounds are a bit weak. Once you get into the late rounds and undrafted territory, it becomes strong once again.