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Most Underrated Prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft – April 2022

Most Underrated Prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft – April 2022

A lot has changed since the last time I posted a list of underrated draft prospects.

With the NFL Draft only one week away, it’s time for the final update in this installment.

My opinions have changed since my last post, and some of the prospects rose enough in scouts’ rankings where I no longer consider them overrated.

The players on this list are guys who I have ranked significantly higher than other draft analysts. Most if not all of them I expect to also be drafted higher than expected.

One final point: I’m keeping this list to relatively well known prospects. Deep sleepers are my specialty, but that’s not what this post is about.

 

Most Underrated NFL Draft Prospects in 2022

Kyle Philips, WR, UCLA

I had Kyle Philips on my list last time, and I’m keeping him here.

While his size and speed don’t stand out (5’11 1/4″, 189 pounds, 5’11” wingspan, 4.58 40 yard dash), Philips creates as much separation on his mid level routes as any receiver in the class.

He was completely uncoverable at the East-West Shrine Game, showing the ability to accelerate into his routes and play faster than his 40 time.

He’s seen success against any type of coverage, and has a vast route true to help him fit into a variety of systems primarily out of the slot.

Philips was named 1st Team All-PAC12 over more-production WRs, and was also 2nd team all-conference as a return specialist.

It’s unlikely he’ll ever be able to become a true WR1, which drops his value. But I can just about guarantee that when we look back at this class a few years from now, Philips will be viewed as a top 10 receiver in the class.

 

Pierre Strong, RB, South Dakota State

Other than having played at the FCS level, Pierre Strong has everything you could ask for a running back prospect.

At 5’11” 205 with a class-leading 4.37 40 yard dash, Strong has the physical traits of an NFL back, combined with great vision and a low center of balance.

Strong averaged over 4 yards per carry AFTER contact, and 7.0 yards per carry total on the season (also broke 7 yards per carry in 2019).

Before you start talking about competition level, the Missouri Valley Conference, the best FCS conference, is legitimately as good as some of the low level FBS conferences.

Strong also played well at the East-West Shrine Game, and got plenty of buzz for his Combine performance.

He plays way stronger than 205 pounds, and he’s shown some flashes as a pass blocker.

I could see Strong surprising people and being one of the first 5 running backs taken.

 

Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State

I talked about Kolar in every post, so I’ll mostly just copy and paste this

Kolar has been dominating college football for years, getting All-American recognition in the past. Despite this, he hasn’t been getting much love from draft analysts.

At 6’6 1/2″ and 252 pounds, Kolar has prototypical size for the position. He’s helped block for one of the nation’s best running backs, and has been a consistent safety blanket for Brock Purdy.

He lines up all over the field and has been dominant split out wide, in the slot, and on the line of scrimmage. He’s a great route runner who gets separation as well as any tight end in the class, and combines it with one of the biggest frames in the class.

While he’s a willing blocker, he definitely still struggles with plenty of whiffs getting caught out of position. The effort is apparent and he’s shown a few flashes, while having plenty of size to continue improving in this regard.

While he didn’t run at the combine, he had a very impressive Pro Day, running a 4.67 40 yard dash with a 35.5″ vertical, 120″ broad jump, and 6.98 cone drill.

For people who rave about the fluidity of Greg Dulcich, Kolar is a bigger Dulcich who’s been doing it for much longer.

I was a little surprised when he decided to return to school for the 2021 season, and I expect him to be one of the most NFL-ready tight end prospects in the draft.

 

Daniel Bellinger, TE, San Diego State

Bellinger has a chance to be as good as any tight end in this class, but he never gets that love.

His muscular 6’5″ 255 pound frame is prototypical for an NFL tight end, and he’s one of the most advanced blockers in the class with great leverage and good footwork.

He showed natural hands at the Senior Bowl and Combine drills, and proved he’s one of the best athletes in the class with 4.63 speed and a 125″ broad jump.

He’s NFL ready as a Y tight end, but has enough physical traits to continue developing his route running ability and become an all around weapon.

Not only he look the part of an NFL tight end, but he has the film to back it up.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he’s one of the top 5 tight ends off the board, and maybe the best tight end in this class when we look back at it 5-10 years from now.

 

Blaise Andries, G, Minnesota

I’ve been shocked by how low media analysts are on Blaise Andries, and I don’t know if it’s the “doesn’t do anything great” effect or just being overlooked.

As a Gopher fan who has seen every snap of Andries’ career, I’ll tell you confidently: The gophers had the #1 rated offensive line in college football last year, and Andries has been the best Gopher offensive lineman for multiple years.

Andries is a plus-character guy with great size at 6’6″ 310 pounds. He’s played productive reps at every position on the offensive line other than center, and is a four year starter who has gotten All-Big 10 recognition each year.

His athletic measurables were ALL in the top half for guards at the combine over the past 5 years, including a 5.10 40 yard dash and 30.5″ vertical jump. He is flexible and has just enough length to swing over to tackle when needed.

Match the size, production, and elite versatility with an incredibly high IQ and football mindset, and you have at bare minimum a 10 year NFL backup.

 

Thomas Booker, 3-4 DE, Stanford

Booker is a true 3-4 defensive end who plays with great strength and athleticism.

At 6’4″ 300 pounds, Booker got sideline to sideline this past year to record 59 tackles through just 12 games, earning All-Pac12 2nd Team honors despite only recording 1 sack.

He has 4.94 speed, a top-tier 7.33 cone drill, and a 4.41 short shuttle which led all interior defensive linemen at the combine.

His bend around the edge is great when needed, and he’s able to get low to dislodge offensive linemen or hold his own as a two-gapper.

Booker showed off his strength at his Pro Day, putting up 31 bench reps which also ranked in the top 10% of the class.

He looked great at the East-West Shrine game, and could be a day 1 starter in the NFL.

 

Troy Andersen, LB, Montana State

People are all over the place on Troy Andersen, but he genuinely has generational athleticism, combined with a strong desire to improve, great initial production, and plenty of room to improve.

Having started as an All-Conference QB at Montana State, Andersen made the switch to being a full time linebacker in 2019, and performed well. After not having a 2020 season, he returned in 2021 where he earned 1st Team FCS All-America recognition.

Leading his team to a runner-up finish, Andersen had 147 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 9 passes defended, and 2 interceptions.

He showed flashes of great coverage ability, and while the decision making needs to speed up, there’s no reason to believe it won’t. He’s been playing the position for only two years and has already seen remarkable growth from one year to the next.

In terms of potential, Andersen is a very big linebacker by modern NFL standards at 6’4″ 245, but he’s also one of the most freakish athletes in the calls with a 4.42 40 yard dash, 36″ vertical, 128″ broad jump, 6.72 cone drill, and ridiculous 3.99 short shuttle.

Here’s how he stacks up compared to the rest of the linebacker class in my advanced rankings.

Tackles: 2nd out of 353
Tackles for loss: 15th out of 353
Weight: 12th out of 353
40 Time: 2nd out of 224
Broad: 9th out of 218
Cone Drill: 1st out of 212
Shuttle: 1st out of 213

Combining the elite size, elite athleticism, great production, and room to grow due to inexperience, Andersen is probably among the top 5 prospects in terms of overall potential.

The draft is all about potential, and Andersen has a legitimate claim to be a first round pick. I don’t think he will be, but it’s not out of the possibility.

 

Alontae Taylor, Tennessee

One scout writes that you look a little stiff, and all of the sudden everyone’s saying you need to move to safety.

Then you run a 4.36 40 at 6’0″ 200 pounds, show great change of direction ability at your pro day, and have some of the most impressive tackling tape in the country in your back pocket and…. people are still not on board?

Sure, Taylor isn’t as fluid as McDuffie or Sauce. But he has great overall athleticism, a strong frame, and performed well against SEC competition this past year.

Taylor is one of the best tackling corners in the country, with experience in a variety of coverage schemes.

Ball production improved this past year, and I expect he’s rising up the rankings while other corners have failed to separate themselves at that 2nd tier.

 

Andrew Mevis, K, Iowa State

Andrew Mevis has really grown on me since the end of the regular season, and remains my my #2 kicker prospect.

Mevis has a massive leg capable of hitting 60+ yard field goals, and was a very solid 20-of-23 on field goals in his one year at Iowa State.

Mevis is a great kickoff specialist who will have no issues handling the role in the NFL, and has a quick stroke on his field goals with adequate lift.

The Fordham transfer didn’t face much adversity having to recover from missed kicks during his time in the FBS, but showed good mental fortitude when kicking at the FCS level.

Other than Cade York, there isn’t another kicker with the combination of power, accuracy, and technique you see with Mevis.

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