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Enjoy our draft pictorials below! With the 2022 NFL draft completed, collegefootballfan.com got to see a lot of great and some unique talent perform over the past four years who advance to playing at the next level. Among 233 players in the draft, we watched 36% of these athletes compete on the gridiron. With the limited amount of games available to attend in 2020, we still got to see many of the best. Seeing the Cincinnati Bearcats against Central Florida in 2020 and against Houston in 2021 for the American Athletic Championship boosted our volume. This weekend, we saw the pros draft nine talented Bearcats. Had we ventured to Indianapolis for the CFP championship, the Georgia Bulldogs alone would have added 15 more amazing football players. Along with six more selections from Alabama, we’d have seen more, needless to say.
Our 2022 draft team leaders
Seven players from Penn State, who we make a point to see every year, provided us the second most from one roster. Our season opener in 2021 featuring surprising Baylor enabled us to see another six pro draft choices. Squads like these offer free agents soon to be signed who can “sneak” on to a some other NFL rosters.
Never know
A few surprises of note we got to see per our diverse schedules. Seeing as many teams as possible stir interest to see if unknown players make it big at the next level. For instance, we watched OL Cole Strange of UT Chattanooga, an FCS Southern Conference member play twice – versus Austin Peay and East Tennessee State. Who would think that he’d be the 29th selection by the New England Patriots in this year’s draft. Many already question the validity of this pick. But who’s to say Super Bowl HC Bill Belichick can’t see a diamond in the rough?
Then there’s Air Force DT Jordan Jackson selected by New Orleans 194th overall. How many players get drafted for the three service academies? Not many, but the epitome was always Navy Heisman-winning QB Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboy Hall of Famer. The major difference is that Jackson can defer his military service after his playing days. Staubach served in Viet Nam first. Coastal Carolina got two players into the pros into the draft for the first time ever. TE Isaiah Likely went to Baltimore in the fourth round and LB Jeremy Guenther joined the Bengals in the seventh. We saw CCU fall to Appalachian State in a great Wednesday night battle in Boone, NC. Mountaineer LB D’Marco Jackson displayed talent that night that sent him to New Orleans as the 161st overall pick.
We watched Liberty QB Malik Wills wait to be called as the 86th pick overall by Tennessee. The Flames fell to the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns who entered two players in Round 4. OT Max Mitchell became a Jet and S Percy Butler headed to the Washington Commanders. You can never predict where some of the best pros will come from. It will be fun to see how draftees will do in the future. Also we find out what organizations truly know what they’re doing when it comes to scouting. And in conjunction, we find which ones best develop the talent they acquire.
Here is a pictorial history of some these players in action on the Collegefootballfan.com schedule:
First Round Draft Picks 1-32
Cincy QB Ahmad Gardner (1) turns Houston ball carrier here in AAC Championship. The New York Jets selected him fourth this year.Selected as the sixth pick by the Carolina Panthers, NC State OT Ikem Ekwonu (79, center), seen here vs Wake Forest, turned out to be the first offensive player to be taken in 2022.Wide Receivers were hot commodities in the first round. Penn State Jahan Dotson (5) came in as pick no. 16 by the Washington Commanders. He became the fifth of six wide-out selected in the first round.At No. 17 came Boston College’s Zion Johnson (77) seen here opening a hole for breathing room against Wake Forest in 2021 loss.He will now be driving defenders back for the Las Angeles Chargers.Dallas selected Tulsa OT Tyler Smith 24th overall. We didn’t snap his picture, but here is teammate OG Chris Paul (71) against Navy in 2019. Paul heads to Washington as the 230th selection overall.
Second Round Draft Picks 33-64
Baylor Safety Jalen Pitre picks off a Texas State pass, one of two INTs on the year. Pitre stays in Texas as pro landing with the Houston Texans in the second round as pick no. 37.Penn State DE Arnold Ebeketie (17) goes down here against Auburn, but he rose to the occasion during the 2021 season to get selected at no. 38 by the Atlanta Falcons.Kentucky DE Josh Pashcal (4), 6′ 3″, 278 lbs., in pursuit versus South Carolina went in Round 2 to the Detroit Lions.
Third Round
Tennessee WR Velus Jones scores on a 15-yard catch and run in the 2021 Music City Bowl. The Chicago Bears selected him at no. 71 to join their developing aerial attack.U. ofCincinnati QB Desmond Ridder (9) tosses a 29-yard TD pass against UCF in 2020 season. Atlanta picked him 74th overall to develop him for their future behind veteran QB Matt Ryan.DE DeAngelo Malone (10) of Western Kentucky seen here against Middle Tennessee also heads to Atlanta taken eight spots behind Ridder.Baylor S JT Woods (22) provided solid run coverage for the Bears, and the LA Chargers will expect the same from their pick at no. 79. New England selected Houston S Marcus Jones at no. 85 to continue tight coverages the Patriot secondary is known for.Memphis runner followed block against Navy by OG Dylan Parham (56) who got picked up at no. 90 by the Las Vegas Raiders.Draft pick no. 100 brought CU Bearcat DE Myjai Sanders (21) who earned all AAC honors these past two seasons to the Arizona Cardinals. His quickness off the snap garnered 112 tackles, 24.5 for losses while 13.5 resulted in sacks.
Draft break
Texas State Strutters strut their stuff at last year’s opener between the Bobcats and the BU Bears!Going Coastal! Carolina that is.Still our all-time favorites!
Fourth Round
Cincinnati Bearcat CB Koby Bryant (7) provided tight cover against UCF in 2020 like most of the CU secondary plays as the Seattle Seahawks like what they saw to select him at no. 109.PSU LB Brandon Smith (47) puts the stop on Rutgers in 2019. This Lion will be playing as a Carolina Panther under Head Coach and former PSU LB Matt Rhule, a great developer of talent. Smith was selected at no. 120 overall.North Dakota State OT Cordell Volson (67) throws his weight around here versus Delaware in 2019. He showed well enough since for the Bengals to select him as no. 136 to bolster protection for QB Joe Burrows. Another Belichick surprise. QB Bailey Zappe who led the nation in passing yards at Western Kentucky comes in to challenge last year’s rookie QB Mack Jones. With the no. 137 spot in the draft, New England selects to develop more QB talent going forward. Wake Forest center Zach Tom wipes out a Boston College defender to open a hole for QB Sam Hartman. The Packers picked him in the draft at no. 140 to do the same if called on for Aaron Rogers.
Fifth Round
In the Military Bowl of 2019, Game MVP, Freshman Sam Howell (7), looks down field on a touchdown drive in UNC’s win over Temple. Despite the Tar Heels’ record of 21-17 over his three seasons, they averaged 35.7 ppg with Howell under center. We think he will help improve the Commanders of Washington, D. C. who selected him first in the fifth with pick no. 144!Kentucky OT Darian Kinnard (foreground) , 2021 Consensus All American, looks likely to move to OG in the NFL. At 6’5″ 322 lbs., he posted 46 starts, 39 in row for UK. The Chiefs drafted him no. 145. Watch out!RB Tyler Allgeier of BYU bulldozed Virginia for four TDs the evening we saw these two play. The Falcons invited him at no. 151.Appalachian State LB D’Marco Jackson (far left) played tenaciously for the Mountaineers versus Coastal. The Saints who have had stalwart LBs over the years, will expect the same from him at no. 161.The LV Raiders who selected Tennessee DT Matthew Butler (94) will be looking for him to close the gap quicker than this on Sundays. He comes in at no. 175.
Sixth Round
Cincy LB Darrian Beavers (0) should bring some defensive leadership to the New York Giants in the long term. Even selected at no. 182, we look for him to excel.South Carolina’s Kevin Harris impressed against UK as he led the SEC in rushing in 2020 despite a 2-8 record. The Gamecocks improved in 2021 as Shane Beamer diversified the offense. Another sleeper chosen by Bill Belichick? We’ll see what pick no. 183 brings to New England.Air Force DT Jordan Jackson gets hands up against Navy’s QB Mason Perry (drafted by the Dolphins in 2020). The Saints see the potential to take another Academy player at no. 194.Baylor’s Trestan Ebener (1) gains against Texas State. Ebner was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year in 2021. As a kick returner, the Bears hope to have found a new weapon with pick no. 203.Wake Forest DB Ja’Sir Taylor (6) covers tightly here against NC State in a 45-42 win for the Deacs. The LA Chargers selected him to play in their secondary at no. 214.Penn State CB Tariq Castro-Fields (5) comes up fast for run coverage here versus Buffalo in 2019. The San Francisco 49ers closed out the sixth round taking him at no. 221.
Seventh and final draft round
Rutgers WR Bo Melton led the Scarlet Knights in receiving for three years. He was second team All Big Ten in 2020 though RU QBs struggled. Somebody noticed him from afar. The Seattle Seahawks give him shot at no. 229.Penn State OT Rasheed Walker (53) started 32 games at left tackle. At 6’6″, 330 lbs. the Packers selected him at no. 249 looking for more assurance to protect Aaron Rogers.Amazing! Another Rutgers RB? Isaih Pacheco (#1) falls short of first Rutgers score before a TD against UMass. However, the Kansas City Chiefs decided he was worth a draft pick at no. 251!DE Jeffrey Gunter of Coastal Carolina (94) contained against Appalachian State. The Cincinnati Bengals selected him at pick no. 252 as LB to help shore up their defense. Penn State LB Jesse Luketa (40) hung around late to be selected by Arizona at no. 256.Western Kentucky WR Jerreth Sterns picks up yards against MTSU to break the Hilltoppers’ record for receiving yards in a season. He gained 1,902 receiving yards and scored 17 TDs in his only season of FBS play. He recorded big numbers at FCS Houston Baptist three years prior. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recognized his potential and signed him as a free agent. He might be on the receiving end of Tom Brady’s extended NFL career.
In closing and looking forward to next season
Hail Utah State! Look for them to be surprising in 2022. They visit Bama on September 3.We still want to sneak away with the Sun Dolls of South Florida next time we see their Bulls play in Tampa!Our 2022 opener will feature Hilltopper cheerleaders when they host Austin Peay for Week 0.
