Did the Baltimore Ravens’ selection of Michigan fullback Ben Mason in this year’s draft come as a surprise to you? Fun fact: there have been four fullbacks selected in the NFL’s annual selection event over the past four years. Could that be extended to five in five years in 2022? We take an early look at the top fullbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft class.
Jeremiah Hall is the top fullback in the 2022 NFL Draft
These are my very early rankings of the fullbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft class. The rankings are compiled from observations made while watching players in the 2021 class and early adventures into 2022 summer scouting. As such, they’ll be subject to change throughout the summer and 2021 college football season. However, it presents an early look at the fullbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
1) Jeremiah Hall, Oklahoma
A three-star recruit from North Carolina, Jeremiah Hall arrived at Oklahoma as the 28th ranked tight end in the 2017 class. He has demonstrated his pass-catching prowess for the Sooners with 423 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns during his Oklahoma career. If those numbers don’t appear impressive, there’s a reason why. It’s also why he’s included in the list of our top fullbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Hall isn’t used as a typical tight end for the Sooners. He operates as an H-back in Lincoln Riley’s offense — a hybrid between a fullback and a tight end. It’s the position that former Green Bay Packers fullback Aaron Ripkowski played while at Norman, leading to him being a sixth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Hall weighs in some 10 pounds lighter than Ripkowski. Despite this, he demonstrates an ability to be impactful as both a pass protector and downfield run blocker. In fact, at 6’2″ and 243 pounds, Hall is a similar build to the most recent fullback to be drafted in the Ravens’ Ben Mason.
Top fullbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft | 2-5
Which fullbacks round out the top five for the 2022 NFL Draft?
2) John Chenal, Wisconsin
Unlike Hall above him, Wisconsin’s John Chenal is the epitome of a fullback. At 6’2″ and 250 pounds, the high school linebacker became a preferred walk-on for the Badgers and crafted a role for himself on the offense. Wisconsin regularly produces impressive running back talent, and one of the keys to their success is the deployment of fullbacks like Chenal to pave the way.
Chenal is big, strong, and thrives doing the dirty work. There are multiples examples from his 29-game career of him displacing players to help running backs pick up extra yardage. Furthermore, he gained 145 yards on 30 rushing attempts with 2 touchdowns. Once again, his short-yardage usage is the sort of work you would expect to see from a fullback.
Having shared duties with Mason Stokke last season, Chenal will undoubtedly see more action this coming season. That should help him cement his place as one of the top fullbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft class.
3) Zander Horvath, Purdue
If you needed any vindication for Zander Horvath’s place on this list of the top 2022 NFL Draft fullbacks, then look no further than the player that he emulates as he marauds his way through opposition defenses.
Mike Alstott wore number 40 while at Purdue, setting program records before transitioning to play fullback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, Horvath sports that number and plays the game in a similar physical manner.
At 6’3″ and 230 pounds, Horvath is slightly taller and leaner than Alstott, but don’t be fooled into thinking that means he doesn’t contain the same sort of strength. Dismissed as a running back coming out of high school, Horvath nearly played linebacker at Indiana. Yet, Purdue convinced him to walk on and hasn’t looked back since.
Strong, athletic, and a solid pass catcher out of the backfield, Horvath has all the ingredients to make the same transition that Alstott did. Moreover, he has displayed blocking ability during his Purdue career that will be extremely valuable at the next level.
4) Ben Miles, Kansas
Considered one of the top fullbacks in the 2017 recruiting cycle, Ben Miles will head to the 2022 NFL Draft after a nomadic college football career. Having enrolled at Nebraska out of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Miles redshirted before transferring to Texas A&M. Having only played one game for the Aggies, he was on the move again in 2019, landing at Kansas to play for his father.
Miles has played in 21 games for the Jayhawks with limited production. He has 3 career rushing attempts with 4 receptions tallying 10 yards. Additionally, he has seen some small action as a kick returner. Still, Miles’ biggest contribution to the Kansas offense is as a run blocker. Most noticeably, he helped pave the way for Pooka Williams’ 1,000+ rushing-yard season in 2019.
The Jayhawks have a young roster in 2021, and Miles can help him improve his 2022 NFL Draft stock by emerging as a leader both on and off the field.
5) Clay Moss, Weber State
Despite the postponement of the FCS season until the spring, Weber State fullback Clay Moss received high praise before the 2021 NFL Draft. Having made 38 appearances, he is one of the more experienced players on this list. During that time, he has rushed for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns. Moss has also added 166 yards on 19 receptions out of the backfield.
Although he is one of the smaller fullbacks — listed at 6’1″ and 225 pounds –, he displays physicality as a blocker. He was a former linebacker which shows up with the approach he takes to initiating contact. A productive running back in high school, Moss also possesses decent athleticism.
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Oliver Hodgkinson is an NFL Draft Analyst for Pro Football Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @ojhodgkinson.
