Big Sky 2022 NFL Draft Scouting Reports include Braxton Jones and Troy Andersen

Big Sky 2022 NFL Draft Scouting Reports | J-Z

Here are the rest of the Bik Sky prospects who could hear their name called in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Jace Lewis, LB | Montana

Positives: Hard-charging linebacker with average size and speed. Incredibly instinctive, quickly diagnoses plays, and takes proper angles to the action. Sells out on the blitz, flies around the ball, and gives great effort. Flows laterally to the action, breaks down well, and uses his hands to protect himself. Remains disciplined with assignments and does not bite on ball fakes.

Negatives: Lacks speed in lateral pursuit. Does not show a closing burst. Struggles in man-coverage situations.

Analysis: Lewis gets the most from his ability yet lacks great upside. He’s a middle linebacker/special-teams prospect who may never get off a practice squad.

Jared Schiess, DT | Weber State

Positives: Quick, explosive first-step lineman who fires off the snap, plays with outstanding pad level, and keeps his feet moving. Quickly gets his hands up and displays a variety of moves to get off blocks.

Negatives: Easily turned from the action by a single blocker. Gets rag-dolled in the middle of the line. Lacks overall playing strength. Possesses short arms.

Analysis: Schiess turned in a brilliant junior campaign in 2019 but hasn’t capitalized since. He’s a 3-technique tackle who must improve his playing strength to have any opportunity at the next level.

Jordan Perryman, CB | UC Davis

Positives: Physical cornerback with solid size. Smooth flipping his hips in transition, stays with coverage assignments, and possesses excellent length and long arms. Smooth pedaling in reverse. Keeps the action in front of him and displays a burst to the ball. Battles opponents throughout the route, does a good job reading and diagnosing, and works to get his head back around to track the pass in the air.

Negatives: Very quick out of his backpedal. Plays to one speed. Grabs opponents, which results in holding penalties. Hesitant reacting to receivers’ moves off the line.

Analysis: Perryman was a solid small-school defensive back with the size, ball skills, and tenacity to play on Sundays. He’s an undrafted prospect who could line up as a dime back or eventually move inside the safety.

Josh Davis, RB | Weber State

Positives: Average-sized running back with outstanding vision and instincts. Patient, sets up defenders, and makes them miss. Quickly changes direction and alters the angle of runs without losing momentum. Multi-cut ball carrier. Solid pass catcher out of the backfield who adjusts to errant throws and makes receptions in stride. Gives effort blocking.

Negatives: More quick than fast. Runs tall and takes crushing blows. Doesn’t pick up much yardage off initial contact.

Analysis: Davis is a versatile ball carrier who is effective as a runner and pass catcher. He possesses limited upside, yet his versatility is attractive.

Justin Belknap, EDGE | Montana

Positives: Athletic pass-rushing prospect who flashes ability. Plays with good lean, works his hands throughout the action, and keeps his feet moving. Effective with his hands, moves well, and gets depth on pass drops when playing in space. Plays smart, tough football.

Negatives: Easily controlled by a single blocker or tied up at the point. Minimally productive throughout his college career.

Analysis: After an undistinguished career at Arizona, Belknap displayed signs of ability last year at Montana. He’s a situational pass rusher for the next level who can line up in a three-point stance or stand over tackle. Nevertheless, he must make his mark on special teams.

Lewis Kidd, OT | Montana State

Positives: Heavy-footed college right tackle who is best in a small area. Large, blocks down on opponents, and engulfs them altogether. Strong, gets his hands into defenders, and steers them from the action. Quick off the snap, keeps his head on a swivel, and always looks to hit someone. Plays with a nasty attitude.

Negatives: Struggles to adjust. Lacks footwork off the edge. Late with his hands at times.

Analysis: Kidd is a size prospect who needs a lot of work on his game. He’s a small-area blocker who projects to guard, yet he may never make it off a practice squad.

Logan Kendall, FB | Idaho

Positives: Hard-working lead blocker with a throwback style. Displays outstanding vision, keeps his head on a swivel, and always looks for someone to hit. Squares into defenders and seals them from the action.

Fires out to the second level and gets a pad on linebackers. Displays outstanding vision. Effective short-yardage ball carrier. Extends to grab the ball out of the air when used as a pass catcher.

Negatives: Displays average speed with almost no burst in his game. Stiff.

Analysis: Kendall is an old-time fullback who is best as a lead blocker. He has athletic limitations, and his lack of speed will likely hurt his special-teams potential.

Nick Amoah, OL | UC Davis

Positives: Resilient college offensive lineman who quickly sets up off the snap, blocks with good lean, and keeps his feet moving. Plays with a nasty attitude and fights hard throughout the action. Makes outstanding use of angles, blocks with proper pad level, and gets leverage on opponents. Stays square and shows ability as a position blocker.

Negatives: Struggles finishing blocks. Bends at the waist and grabs onto opponents. Ineffective blocking in motion and lacks balance. Limited upside.

Analysis: Amoah was a solid small-school offensive tackle yet lacks size, athleticism, and upside.

Nick Ciccio, S | Northern Colorado

Positives: Fierce, instinctive safety with average size and speed. Keeps the action in front of him, quickly picks up assignments, and throws his body around the field to make plays.

Shows good awareness, works well with cornerbacks, and displays above-average range with the ability to get out to the flanks. Tough, always works to get a pad on defenders, and shows a burst to the action.

Negatives: Lacks long speed. Has a bad tendency to make his first move up the field and gets caught out of position. Inefficient.

Analysis: Ciccio possesses average size and athleticism, yet he’s a smart, tough football player who gets the most from his ability.

Noah Elliss, IDL | Idaho

Positives: Massive interior defensive lineman who grades out highly in the areas of intensity and hustle. Fires off the snap with an explosive first step, plays with terrific pad level, and gets leverage on opponents. Powerful in his lower body, bull rushes opponents off the line of scrimmage, and collapses the pocket. Moves well for a bigger lineman and attracts a lot of double-team blocks.

Negatives: Must learn to use his hands better. Consistently controlled at the point by a single blocker. Wears down easily. Comes off a disappointing senior season.

Analysis: Elliss possesses the size, substance, and style to be used as a two-gap nose tackle. He’s a gap occupier who must properly condition himself to have a career at the next level.

Omar Hicks Onu, CB | Montana

Positives: Athletic cornerback with the size and speed to play at the next level. Battles opponents throughout the action, plays with a nasty attitude, and possesses solid ball skills. Stays on the receiver’s hip out of breaks and has a burst out of his plant. Has opposing quarterbacks purposely throwing away from him and easily stays downfield with receivers.

Negatives: Slow reacting to receivers’ moves off the line and loses a half-step in transition. Marginally productive during his time at Oregon State.

Analysis: Hicks Onu possesses the size and speed and flashed enough ball skills to play on Sundays.

Rashid Shaheed, WR | Weber State

Positives: Quick receiver with solid speed who impacts the game as a return specialist. Fires off the line into pass routes, stays low exiting breaks, and positions himself to make the reception. Nicely makes the catch on crossing patterns, displays a burst of speed, and effectively times receptions. Tracks the pass in the air and competes to come away with the catch. Extends his hands and snatches the fastball out of the air. Consistently impacts the game as a kick returner.

Negatives: Must improve his blocking. Possesses average size and struggles in battles. Has short arms and small hands.

Analysis: Shaheed is a slot receiver prospect whose greatest value at the next level will be on special teams.

Samuel Akem, WR | Montana

Positives: Large receiver who plays big, strong football. Uses his hands to separate from defenders, gets vertical, and high points the ball over opponents. Looks passes into his hands, nicely makes the reception on crossing patterns, and snatches the ball out of the air. Adjusts to the throw, makes the tough catch in a crowd, and takes a pounding yet holds onto the ball. Gives effort blocking and works hard even if the play is away from him.

Negatives: Plays to one speed and isn’t a vertical threat. Never really improved off his terrific sophomore and junior seasons.

Analysis: Akem is a big-bodied possession wideout with long arms and big hands. He has enough ability to make a practice squad and could develop into a fifth receiver.

Talolo Limu-Jones, WR | Eastern Washington

Positives: Large receiver who flashes dominance. Tracks deep balls in the air, adjusts to the throw, and makes the over-the-shoulder reception with defenders draped on him. Displays a short burst of speed, settles into the open spot of the defense, and is tough to bring down after the catch. Effective when he extends his hands and snatches the ball away from his frame.

Negatives: Lacks soft hands and does a lot of double-catching. Must turn up the intensity blocking.

Analysis: Limu-Jones flashed ability the past three seasons yet shows a lot of inconsistency in his game. He possesses the size to play at the next level yet must improve the reliability of his hands and learn to do the little things well.

Tanner Conner, WR | Idaho State

Positives: Incredibly productive small-school receiver with a reliable game. Possesses a lot of natural pass-catching skills, displays an outstanding sense of timing, and catches everything thrown in his direction. Displays good route discipline, remains focused, and possesses outstanding eye/hand coordination.

Makes the difficult reception downfield and also the over-the-shoulder catch. Tracks the pass in the air, adjusts to errant throws, and battles opponents to come away with the contested grab. Gives effort blocking downfield and gets results.

Negatives: Lacks a quick release off the line of scrimmage. Plays to one speed and lacks the ability to beat defenders in a foot race. May be too big for the receiver position.

Analysis: Conner was productive and dependable for Idaho State and owns the receiving skills to play in the NFL. He’ll either have to lose 15 pounds if he wants to stay at receiver or add weight and move to tight end.

Tre Walker, LB | Idaho

Positives: Hard-charging linebacker who plays bigger and faster than his athletic testing numbers. Feisty, breaks down well, and uses his hands to protect himself. Effective in pursuit, covers a good amount of area on the field, and gets depth on pass drops. Fires upfield and is effective on the blitz. Scrapes well laterally and is productive defending the run.

Negatives: Overpursues plays occasionally. Sealed from the action by blocks. Has limited growth potential.

Analysis: Walker was a productive linebacker at Idaho and showed well during Shrine Bowl practices. He has limitations but can make a roster as an eighth linebacker/special-teams demon.

Tristen Taylor, OL | Eastern Washington

Positives: Small-area blocker who lined up at left tackle on the college level. Patient, stays square, and keeps defenders in front of him. Properly places his hands into opponents, rides defenders from their angles of attack, and gives effort. Strong, sets with a wide base, and controls opponents once engaged in a block. Makes outstanding use of angles and body positioning to seal opponents from the play.

Negatives: Shows a lot of stiffness in his game. Lacks quick, fluid footwork off the edge. Exploited by speed rushers.

Analysis: Taylor possesses next-level size and long arms and gets the most from his ability. He lacks athleticism as well as agility, which limits his next-level possibilities.

Troy Andersen, LB | Montana State

Positives: Incredibly athletic linebacker with tremendous upside. Patient, stays with assignments, and remains disciplined. Plays within the system, does not bite on ball fakes, and works hard. Strong, flows well laterally to the play, and plays with a violent attitude. Quickly locates the action, has a burst to the ball, and flies around the field working to make positive plays. Sells out on the blitz and has a closing burst. Effective in pursuit. Strong open-field tackler.

Negatives: Must use his hands better to protect himself. Does not get great depth on pass drops and isn’t fluid moving in reverse.

Analysis: Andersen possesses the size and speed to be a top-45 pick and has flashed dominance at times. He played exceptionally well during Senior Bowl practices, impressing scouts with his play in space. Anderson may need time, but he has the ability to develop into a three-down linebacker.

Ty Whitworth, OL | Weber State

Positives: Strong small-area blocker with average size. Fires into blocks, stays square, and keeps his feet moving. Effective with his hands, displays excellent power, and gets movement run blocking. Easily turns defenders off the line to open up running lanes.

Negatives: Lacks footwork in space. Ineffective on the second level or blocking in motion.

Analysis: Whitworth showed dominance on the small-school level yet lacks the physical skills to play on Sundays.

Tyrese Dedmon, S | Idaho

Positives: Nice-sized safety who plays heads-up, intense football. Quickly picks up coverage assignments, moves well laterally, and gets to the play. Displays good ball skills between the numbers. Keeps the action in front of him, displays a burst to the play, and fires upfield defending the run.

Negatives: Plays from behind in coverage. Does not display great range.

Analysis: Dedmon possesses the size and skill to make an NFL roster as a ninth defensive back.