Mississippi 2022 NFL Draft Scouting Reports include Braylon Sanders and Deane Leonard

The Mississippi Rebels had an excellent season. They finished ranked 11th in the nation but fell to Baylor 21-7 in the Sugar Bowl. Nevertheless, Mississippi’s talented roster will lose a number of prospects as they head toward the 2022 NFL Draft. Here are the scouting reports for every Mississippi player that might hear their name called during the three-day event.

Mississippi 2022 NFL Draft Scouting Reports

The Mississippi scouting reports include some potential first-round talents as well as some names that could provide late-round value.

Ben Brown, G

Positives: Tough, durable offensive lineman with experience at guard and center. Bends his knees, blocks with leverage, and easily turns defenders from the action. Stays square, gets his hands up into opponents, and controls them once engaged at the point. Keeps his head on a swivel and works well with linemates. Blocks with a nasty attitude and always looks for someone to hit. Gets movement run blocking.

Negatives: Occasionally late with his hands. Heavy-footed, not quick to the second level, and ineffective blocking in motion. Could do a better job sinking his butt at the line of scrimmage.

Analysis: Brown was productive as well as durable for Mississippi and comes with positional versatility. He’s best on the inside of a power-gap scheme, though Brown does have athletic limitations.

Want more information on Brown? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Ben Brown, Ole Miss G | NFL Draft Scouting Report

Braylon Sanders, WR

Positives: Quick, vertical receiver who is just starting to hit his stride. Displays good route discipline and easily makes the reception on crossing patterns. Displays strong hands and extends to snatch the ball out of the air. Tracks deep throws, makes the difficult over-the-shoulder reception, and lays out to come away with the tough grab. Sells routes, adjusts to the throw, and separates from defenders. Plays faster than his 40 time.

Negatives: Must improve his route-running skills. Marginally productive until his senior season. Average run-after-the-catch skill.

Analysis: Sanders is an athletic receiver with next-level speed and pass-catching hands. He must improve the details of his position but comes with a large upside and should be a productive fourth wideout on a roster in the next 2-3 years.

Chance Campbell, LB

Positives: Maryland transfer coming off a terrific senior campaign. Quick to read and diagnose, remains disciplined with assignments, and breaks down well. Fires upfield, gives effort defending the run, and quickly locates the ball handler. Stacks well against the run. Shows the ability to get outside the box and chase the action. Takes proper angles to plays, wraps up tackling, and brings opponents down at the point of attack. Ran much faster than expected at the Combine and turned in some terrific testing numbers.

Negatives: Does not show speed to the flanks despite his Combine testing. Lacks quick change-of-direction skills in coverage.

Analysis: Campbell was an efficient linebacker the past two seasons, though he presented himself primarily as a two-down run defender. He displayed a lot of unexpected athleticism at the Combine. If he’s able to translate that onto the field, Campbell has the tools necessary to be a three-down defender.

Want more information on Campbell? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Chance Campbell, Ole Miss LB | NFL Draft Scouting Report

Deane Leonard, CB

Positives: Talented cornerback who has flashed ability the past two seasons. Displays good footwork in reverse, stays in his backpedal, and fluidly flips his hips in transition. Battles receivers throughout the route and possesses a terrific closing burst as well as a nice move to the throw. Effectively times pass defenses. Fires upfield and gives effort defending the run. Keeps the action in front of him.

Negatives: Late reacting. Did not intercept a pass in the two seasons he played for Mississippi.

Analysis: Leonard possesses the size and speed to play on Sundays and has flashed next-level ball skills. He needs to fine-tune his game but should absolutely receive practice-squad consideration this summer.

Dontario Drummond, WR

Positives: Large, smooth receiver with consistent hands. Fluid, nicely adjusts to errant throws, and possesses strong hands. Nicely makes the reception in stride and uses his frame to shield away defenders. Pulls the fastball from the air.

Negatives: Plays to one speed and shows no burst in his game. Takes his eyes off the ball on occasion, which leads to drops.

Analysis: Drummond is a nice-sized wideout with dependable hands, yet he will struggle to separate at the next level.

Jake Springer, S

Positives: Hard-hitting safety who is best defending the run. Fires up the field, squares into ball handlers, and works to separate the ball from opponents. Stays with coverage assignments, gives effort, and plays heads-up football. Gets his secondary teammates in proper position.

Negatives: Gets sucked up the field and caught out of position. Struggles in man coverage. Lacks deep speed.

Analysis: Springer is a large safety prospect who is best playing downhill or in the box. He’s an intelligent prospect who lacks great upside but comes with a special-teams mentality.

Jaylon Jones, CB

Positives: Nice-sized corner who flashed ability. Fluid pedaling in reverse, mixes it up with receivers throughout the route, and plays faster than his 40 time. Physical, beats down opponents to defend the throw, and displays the speed to recover. Works to get off blocks and make plays upfield.

Negatives: Off balance out of his transition, which results in him trailing receivers down the field. Does a lot of face-guarding in man coverage. Marginally productive and had just 1 interception during his six seasons at Mississippi.

Analysis: Jones possesses solid size as well as athleticism but has an unpolished game and was very inconsistent. Best facing the action, he could be a zone corner. However, he must play well on special teams to get out of camp this summer.

Jerrion Ealy, RB

Positives: Undersized ball carrier who is productive as a pass catcher. Patiently waits for blocks to develop, possesses the speed as well as the agility to turn the perimeter, and is very quick. Displays outstanding footwork, makes defenders miss in the open field, and will pick and choose his spots in traffic.

Works runs, tries to improvise when things break down, and is strong for his size. Solid pass catcher out of the backfield who adjusts to errant throws and makes catches in stride. Occasionally lined up in the slot and runs good routes.

Negatives: Small and easily brought down by a single defender. At times, does too much bouncing around laterally rather than taking it upfield.

Analysis: Ealy was productive for Mississippi in a variety of roles and nicely projects as a third-down back or situational runner who will add value as a return specialist.

Want more information on Ealy? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss RB | NFL Draft Scouting Report

Lakia Henry, LB

Positives: Once-highly rated linebacker who is explosive, displays good range, and quickly gets out to the sidelines in pursuit of the action. Gets depth on pass drops, covers a good amount of area, and immediately locates the ball handler. Fires upfield and sells out to defend the run. Breaks down well, rarely gets knocked off his feet, and slides off blocks to make plays. Wraps up tackling.

Negatives: Overpursues plays on occasion. Gets caught up in the traffic and tied up by blocks. Has watched his game fall off significantly.

Analysis: Henry was highly rated by scouts after a terrific junior season in 2019. However, he’s watched his game drop off the past two years. He went from an impact linebacker who was starting to a player who primarily came off the bench. Henry will not be drafted this year but could be a surprise in camp if properly used.

Matt Corral, QB

Positives: Super-productive college quarterback with a lot of next-level potential. Patient in the pocket, senses the rush, and shows incredible poise under pressure. Tremendous leader on the field who does not make bad decisions or force throws. Displays a sense of timing, leads receivers with passes, and lets them run to the ball. Shows great vision and understanding of what’s happening on the field. Needles his passes into tight spots.

Possesses a quick release and live arm. Accurate and flashes the ability to place passes where only his receivers can come away with the reception. Has a next-level arm and puts deep passes out in front of targets. Natural looking off the safety and shows great recognition as well as awareness. Spreads the ball around to all his targets, puts touch on throws when necessary, and takes the safe underneath outlet if nothing else is available.

Elusive and scrambles away from defenders to get the pass off. Tough ball carrier on designed quarterback runs. Effectively sells ball fakes.

Negatives: Lacks size and pocket stature. Cannot withstand the rush and goes down rather easily. Must improve his downfield accuracy.

Analysis: Corral was a terrific quarterback the past two seasons and a productive passer who protected the football. He possesses a lot of next-level ability. However, he will have to learn the NFL game and be placed in a system where he is able to cleanly stand in the pocket.

Want more information on Corral? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Matt Corral, Ole Miss QB | NFL Draft Scouting Report

Orlando Umana, C

Positives: Massive, wide-bodied blocker who is explosive at the point. Strong, squares into opponents, and controls them once engaged at the point. Gets movement run blocking and pushes defenders off the line of scrimmage. Effectively quarterbacks the offensive line. Always looking for someone to hit. Bends his knees and is effective with the shotgun snap.

Negatives: Struggles to adjust and lacks agility. Has difficulty handling quick opponents. Late with his hands on occasion.

Analysis: Umana is a large power-gap lineman with potential at center or guard.

Tariqious Tisdale, DT

Positives: Once highly considered prospect who flashes impressive athleticism, easily changes direction, and moves well around the field. Plays with proper lean and pad level, shows speed in pursuit, and easily gets down the line of scrimmage chasing the action. Explosive, defeats blocks to penetrate the line of scrimmage, and possesses a closing burst. Strong at the point and holds his ground against blocks.

Negatives: Struggled with injury in 2020 and was a nonfactor for most of last season. Disappeared for long stretches. Must improve his pass-rush moves.

Analysis: Off the 2019 film, Tisdale looked like an up-and-coming defensive line prospect who possessed excellent size, athleticism, and football ability. Injury and other factors led to his regression on the field, but Tisdale still has tremendous upside for the next level if he chooses to apply himself.

Sam Williams, DE

Positives: Physically talented pass rusher with off-the-field concerns. Explosive, quickly gets off the snap, and breaks down well. Shows a variety of moves with his hands to get off blocks, immediately alters his angle of attack, and easily changes direction.

Plays tough football, gives effort defending the run, and attacks opponents. Relentless, gets outside the box to make plays, and squeezes through double-team blocks to penetrate the line of scrimmage. Displays speed off the edge and can bend around the corner. Displays pass-rushing skill standing over tackle.

Negatives: Average instincts and slow to locate the ball. Lacks overall body strength. Does not display a dominant base.

Analysis: Williams is a terrific pass rusher who can play out of a three-point stance or standing over tackle. He possesses a large upside, though teams must be comfortable with off-the-field concerns.

Want more information on Williams? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Sam Williams, Ole Miss DE | NFL Draft Scouting Report

Snoop Conner, RB

Positives: Quick-footed ball carrier with the ability to create yardage. Effectively sets up and follows blocks, finds running lanes, and has the speed to beat defenders into the open field. Makes defenders miss and quickly cuts back against the grain without losing momentum. Explosive, runs hard on the inside, and gets a lot of momentum going.

Negatives: Does not pick up much yardage off initial contact or move the pile despite his size. Must improve his blocking. Was not much of a threat catching the ball out of the backfield despite playing in a passing offense.

Analysis: Conner was consistently productive carrying the ball for Mississippi and has the ability to be a situational ball carrier on Sundays if he improves his pass-catching skill.