Oli Hodgkinson’s Big Board of Top 300 Players for the 2022 NFL Draft

This. Is. It. After almost 12 months and thousands of hours of film watching, this is my final 2022 NFL Draft Big Board. The draft often operates under the motto of “the future is now,” and I believe a large chunk of the players listed below really do have a bright future in the league regardless of where they get selected this weekend. So, who are my top 300 players in the 2022 NFL Draft?

2022 NFL Draft Big Board | Top 5 Players

Before getting into the full list that makes up my final 2022 NFL Draft Big Board, I wanted to provide some insight on the prospects right at the very top. Evaluating this class has truly been a labor of love. With various exemptions, this has been the biggest class that any analyst has had to evaluate.

Despite a theory — driven by a relatively weak quarterback class — that it’s a bad class, separating these talented individuals has been difficult at times. There’s a lot of talent, and it runs deep even if the number of “elite” prospects might not be what we’re accustomed to. I believe these five represent the best of the best, and below I detail my reasoning why.

1) Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

It feels like a lifetime ago that I sat down to write Kyle Hamilton‘s scouting report. Back in those sunny days of June, it was more akin to a love letter than an evaluation. Watching the Notre Dame safety was to appreciate football in its finest form, to realize that athletic excellence, technical ability, and football intelligence could exist all in one prospect.

Since then, Hamilton has been the No. 1 prospect on my 2022 NFL Draft Big Board. Forget the season-ending injury. Forget the mediocre testing times. Instead, merely revel in a 6’4″ and 220-pound safety prospect who has the range to command the entire deep third, the physicality to come downhill and hit you in the mouth with ferocity, and the intelligence and ball skills to be a danger in coverage for any quarterback who dares throws his way.

2) Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon

Kayvon Thibodeaux is blessed with insane athletic ability. He’s fast, explosive, agile, with an exceptional change-of-direction capacity. His explosive first step at the line of scrimmage causes nightmares for the man tasked with halting his progress to the quarterback. The Oregon defensive end effortlessly translates speed to power as a rusher and routinely forces linemen backward into their quarterback’s path.

Too often, we focus on pass rush for edge players, but the ability to contain the run is equally important. Thibodeaux has displayed impressive ability in this regard. Better connected people than me have vocalized concerns about Thibodeaux that are apparently going to facilitate a slide down draft boards. If that’s the case, an NFL team is likely to get a steal with the second-best player on my 2022 NFL Draft Big Board.

3) Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

With exceptional size at 6’7″, 340 pounds, with 34″ arms, Evan Neal looks like a “build-a-prospect” at the offensive tackle position. With experience at guard, plus both left and right tackle, he’s comfortably the most versatile OT prospect at the top of the 2022 NFL Draft. Versatility, while valuable, is no replacement for ability.

Thankfully, Neal has that in spades. The Alabama offensive tackle plays the game with excellent pad level for a man of his size, bending at the knees rather than the waist. Powerful with violent hands, he’s also an excellent athlete, exploding out of his stance to go into battle against the best competition the nation has to offer.

4) Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson

Think of the most athletic pass breakup or interception you saw in college football in the past three years. Have you got the image in your head? I’d be willing to lay a small wager that the play you were thinking of was made by Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. All he’s done since 2019 is make incredible, gravity-defying, disruptive plays.

Actually, that’s unfair to Booth. For that’s not all he’s done. He’s also a physical and willing cornerback in run support. However, the freak athleticism, incomparable catch-point ball skills, quick feet, loose hips, and tremendous change-of-direction ability enable him to play the game at the highest level. Some injury concerns might impact his overall selection, but Booth is as talented as they come.

5) Ikem Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State

Behind the smiling, bespectacled off-field demeanor of NC State OT Ikem Ekwonu lays an absolute footballing savage. They say pass protection is passive, and there’s nothing passive about any element of Ekwonu’s game. If you’re looking for competitive toughness in your NFL Draft prospects, look no further.

While I began the season under the impression that Ekwonu could be an elite guard prospect, his continued development as a pass protector at left tackle has facilitated a rise up my 2022 NFL Draft Big Board. He has the size, length, and power to stop any pass rusher in their tracks. Furthermore, the NC State product demonstrates superb athleticism to get out ahead of the run game as a destructive run blocker.

2022 NFL Draft Big Board