Ten days. 240 hours, 14,400 minutes, 864,000 seconds, separates us from the official start of the NFL Draft next Thursday night in Las Vegas, Nevada. To celebrate the occasion, Welcome to the Countdown.
Over the next 10 days, I will be publishing each and every day things that have never been done before in sports commentary. Things that will truly blow your mind like never before. These things are: lists. Yeah, I know, super creative. Someone give me a raise.
These lists will be centered around the NFL Draft and all of the prospects who will be selected over the course of the three-day draft. Each day will have a new topic, aimed at getting you ready for the best three days of the year for any football fan (at least in my opinion). The Countdown will conclude on draft night, Thursday, April 28th, with my official NFL Mock Draft.
Today, we start with a very basic list to get the juices flowing. We will be breaking down my top 10 overall prospects for this year’s draft, along with potential teams that could draft these young men in ten days time. Let The Countdown begin.
10. Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa
I have been doing prospect rankings for the draft for the last 8 years. I have never seen a cleaner offensive line prospect in my time than Linderbaum. So why does he only come in as my number 10 prospect, with other offensive lineman ahead of him (spoiler alert)? The answer is the position he plays. Linderbaum is a true out-and-out center, you won’t see a team pushing him out to guard like some teams tend to do with centers. Linderbaum will, and must, play center in the National Football League.
Teams also do not love to spend premium draft capital on centers. Think how Cesar Ruiz fell into the mid-twenties in the 2020 draft, only for the Saints to trade up to get him. Sources who I have talked to over the past few days have echoed this sentiment. Now, teams that I have spoken to in the teens do have high grades on Linderbaum, but not as a round 1 pick. Linderbaum is going to make a team look like absolute geniuses, as he projects as an all-pro center for the next 10+ years in the NFL.
What makes Linderbaum so special is his overall athleticism. Linderbaum would best be on display in a zone scheme that can utilize his freaky athletic traits, including getting him on the move to make his blocks. On tape, Linderbaum showed off more in the run game than the pass game due to lackluster hand placement. Given his expertise in the run game however, that should be an easy fix for any offensive line coach at the next level.
Possible Landing Spots: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars
9. Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
When seeing Stingley Jr. ranked highly in anyone’s rankings, it is down to one thing and one thing alone. That is the tape he put on display in 2019, when he was graded as the best cover corner in the country. Since then, he has missed time with both leg and foot issues to go along with very inconsistent tape in those two years as well.
It is no secret that LSU was a juggernaut in 2019, yet Stingley Jr. was a humongous reason for that success. The defensive staff understood that Stingley Jr. could be left all alone on an island, and he would take opposing receivers totally out of the game. That was the beauty of the 2019 film, and teams that are interested in the former Tiger believe that version of him is still deep in there.
Where Stingley Jr. does struggle is when pressed into zone coverage concepts. A team that drafts him will have to get his zone coverage prowess up to speed, but with that will have to come tackling. He is an inconsistent tackler, and it does not factor much into his game. For his collegiate career, Stingley Jr. has a 17.9% missed tackle rate. In the NFL, that will have to change if he wishes to be successful.
Potential Landing Spots: Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles
8. Drake London, USC
It is such a shame that London’s season ended prematurely due to an ankle injury, because my word what a season he was on pace for. After eight games, London had already come down with 88 catches for 1,000+ yards and 7 touchdowns. London also led the nation with 19 contested catches in 8 games, a number that stood firm whilst he was out.
The perception of London comes down to, really, what floats your boat. If you love short, fast, explosive receivers, London isn’t your guy. If you, like me, love big, physical, gritty, tough receivers, London is your guy. London won’t wow anyone with his after the catch ability, recording only 5.2 yards after the catch in 2021. He won’t wow you with his average depth of target numbers either. Where he will wow you is with his ability to break tackles, catch a deep pass, and have safe, secure hands. London is a true outside receiver at the next level, and will be loved by his next quarterback given his acumen for going up, and winning most 50-50 balls.
Speed will be the only downside to London’s game, and there probably won’t be much changing that. Some scouts have also said to me that drops are a concern with London, but on film I did not get that impression. These scouts have also expressed concerns regarding his ankle, but from people I have talked to on the medical side of things the ankle should not be much of a concern moving forward for London.
Possible Landing Spots: Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Washington Commanders, Houston Texans
7. Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Cincinnati
A starter since his true freshman season, Gardner did not allow a touchdown in coverage during his career at Cincinnati. Gardner is everything you would want in a man-to-man corner. He lives off of physicality, getting into opposing receivers’ space and taking it away with his strength and pure athleticism. At 6’3, 190 lbs, he simply has the ability to dominate at the line of scrimmage.
Where Gardner tended to struggle on tape was against receivers that were faster than him. Gardner will not wow anyone with his speed, but what he does do quite well is mask that lack of speed with excellent transitions and pivots. Teams that are looking for a true shutdown corner are going to get that with Gardner.
Teams that I have spoken to believe Gardner will be going somewhere in the top 10. Corner is a foundational position, and teams will never shy away from taking one that they believe can be the next cornerstone for their defense. Gardner will be that, and he will make for an excellent shutdown corner in the NFL.
Possible Landing Spots: New York Jets, New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks
6. Jameson Williams, Alabama
Jameson Williams gives you all of the things Drake London does not. If Williams did not tear his ACL in the National Championship game, he would be the first receiver taken in this draft and there are few doubts about it. His combination of elite size, speed, superb route running, and smooth hands, all make for this draft’s diamond players.
Williams may not be ready to play until October, but it will not matter. The wait will be worth it for teams that are receiver-needy, teams that want to get their quarterback a go-to number one target, that is what Jameson Williams projects as in the NFL. For a man who is 6’1 to run like Williams does is absolutely ridiculous, and I wish corners the best of luck in trying to combat that.
Williams does however need to put on a bit of weight, which may be the only real critique I have for him. Only clocking in at 179 lbs, Williams may get bullied around a bit initially until he adds more muscle mass to his body. While he isn’t a true X receiver as of yet, where Williams will contribute initially is on jet sweeps, deep shots, and on screen plays, routes where his lightning speed can be shown off in abundance.
Possible Landing Spots: New York Jets, Houston Texans, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers
5. Devin Lloyd, Utah
The best all-around linebacker in this class, bar none. Lloyd sheds blocks at will, he is a high-level blitzer, and excels in coverage against opposing tight ends. On paper, this is a player without very many holes in his game. He is just about as complete as it gets without his name being Devin White, who remains the best linebacker I have ever scouted.
Lloyd stands in as your modern middle linebacker. The quarterback of the defense if you will, Lloyd is a prototypical every-down linebacker given his expertise in just about every facet of the game. That is how polished Lloyd is as a prospect. Lloyd brings an unparalleled all-around skillset to the table, and he will be a defensive coordinator’s dream.
If there is one flaw with Lloyd that popped on film, it is his tackling. It isn’t that he is a bad tackler, he just isn’t a great tackler when he can be a great tackler. Another flaw with Lloyd, and this has all to do with where he plays and not the player, is teams do not hold box-to-box linebackers super high in regard like they used to. Teams more likely than not will not go out of their way to spend a pick in the teens to take someone like Lloyd, even though they should.
Possible Landing Spots: Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills
4. Evan Neal, Alabama
You want an all-out left tackle to anchor your offensive line for the next 10 years, here is your guy. At 6’7, 350 lbs, Neal is an athletic specimen who moves like he weighs 250. Neal moves people at the line of scrimmage, winning with unrivaled physicality that jumped off the page immediately when studying his film. Neal also brings versatility to the table, as Neal can play both left and right tackle at the next level. I do see him more as a left tackle than a right tackle, but will succeed wherever he plays.
What Neal also brings to the table is his leadership qualities. Sources out of the University of Alabama described Neal as one of the “unquestioned leaders of the Crimson Tide”, a “great kid”, and “does not need any coaching”. When analyzing prospects, sometimes we get so lost in the football player that we forget about the human being. Every last person I have talked to about Neal has raved about what a great person he is both on and off the field.
Neal can get a bit flustered against pass-rushers with more tools in their tool boxes. The ability to recognize these moves however will be learned over the course of his career. There are almost no concerns in my eyes with Neal, with Neal maybe showing some issues with balance given his very top-heavy frame. Again, any offensive line coach in the NFL will work with him on the balance and get him right.
Possible Landing Spots: New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings
3. Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
A do-it-all safety that can deliver in any situation, Hamilton is another classic example of being a victim of the position he plays. Safety’s generally get the same treatment as centers, where teams do not want to spend high capital on what is deemed a “luxury position”. Hamilton is no luxury piece, he is a foundational piece that can transform a team’s secondary in an instant.
Hamilton can legitimately play anywhere on the defensive side of the ball not named defensive tackle. That is just how gifted he is as a defender, and as a football player. I don’t love giving out player comparisons due to the unnecessary expectations, but Hamilton reminds me a lot of Derwin James. Hamilton has the same all-around skillset, the same ball prowess, the same coverage skills, and the same thumping ability as James. Where he may actually be better than James is just in his range, but that is minor.
Hamilton was not asked to do much in man coverage throughout his career thus far, so a team will have to coach up that side of his game. But Hamilton brings one of the wider spheres of influence to the table, perhaps more so than any other player at their respective positions in this draft. Whichever team gets their hands on this young man is getting themselves a star in this league, as he is my safest pick in this draft. Take him, and reap the rewards for the next 10+ years.
Potential Landing Spots: New York Jets, Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles
2. Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
It isn’t that I don’t like Hutchinson, it is more that I love the top guy. More on him in a minute. Hutchinson brings it all, a high motor, fantastic work rate, and defensive skills that may be the best in this entire draft coming in. Hutchinson excels against both the run and the pass, and it all stems from an incredible senior season for the Michigan Wolverines.
Hutchinson is a late-bloomer, which leads some scouts to wonder what happened in the build up to his senior season that led to such a dominant year. Some may say it is Hutchinson succeeding against lesser opposition, yet Hutchinson had two of his best games of the season against Ohio State and then against Iowa in the Big 10 Championship game. For a man that is 6’7, 260 lbs, he brings ridiculous levels of agility to the table. The way he is able to counter from outside back to inside is absolutely lethal, and opposing offensive lineman had no answer for it this season.
Where Hutchinson needs to improve is expanding his pass rushing repertoire. He normally sticks to the same tricks, which have been effective at the college level but will get figured out quickly at the NFL level. If he is able to expand on some of his moves, Hutchinson could be an anchor on any team’s defensive line.
Potential Landing Spots: Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions
1. Ikem Ekwonu, NC State
My favorite player in this class, and it is very close between him and Hutchinson. I do keep going back and forth between the two, and both should be very much in the discussion to be the number one pick next week.
Ekwonu brings a whole lot to the table. Ekwonu was the most dominant run blocker in the country a year ago, with his 18 big-time blocks charting in as more than any other Power-5 lineman. Ekwonu wins with power, coming from his hips which he really utilizes to brush defenders backwards. His long arms give him a very solid anchor, where if he latches onto a defender that defender isn’t breaking free.
The biggest question I get with Ekwonu is where does he best translate at the next level. The scouting community is torn on this one, with some believing he can be a left tackle despite “his pass sets needing to be totally reworked”, according to one scout. Others believe he translates better at guard, in between a tackle and the center that can swallow people in the trenches. That is where I see Ekwonu thriving, at either left or right guard. He screams all-pro guard, and has the physical tools to live up to that. While he can succeed at tackle, he has work to do at that position. Start him out at guard, and then see if he can then make the transition to tackle.
Potential Landing Spots: Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, New York Jets, New York Giants
