And talk about shutdown – he never allowed a TD pass while with the Bearcats. Gardner would be a safe plug-and-play selection, the consensus All-American allowing only 20 receptions in 2021, picking off three passes and – evidence of his all-around game – posting 40 tackles and three sacks. New York Jets – CB Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner, Cincinnati: The NYJ haven’t had much sauce at corner since Darrelle Revis’ heyday and certainly didn’t in 2021, when they surrendered the most yards and points in the league.
1 with a strong showing at the Crimson Tide’s pro day later this month.Ĥ. Unlike Ekwonu, Neal (6-8, 337 pounds) didn’t work out in Indianapolis, but he could solidify himself as a bona fide option for the Jags at No. But if the Texans stay put – regardless of Tunsil’s status – Neal would make a lot of sense, given he can play either tackle spot or guard and could serve as a nice cornerstone of a team in dire need of a new foundation.
He could also consider trading incumbent LT Laremy Tunsil in a bid for draft capital that’s badly needed to reconstruct this roster. Houston Texans – OT Evan Neal, Alabama: It would be perfectly sensible for GM Nick Caserio to deal this pick. MORE: Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux look the part of NFL’s next great pass rushersģ. NFL COMBINE WINNERS, LOSERS: Jordan Davis, Ahmad Gardner among biggest draft standoutsīIG MEN, BIG DREAMS: Offensive linemen Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu build case for No. Given his potential to help unlock this offense, why not make a guy who once starred in “The Aristocats” as a kid a leading Jaguar? Enter Ekwonu, who’s a mauler with sweet feet on the blind side – the 6-4, 310-pounder ran a sub-5 second 40-yard dash at the combine – and has a delightful personality to boot. But Jacksonville needs to safeguard Lawrence, presumably for the next decade-plus, must better a 22nd-ranked run game and definitely needs to score more after posting the fewest points in the league in 2021.
The Browns went pass rusher (Myles Garrett) plus quarterback (Baker Mayfield), a course Jacksonville might also use considering QB Trevor Lawrence was selected in 2021 and this year’s best players might be edge guys. Jacksonville Jaguars – OT Ikem ‘Ickey’ Ekwonu, North Carolina State: The Jags are in the enviable/unenviable position of being the second team in four years with back-to-back No. So with the 2022 edition complete, here's a fresh Round 1 outlook for this April's draft:ġ. That's not to say a combine can't, at minimum, have a rippling effect in the early rounds of a draft, especially at this stage of the process. The most crucial information gleaned from a typical combine is derived from medical checks or players' interviews with individual teams. The NFL scouting combine rarely vaults or tanks the stock of draft prospects – at least in terms of what they do in terms of on-field drills – such performances typically confirming what scouts know as opposed to being particularly revelatory.