2022 NFL Draft pre-Combine review and top 15 overall prospects

It’s that time fellow Falcons fans. The time of the year that we review potential prospects for the team and have dreams of drafting certain players, only to have our dreams crushed. It’s a tradition for us.

The Falcons have quite a few deficiencies on the roster that need to be addressed, so it’s important that we all remember that not everything can be fixed in one offseason. However, this will be a very crucial offseason for general manager Terry Fontenot, considering he and Coach Arthur Smith now have intimate knowledge of this roster as a whole. All eyes will be on the front office during this draft year to see how the team’s big changes are approached.

The 2022 draft class is a very interesting one in many aspects. Overall, this draft class has quite a bit of depth in many positions. Through my film review of draft prospects, I’ve concluded that although there are some really good players at the top of the list, this is the first time in quite some time where there aren’t any true “can’t miss” prospects. As a result, I think the first round of the draft will be a bit more unpredictable than in previous years.

That said, these are my top 15 overall prospects of the 2022 NFL draft.

1. Aiden Hutchinson - EDGE

2. Kayvon Thibodeax - EDGE

3. Ickey Ekwonu - OT

4. Kyle Hamilton - Safety

5. Evan Neal - OT

6. Derek Stingley, Jr. - CB

7. Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Garner – CB

8. Nakobe Dean- LB

9. Devin Lloyd - LB

10. Traylon Burks – WR

11. Trent McDuffie – CB

12. George Karlaftis – EDGE

13. Drake London – WR

14. Travon Walker – EDGE

15. Kenyon Green – OG

Overall, this is a talented and deep EDGE group. There’s also great depth at wide receiver and on the defensive line more generally.

What’s noticeable is I have no quarterbacks listed in my top 15. While there are some QB prospects that could have an impact in the NFL, this group is rather underwhelming. However, it’s almost a given that there will be a team or two that will draft a quarterback high based on need alone.

Within the next month following the combine, I will be providing a scouting report on every prospect in the top 15, plus much more. Again, there are no true “generational” prospects, but there are plenty of really good players that can make an immediate impact in the league. The Falcons just need to get as many of them as possible.