2022 NFL Draft: Todd McShay reveals why Kenneth Walker III belongs in second round

Kenneth Walker III burst onto the scene for Michigan State this year after transferring from Wake Forest. He could be a name to watch in this month’s NFL Draft — but ESPN analyst Todd McShay doesn’t think he’ll go in the first round.

As Mel Kiper broke down his latest two-round mock draft, McShay said he’d have Walker and former Iowa State standout Breece Hall going in the second round. However, he’d take Walker first for one important reason.

“If you’re just drafting on running ability alone, Kenneth Walker’s a better runner,” McShay said, “Just in terms of how he accelerates, how he gets through the hole, how he runs low to the ground.”

However, he noted Walker has one thing going against him: pass blocking. Michigan State leaned heavily on the run game last year, and that showed in Walker’s stats. He finished second in the nation with 1,646 rushing yards to go with 18 touchdowns on the ground. In fact, he accounted for 29% of Michigan State’s total offense, which speaks to his running ability.

But the Spartans and coach Mel Tucker didn’t have him block much for Payton Thorne, and that’s the biggest reason McShay doesn’t have Walker as a first-round pick.

“With Walker, he’s going to make a career decision whether he wants to be a pass blocker,” McShay said. “He didn’t have to do it a whole lot in college. When he did it, he looked timid, he looked out of place and just like he didn’t have that aggression that you look for. Even if you’re bad at it, come at it aggressively like he does as a runner. That’s why it’s so strange to watch him. But he’s going to have to make a decision in that area.

“If he doesn’t pass block, he’s never going to be the player that he can be at the next level. If he does, he’s the best running back in this class when we look back on it three, four years from now.”

In Kiper’s latest mock draft, he has Walker going No. 57 overall to the Buffalo Bills in the second round. However, he has Hall going No. 38 overall to the New York Jets via a trade with the Carolina Panthers. McShay disagreed, putting Hall as the No. 50 overall pick to the Kansas City Chiefs while also putting Walker at No. 57 in his two-round mock draft.

We’ll find out where both end up soon. The 2022 NFL Draft runs April 28-30 in Las Vegas.