KSR NFL Draft: Top 50 Big Board

On Tuesday, the NFL Draft Scouting Combine gets underway at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and runs through the weekend. KSR will have boots on the ground on Wednesday morning and will provide live coverage up until Friday. We have officially entered phase two of the draft season.

With that phase comes mock drafts and big boards. The draft is order is now set after the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl, and needs are known throughout the league. The NFL must get through free agency which starts in March, but first, more scouting work and medical tests will be done in the house that Peyton Manning built.

KSR is jumping into the action this year. As we get ready to head up I-65 North, we’re first dropping a top-50 big board and will then follow it up with a first-round mock draft after intel is collected in Indianapolis. We tried our best to avoid groupthink with this list and come up with what appears to be the best 50 players in this class.

Let’s ride.

1.) Kyle Hamilton (DS, Notre Dame)

A former top-100 recruit out of Atlanta, Kyle Hamilton went to Notre Dame and immediately starred for the Irish. At 6-foot-4, Hamilton is a ballhawk with great range and physicality to defend the run. The toolsy safety can do it all and make plays all over the field. He’s the best player in a draft class that has good depth but not much true star power.

2.) Evan Neal (T, Alabama)

Things did not go well on the Alabama offensive line, and Nick Saban moved on from Doug Marrone immediately after the season. Evan Neal didn’t have a great year, but the traits and tape still match up. At 6-foot-7 and 350 pounds, Neal can be a force in any run scheme with the athleticism and length combo to excel in pass protection. The true left tackle is the best offensive lineman in this haul and a superb athlete.

What makes Alabama left tackle Evan Neal the No. 1 Freak in college football? This off-season, at 6-7, 350 pounds, he clocked 18.5 MPH on the GPS, routinely hits box jumps at 48 inches and did this, but there’s also a lot more: https://t.co/f1cp1fNg1n

pic.twitter.com/QRppsbSSDk

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) August 12, 2021

3.) Aidan Hutchinson (EDGE, Michigan)

Aidan Hutchinson seemingly came out of nowhere to become the most productive pass rusher in college football last season. With a great first step, Hutchinson excels when able to play with power, but he sets those moves up with a respectable outside rush. He’s not the most athletic end and needs to win with effort more times than not, but the production is just too difficult to ignore.

4.) Garrett Wilson (WR, Ohio State)

Do not get it twisted, Garrett Wilson is the best wideout in this draft and is a true X receiver despite being just 6-foot and under 190 pounds. A smooth route runner that glides, Wilson creates easy separation and has a huge catch radius thanks to some high-level leaping ability. The former top-20 recruit will be a day one starter.

5.) Sauce Gardner (CB, Cincinnati)

After the draft is over, the Cincinnati Bearcats could have up to eight players drafted. The first one off the board will be their star cornerback. Sauce Gardner is a former low three-star recruit from Detroit with great size (6-3, 200) and legit speed. Gardner can play in a man or zone scheme and is the top cover guy in this class.

6.) Kayvon Thibodeaux (EDGE, Oregon)

A former top-five recruit in the class of 2019, Kayvon Thibodeaux is a twitched-up edge rusher who has prototypical size and burst. The Oregon product has the highest ceiling of any prospect in this class, but the tape is very up and down. If locked in, this is the top player in the class, but there is enough there to wonder about the consistency part of the game.

7.) Charles Cross (T, Mississippi State)

The top pass protector in this class is Charles Cross, and I’m not sure it’s particularly close. The late riser in high school is a great athlete who has length, plays with balance, timing, and is a better striker than you would expect. The run block element is a worry leaving Mike Leach’s Air Raid scheme, but enough power is shown where that should not be too big of an issue. Cross has the highest ceiling of all the offensive tackles in this haul, but there are some unknowns due to his college scheme and late rise in the prep ranks.

8.) Derek Stingley Jr. (CB, LSU)

In 2019, Derek Stingley Jr. was one of the best players on a historic LSU team that included Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson. Yet, that play disappeared after his rookie campaign. Stingley had multiple injury issues the last two years at LSU so durability combined with consistency make this a prospect with some red flags. However, if a team can rule those red flags out in the pre-draft process, this is a top-five talent in any class based on the freshman tape. Unfortunately, there is more there than the freshman tape.

9.) Nakobe Dean (LB, Georgia)

The testing numbers in Indianapolis are going to be vital for Nakobe Dean. The inside linebacker is an excellent blitzer with range and burst, but Dean is undersized and there are worries about the athleticism. The Mississippi native could be a top-10 pick or fall out of the first round depending on the athleticism scores. However, the junior tape shows a high IQ off-ball linebacker that can play all three downs and create havoc.

10.) Ikem Ekwounu (T, NC State)

Ikem Ekwonu is a bully at the point of attack who could be a mauler in the NFL if required to run gap schemes. The NC State tackle has the athletic versatility and quickness to also fit in an outside zone offense. The biggest worry is the pass protection piece, and Ekwonu might have to slide down to guard if that can’t be figured out.

11.) Devin Lloyd (LB, Utah)

12.) George Karlaftis (EDGE, Purdue)

There are going to be a ton of crazy grades on George Karlaftis. We need to trust the tape and the effort the former top-100 recruit the Purdue star plays with. He’ll be a good pro and should be a first-round pick.

13.) Jermaine Johnson II (EDGE, Florida State)

The biggest winner at the Senior Bowl was Georgia transfer Jermaine Johnson II who solidified a first-round spot with a great blend of play strength and twitchiness.

14.) Travon Walker (EDGE, Georgia)

15.) Tyler Linderbaum (C, Iowa)

There will be some scheme concerns with Tyler Linderbaum due to lack of size and limited time at center, but the Iowa product is the top center and will thrive in any outside zone scheme. He could fall in the first round, but someone could get great value late.

16.) Treylon Burks (WR, Arkansas)

17.) Jameson Williams (WR, Alabama)

18.) Drake London (WR, USC)

19.) Kenyon Green (iOL, Texas A&M)

20.) Trent McDuffie (CB, Washington)

21.) Devonte Wyatt (iDL, Georgia)

22.) Andrew Booth Jr. (CB, Clemson)

23.) Chris Olave (WR, Ohio State)

24.) Trevor Penning (T, Northern Iowa)

Another Senior Bowl winner, Trevor Penning plays with a nasty streak to go along with great positional size and length. The FCS product could play both right and left tackle at the next level.

25.) David Ojabo (EDGE, Michigan)

26.) Tyler Smith (T, Tulsa)

27.) Boye Mafe (EDGE, Minnesota)

28.) Jalen Pitre (S, Baylor)

29.) Jordan Davis (iDL, Georgia)

30.) DeMarvin Leal (iDL, Texas A&M)

31.) Perrion Winfrey (iDL, Oklahoma)

Need an interior pass rusher? Perrion Winfrey is a twitched-up three-technique that can win with speed, power, and quickness. The former junior college product should be able to help an NFL franchise’s third down package immediately.

.@OU_Football DL Perrion Winfrey is having DAY at @seniorbowl.

Absolutely worked Zion Johnson here, who has been one of the top IOL guys this week. Winfrey’s effort has been awesome. He’s locked in with good results pic.twitter.com/2Tx1l3B8fT

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) February 2, 2022

32.) James Cook (RB, Georgia)

In a not great running back class, James Cook brings great value. An underrated rusher in between the tackles has major pass-catching tools and can run most everything on the route tree with ball skills. A comp to Alvin Kamara and not big brother Dalvin Cook isn’t crazy.

33.) Lewis Cine (DS, Georgia)

34.) Chad Muma (LB, Wyoming)

35.) Myjai Sanders (EDGE, Cincinnati)

36.) Zion Johnson (iOL, Boston College)

If Ikem Ekwonu is a tackle, Zion Johnson is the top guard. The former Davidson transfer performed very well at Boston College and backed it up at the Senior Bowl. Johnson could the guy for the Cincinnati Bengals.

37.) Leo Chenal (LB, Wisconsin)

38.) George Pickens (WR, Georgia)

George Pickens was outstanding in 2020 before an ACL injury caused him to miss 2021. The former five-star recruit is healthy now and is a true X receiver that can win vertically.

39.) David Bell (WR, Purdue)

40.) Martin Emerson (CB, Mississippi State)

41.) Quay Walker (LB, Georgia)

42.) Malik Willis (QB, Liberty)

Yeah, this is not a great year for quarterbacks. Only one is in our top-50, and Malik Willis is here more so for his potential ceiling. With a live arm that can stretch the field along with secondary playmaking potential, Willis has a chance to turn into something. However, this is not a day one starter.

43.) Daxton Hill (Nickel, Michigan)

44.) Jeremy Ruckert (TE, Ohio State)

45.) Darian Kinnard (T, Kentucky)

There are positional questions, and hand placement is an issue, but Darian Kinnard is a bull at the point of attack and can anchor with the best of them in pass protection. Kinnard is probably best suited in a gap scheme and could struggle to protect at right tackle. How, at worst, he’s a top-three guard in this class.

46.) Travis Jones (iDL, UConn)

47.) Bernhard Raimann (T, Central Michigan)

48.) Arnold Ebiketie (EDGE, Penn State)

49.) Jalen Tolbert (WR, South Alabama)

50.) Wan’Dale Robinson (WR, Kentucky)

Treylon Burks and Chris Olave could both play inside, but right now Wan’Dale Robinson is the best true slot receiver in this class behind David Bell. The lack of top-end speed and size will be a major concern for some folks, but the junior tape at Kentucky shows a prospect that should come off the board in round two.