Matt Miller's Scouting Notebook: Updated Top 100 Big Board, Huge Seahawks Rumors, a Battle for No. 1 Overall and more!
There’s a big Post-It note stuck to the speaker—about 7” tall—between my two monitors that sit in front of me right now. It reads, “remember good football players”.
That’s my motto for this NFL draft cycle and honestly my resolution as an evaluator. And it might sound super cliche’ or obvious—that in a job where you evaluate and project hundreds of players each year that “remembering good football players” would be something you need to remember.
Oh, but it is.
Every draft cycle “we”—a draft industrial complex—fall in love with the traits and upside over what the players actually did on Saturdays. We fall for the upside of Mitchell Trubisky over the Jordan-esque Deshaun Watson. We fall for the YOLO ball of Zach Wilson over the steadiness of Mac Jones. And oh my sweet baby Jesus we fall for speed over athleticism—at nearly every position group.
So yes, it is quite important for this evaluator, to remember good football players. That’s my goal for 2022 and a big part of the reason for some major shifts in my latest Big Board.
I went back to the drawing board with this one—removing my previous ranking for each player and simply looking at my notes and in some cases re-watching players to put a new grade on them. One that values them as both prospects and as football players.
Enjoy.
1. EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
2. EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
3. SAF Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
4. OT Evan Neal, Alabama
5. OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State
6. CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
7. WR Drake London, USC
8. DT DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M
9. EDGE David Ojabo, Michigan
10. OC Tyler Linderbaum,,Iowa
11. OT Ikem Ekwonu, NC State
12. LB Nakobe Dean, Georgia
13. WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State
14. OT Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
15. EDGE George Karlaftis, Purdue
16. WR Jameson Williams, Alabama
17. QB Matthew Corral, Ole Miss
18. WR Jahan Dotson, Penn State
19. CB Roger McCreary, Auburn
20. WR Chris Olave, Ohio State
21. LB Devin Lloyd, Utah
22. EDGE Drake Jackson, USC
23. QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
24. QB Malik Willis, Liberty
25. CB Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati