Today is the draft and we are done profiling prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft. Very proud of our Steelers Depot team for putting together over 200 prospect write-ups this draft season. And we hope most, if not all, of the team’s draft picks come from the group we’ve already profiled.
I know we’ve written about the players and their grades in a variety of ways this year. But I wanted to bring one more piece of information for you guys. A very skinny ranking of all of our grades from the players we profiled this year.
Listed below are our tiers, player names with links to their profiles, and grades. You can get the sense of how we view the bulk of the class (we were not able to profile every prospect and generally stayed away from some top-end names who had no chance of coming to Pittsburgh) and where we see its strengths.
In particular, want to thank Jonathan Heitritter for creating our Depot grading system, new to our profiles this year to create better context of how we rank and perceive these players. I’m sure we’ll tweak and update things for next year but this was a great foundation he set up for us.
Quick note for below. If you see “MED” next to a players name, that means he has a medical issue, either an injury history or a current injury. “CHAR” means an off-field flag.
Anyway, here’s the list of rankings and grades for our lean-looking big board.
10.0 – The Perfect Prospect (#1 Overall)
None
9.7-9.9 – Perennial All-Talent (Top Three Pick)
Kyle Hamilton/S Notre Dame – 9.8
9.1-9.6 – Pro Bowl Talent/Day 1 Starter (Top Ten Pick)
Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner/CB Cincinnati – 9.4
Derek Stingley/CB LSU – 9.3
Jordan Davis/NT Georgia – 9.2
Travon Walker/DL Georgia – 9.2
Charles Cross/OT Mississippi State – 9.1
8.6-9.0 – Year 1 Quality Starter (1st Round)
Andrew Booth/CB Clemson – 9.0
Devin Lloyd/LB Utah – 9.0
Trey Burks/WR Arkansas – 8.9
George Karlaftis/EDGE Purdue – 8.9
David Ojabo/EDGE – 8.9 MED
Jameson Williams/WR Alabama – 8.9 MED
Arnold Ebiketie/EDGE Penn State – 8.8
Kenyon Green/OG Texas A&M – 8.8
Roger McCreary/CB Auburn – 8.8
Kyler Gordon/CB Washington – 8.7
Tyler Linderbaum/C Iowa – 8.7
Boye Mafe/EDGE Minnesota – 8.7
Malik Willis/QB Liberty – 8.7
Garrett Wilson/WR Ohio State – 8.7
Ikem Ekwonu/OT NC State – 8.6
Kaiir Elamn/CB Florida – 8.6
Daniel Faalele/OT Minnesota – 8.6
Sam Howell/QB UNC – 8.6
Drake London/WR USC – 8.6
Chris Olave/WR Ohio State – 8.6
Trevor Penning/OT Northern Iowa – 8.6
Kenny Pickett/QB Pitt – 8.6
8.1-8.5 – Future Quality Starter (2nd Round)
Jahan Dotson/WR Penn State – 8.5
Dax Hill/S Michigan – 8.5
Zion Johnson/OG Boston College – 8.5
Zyon McCollum/CB Sam Houston State – 8.5
Alec Pierce/WR Cincinnati – 8.5
Desmond Ridder/QB Cincinnati – 8.5
Devonte Wyatt/DL Georgia – 8.5 CHAR
Matt Corral/QB Ole Miss – 8.4
Abraham Lucas/OT Washington State – 8.4
Skyy Moore/WR Western Michigan – 8.4
Carson Strong/QB Nevada – 8.4 MED
Jaquan Brisker/S Penn State – 8.3
Damone Clark/LB LSU – 8.3 MED
Ed Ingram/OG LSU – 8.3 CHAR
Travis Jones/DL UConn – 8.3
DeMarvin Leal/DL Texas A&M – 8.3
Phidarian Mathis/DL Alabama – 8.3
John Metchie III/WR Alabama – 8.3 MED
Rasheed Walker/OT Penn State – 8.3
Coby Bryant/CB Cincinnati – 8.2
Drake Jackson/EDGE USC – 8.2
Isaiah Likely/TE Coastal Carolina – 8.2
George Pickens/WR Georgia – 8.2 MED
David Bell/WR Purdue – 8.1
Lewis Cine/S Georgia – 8.1
Bryan Cook/S Cincinnati – 8.1
Christian Harris/LB Alabama – 8.1
Jalen Pitre/S Baylor – 8.1
7.6-8.0 – Potential Starter/Good Backup (3rd Round)
Jerome Ford/RB Cincinnati – 8.0
JT Woods/S Baylor – 8.0
Romeo Doubs/WR Nevada – 7.9
Luke Goedeke/OL Central Michigan – 7.9
Logan Hall/DL Houston – 7.9
Charlie Kolar/TE Iowa State – 7.9
Dameon Pierce/RB Florida – 7.9
Bernhard Raimann/OT Central Michigan – 7.9
Jamaree Salyer/OL Georgia – 7.9
Alontae Taylor/CB Tennessee – 7.9
Cordell Volson/OT North Dakota State – 7.9
Joey Blount/S Virginia – 7.8
Jack Jones/CB Arizona State – 7.8 CHAR
Cam Jurgens/C Nebraska – 7.8
Josh Paschal/EDGE Kentucky – 7.8
Sean Rhyan/OL UCLA – 7.8
Brian Robinson/RB Alabama – 7.8
Khalil Shakir/WR Boise State – 7.8
Brandon Smith/LB Penn State – 7.8
Zamir White/RB Georgia – 7.8
Josh Williams/CB Fayetteville State – 7.8
Calvin Austin III/WR Memphis – 7.7
Martin Emerson/CB Mississippi State – 7.7
Luke Fortner/C Kentucky – 7.7
Nicholas Petit-Frere/OT Ohio State – 7.7
Pierre Strong/RB South Dakota State – 7.7
Channing Tindall/LB Georgia – 7.7
Zach Tom/OL Wake Forest – 7.7
Kyren Williams/RB Notre Dame – 7.7
Perion Winfrey/DL Oklahoma – 7.7
Ty Allgeier/RB BYU – 7.6
Jalyn Armour-Davis/CB Alabama – 7.6
Matthew Butler/DL Tennessee – 7.6
Ty Chandler/RB North Carolina – 7.6
James Cook/RB Georgia – 7.6
JoJo Domann/LB Nebraska – 7.6 MED
Cobie Durant/CB South Carolina State – 7.6
Brock Hoffman/iOL Virginia Tech – 7.6
Darian Kinnard/OT Kentucky – 7.6
Cade Mays/OL Tennessee – 7.6
Verone McKinley III/S Oregon – 7.6
Chad Muma/LB Wyoming – 7.6
Leon O’Neal/S Texas A&M – 7.6
Dylan Parham/OL Memphis – 7.6
Ben Petrula/OT Boston College – 7.6
Kyle Phillips/WR UCLA – 7.6
Charleston Rambo/WR Miami (FL) – 7.6
Wan’Dale Robinson/RB-WR Kentucky – 7.6
Jeremy Ruckert/TE Ohio State – 7.6
Cameron Thomas/EDGE San Diego State – 7.6
Jalen Tolbert/WR South Alabama – 7.6
Christian Watson/WR North Dakota State – 7.6
Mykael Wright/CB Oregon – 7.6
7.1-7.5 – Raw Traits/Upside Prospect (4th Round)
Daniel Bellinger/TE San Diego State – 7.5
Nik Bonitto/EDGE Oklahoma – 7.5
Zach Carter/DL Florida – 7.5
Dontario Drummond/WR Ole Miss – 7.5
Mario Goodrich/CB Clemson – 7.5
Damarri Mathis/CB Pitt – 7.5
Jalen Nailor/WR Michigan State – 7.5 MED
Myjai Sanders/EDGE Cincinnati – 7.5
Tyler Smith/OT Tulsa – 7.5
Deven Thompkins/WR Utah State – 7.5
Eyioma Uwazurike/DL Iowa State – 7.5
Sam Williams/EDGE Ole Miss – 7.4 CHAR
Jelani Woods/TE Virginia – 7.4
Brian Asamoah/LB Oklahoma – 7.3
Kevin Austin Jr./WR Notre Dame – 7.3 CHAR
Nick Cross/S Maryland – 7.3
Cordale Flott/CB LSU – 7.3
Dallis Flowers/CB Pittsburg State – 7.3
Chasen Hines/iOL LSU – 7.3 MED
DeAngelo Malone/EDGE Western Kentucky – 7.3
Max Mitchell/OT Louisiana – 7.3
Dominque Robinson/EDGE Miami (OH) – 7.3
Tyrese Robinson/OL Oklahoma – 7.3
Tyquan Thornton/WR Baylor – 7.3
Jashaun Corbin/RB Florida State – 7.2
Ty Davis-Price/RB LSU – 7.2
Jesse Luketa/EDGE Penn State – 7.2
Isaiah Pola-Mao/S USC – 7.2
Cole Turner/TE Nevada – 7.2
Chigoziem Okonkwo/TE Maryland – 7.2
Troy Andersen/LB Montana State – 7.1
Tycen Anderson/S Toledo – 7.1
Kalon Barnes/CB Baylor – 7.1
Spencer Burford/OL UTSA – 7.1
Leo Chenal/LB Wisconsin – 7.1
Yusuf Corker/S Kentucky – 7.1
Jake Ferguson/TE Wisconsin – 7.1
Bamidele Olaseni/OT Southern Utah – 7.1
Justyn Ross/WR Clemson – 7.1
Tariq Woolen/CB UTSA – 7.1
6.6-7.0 – Backup/Special Teamer (5th Round)
Austin Allen/TE Nebraska – 7.0
Tyler Badie/RB Missouri – 7.0
Kennedy Brooks/RB Oklahoma – 7.0
Erik Ezukanma/WR Texas Tech – 7.0
Ali Fayad/EDGE Western Michigan – 7.0
Josh Jobe/CB Alabama – 7.0
Bo Melton/WR Rutgers – 7.0
Cam Taylor-Britt/DB Nebraska – 7.0
Velus Jones/WR Tennessee – 6.9
Thayer Munford/OG Ohio State – 6.9
Isaih Pacheco/RB Rutgers – 6.9
Terrel Bernard/LB Baylor – 6.8
Leddie Brown/RB West Virginia – 6.8
Kellen Diesch/OT Arizona State – 6.8
Hassan Haskins/RB Michigan – 6.8
Malcolm Rodriguez/LB Oklahoma State – 6.8
Kingsley Enagbare/EDGE South Carolina – 6.7
Markquese Bell/S Florida A&M – 6.6 CHAR
Emeka Emezie/WR NC State – 6.6
Aaron Hansford/LB Texas A&M – 6.6
Jeffrey Gunter/EDGE Coastal Carolina – 6.6
Alec Lindstrom/C Boston College – 6.6
Sincere McCormick/RB UTSA – 6.6
Jayden Peevy/DL Texas A&M – 6.6
Bailey Zappe/QB Western Kentucky – 6.6
6.1-6.5 – End Of Roster/Practice Squad (6th/7th Round)
Amare Barno/EDGE Virginia Tech – 6.5
Jean Delance/OT Florida – 6.5
Quentin Lake/S UCLA – 6.5
Scott Nelson/S Wisconsin – 6.5
Samori Toure/WR Nebraska – 6.5
Neil Farrell Jr./NT LSU – 6.4
Ty Fryfogle/WR Indiana – 6.4
Tyler Goodson/RB Iowa – 6.4
Eric Johnson/DL Missouri State – 6.4
Ko Kieft/TE Minnesota – 6.4
Nate Landman/LB Colorado – 6.4
Jeremiah Moon/LB Florida – 6.4
John Ridgeway/DL Arkansas – 6.4
Braylon Sanders/WR Ole Miss – 6.4
Andrew Stueber/OL Michigan – 6.4
Thomas Booker/DL Stanford – 6.3
Connor Heyward/H-Back Michigan State – 6.3
Kurt Hinish/DL Notre Dame – 6.3
Smoke Monday/S Auburn – 6.3
Jaquarii Roberson/WR Wake Forest – 6.3
Isaiah Weston/WR Northern Iowa – 6.3
Tariq Castro-Fields/CB Penn State – 6.2
Danny Gray/WR SMU – 6.2
Cole Kelley/QB SE Louisiana – 6.2
Stanley Berryhill III/WR Arizona – 6.1
Reed Blankenship/S Middle Tennessee State – 6.1
Mateo Durant/RB Duke – 6.1
Elijah Hicks/S Cal – 6.1
James Houston IV/EDGE Jackson State – 6.1
Jerreth Sterns/WR Western Kentucky – 6.1
Luiji Vilain/EDGE Wake Forest – 6.1
5.6-6.0 – Undrafted Free Agent (PDFA)
Chase Allen/TE Iowa State – 6.0
Josh Johnson/WR Tulsa – 6.0
Chris Oladokun/QB South Dakota State – 6.0
Tre Turner/WR Virginia Tech – 6.0
Ellis Brooks/LB Penn State – 5.9
Zander Horvath/FB Purdue – 5.9
Jaivon Heiligh/WR Coastal Carolina – 5.8
Josh Ross/LB Michigan – 5.8
Isaac Taylor-Stuart/CB USC – 5.8
Mark Robinson/LB Ole Miss – 5.7
James Skalski/LB Clemson – 5.7
Nolan Turner/S Clemson – 5.7
5.1-5.5 – Camp Invite (UDFA/Tryout)
None
Analysis
Quick recap of this. Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton comes away with the highest grade (9.8). Ole Miss LB Mark Robinson, Clemson LB James Skalski, and Clemson S Nolan Turner with the lowest, all 5.7.
A strong number of first-round grades despite the class viewed unfavorably by the draftnik community.
