2022 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 players at each position

We are just three weeks away from the NFL Draft, and teams are beginning to finalize their draft boards. As we approach the biggest event of the NFL offseason, it is time to take a look at my updated position rankings.

In this article, there is no individual player analysis. If you want our full scouting reports on each player, you can click on the links below that take you to our BTSC Big Board rankings, but the primary purpose this week is to give a brief update on how I have the top prospects at each position ranked.

This article is also created for discussion purposes. If you have a bold take on how these prospects should be ranked, be sure to share it in the comment section below.

Let’s dive in!

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Quarterback

1. Malik Willis — Liberty
2. Desmond Ridder — Cincinnati
3. Kenny Pickett — Pittsburgh
4. Sam Howell — North Carolina
5. Matt Corral — Ole Miss
6. Carson Strong — Nevada
7. E.J. Perry — Brown
8. Cole Kelley — Southeast Louisiana
9. Kaleb Eleby — Western Michigan
10. Chris Oladokun — South Dakota State

Biggest Takeaway: This year’s class is much deeper than last year’s, as there are at least six solid quarterback options on day three.

Running Back

1. Kenneth Walker, Jr. — Michigan State
2. Breece Hall — Iowa State
3. Jerome Ford — Cincinnati
4. James Cook — Georgia
5. Brian Robinson, Jr. — Alabama
6. Keaontay Ingram — USC
7. Pierre Strong, Jr. — South Dakota State
8. Master Teague — Ohio State
9. Isaiah Spiller — Texas A&M
10. Kyren Williams — Notre Dame

Biggest Takeaway: Like most years, you can find quality running backs on day two and even day three. There is a slow, but steady, drop-off from 1-10, and there is not a consensus top guy in the class.

Wide Receiver

1. Drake London — USC
2. Jameson Williams — Alabama
3. Garrett Wilson — Ohio State
4. Christian Watson — North Dakota State
5. Jahan Dotson — Penn State
6. Skyy Moore — Western Michigan
7. Chris Olave — Ohio State
8. Treylon Burks — Arkansas
9. John Metchie III — Alabama
10. George Pickens — Georgia

Biggest Takeaway: Injuries have made the water murkier at the top, but I am still a firm believer in both Drake London and Jameson Williams. I have Olave lower than Moore and Dotson due to long-term upside. Olave tested well, but he does not play incredibly fast. His quickness in and out of cuts is fantastic, but I expect him to be a high-end WR2, not a WR1.

Tight End

1. Trey McBride — Colorado State
2. Isaiah Likely — Coastal Carolina
3. Greg Dulcich — UCLA
4. Charlie Kolar — Iowa State
5. Daniel Bellinger — San Diego State
6. Cade Otton — Washington
7. Jelani Woods — Virginia
8. Jeremy Ruckert — Ohio State
9. Lucas Krull — Pittsburgh
10. Derrick Deese, Jr. — San Jose State

Biggest Takeaway: This is the deepest tight end group we have seen in a while, although there are no first-round prospects. Josh Babicz is a sleeper to watch out for. He is my TE13, but he did not get many opportunities in college. He may be a better pro than college player.

Offensive Tackle

1. Ikem Eckwonu — North Carolina State
2. Evan Neal — Alabama
3. Charles Cross — Mississippi State
4. Trevor Penning — Northern Iowa
5. Bernard Raimann — Western Michigan
6. Nicholas Petit-Frere — Ohio State
7. Daniel Faalele — Minnesota
8. Abraham Lucas — Washington State
9. Dare Rosenthal — Kentucky
10. Rasheed Walker — Penn State

Biggest Takeaway: There is a big drop-off after the top three, and I do not see great value until we get to early day three with Matt Waletzko and Spencer Burford.

Interior Offensive Line

1. Tyler Linderbaum — Iowa
2. Tyler Smith — Tulsa
3. Zion Johnson — Boston College
4. Kenyon Green — Texas A&M
5. Dylan Parham — Memphis
6. Cole Strange — Chattanooga
7. Jamaree Salyer — Georgia
8. Sean Rhyan — UCLA
9. Darian Kinnard — Kentucky
10. Thayer Munford — Ohio State

Biggest Takeaway: There are many tackles in this class that I could see moving inside to guard, making this class of guards a relatively deep one.

Defensive Tackles

1. Jordan Davis — Georgia
2. Devonte Wyatt — Georgia
3. Travis Jones — Connecticut
4. DeMarvin Leal — Texas A&M
5. Phidarian Mathis — Alabama
6. Perrion Winfrey — Oklahoma
7. Matthew Butler — Tennessee
8. Chris Hinton — Michigan
9. P.J. Mustipher — Penn State
10. Neil Farrell, Jr. — LSU

Biggest Takeaway: There is not great depth after the second round prospects, but there are several good run-stopping, two-down players in this group that can be had on day three.

Defensive Ends

1. Aidan Hutchinson — Michigan
2. Travon Walker — Georgia
3. Boye Mafe — Minnesota
4. George Karlaftis — Purdue
5. Drake Jackson — USC
6. Cameron Thomas — San Diego State
7. Logan Hall — Houston
8. Kingsley Enagbare — South Carolina
9. Alex Wright — UAB
10. Joshua Paschal — Kentucky

Biggest Takeaway: The boom-or-bust prospects steal the show early on. Walker and Mafe have leads of talent, but they lack consistency. Karlaftis is also a freak of nature, but injuries have hampered his career thus far.

Outside Linebackers

1. Kayvon Thibodeaux — Oregon
2. Jermaine Johnson — Florida State
3. David Ojabo — Michigan
4. Arnold Ebiketie — Penn State
5. DeAngelo Malone — Western Kentucky
6. Dominique Robinson — Miami (OH)
7. Adam Anderson — Georgia
8. Sam Williams — Ole Miss
9. Amare Barno — Virginia Tech
10. Nik Bonitto — Oklahoma

Biggest Takeaway: Adam Anderson is the wild card of the group. Based on talent alone he is easily a top-50 pick, but due to serious off-field concerns, he may drop to day three.

Inside Linebackers

1. Quay Walker — Georgia
2. Devin Lloyd — Utah
3. Nakobe Dean — Georgia
4. Troy Andersen — Montana State
5. Chad Muma — Wyoming
6. Darian Beavers — Cincinnati
7. Leo Chenal — Wisconsin
8. Christian Harris — Alabama
9. Channing Tindall — Georgia
10. Brandon Smith — Penn State

Biggest Takeaway: I have been on the Quay Walker hype train for nearly two years now, and he is finally beginning to gain some steam. His combination of athleticism and versatility makes him an intriguing option late in round 1. Brandon Smith is another guy with incredible upside, but his tape was all over the place.

Cornerbacks

1. Ahmad Gardner — Cincinnati
2. Andrew Booth, Jr. — Clemson
3. Derek Stingley — LSU
4. Trent McDuffie — Washington
5. Kaiir Elam — Florida
6. Roger McCreary — Auburn
7. Marcus Jones — Houston
8. Tariq Woolen — UTSA
9. Alontae Taylor — Tennessee
10. Kyler Gordon — Washington

Biggest Takeaway: Booth is the most underrated corner in this draft. He is currently recovering from sports hernia surgery. If he makes a full recovery, though, he has lockdown corner potential.

Safeties

1. Kyle Hamilton — Notre Dame
2. Daxton Hill — Michigan
3. Jalen Pitre — Baylor
4. Jaquan Brisker — Penn State
5. Nick Cross — Maryland
6. Lewis Cine — Georgia
7. Tycen Anderson — Toledo
8. Kerby Joseph — Illinois
9. Verone McKinley — Oregon
10. JT Woods — Baylor

Biggest Takeaway: Hamilton did not run a fast 40, but he plays fast and owns tremendous length. After the top six, there is a huge drop off, but keep an eye on two players with Steelers bloodlines on day three: Quentin Lake and Isaiah Pola-Mao. You can check out our interview with Lake below.

Kickers/Punters

1. Matt Araiza — P — San Diego State
2. Jordan Stout — P — Penn State
3. Jake Camarda — P — Georgia
4. Andrew Mevis — K — Iowa State
5. Cade York — K — LSU
6. Gabe Brkic — K — Oklahoma
7. Tommy Heatherly — P — Florida International
8. Parker White — P — South Carolina
9. Blake Hayes — P — Illinois
10. Trenton Gill — K — North Carolina State

Biggest Takeaway: Matt Araiza is the best special teamer that has come out in quite a while. Not only has he proven that he can punt the ball 80 yards, but he can also make 50+ yard field goals. He could potentially save a team a roster spot and handle both punting and kicking duties.

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If you have any thoughts on these rankings, be sure to share them in the comment section below. In the mean time, be sure to check out the BTSC Big Board for in-depth analysis on the players mentioned in this article. The linebackers, cornerbacks, and receivers are still to come, but you can check out the rest of our big board rankings below.