Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram missed a combined 13 games last season, but only seven teams had fewer sacks than the Chargers (27) in 2020 and Ingram is (still) a free agent. While injuries and COVID-19 limited Karlaftis to only three games in 2020, the 6-foot-4, 275-pounder had 17 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks as a freshman in 2019.
It was something of a surprise when Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave decided to return to Columbus for his final college season, but perhaps in a crowded 2021 wide receiver field Olave wanted the chance to stand out in the subsequent draft class. Or perhaps he felt that the Buckeyes needed to finish the job with a national title. Either way, Olave could rise up boards if he improves on last year's numbers, where he caught 50 passes for 729 yards and seven touchdowns in just seven games. Pairing him with the young arm in Justin Herbert could give the Los Angeles Chargers a heck of a QB/WR duo for the next few seasons.
Karlaftis is a power end who was banged up in 2020 but showed what he was capable of with 55 pressures as a true freshman in 2019. He's an ox for opposing offensive tackles to handle and has also demonstrated the ability to kick inside at 6-foot-4, 270 pounds.
The Chargers don't have a ton of depth on their defensive line, and DT Linval Joseph turns 33 during this coming season. Leal is very versatile, playing both defensive tackle and defensive end. At 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, he had eight QB hurries, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three passes broken up, an interception and a forced fumble in 2020.
A 6-foot-2 corner out of Detroit, Gardner had an All-American true freshman season in 2019 and had another strong year as a sophomore, collecting three interceptions each season. His competitive temperament gets the best of him at times and penalties have been a problem, but his coverage grades stand out.
The Chargers just took Asante Samuel Jr. in the second-round of 2021, but I'm skeptical that Samuel alone fixes the team's need at CB. Samuel, Michael Davis, and Chris Harris Jr. could be a fine enough trio, but it would not be surprising if the Chargers believed they still needed a dog on the outside. Banks has impressive feet and good ball skills, which could be enough for him to fix the Chargers' woes.
Before his announcement to return to school, Olave was often listed in 2021 first-round mock drafts. By returning to school, Olave has a chance to become the first receiver off the board in 2022. Olave isn't the biggest receiver (6-1, 188), but he is one of the best route-runners in college football and has outstanding hands and speed.
Looking ahead to the 2022 NFL draft the Tennessee Titans could address a few different positions. One of them might be on the offensive side of the football, as the Titans might look to add at either wide receiver or tight end given the departures of Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith.
But they could also look to bolster the pass rush off the edge, leading them to USC's Drake Jackson. He started at defensive end as a true freshman in 2019, and then transitioned into an outside linebacker role for the 2020 season, notching 20 tackles and a pair of sacks in just six games. For his efforts he was named to the All-Pac-12 second team. He could be a perfect addition to the Tennessee defensive front.
The rising junior is going to head into the season as WR1 on the PFF draft board. He's so smooth as a route-runner and already displays high-level nuance. He racked up 723 yards and six scores in eight games last season.
Wait, another Alabama receiver? Metchie would be the fifth to go in the first round over three years. He had a great year with the Crimson Tide, catching 55 passes for 916 yards and six touchdowns, and he played a big role in the national title game with eight catches for 81 yards. Metchie was born in Taiwan before moving to Ghana, Canada, Maryland and New Jersey. After one more season in Tuscaloosa, let's send him to Tennessee to help repair a decimated receiving corps and give Ryan Tannehill a dynamic target.
The first wide receiver off the board in this scenario, Wilson has a knack for getting open and winning at the catch point. With a new quarterback and so many mouths to feed in the Buckeyes' offense, his stat line this season might not look dominant, but his tape and traits will be a different story.
It has to be a WR. Does not matter who. As of now, the Titans' only good WR is AJ Brown. After that, the depth chart is a smorgasbord of role players, at best. They need to get a legit wide receiver who can get open alongside Brown, and Burks can be that. Burks is more of a "power slot" at 6-foot-3 and 225-pounds, but the H/W/S dynamic in addition to his natural YAC ability makes him a menacing pairing with Brown.
Many expected the Cardinals to use an early pick on corner in the 2021 NFL Draft, but they used a pair of Day 3 picks instead to address the position with Florida's Marco Wilson and UCF's Tay Gowan in the fourth and sixth rounds, respectively. Considering that Malcolm Butler and Robert Alford will be unrestricted free agents in 2022, corner will be a popular position mocked to the Cardinals again.
Since 2014, the Buckeyes have had seven cornerbacks selected in the first round. Banks, who led the Buckeyes with seven pass breakups in 2020, has a good combination of size (6-1, 200), length and footwork.
It surprised a few observers when the Arizona Cardinals added a linebacker in the first round instead of a coverage player, but the addition of Zaven Collins could certainly pay dividends for the Arizona defense in 2021. But if the team looks to address the secondary in the 2022 NFL draft, Josh Jobe could be the player they look to add. Jobe stepped into the starting lineup this past season opposite Patrick Surtain II, and notched 11 pass breakups and 55 tackles. He is a physical cornerback who is active both at the catch point and against the run.
If you want a breakout star in 2021, this is your guy. The former five-star recruit has played only 337 career snaps -- with a career-high 130 coming last season -- but he's been about as productive as one can be on those reps. On only 196 career pass-rushing snaps, he's generated 51 pressures. He's still slim at his listed 230 pounds but has room to grow into his long 6-foot-5 frame.
The Cardinals lost Patrick Peterson to free agency, and both of their starters outside -- Robert Alford and Malcolm Butler -- are on one-year deals. I did like the Day 3 selections of Marco Wilson and Tay Gowan, but I think Arizona could look at the cornerback pool next April. Banks has good size, length and speed.
Cross is a powerful blocker who can do damage at the second level in the run game with premium athleticism and his target-lock awareness. Top-10 is a possibility if he develops as a pass protector.
At this time last year, Derion Kendrick was the Clemson cornerback that NFL scouts were talking about. But now that buzz belongs to Booth. Although he has room to tidy up his technique, he does an outstanding job of locating and making plays on the ball (check out his one-handed interceptions).
Spiller is in the running for RB1 after two years for A&M where he's averaged nearly 1,000 rushing yards a season to go along with 19 rushing TDs while averaging 5.5 yards per catch.
Mays has been a long-time force in the SEC. After starting for two seasons at Georgia, Mays returned home to Tennessee, where he instantly snatched a starting guard spot. Whether or not the Cardinals will actually invest in the OL, who knows, but they could use a guard and Mays' blend of power and flexibility is enticing. Mays has also spent some amount of time at all five OL spots, so trying to fit him into the lineup should never be an issue.
