Bucky Brooks updates prospect position rankings
We are now just over one month away from the start of the 2022 NFL Draft.
With both the pro day circuit and mock draft season fully underway, fans are getting a great opportunity to learn more about the 2022 draft class.
Every year, NFL Network's Bucky Brooks releases his top 5 prospects at each position in the upcoming draft. After unveiling his original rankings last month, Brooks came out with his updated list of top players this week.
Several positions saw some changes in their top 5, starting with the edge rushers. While Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson and Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux remain at one and two, respectively, Florida State's Jermaine Johnson II moved up two spots to No. 5, while Purdue's George Karlaftis dropped one to No. 4. Previously unranked, Georgia's Travon Walker is now Brooks' fifth-best edge rusher. Michigan's David Ojabo dropped out of the top 5 after tearing his Achilles during Michigan's pro day.
"Walker is a Swiss Army Knife with the capacity to play anywhere along the line," writes Brooks. "From nose tackle to edge rusher, the Georgia product possesses the speed, athleticism and burst to be an impact defender. Although his production does not match his promise, he could come off the board early due to his intriguing athleticism and play-making potential."
The only other position on the defensive side of the ball that saw any changes was at linebacker. Montana State's Troy Anderson made his debut in the top 5, coming in at No. 4, replacing LSU's Damone Clark.
According to Brooks, "Andersen is an explosive athlete with the size (6-3 1/2, 243), length and strength to be effective as a run or pass defender. He displays the instincts and awareness to control the middle of the field as a designated playmaker in an aggressive scheme."
On offense, several positions saw shake ups in their rankings, but none more so than the tight ends. Colorado State's Trey McBride moved up a spot to No. 1, while UCLA's Greg Dulcich jumped two spots to No. 2. Texas A&M's Jalen Wydermyer dropped from No. 1 to No. 3, while Ohio State's Jeremy Ruckert fell one slot to No. 4. The final spot in the rankings belongs to Virginia's Jelani Woods, who was previously unranked.
As Brooks writes, "Woods' impressive postseason performance has sent his stock soaring. The super-sized tight end (6-foot-7, 259 pounds) is an A+ athlete with the length and strength to develop into a dominant playmaker, whether blocking or receiving as a traditional "Y" tight end."
Several other positions on the offensive side of the ball saw some drastic changes in Brooks' top 5 rankings, including both offensive tackle and the interior offensive line.
All of Brooks' updated position rankings can be found in the gallery below.
Jon Feliciano's journey comes full circle with Giants
Rafael Feliciano, a former MTA bus driver, knows how to navigate the New York City streets better than anyone. So, it was a change of pace last week when his son was in town.
"To bring him back and getting him chauffeured into the city instead of him driving around the city bus, it made me happy," Jon Feliciano said on the Giants Huddle podcast. "It made me proud."
Emotion struck the 6-foot-4, 325-pound offensive lineman as the driver took them from the airport to their hotel, and then to the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, where the younger Feliciano signed as a free agent with the New York Giants.
The journey was a homecoming for Feliciano, who was born in East Meadow, N.Y. His parents divorced when he was 3 years old, and he went to live with his mother, Alicia, in South Florida.
"Every school break, I would come up here and spend time with my dad," Feliciano said. "Just driving around the city brought a lot of emotion to be back here and finally live here."
As Feliciano grew, so did the prospect of him playing football at a high level. The University of Miami recruited him and off he went.
The Raiders selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, starting a seven-year career (and counting) that also took him to Buffalo, where he played under and alongside a sizable contingent of former Bills who now wear Giants blue.
The group includes general manager Joe Schoen, head coach Brian Daboll, and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson.
"Just knowing what kind of guys they are, they're just good guys and good coaches," Feliciano said. "There are good coaches around everywhere, but it's hard to find good people. And it starts with people. Daboll and Bobby and Joe, they're people you can trust. When you can trust somebody, you know they just want the best for you. You know whatever they're saying or whatever they're coaching at the moment, it's for the benefit of the team and benefit for you as a player."
Draft Season | Impact of Free Agency and Pro Day Update
Tony Pauline, Eric Crocker and John Schmeelk break down the latest news from Pro Days and how free agency may impact what teams do in the NFL Draft.
:41 Quarterback Pro Days
4:25 David Ojabo injury
9:00 Georgia Pro Day
14:47 Other Pro Days
23:22 Impact of Free agency on the draft
