The college football season is officially underway, which means early season predictions. I brought together NFL draft analysts Chris Trapasso and Ryan Wilson for a roundtable discussing some of the biggest questions. Here are our answers:
Who will end up as the first overall pick?
Alabama EDGEWill Anderson Jr.
Ryan Wilson: “Will Anderson. Quarterbacks almost always find their way to the top of the draft (Class 22 was an obvious exception), but Anderson is special, even by the standards Nick Saban created in Alabama. Two years ago, Chase Young was the presumptive No. 1 pick, and then Joe Burrow came out of nowhere. And even with Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert in the same class, Young went second. Anderson is better than Young and Young was a very, very good player. university.
Ohio State QB CJ Stroud
Chris Trapasso: “Ohio State is, of course, loaded once again, and Stroud looked like a balanced pocket passer in his first season as a Buckeyes starter in 2021. He doesn’t quite compare athletically to some of the youngsters. The game’s elite arm, but he’s not stiff in the pocket and has all the tools to be exceptional in the NFL in a hurry.Stroud is in for a monstrous year, which will propel him to No. 1 in April.
Josh Edwards: “He showed improvement over the last season. As a young player you could expect the growth to continue and he showed himself this weekend against Notre Dame. The choice was easy considering of his age, height and athletic profile.”
Who is the under-the-radar QB everyone will be talking about going into the draft season?
Casey Thompson, Nebraska quarterback
Wilson: “I’m going way under the radar while admitting some recency bias. I have no idea where Casey Thompson will end up as a draft prospect, but he’s done a lot well as a quarterback in the Nebraska in this otherwise forgettable case. Week 0 loss to Northwestern. He was traded from Texas where, in three seasons, he made 64 percent of his throws with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He’s undersized but mobile, has a quick arm and always threw the ball accurately and on time against Northwestern I’m not saying he’s Kyler Murray’s next comer but there is a place in today’s NFL for such players.
NC State QB Devin Leary
Trapasso: “I loved the moxie and needle-threading ability that Leary showcased in 2021 when he threw 35 touchdowns for just five picks. There’s a dash of athleticism to his game, too, and the big ones throws will get a lot of attention for Will Brinson’s guy.”
Washington State Cam QB Neighborhood
Edwards: “The buzz of Pullman backing the Word Incarnate transfer is hard to ignore. He has good athleticism for the job and now has a chance to prove himself on a wider stage. He’s more low-key than the other two quarterbacks who I believe they will increase over the course of the year: Aidan O’Connell of Purdue and Cam Rising of Utah.”
Which perspective are you most looking forward to watching?
Spencer Rattler, QB of South Carolina
Wilson: “I’ll be honest, after last season I don’t know what to expect, but I want to see what Spencer Rattler is like in a new environment. He’s going to be playing in the toughest conference in the country, so he’s going to have the opportunity to redeem everything we’ve all witnessed in 2021. Will that be enough to start the conversation again?That’s a huge question he can answer as he fights for the Gamecocks.
Clemson LB Trenton Simpson
Trapasso: “I got some serious Micah Parsons vibes watching him on film, and Parsons just finished one of the most impactful rookie seasons we’ve seen outside of NFL history. Like Parsons, Simpson was a huge rookie and has that hybrid linebacker/edge element to his game.”
North Carolina CB Tony Grimes
Edwards: “I went out on a limb supporting Grimes. He’s got big size and speed for the position. The advantage of being a lock-man cover cornerback exists, so I might as well dig in and either go up rising tides or sinking with the boat.”
Who is the prospect with the most to gain?
Kentucky QB Will Levis
Wilson: “Will Levis is the name a lot of people are talking about. He’s not yet mentioned in the same breath as CJ Stroud and Bryce Young, at least when it comes to lifting his team to the national title, but it could change in the future. Levis looks like it was built in a lab, and the former Penn State transfer has the athleticism and arm strength to not only be a first-rounder, but maybe even the first QB drafted.
Trapasso: “With games in Florida, Ole Miss and at home against Georgia, Levis can enter the QB1 conversation if he builds on his 2021 season.”
Oregon LB Justin Flowe
Edwards: “Levis is a great pick, but I’m going to add a few alternate options. I think everyone knows Georgia tight end Arik Gilbert is an outlier in terms of size, speed and athleticism because the hype media has already led him to be in first-round screenings Flowe is the answer for me He’s had season-ending injuries in consecutive years If he can stay healthy his stock can go up soaring under new head coach Dan Lanning, who fielded three linebackers in the 2022 NFL Draft.”
What is the strongest position in the draft?
Edge Precipitator
Wilson: “Edge rusher should be a force again on Days 1 and 2 and, in fact, I had 10 edge rushers in my top 50 preseason players. It starts with Will Anderson Jr., but there’s also Myles Murphy , Nolan Smith, Isaiah Foskey, Tyree Wilson, Andre Carter II and BJ Ojulari – all of whom have the potential to fight their way into the first round.”
Strategist
Trapasso: “I buy into the hype. With Stroud, Bryce Young, Levis and freak of nature Anthony Richardson – with Leary, Tanner McKee at Stanford and Tyler Van Dyke at Miami – it’s a quality appointment. Quarterback class -back.”
tight end
Edwards: “The position I feel best in right now is tight end. Georgia’s Arik Gilbert is being touted as a potentially elite prospect. Teams know what they would get from Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer. Cameron Latu of the “Alabama should have a bigger season. I love Oregon’s Luke Musgrave of State and Sam LaPorta of Iowa. Tucker Kraft of South Dakota State, Benjamin Yurosek of Stanford, Dalton Kincaid of Utah, Darnell Washington of Georgia, Jaheim Bell of South Carolina and so many others add depth to this position.
Which NFL team will have the first overall pick?
Bear
Wilson: “The Texans, Falcons and Seahawks all have a better chance of winning the Super Bowl, but the Bears could be in pole position once the season is over. And that’s not a bad thing (apart from the game on everything losing football over the next five months) because Justin Fields is a franchise QB in my mind, which means the team could target No. 1 overall Will Anderson Jr. and then spend the rest of the draft to stock offensive linemen and wide receivers.
Falcons
Trapasso: “I love Kyle Pitts and Drake London. Grady Jarrett has been underrated for about 20 years now. AJ Terrell was an All-Pro last year. The rest of the roster is basically barren.”
sea hawks
Edwards: “Seattle plays in a competitive division with the Rams, Cardinals and 49ers. Pete Carroll’s team has the worst starting quarterback in that group. I think the Seahawks are playing this season with the intention of having a first pick to start over.”
