As NFL draft prospects are put by means of the grinder of research annually, the numbers all the time come up: how huge, how tall, how brief, how heavy, how briskly, how sluggish and so forth. However there are all the time just a few who pressure a double-take as a result of their numbers are staggeringly uncommon or they’ve performed the sport properly past how their numbers say they need to. These are the outliers — the blokes who make scouts go hmm.
Previous examples embody linebacker Josey Jewell, whose 4.82 clocking within the 40-yard sprint on the 2018 mix precipitated him to fall to the fourth spherical regardless of three 120-tackle seasons at Iowa. He has since began 30 video games for the Denver Broncos. One other instance is the 5-foot-6 receiver Deonte Harris, who was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted rookie in 2019 and led the league in punt return yardage that season. Or Orlando Brown Jr., the two-time Large 12 Offensive Lineman of the 12 months who turned in what continues to be thought-about one of many worst exercises within the mix’s historical past; the Baltimore Ravens chosen him 83rd total, and he has been chosen to a few Professional Bowls and been traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for an enormous 4 draft-pick haul, together with a first-rounder.
Generally there are outliers whose numbers, for higher or worse, simply do not match what the participant can convey to an NFL group. Listed here are some from the 2022 class who’ve already shaken issues up in struggle rooms across the league and can bear watching because the draft unfolds on the finish of the month.
Outlier of outliers: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
Scouts Inc. rating: 16
If an individual can actually be the “most unusual” in any endeavor, Davis is that participant on this, or any, draft.
There are huge guys in each draft, quick guys in each draft and guys with stunning bodily traits in each draft. However Davis’ mixture of all these parts make him a short-list prospect even for essentially the most veteran personnel evaluators.
Look, people misunderstand the entire 40-yard sprint factor at occasions. Most long-time scouts don’t overvalue it within the draft course of, however it’s a quantity that simply compares from one yr to the subsequent, and any scout with a bucket of resort factors will take any and all details about a prospect. When a 6-foot-6 and 341-pound defensive deal with roars by means of 40 yards in 4.78 seconds, like Davis did in Indianapolis, it may get consideration.
His 10-foot-3-inch standing broad bounce was higher than many extensive receivers posted on the mix, and his 32-inch vertical bounce was higher than a number of the operating backs. That’s the rarest of air for an enormous lineman. Davis was already thought-about a high prospect for his on-field efficiency in a ridiculously loaded Georgia protection, however numbers supply affirmation at occasions, and Davis’ numbers confirmed there isn’t any different participant like him on this draft board.
Largest-of-the-bigs outlier: Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota
Scouts Inc. rating: 60
The NFL, by its nature, is an enormous man’s world at lots of spots, so most within the league are form of proof against the easy dimension of the gamers round them every day. It is simply a part of it. However Faalele — at 6-8 and 384 kilos, with an 85 1/8-inch armspan — is the most important participant on this draft and one of many largest gamers ever evaluated.
He’s believed to be the heaviest participant to attend the mix since Wisconsin’s Aaron Gibson weighed in at 386 kilos in 1999. Faalele mentioned on the mix that he really weighed 426 kilos when he obtained to Minnesota earlier than he went on to play 34 video games (31 begins) at proper deal with.
Faalele is probably going a Day 2 choose on this draft, whilst some scouts have questioned how huge is simply too huge for the NFL. When requested how his dimension impacted his play, Faalele mentioned: “Simply how robust I’m. Being a much bigger physique, I’ve longer arms, so simply utilizing these intangibles to my benefit. … The most important problem is all the time pad stage. I can all the time get decrease. That is one thing I’ve labored on all through my profession.”
Higher-look-again outlier: Isaiah Weston, WR, Northern Iowa
Scouts Inc. rating: 360
When a participant’s manufacturing would not transfer the needle all that a lot, however his exercise numbers do, these within the analysis enterprise will say he has “traits” that give him potential. Typically it forces scouts and common managers to return and look once more on the sport video. On this draft, Weston could have compelled essentially the most look-again discussions.
The 6-foot-4 and 214-pounder ran 4.42 within the 40 on the mix, had a 40-inch vertical bounce and posted an 11-foot-3 standing broad bounce — all elite outcomes for any receiver, however uncommon for a receiver of his dimension. Toss in his 78 3/4-inch armspan, primarily longer than many tackles and defensive linemen on this draft, and he’s the exercise/measurables outlier.
Weston had simply 37 catches final season, with six video games that includes two or fewer receptions, but he was a second-team choose for the All-Missouri Valley Convention group. However keep in mind that his Northern Iowa group ran the ball greater than it threw it (433 rushes vs. 345 passing makes an attempt) on the way in which to a 54.5% completion price from the three quarterbacks who performed in 2021. He’s an upside participant who runs his routes in a one-speed trend and desires so as to add some texture to his sport, however he is simply the form of participant some groups will choose far ahead of many anticipated due to his traits.
A bonus: Virginia tight finish Jelani Woods — a 6-foot-7 and 253-pounder who ran a 4.61 on the mix — additionally matches on this class.
Smallest-of-the-smalls outlier: Calvin Austin III, WR, Memphis
Scouts Inc. rating: 80
Austin is without doubt one of the questionable gamers for a lot of within the league just because he is 5-foot-7 and 170 kilos, although he was listed at an optimistic 5-foot-9 at Memphis. He’s actually quick, contemplating he ran a 4.44 40 on the mix. And he has produced with two 1,000-yard seasons for the Tigers to go together with a profession 16.3 yards per catch common. Austin additionally made essentially the most of his Senior Bowl week, as he persistently made performs towards extra notable gamers and confirmed scouts a top-tier understanding of the sport.
However when he’s chosen in the course of the draft weekend could also be decided by how quickly a group can look previous Austin’s top.
No-combine outlier: Eric Johnson, DT, Missouri State
Scouts Inc. rating: 154
For a lot of, Johnson is the highest-rated prospect on this draft who was not invited to the scouting mix. However for essentially the most half, he performed properly sufficient throughout his school profession to be invited to the mix and examined properly sufficient within the weeks after it to point out he ought to have been there. Nonetheless, the listing of non-combine gamers who’re chosen annually is normally pretty brief.
Johnson has made essentially the most of appearances on the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and Senior Bowl. Of us beloved the 40-yard sprint time from his professional day (4.87 hand-timed), which is without doubt one of the quickest for an inside defensive lineman on this draft. However they marvel about his play power — he had 20 repetitions of 225 kilos within the bench press — and was not that explosive in different components of his testing.
Both manner, Johnson has a big taking part in resume with 48 profession video games, together with begins within the final 42 video games of his school profession. He had simply 5.5 sacks in his 5 seasons, however he’s a participant who’s creeping up draft boards as evaluators proceed to review his sport.
Pile-up-the-stats outlier: Bailey Zappe, QB, Western Kentucky
Scouts Inc. rating: 139
There may be all the time a quarterback on the board who is taken into account too small, too gentle and/or possibly even too sluggish, however has a pile of passing yards and touchdowns. This yr, that quarterback is Zappe, who will likely be shoved down the board for some as a result of he’s barely over six ft tall at 6-foot 1/2 and 215 kilos. And whereas that’s virtually the identical measurement of Liberty’s Malik Willis, who is without doubt one of the high quarterbacks on the board at 6-foot 1/2 and 219 kilos, Zappe will want a quarterbacks coach or an offensive coordinator to pound the proverbial desk for him way over Willis will.
Zappe, in contrast to many quarterbacks, elected to run the 40-yard sprint on the mix and turned a ho-hum 4.88. He has additionally been dinged by scouts for a sluggish supply at occasions to go together with a number of what-was-he-thinking interceptions. But when the job is throwing the ball, Zappe set FBS data for passing yards in a season (5,987) and touchdowns in a season (62) within the Hilltoppers’ high-volume passing sport. He had two video games with at the very least 500 passing yards, together with eight of at the very least 400 yards.
“I do not suppose there is a single quarterback in historical past that would not wish to throw 680 occasions in a season,” Zappe mentioned. “It is superb. Coach [Zach Kittley] gave me, like he mentioned, keys to a Lamborghini. I used to be in a position to examine out and in of performs, no matter I noticed match, no matter I noticed the protection was doing. And I believe how that interprets to the NFL is only a data of the sport partially. Having the ability to learn defenses, be capable of see what the protection sees, what the protection is in pre-snap. And I believe that can proceed to assist me all through my profession within the NFL.”
Historical past hasn’t all the time been sort to those form of QBs, however Zappe has proven NFL groups that he is aware of the sport and understands lots of what he sees from defenses. And his NFL future will hinge on whether or not a coach believes there is sufficient to work with transferring ahead.