2022 NFL Scouting Combine: Kayvon Thibodeaux and Malik Willis among those to watch ahead of Draft

Kayvon Thibodeaux is expected to be a high first-round pick at April's Draft

The 2022 NFL Draft class is shaping up to be the most open, polarising and difficult to analyse in recent memory, with the Scouting Combine offering team officials a welcome opportunity to take a closer look at their favoured targets.

While uncertainty lingers in regards to the top tier quarterbacks on the board, tight ends proudly parade what is widely-deemed the deepest pool of players available as wide receiver-needy teams also lick their lips at the sight of another loaded shop window.

Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral, LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr and Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal are among the high-profile names that will not take part in physical workouts this week as they instead wait for their respective Pro Days.

With workouts due to begin on Thursday, Sky Sports' Cameron Hogwood takes a look at 10 players to monitor throughout the week...

Malik Willis - QB - Liberty

Where could Malik Willis land in the Draft?

In Malik Willis you have arguably the most compelling case study of the entire Draft class, the small-school big-time dual-threat quarterback from whom nobody quite knows what to expect, but whose ceiling many are fearful of missing a trick with.

The Senior Bowl was a hottest-ticket-in-town showcase of how he might fare against experienced and high-level scheme defensive talent, and he excelled. He dealt lasers off-platform and from skew-whiff angles, he racked up the air yards with the precision and in-traffic moxie to make offensive coordinators smile, he turned keepers into chunk-play bursts with darting speed. It came on the back of a season in which he threw for 2,857 yards, 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while rushing for 878 yards and 13 scores.

Some flag accuracy issues, others note occasionally not-so-pretty footwork; he is raw, but so are others. The potential jumps off the screen. More than most will have their eyes on him this week.

Kayvon Thibodeaux - EDGE - Oregon

Logic would suggest the Draft narrative surrounding Kayvon Thibodeaux has bordered on ignorant, perhaps even negligent. The popularity of his quarterback-gobbling, maybe even class-leading power and explosive get-off continues to fluctuate on claims of inconsistent effort and technique inferior to that of Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.

For him the Combine is as much about sitting face to face with team officials to debunk all doubt as it is about showcasing his physical adeptness. He finished last season with 49 tackles, 12 for loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles, the second-best pressure rate in the nation (17.8 per cent) and a pass breakup across 11 games to earn unanimous All-American honours.

Christian Watson - WR - North Dakota State

North Dakota State wide receiver Christian Watson has a bit of everything

On the topic of small-school big-time talent, North Dakota State's Christian Watson stands to be one of the most complete receivers in the class, hindered primarily by the doubt generated by small-school opposition. In a run-heavy offense he saw out last season with 43 catches for 800 yards at 18.6 yards per game for seven touchdowns in 11 outings.

His cocktail of size (six-foot-four) and speed is matched with refined route-running through 2021 and polished vision as a glider in yards-after-catch and screen scenarios. He is a three-level receiver with the strength and elusiveness to operate out of the backfield and take-off to star in the return game. Such are the demands of the North Dakota State ground game that he arrives as a willing and accomplished blocker.

A fast and furious take-the-top-off lighthouse, who is ought to become a favourite among observers.

Joshua Williams - CB - Fayetteville State

For the ninth time since 2000 not a single HBCU prospect was Drafted last year - Fayetteville State cornerback Joshua Williams is among the leading hopes to ensure that does not happen again in 2022 as he seeks to standout in a gifted DB class.

Small-school competition typically offers an asterisk, but his nimble footwork, slick back-peddle, speed and measurements should glisten before scouts. Williams was the only Division II player to compete in the Reese's Senior Bowl, notably posting one of the top five max speeds per Zebra Technology wat 21.75 miles per hour.

He was dominant in three years at college, finishing with 79 tackles, 22 pass deflections and five interceptions in 28 games.

George Pickens - WR - Georgia

George Pickens returned from injury towards the end of last season to win a National Championship with Georgia

Without the ACL tear ahead of his junior season, we are probably talking more about Georgia Pickens as one of the most gifted receivers in the class. He snatches, he suctions, he swivels, he swats; he's among the premier go-up-and-get-it vertical, perimeter ball-grabbers with an extensive catch radius and ability to behead a secondary.

His health is a question mark, some disciplinary incidents are a question mark, and scouts will tell him he could make life even easier for himself by getting physical with defenders mid-route in order to carve more space for himself.

Upon returning to action he managed five catches for 107 yards in four games last season, leaving Georgia with 90 receptions for 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns in 24 games over three campaigns.

Trevor Penning - OT - Northern Iowa

With Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal opting against workouts at the Combine, it means a slightly more open floor for others in the class to pump up their stock. Among those being Northern Iowa tackle Trevor Penning, whose skillset and potential has proven divisive.

On the surface you have a cold-blooded finisher that takes pride in pummeling edge rushers to the point of irritation and lost tempers. His hand usage and re-adjustments fit in with the areas for improvement, but his measurements should flash. He's big and bad, and looks a perfect fit for the NFL's run-blocking schemes.

Travon Walker - DE - Georgia

Georgia's Travon Walker

In a week of aesthetic admiration, Georgia's Travon Walker projects to be a popular feature at six-foot-five and 275 pounds with ferocious run-stuffing power. His versatility allowed him to line up both on the edge and inside, as well as occasionally retreating into coverage, with his length a key component to walking down offensive tackles but his get-off and agility raising concerns over his ability against the pass.

NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes his best football is ahead of him, but intrigue and contemplation over the next month will surround whether he can be the two-way lineman like others in the class.

Brian Robinson Jr - RB - Alabama

Alabama's Brian Robinson Jr has been the epitome of a player biding his time, electing to stay on for a fifth year with the Crimson Tide having had to be patient sat behind now-NFL starters Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris. The result was 1,343 rushing yards for 14 touchdowns on the ground in 2021 alongside 296 receiving yards and two touchdown catches as he starred as Nick Saban's feature back.

He looms as one of the bigger-bodied running backs on the board, with the tackle-swatting and bulldozing power to wear down defenses and underrated footwork to make sharp cuts upon the handoff. Queries primarily centre around his shiftiness and whether straight-line speed can translate to horizontal ability, but it is hard not to be enamoured.

DeMarvin Leal - DT - Texas A&M

Texas A&M's DeMarvin Leal has divided opinion

Inconsistency was flagged as a concern, but DeMarvin Leal's inside-outside versatility remains a primary sell after he spread his time between tackle, defensive end and outside linebacker last season, which saw him finish with 58 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss.

The six-foot-four, 290-pounder comes with power and balance to match his calculation as a rusher, but scouts will be most keen to monitor his immediacy off the mark. The tape is a fun watch, the flash points are frightening, the frequency of them can be underwhelming, but there is a feeling group-think might be distracting from the brainy brawler up for grabs.

Joshua Paschal - DE - Kentucky

Introducing your maximum motor, maximum effort, spirit-lifting, culture-shifting fan, team-mate and coach's favourite; Josh Paschal enjoys playing football as much as any player in the class and comes armed with the infectious personality team officials will hail among one another upon meeting him at the Combine.

From his lateral agility to the burst and quickness he offers at the snap, Paschal is the big-bodied, solid-built edge threat that can do wonders for his stock in workouts. No Power Five edge had more tackles for loss/no gain since 2019 than Paschal's 37, nor did any FBS edge tally more tackles for loss/no gain on runs since 2019 than Paschal's 34.

NFL Combine details

Why? The NFL Scouting Combine provides a platform for prospects to take part in on-field drills in front of team evaluators, as well as meeting with officials in face-to-face interviews.

Who? 324 NFL prospects were officially invited to the Combine

When? Here is a breakdown of when each position group will take part in physical testing...

• March 3: QBs/WRs/TEs
• March 4: RBs/OL/ST
• March 5: DL/LBs
• March 6: DBs

Where? The Combine will take place in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Colts.

What? Players will compete in some/all of the following exercises...

• 40-yard dash
• Bench press
• Vertical jump
• Broad jump
• Three-cone drill
• 20-yard shuttle
• 60-yard shuttle

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