Defense dominates the top of updated 2022 NFL Draft big board

2022 NFL Draft big boards are starting to take shape. Here’s why Matt Miller goes heavy on defense in his top player rankings. 

The start of the college football season has shown us a few things. For starters, top quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Sam Howell seem to be slipping on draft boards due to average-to-poor performances this season, and there aren’t a lot of first-round-worthy receivers in the nation right now who are eligible for the 2022 NFL Draft.

However, this season has also confirmed our suspicion that it looks like the defense is going to dominate the NFL Draft early this year. Recently, NFL Draft analyst, Matt Miller, gave us an early look at his top-50 big board for the upcoming draft. He currently has nine defensive players inside his top ten.

When you really break down the top prospects next year it’s not hard to understand why.

Will defense dominate the top of the 2022 NFL Draft?

Oregon star pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux is considered by many (including Matt Miller) to not only be the best defensive prospect in this draft class, but also to be the overall best player entering the draft this year. While he was injured in just his first game this season, Thibodeaux recorded a sack, a tackle for a loss, and a forced fumble before leaving the contest, and his draft stock won’t be affected by his injury.

This is a great year for teams in need of defensive line help, as Miller has five pass rushers inside his top ten players. Along with Thibodeaux, Miller has DeMarvin Leal, Drake Jackson, George Karlaftis, and Aiden Hutchenson all inside his top ten.

In addition, there are a few legitimate blue-chip first-round prospects in the secondary who are sure to be drafted very early. LSU cornerback Derek Stingly is a remarkable prospect who can be a lockdown corner in the NFL, while Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton looks like a true generational prospect who will be a flat-out difference-maker all over the field.

The lone offensive player ranked inside the top ten on Miller’s 2022 NFL Draft board is Alabama offensive tackle, Evan Neal. The mammoth OT has the size, length, and skill set to be a top-five pick in the draft next year.

As quarterbacks and offensive players start to hurt their draft stock, quality defenders are taking their place in draft rankings. But will the draft be dominated by defense early?

This seems unlikely. Teams know the value of the quarterback position and the offensive line. While this might be a terrific defensive class, it’s highly unlikely that no quarterback goes in the top ten picks. When it’s all done, we could see as much as an even offensive-defensive split in the first ten picks.

It will be interesting to monitor these players throughout the year and see if there are any who could continue to build their draft stock. As of now, this looks like a defense-heavy draft in 2022, but several offensive players are sure to crack the top ten next April regardless.