Expert Analysis

4/27/22

7 min read

6 Players We Would Pound the Table For on Draft Night

By The 33rd Team

6 Players We Would Pound the Table For on Draft Night. Why NFL Evaluators Love Christian Watson

In The 33rd Team war room, as we scouted the 320+ prospects in this class, we landed on a few players that we feel have immense potential who should provide good value. Often this can be a high ceiling player, or those with a very high floor. If we were in the war room, these are the players we would be pounding the table for during the 2022 NFL Draft.

North Dakota State WR Christian Watson

6040

208 lbs

38.5 VJ

4.36s 40-yard dash

Christian Watson tests as a WR you build in a laboratory. Taking into account his athleticism and the efficiency of his production alone, he has first round tools. The upside with Watson is exceptionally high due to his size/speed. If he makes it past the first round, he'll potentially be the most physically gifted receiver ever available on Day 2.

Watson was used as a chess piece in a run-first traditional offense, but was primarily an outside WR. He lacks standout statistics due to scheme & decision-making of QB.

At the next level, he projects as a starting outside WR in a spread or timing-based offense who you can win because of. Watson has an elite size/speed combination and separates with IQ and speed, flashing high-level ball skills to reel in and motor to do the dirty work. Likewise, he shows traits and experience to be above-average KR.

 

Montana State LB Troy Andersen

6035

243lbs

36 VJ

4.42s 40-yard dash

Andersen is an extremely athletic prospect with good measurables and good production in his one season as a true linebacker. He needs some time to develop due to multiple position changes in college, but flashed very good tools and has a high ceiling.

Andersen began his career as a two-way player making starts at both LB and RB as a true freshman and was named Big Sky Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore, Montana State had him as their starting QB and he also took snaps at RB and LB while dealing with a broken bone in his hand.

He switched back to LB as a junior and started three games on both sides of the ball. This past season. During all the changes, Andersen was a 3-time team captain. At the next level, he projects as a WILL in a 4-3 scheme you can win with while also contributing on special teams early on in his career. Andersen has the potential to develop into a high-level starter in that role once he has a better feel for the position and adds strength while fine tuning his technique.

Houston SLCB Marcus Jones

5080

174lbs

28 ⅞ arm

Marcus Jones has dealt with major injuries in his time at Houston, which may be concerning due to his smaller size. When on the field, Jones is an elite returner in the special teams game, bringing back 9 combined punts and kicks for a TD in his 4 years in college including 4 this past season. He averaged 34 yards per kick return as well in 2021. On defense, Jones is a physical, twitchy playmaker, with 5 INTs in 2021 and 16 forced incompletions. On 20% of his targets, he forced an incompletion.

Jones projects to be an immediate starter at the next level strictly as a slot cornerback and has potential as an impact returner.

Jones possesses multiple technical and athletic traits that will allow him to succeed in the NFL. His one glaring weakness is his size and length. Despite this, he shows the twitch/suddenness, hip fluidity, and burst to close space necessary to play in the slot. He can play both man and zone coverage with above the line ball skills and instincts. His tackling angles could use improvement, but he is a willing tackler with force.

 

Wyoming LB Chad Muma

6026

239 lbs

40 VJ

4.63s 40-yard dash

Mike Giddings, who has evaluated the NFL for 40 years with NFL teams, suggests that the necessary requirements for NFL Linebackers are between 5100 and 6036, at least 227 pounds, and better than a 4.71s 40-yard dash. 

Chad Muma hits every characteristic necessary in that range and then some with his 40-inch vertical jump. He has the requisite instincts and physicality to be a punishing LB at the next level. He has great measurables, is explosive, and has a history of production.

Muma appeared in 43 career games over 4 years at Wyoming, with 20 starts. His father was a two-time letterman for Wyoming in the early '90s.

He contributed immediately on special teams while working his way into the role of full-time starter and saw a jump in his level of production in every season. He aligned almost exclusively as an in the box, but would occasionally slide out to the slot against TEs or to the edge as an overhang.

Muma projects as a scheme versatile inside linebacker at the next level whose main contributions will come as a punishing two-down run defender. He can have an immediate special teams impact while he develops and competes for a starting spot.

 

Oklahoma IDL Perrion Winfrey

6035

290lbs

35 ¼ arm

4.89s 40-yard dash

Perrion Winfrey won’t be 22 until after the coming NFL preseason games have begun, and only played 2 years at the FBS level and 2 in JUCO. As a very young and unrefined player with excellent measurables and good production, Winfrey has high upside. In 2021, 48% of his tackles went for loss. He also has the longest arms among the DTs in this class and is scheme versatile.

Winfrey projects as a player who could potentially have more in the tank regarding development and is a player that played out of position in college. He projects as a Role Starter with developmental upside who could work best either as a 4-3, 3 Tech DT or 3-4, 3-5 Tech DE (multiple defense/scheme flexible). 

He has shown the ability to 1 and 2-Gap effectively. With his versatility, he has shown to be effective with his speed, motor and power from the 0-tech spot on obvious passing downs, and could be an edge setter from the 5-tech spot as well. His question marks come with his football IQ (hasn’t played a lot of FBS football), ability to expand mentally in the game and propensity to play narrow against the run.

 

Baylor S/CB JT Woods

6020

195lbs

32 ⅜ arm

39.5 VJ

4.36s 40-yard dash

JT Woods is a forgotten man in this draft class. Despite a very good 4.36s forty, 1.54 ten, 39.5 vertical, and 128-inch broad jump, he has not been highlighted the way he deserves. As far as measurements are concerned, Woods compares to a taller Marshon Lattimore and shows the production (8 INTs) to hold a defensive role for years to come.

Woods was used as a FS in a base Cover 3 and Cover 4 scheme and was most frequently responsible for deep middle or deep quarter with some snaps in the Robber spot. He profiles as a developmental outside CB you can win with in a Cover 3 due to plant & drive, size, ball skills, and simplified reads. His size and speed allows him to break on the ball quickly and with length and ball skills to compete in the air. 

At the next level, he will need a year as a STs-only contributor to improve reads and angles in the secondary, but profiles as core STer due to size, speed, and toughness.

Tags: Chad Muma, Christian Watson, JT Woods See More

The 33rd Team

The 33rd Team is a Football Think Tank created by Mike Tannenbaum.

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