By: Jake Rajala

Yesterday’s slate of games may have been more exciting and surprising than Week 1. Joe Flacco unleashed four touchdown passes, Tom Brady managed to finally edge out the New Orleans Saints in the regular season, the New York Giants nicely climbed to 2-0, and the Cincinnati Bengals stunningly lost their second straight match-up. With that said, I’m going to take a unique angle in the football realm by untwining the top defensive rookies & untwine the Top 5 DROY candidates right now.

1. Aidan Hutchinson

One of my beloved bold predictions for Week 2 was that Aidan Hutchinson would unleash two+ sacks against Carson Wentz in Week 2. Well, my crystal ball was accurate about Hutch’s clutch ability for the Lions on Sunday. He is unequivocally the very early DROY favorite after having a whopping three sacks against Washington.

The last DROY winner for the Detroit Lions was Ndamukong Suh in 2010.

2. Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner

I loved the performance by Sauce Gardner this summer and I still believe he will accomplish great things this season. He hasn’t quite been tested yet, but I expect him to shine against desperate opposing QBs in 2022. He only allowed four catches for 33 yards against the Browns, per NFL Rookie Watch.

The last DROY winner for the NY Jets was Sheldon Richardson in 2010.

3. Kavyon Thibodeaux

Kavyon Thibodeaux undoubtedly has the Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney vibes. He has gifted power and he plays on a team that’s 2-0 (believe it or not). The issue is that Thibodeaux hasn’t played in each of the prior two contests. Nonetheless, he should make his intro in Week 3. He’s the dark horse DROY candidate right now.

4. Travon Walker

The Jacksonville Jaguars first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Travon Walker, who is a year younger than me, nicely flashed a sack and an interception against Wentz (obviously) in his first NFL game. I still feel he’s a bit rawer than Hutch, but he should have at least several sacks this season.

5. Jordan Davis

Jordan Davis is a big man with wheels. The Eagles DT is in the golden opportunity next to Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, and Haason Reddick. He will be in a plethora of contests with bright lights, so to speak.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Philadelphia Eagles boast a scrappy & talented front seven with the savvy Brandon Graham, behemoth Fletcher Cox, utterly explosive Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and big-foot-like Jordan Davis. The 2021 Eagles pass rush made Reggie White turn in his grave (as they ranked 31st in sacks). However, Philly clearly put an emphasis on building a front seven this off-season that could routinely tee off on opposing signal-callers. With Reddick (former Temple defender), the rookie Davis, and a healthy Graham, the Eagles pass rush should take a big jump from last season.

In particular, I really love the Eagles signing of Reddick. He registered 12.5 sacks in 2020 and then recorded 11 sacks and 18 QB hits last season. He was dubbed as PFF’s seventh-best edge rusher on the FA market this off-season, so he was clearly a splash pick-up by Philly. The former Temple walk-on (who shares the same birthday as me) is also 27 and capable of being a difference-maker in the short term and in the distant future (around the time that Brandon Graham retires).

I’m still on the fence whether Davis can be a DROY candidate – despite his big blind-side moment in training camp. Nonetheless, he should make his presence felt and allow his teammates to shine – as he eats up double & triple teams (as seen below). As Davis develops, he and Cox could absolutely be the best DT tandem in the NFL.

Of course, the beloved Graham cracker should dazzle in his old age like fine wine. Prior to his two-game season in 2021, he made the Pro Bowl (which was his first PB) in 2020. I foresee the Eagles pass rush transitioning from a bottom-of-the-barrel unit in 2021 to a Top-15 unit in the upcoming season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Philadelphia Eagles certainly have a Rocky Balboa edge heading into the 2022 season. The first, pivotal depth chart for Philly was recently released. With that stated, I’m going to simply untwine five takeaways from the Eagles depth chart.

Jordan Davis

The Eagles may have a future stud in the behemoth defensive lineman Jordan Davis (who the Eagles traded up for at 13th overall), but it seems that the Eagles are being patient with his development. He’s currently listed as the second-string DT behind none other than Fletcher Cox (who starts across from Javon Hargrave). Nonetheless, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Eagles DT that has dazzled in training camp becomes well-rounded enough to bull-doze OL next to the All-Pro DT Fletcher Cox in Week 1.

Boston Scott/Kenneth Gainwell

The Eagles are rolling with Miles Sanders at RB1, as expected. After Sanders, it’s a rotation between the versatile Boston Scott (7 rushing TDs) & the sophomore Kenneth Gainwell (5 rushing TDs last season). Sanders has missed nine contests in the prior two seasons combined.

Jalen Reagor

The young Eagles WR Jalen Reagor is listed as the second-string WR behind A.J. Brown at the moment. There have been two observations with Reagor thus far. For 1. He’s had flashes of play-making ability and 2. other teams (CHI and DEN) have expressed interest in acquiring him. It may honestly be wise for the Eagles to ship away the backup WR for the best offer. De

Derek Barnett

I really believe that the Eagles edge rusher that has a second life with the Eagles is one of the biggest x-factors moving forward. It will be crucial that he can show growth in 2022, so he can eventually be a dominant edge player when Graham retires.

Marcus Epps

The Eagles young safety Marcus Epps has impressed in training camp thus far. He nicely made an interception on the very first day.Per Eagles Today, Epps stated, “I’ve got a lot more confidence out there. I feel like these first few days, I’ve been flying around. Like I said, I’m just trying to keep building on that every day because I haven’t arrived by any means, and I know that. I’ve still got a lot to learn.”

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By: Jake Rajala

The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to select the behemoth Jordan Davis 13th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Davis may be seen with a gifted combination of size (6’6, 340) and speed (4.78 40-time), yet it seems like he hasn’t gained enough praise to be a top-shelf DROY candidate. With that said, I’m going to untwine three reasons why the Eagles rook could win DROY next season.

Opportunities

The Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson will unequivocally attract a lot of attention on a putrid Lions DL as a rookie. Meanwhile, Davis should have a lot of favorable match-ups – as he will be playing next to the superb Fletcher Cox. The NFL world witnessed Von Miller really capitalize off the opportunities he had on the Aaron Donald-led DL. I can’t wait to see teams struggle to block Davis while having a robust plan for the Eagles legend in Cox.

Big showdowns

I expect the Eagles to have a lot of success while duking it out in nail-biting contests. Davis will surely have lots of eyes on his team against the Dallas Cowboys (twice a season), Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, and Arizona Cardinals in 2022. Darius Leonard has arguably been snubbed as a DROY candidate partially because the Colts haven’t been a very impressive team. Davis can absolutely be effective and noticeable on a team that should be playoff-bound.

DT position

The DT position may not be as sexy as the edge rusher spot on defense, but it certainly has unveiled a lot of DROY winners. Ndamukong Suh, Sheldon Richardson, and Aaron Donald all won DROY. If a DT can stand out by having a plethora of sacks, they will certainly demand a ton of respect. It would be an understatement to say Davis has the explosive ability coupled with a friendly situation to be a menace against the likes of Dak Prescott and Aaron Rodgers next season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Philadelphia Eagles may not possess their once Super Bowl-featured defense with Malcolm Jenkins and Jim Schwartz, but they certainly possess a mean green fighting on the defensive side of the ball in 2022. With that said, I’m going to untwine why the new-look Eagles defense could improve into a Top-5 defensive unit next season.

New pass rushers

The Eagles proudly ranked 11th in passing YPG allowed, but they sadly ranked 31st in sacks last season. It was clear that their secondary wanted a jolt from their front seven. Well, the Eagles nicely brought in former Temple pass rusher Haason Reddick (11 sacks last season) and they also traded up to select the behemoth Jordan Davis in the first round. Fletcher Cox and Davis will have exciting match-ups inside all the time. The Eagles legend Brandon Graham also played in a mere two games last season and it’s refreshing that the 2020 Pro Bowl pass rusher is back and healthy.

James Bradberry

I love that James Bradberry stayed in the NFC East and decided to join a shiny Eagles defense. Eagles Wire has already pointed out how the Eagles could have a fantastic CB tandem with Bradberry and Darius Slay. The former Giant is still a very good football player, as he unveiled 4 interceptions (career-high) last season. The 2020 Pro Bowl selection will certainly be one of the best CB2s in the NFL next season.

Continuity

The word continuity is the most underrated term in sports.

The Eagles defense will have stronger continuity under Jonathan Gannon in his second season as the DC. The NFL world has witnessed the Saints defense really blossom with talented faces sticking together over the past few seasons and I expect the Eagles defense to elevate their performance with better communication and understanding of the scheme. The Eagles defense will flat out be able to play faster in 2022 under their DC that luckily stayed in town.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Philadelphia Eagles turned on their jets last regular season, as they won four out of their past five games. Philly arrived in the NFC playoff dance, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers mopped the floor against the Eagles in their second match-up in the 2021-2022 season. Nonetheless, the Eagles have a lot of optimism to be more potent next season. With that said, I’m going to untwine three reasons why the Eagles can actually win the NFC East next season.

• The new faces in the Eagles front seven

The Eagles GM Howie Roseman truly did a fantastic job of inking the former Temple defender Haason Reddick and then drafting Jordan Davis 13th overall. Plus, the Eagles nicely retained the Eagles legend Fletcher Cox. Reddick will have fantastic match-ups on the edge and Davis should dominate his one-on-one blocks. The Eagles are building a front seven that may be more talented than the Saints and Buccaneers front seven in the near future.

• The introduction of A.J. Brown

The Eagles fan base shouldn’t feel the need to virtually sacrifice Jalen Reagor moving forward, as A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith will be the new WR duo in 2022. Brown was a fantastic pick-up, as he can nicely be a serious threat with short passes and screens. The Eagles ranked first in the league last season in rushing YPG and it’s clear their play-action game will move up a notch with Brown.

• The slight demise of the Cowboys offense

The Dallas Cowboys have witnessed Ezekiel Elliot look less impressive in each of the past two seasons. There have even been projections of Tony Pollard being crowned the Dallas RB1 soon. Outside of Zeke losing his magic, the Cowboys shipped away Amari Cooper to the Browns this off-season. I have no doubt that the Cowboys will have a high-scoring offense next season, but I expect the Cowboys O to not carry their team in many moments of the 2022 season (or drop 56+ points in a game).

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By: Jake Rajala

The Cincinnati Bengals will surely not take their foot off the pedal in the 2022 offseason. Zac Taylor’s squad has the fifth-most cap space in the league and they will look to soon add a few big pieces in the free agency pool.

The 2022 NFL draft will still be very important for the Bengals and it’s vital they add a profile that can help them immediately and be an important addition for many years to come. The NFL world witnessed the Kansas City Chiefs arguably get too comfortable with their 32nd pick in the 2020 NFL draft, as they picked Clyde Edwards-Helaire (largely from the opinion of their “QB Patrick Mahomes”). The Chiefs were missing dominance from CEH and their RB spot in the 2021-2022 season, as CEH clearly didn’t prove to be a stud in key moments for the Chiefs.

With that stated, which prospects could the Bengals count in the 2022 NFL Draft? Well, here is the latest 3-round mock draft for the Bengals.

Round 1: Jordan Davis – DT – Georgia (Trade up)

I really expect the Bengals to ink numerous free-agent offensive linemen in the 2022 free-agency period. The Bengals could ink the Saints Pro Bowl left tackle and potentially even bring back Riley Reiff. I want to see the Bengals acquire one of the best players available at a position that could be improved (IDL).

The Bengals picked Ja’Marr Chase at a position that wasn’t a dire need in 2021 (WR) and it’s safe to say that pick paid off. I’d love to see the Bengals select the mammoth-like DT Jordan Davis, who recently clocked a 4.78 at 341 pounds, and watch him wreak havoc next to Trey Hendrickson and D.J. Reader. He can certainly help them win a Super Bowl NOW and later.

Round 2: Darian Kinnard – OT – Kentucky

The Kentucky Offensive Lineman brings great versatility, as he can play guard and tackle. He’s a fierce run blocker with his power and he’s been one of the best pass-blocking offensive tackles in college. He was a first-team SEC OL and he clearly has the production and work ethic that any team wants. He’s gotten slimmer this offseason, which should help him be more athletic at the pro level.

Round 3: Isaiah Spiller – RB – Texas A & M

The Bengals could use another potent RB to join Joe Mixon in the backfield. Spiller is another bruising RB, who is well-known for shedding countless tackles. Isaiah, who isn’t related to CJ, has run over 1,000+ yards in each of the past two seasons. Samaje Perine hasn’t been an unearthly RB2 and he’s also a free agent in 2023. It could be time to get more productive and younger at the RB position for the Bengals.

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By: Tim Rodriguez

The 2022 NFL draft: Defined by the defense. After two years of elite quarterback classes, we have something “different”. A lot of these quarterbacks have yet to remove some of the questions that surround them. So here we sit in October, looking at the worst quarterback class since 2019. However, this class is shaking up to be even better defensively than that crop was almost three years ago. All of these players will be on full display this weekend. Who are five guys to watch this weekend on the defensive side of the ball? 

Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame: @ Virginia Tech

Did you think Kyle Hamilton was not going to be on this list? Kyle Hamilton should be on every list. Probably the best player in college football, Hamilton has NFL evaluators wondering how high a safety could realistically go in the modern era. Jamal Adams went sixth overall in 2017 and was the highest safety selected in quite a while. Sixth overall feels like a steal. I have a hard time finding five players that I can justify taking over Kyle Hamilton. The ultimate chess piece on defense, Hamilton is worth throwing out positional value for. 

Jermaine Johnson, EDGE, Florida State: @ North Carolina 

A positive thing being written about Florida State football! Senior transfer Jermaine Johnson has been the best thing about the Seminoles since the second he stepped on the field for them. Unable to consistently get on the field at Georgia, Johnson only had five sacks in 2020. Just five games in, he already has 5.5 in 2021. Johnson has been dominant and shoots up draft boards every single week.  

Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah: @ USC

Utah’s Devin Lloyd is a new age linebacker. With excellent range to flow from sideline to sideline and premier athletic traits, Lloyd is a constant playmaker for the Utes. Lloyd plays with good burst and can make up ground in a hurry, which also helps him in coverage. While his overall play in the run game leaves much to be desired, Lloyd has the tools to be a day two pick and start for an NFL team in his rookie year. 

Jordan Davis, IDL, Georgia: @ Auburn 

Why is he not playing in the NFL? It is objectively hilarious watching college lineman try to deal with Jordan Davis, who may also be the largest man on planet Earth. The 2021 defensive tackle class was as weak as it could possibly get and Davis would have easily been the first one off the board, likely in the late first round. Standing at a massive 6-6, 340 pounds, Davis is a mountain of a man in the middle of possibly the best defense we have seen in the last decade. Davis’ production has also taken an uptick in his senior year. He is on pace to set career highs in statistics across the board, but his impact goes well beyond the box score.   

Perrion Winfrey, IDL, Oklahoma: vs Texas (neutral site)

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has completely transformed  the Oklahoma Sooners defense in recent years. Oklahoma gets after the quarterback like no one else and one of the biggest reasons for that is JUCO transfer Perrion Winfrey. Winfrey is having a breakout senior year for the Sooners and has made their defense sneaky good for the first time in quite a while. Winfrey plays with a relentless motor and uses his athleticism to push the pocket and frustrate quarterbacks. Grinch constantly has him looping on stunts and using that athleticism to frustrate offensive lines. Winfrey looks like a top 50 pick right now as a raw, athletic, high effort interior pass rusher.

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