As per usual, NFL free agency has been an absolute whirlwind of player movement, and once the dust settles on the final waves of free agency, we'll all turn our full attention to the 2022 NFL Draft. As a draft analyst, these two periods on the NFL calendar flowing into each other gave me an idea.
Belo are are the prospects in the 2022 class with similar traits and on-field styles to the biggest names who changed teams in this free agent period.
WR Christian Kirk
Signed with: Jaguars
Prospect with similar traits: Purdue's David Bell
Kirk ran 4.47 at the 2018 combine -- compared to Bell's 4.65 -- but the two receivers win by playing at their own pace, running methodical routes and tracking the football with laser-like precision down the field. It's almost as if they understand their limitations and have devised plans to not allow those limitations to hinder their production on the field.
Bell was better in college tracking it deep, but Kirk has becomes better in scenarios with corners draped on him deep. He converted 13 of 19 contested-catch opportunities in 2021. Not bad for a wideout with a vertical of just 35.5 inches in a league where cornerbacks with 40-inch verticals dot every roster.
Bell is bound to be picked later than Kirk was -- No. 47 overall -- but has the nuanced skill to be a quality secondary or tertiary contributor early in his pro career before maturing into a 900-plus-yard wideout near the end of his rookie deal. Also like Kirk, Bell may be best in the slot in the NFL, so the extra space will afford him more of a chance to get open regularly.
EDGE Von Miller
Signed with: Bills
Prospect with similar traits: Penn State's Arnold Ebiketie
Since Miller was drafted at No. 2 overall in 2011, many top-tier smaller, bendy edge rusher prospects have been compared to Miller to no avail. In a way, he's entered the prestigious fraternity of prospects you're simply better off not comparing prospects to, along with the likes of Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson, and J.J. Watt.
Why's Miller such an untouchable prospect? He not only possessed elite burst, bend, and pass-rush moves, but somehow, at 6-3 and 246 pounds, was effortlessly powerful. He could win past, around, or simply through blockers to the quarterback. There isn't a Miller in this class.
Ebiketie is the prospect with a similar build and similar traits. The Temple-turned-Penn-State star was a shade over 6-2 and 250 pounds at the combine, his vertical and broad jumps were close to Miller's. On the field, Ebiketie understands how to use pass-rush moves to beat blockers. His acceleration off the snap is impressive. He's not quite as bendy as Miller nor nearly as powerful. And he'll likely be selected in Round 2.
CB J.C. Jackson
Signed with: Chargers
Prospect with similar traits: Auburn's Roger McCreary
Jackson intercepted 25 passes and registered 53 pass breakups in his four seasons with the Patriots, startling figures. At Auburn, McCreary was a ball magnet with 29 pass breakups and six interceptions in his final three years in the SEC, a conference perennially loaded at receiver and always grueling for corners.
Jackson is a unique perimeter cornerback in that he's under 5-10 and right around 200 pounds. McCreary's unique in that he has arms under 30 inches long. Both made it work in college -- Jackson had three picks and seven pass breakups in his final year at Maryland -- and excel in man-coverage situations.
Jackson went undrafted in 2018. McCreary initially got first-round buzz. But the shorter-than-ideal arms and a 4.50 in the 40 will likely sink his stock to the second day of the draft. But much like Jackson, McCreary just makes plays in coverage. Over and over and over again.
EDGE Randy Gregory
Signed with: Broncos
Prospect with similar traits: Cincinnati's Myjai Sanders
Gregory was a rare cat in the 2015 class, standing at 6-5 but just 235 pounds with never-ending arms. His film showed a Gumby-like specimen around the corner who won with flexibility and burst to the quarterback.
A lot of that applies to Sanders, who measured in at 6-5 and 228 at the combine and has strengths that align with the new Broncos edge rusher. Sanders' game is predicated on his acceleration off the snap, surprising pop upon contact and bull-rush ability given his relatively lanky frame, and his closing speed to the passer. Gregory still looks skinny for an veteran NFL edge rusher but routinely drives offensive tackles backward.
Gregory was bendier coming out of Nebraska than Sanders is today, but the rest of their games couldn't be more similar.
OG Laken Tomlinson
Signing with: Jets
Prospect with similar traits: Texas A&M's Kenyon Green
Tomlinson was a career guard at Duke, and an incredibly experienced one at that with 52 starts. Green played all over the Texas A&M line in 35 contests across three seasons. They're both wide, powerful "phone-booth" blockers. For those reading unaware of what a phone booth was -- here's a link to a picture. In scouting, essentially, it's meant to describe a blocker who excels in an area about as big as a phone booth. In other words, mobility isn't a major plus.
Interestingly, Tomlinson's was rock-solid as a "phone-booth blocker" even in San Francisco's run-blocking scheme that asks its offensive linemen to slide laterally on stretch plays often. There's some burst to his game, changing directions has never been a plus. That's true for Green. He's close to being NFL strong and has professional starting guard size already at nearly 6-4 and 323 pounds with long arms. He's ready to maul defensive linemen. Green's twitch off the ball is good for his size, he's just not a dancing bear at getting to the second level. Also too, Green is likely to land somewhere in the same draft range as Tomlinson, who was the 28th pick of the 2015 draft.
EDGE Haason Reddick
Signed with: Eagles
Prospect with similar traits: Oklahoma's Nik Bonitto
Reddick was a do-everything linebacker/edge rusher at Temple, but the reason he landed in Round 1 of the 2017 draft was due to his productivity getting to the quarterback and/or disrupting the backfield. In his final season with the Owls, the high-caliber athletic hybrid registered 9.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. After starting his career in Arizona as an off-ball linebacker, coaches realized he needed to play on the edge despite his smaller frame. Ever since that move, he's been one of the most efficient pressure and sack generators in football.
Reddick was 6-1 and 237 at his combine. Bonitto's one of the smallest edge rushers in his class at 6-3 and 248 pounds, plus he looked much lighter than that on film at Oklahoma, where he dominated in passing situations with his burst, bend, and inside counter move. Like Reddick, when Bonitto is playing with high energy, he's a difficult defender for large tackles to get to around the corner.
S Marcus Williams
Signed with: Ravens
Prospect with similar traits: Illinois' Kerby Joseph
Williams was a long, athletic ball-hawking free safety during his days at Utah, and his range was the main reason he was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft. He finished with five interceptions in his final season for the Utes -- after five picks the season before and brought a decently rare impactful free safety skill set to the league.
Joseph is actually longer than Williams was and while he wasn't able to match Williams' outrageous 43.5-inch vertical, his 39-inch leap turned heads at the combine. On the field, Joseph's pure speed and fluidity make him a safety net on the back end. He, too, had five picks in his final collegiate season.
EDGE Chandler Jones
Signed with: Raiders
Prospect with similar traits: Minnesota's Boye Mafe
Jones ascended boards late in the 2012 draft cycle, mainly due to his length, freaky athleticism, and developed pass-rush move arsenal. The same ascending is bubbling right now for Mafe. The Minnesota product got better in each of his three seasons for the Gophers, acknowledges he has to win with his hands first and foremost, and jumped 41.5 inches straight into the sky at the Minnesota Pro Day at 257 pounds.
Mafe isn't as tall nor as long as Jones, but the physical and pass-rusher profiles as prospects closely align.
