HEADLINES

2022 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux Declaring For NFL Draft

December 6th, 2021 at 9:06pm CST by Ben Levine

As expected Kayvon Thibodeaux is heading to the NFL. The Oregon edge rusher is declaring for the NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Thibodeaux will skip the Alamo Bowl to start preparing for the draft.

[RELATED: NFL, NFLPA Adjust Draft Eligibility Rules]

The six-foot-five, 250-pound defensive end is one of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he should be one of the first few players off the board. Both Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus and Dane Brugler of The Athletic had the defensive end being selected with the second-overall pick in their recent mock drafts. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have Thibodeaux as the highest-rated prospect on their respective boards.

The edge rusher is a top prospect for good reason, especially following a 2021 campaign where he finished with 34 tackles and nine sacks. While Brugler acknowledges that Thibodeaux isn’t on the same tier as former top edge prospects like Myles Garrett, Chase Young, or Joey and Nick Bosa, he’ll still warrant a top pick, and he should ultimately find himself competing with Michigan edge Aidan Hutchinson for the top-overall selection.

 

NFL, NFLPA Adjust Draft Eligibility Rules

September 30th, 2021 at 9:59am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL and the NFL Players Association have agreed to modify the eligibility rules for the 2022 NFL Draft (Twitter links via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Now, all players who have completed four years of college eligibility will be automatically eligible unless they opt out by February 4.

In essence, this will automatically count the 2020 season as credit towards draft eligibility, even if the player opted out. This way, NFL teams will have a clear picture of the draft pool early on in the draft process, eliminating questions about which players are actually up for grabs.

The 2022 NFL Draft will take place in Las Vegas from Apr. 28 — Apr. 30. Top prospects in the class include Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, Alabama offensive tackle Evan Nela, LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., and, potentially, Liberty quarterback Malik Willis.