NFL Prospects Who Will Impress at the 2022 NFL Combine

The NFL Scouting Combine, which is set to kick off Tuesday in Indianapolis, will be a pivotal point in the predraft process. While teams should never put too much stock into workout numbers, the perception of some prospects will change in Indianapolis.

A blazing 40-yard-dash time, stellar bench press, eye-popping positional workout or gravity-defying vertical won't turn a subpar prospect into a top-10 lock. However, it can help cement an elite prospect as a top choice or cause an already promising prospect to climb draft boards.

Two years ago, for example, Justin Herbert wowed with an impressive and polished performance in passing drills.

Herbert went on to be the sixth pick in the draft and just wrapped his first Pro Bowl campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Here, we'll examine eight draft prospects we fully expect to create a buzz in Indianapolis this year. We'll dive into where these players can impress and why we believe they will. Factors like past workout results, on-field production and any relevant recent buzz will be considered.

Prospects are listed in alphabetical order.

Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

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When we talk about wide receivers blowing up the combine, we're usually talking about ones who produce lightning-fast 40 times. However, Arkansas wideout Treylon Burks may generate a buzz in Indianapolis with his combination of size and strength.

According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, the 6'3", 225-pound Burks bench-presses 380 pounds, squats 500 and power cleans 320. He also has 10 ¾-inch hands perfectly suited for snatching the football out of midair.

Burks should be one of the best performers at the bench press among wideouts, and his strength and measurables will match what Burks has put on game tape.

"Burks is able to split defenders in a hurry, and his play strength lets him break through tackles from smaller defenders. He has large hands that allow him to pluck throws out of the air with ease, and he can often make the spectacular catch away from his body," Nate Tice of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote.

Burks is the 20th-ranked prospect on the B/R big board, and he could cement his status as a top target for teams seeking a No. 1 perimeter possession receiver.

Aidan Hutchinson, Edge. Michigan

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Michigan pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson was a Heisman finalist this past season and one of the most productive defenders in the nation—he finished with 62 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and two forced fumbles.

However, there has been some debate about whether Hutchinson has a higher ceiling than Oregon edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, some NFL executives view Thibodeaux as the high-ceiling guy and Hutchinson as the high-floor "safe" prospect.

"People around the league believe Hutchinson has virtually no risk of being a bust, a clean prospect in every way," one executive told Fowler.

Well, Hutchinson might just solidify a spot at the top of draft boards with a stellar combine performance. According to Feldman, Hutchinson has run a 6.54-second three-cone drill, which was faster than any player at the 2020 scouting combine. He has also run a 4.64-second 40 at 6'6" and 265 pounds, which is quite impressive.

And Hutchinson is hungry to post a good performance in Indianapolis.

"I'm gonna do everything at the combine. ... I'm not scared of anything, and I can't wait to light that thing up," Hutchinson told The Pat McAfee Show (h/t John Maakaron of FanNation).

Expect Hutchinson to show up and show out in Indy.

Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

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If there's a prospect who can supplant Hutchinson and Thibodeaux as the top player in this draft, it is Alabama's Evan Neal. Offensive tackles are incredibly valuable, and Neal has a very rare combination of size and athleticism.

At 6'7" and 350 pounds, Neal's size is apparent. However, his explosiveness could become the talk of the scouting combine.

"At his size, he is the most impressive lower body power athlete we have ever seen,” Alabama director of sports science Matt Rhea said, per Feldman. "His jumping power is in the top one percent we have ever measured. At 350 pounds, he routinely hits box jumps at 48 inches."

For the record, a 48-inch vertical is higher than any player recorded at the 2020 combine.

Neal is the third-ranked prospect on the B/R board and the second offensive lineman after North Carolina State's Ikem Ekwonu. However, Neal could help catapult himself into the No. 1 draft slot by jumping out of the gym in Indianapolis.

Neal is already a low-risk, high-ceiling prospect, but if he shows a generational skill set, he'll be hard to pass at the top of Round 1.

Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati

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Cincinnati signal-caller Desmond Ridder is the top-ranked quarterback on the B/R board. However, he hasn't yet entered the national conversation on being the first quarterback drafted.

In a recent mock draft by ESPN's Todd McShay, for example, five quarterbacks went in Round 1. Ridder wasn't one of them.

However, Ridder could gain some steam at the combine by testing well athletically. According to Feldman, Ridder has run a 4.55-second 40 and logged a 128-inch broad jump, a 36-inch vertical and a 4.00-second shuttle.

Cornerback John Reid was the only player at the 2020 combine to produce a faster shuttle time.

A strong combine performance coupled with solid game tape and an impressive Senior Bowl showing (4-of-6 with two touchdowns) should have Ridder's stock on the rise. He's a viable dual-threat with enough pro-style experience to be an early starter.

"Desmond Ridder is the only QB I'd draft this year with the realistic expectation of him starting early on as a rookie," Pro Football Focus' Mike Renner tweeted.

Expect Ridder to be firmly in the first-round conversation following the combine.

Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

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LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. only appeared in three games this past season before undergoing foot surgery and missing the rest of the campaign.

Stingley's medical checks may ultimately be more important than any drills in which he participates. If Stingley does any or all of the combine drills, though, he's likely to impress. According to Feldman, Stingley has run a 4.3-second 40 and a 4.28-second shuttle—and he could be best those numbers now.

"Stingley now weighs 194 pounds and he hasn't tested in those events recently, but a source very close to him said he's faster and more explosive than he was back then," Feldman wrote.

The seventh-ranked prospect on the B/R board, he's already put plenty to love on film.

"Stingley has the ideal length teams are looking for in cornerbacks. Paired with his elite athleticism, ball skills and scheme flexibility, he should be an early pick for the cornerback positions," Cory Giddings of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote.

If Stingley can prove himself healthy and back to pre-injury form, he should be one of the first defenders off the board.

Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge, Oregon

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

Expect the debate between Hutchinson and Thibodeaux to continue raging in Indianapolis. As CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso recently noted, there will be a lot at stake for the two at the combine.

"If Thibodeaux tests noticeably better than Hutchinson, the race for EDGE1 will heat up considerably. And the comparison between the two at the combine will stretch further than the on-field workouts," Trapasso wrote.

As a "high-ceiling" prospect, Thibodeaux is expected to test well in Indy. Speed and agility are defining traits of his game.

"Kayvon Thibodeaux checks every box for a high-end pass-rusher with potential through the roof," Derrik Klassen of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "Primarily a speed-rusher, Thibodeaux shows threatening burst off the snap and accelerates as well as anyone through his next few steps, regularly giving him the outside edge against offensive tackles."

Thibodeaux's physical tools jump off the game tape, and it would be one of the surprises of the 2022 combine if he doesn't test extremely well, too.

Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

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Liberty quarterback Malik Willis will have a chance to show off his dual-threat ability at the combine. He was fantastic statistically this past season, producing 2,857 passing yards, 878 rushing yards and 40 combined touchdowns.

Willis' combination of arm talent and quickness was also on full display at the Senior Bowl, when he ran four times for 54 yards. While he only threw for 11 yards in that showcase, Willis impressed during practices.

"It was clear this week that Willis has the most talent among the quarterbacks," McShay wrote. "The way the ball just explodes off his hand is different than the rest."

According to CBS Sports' Josh Edwards, Willis also flashed his speed during the week.

"It was said that he clocked 20.58 miles per hour at practice over the course of the week. Only Arizona's Kyler Murray clocked a faster time, 20.78 miles per hour, as a quarterback in the NFL last season," Edwards wrote.

If Willis runs fast and performs well in passing drills, he could rocket toward the top of quarterback boards, much like Murray did a few years ago.

Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia

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NFL teams are consistently looking for interior defensive linemen with the combination of size and quickness needed to pressure opposing passers. While edge-rushers is the flashier position, interior pass-rushers like Aaron Donald and Grady Jarrett are rarer.

Georgia's Devonte Wyatt should show prospective employers that he can be an inside difference-maker at the scouting combine.

According to ESPN's Matt Miller, Wyatt is rumored to run the 40-yard dash in the high 4.7-second range with a 30-32-inch vertical. That might not seem overly impressive until you consider that Wyatt is a 6'2", 307-pound defender. Players his size simply don't possess that sort of explosiveness often—and Davis has put that explosiveness on tape.

"Wyatt's game is defined by how well he comes off the ball. He can explode up the field to knock a lineman back, as well as rip across the line of scrimmage into a different gap," Derrik Klassen of the B/R Scouting Department wrote.

Expect Wyatt to open plenty of eyes with his performance in Indianapolis and to solidify his spot as a first-round defender.