As we enter college football rivalry week with just a few games remaining for 2022 NFL draft prospects to add quality tape to their résumés, we wanted to look ahead at what the top players in this class still have left to prove to NFL evaluators. Do they need to showcase a trait or an improvement in their conference title game? What about prove their speed at the NFL combine in March?
We asked NFL draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay to evaluate what's left to show front-office execs and scouts from the best prospects in this class. Using their latest rankings -- McShay's Top 32 and Kiper's Big Board -- we picked 10 prospects still playing, excluding the injured stars who are likely to be first-round picks. We also excluded the quarterbacks, who still have a lot to prove as they make their case to be the first one off the board in April's draft.
They'll start with Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux -- their top-ranked prospect -- and end with two more talented front seven defenders. Kiper and McShay also picked prospects who are rising after Saturday's games, plus under-the-radar prospects who have caught their eyes.
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Draft risers | Under-the-radar prospects
Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
Kiper's ranking: No. 1
McShay's ranking: No. 1