While the 2022 NFL Draft is still far off in the distance, players that will be drafted early are on the field now. Each week presents unique matchups for draft prospects and this week is no different. Here are NFL Draft prospects to watch in college football week 1.
D’Eriq King has been in college for what seems like forever. He has made it his mission to become a more complete quarterback, but has run the ball much better than he has thrown the ball in his career. Over the first five years of his college career at Houston and Miami (yes, five years), King has amassed 7,611 passing yards and 1,956 rushing yards. He is a premier dual-threat and helped Miami win eight of their 11 games in 2020.
He will have the daunting task of going up against the Alabama defense. King needs to show he can consistently complete downfield throws in order to improve his stock. There is no better defense to prove he has improved as a pocket passer than Alabama. He can still use his legs to keep them honest, but if Miami is going to win this game, they need King to complete deep passes to stretch the defense vertically.
Over the last two seasons, Battle has developed into one of the best safeties in the country. He was a rotational back in 2019 and moved into a starting role as a sophomore in 2020. Battle impressed with 66 total tackles, one interception and four passes defended. His play helped Alabama go undefeated and win the National Championship Game.
The first game of the 2021 season presents a unique challenge for the Alabama defense. They will be tasked with keeping D’Eriq King in check, which won’t be easy to do because of his ability to throw and run. Battle will have to make plays as a deep safety and come up near the line of scrimmage to help stop King. It may be a long night chasing King and the other talented skill position players from Miami around, but Battle is more than capable of playing well and helping his team win.
JT Daniels tore his ACL in his sophomore season at USC after being a freshman starting quarterback for the Trojans. Kedon Slovis then took over at quarterback and didn’t look back. Daniels transferred to Geogia and after fully recovering from his injury took over. The offense took off after struggling the whole season and the Bulldogs were able to win the Peach Bowl over Cincinnati to cap off the year.
Last season, Daniels was pretty efficient and protected the ball when he played. He played well against some pretty good teams down the stretch. This weekend he’ll be going up against a solid Clemson defense that returns nine starters, which includes plenty of talent. The Bulldogs have talent all over the field, they just need Daniels to find open receivers to win the game. If he is able to prove he can play well, even when pressured, his stock can rise.
Booth was a great recruit for Clemson, who played four games as a freshman, then took over a starting role in 2020. With 27 tackles, four passes defended and one interception, Booth proved he was a solid starting corner. The expectations are high for 2020 and he’ll have to play well against JT Daniels in week one.
A few things are preventing Booth’s matchup from being too tough. George Pickens is out for the season and Arik Gilbert may not play, as he is away from the team at the moment. Georgia still has talented receivers for Booth to cover. If he can shut them down and make it hard for Georgia to move the ball, the Tigers can walk away with a win and Both can help his case to be the top corner in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Iowa routinely churns out talented offensive linemen and Linderbaum could be the next one up. He redshirted his first season on campus after seeing action in one game. Linderbaum then took over as a starter on the offensive line the next year. In 2020, he was a Rimington Finalist and is a preseason All-American for the 2021 season.
In the first game of his 2021 season, Linderbaum will be going up against the Indiana Hoosiers. It will be a tough matchup, as Indiana boasts a good defense that ranked in the top 20 in scoring for 2020. Linderbaum will need to clear room for Tyler Goodson and show he can get to the second level to help the offense produce big plays. If he plays well, it only helps his cause to be one of the first interior linemen selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, even if he is a bit undersized.
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