2022 NFL Draft guide for Mizzou, Missouri State and Missouri native prospects
The 2022 NFL Draft begins Thursday, and the Show-Me State will have plenty of representation throughout the three days.
Not only will an SEC program have multiple players hear their names called, but so will other programs statewide.
Here's what to know about Missouri draft prospects from the University of Missouri, from smaller Missouri universities and from Missouri cities.
Tyler Badie leads Mizzou football prospects
The headliner for Missouri is running back Tyler Badie. Badie set a single-season rushing record at MU after taking over the starting spot from Larry Rountree.
Badie single-handedly quelled questions about his size and durability, making him a welcome addition for any running back-needy teams. At his pro day, Badie said he had heard from all 32 NFL teams. He's projected as a third-day pick between rounds five and seven, where teams like the Eagles, Cardinals and Bills all could use depth at the position.
Although Badie gets most of the attention, defensive back Akayleb Evans could be the first Tiger off the board. He has a fourth-round grade, led Missouri in forced fumbles last season and earned a 2022 Senior Bowl invite.
Evans played in Steve Wilks' scheme, which featured a man-zone where he also defended in the slot. His seven passes defended were an example of how the talented player at Tulsa translated well to the SEC. He's projected as a fourth-round pick and has talked with the Cardinals, Bengals, Titans and Saints. He'd fit well with the Saints and Broncos, who have entrenched starters where Evans could fit in as a reserve.
Another offensive player to watch is center Michael Maietti, who blocked for Badie's record-breaking season. Maietti was a third-team All-American honoree.
Maietti wasn't given a draft grade by The Athletic or NFL.com, but he was invited to the Jets and Chiefs' local Pro Days. The Chiefs, Bears, Jets and Panthers are all teams with offensive line needs, and he could land with any of those on the third day of the draft.
On the defensive line, Akial Byers is someone who could sneak into the later rounds of the draft as a sleeper. He has versatile experience having played both nose tackle and three-technique on the defensive line.
Byers had a career-high 1 1/2 sacks last year in Wilks' defense, indicating he can play in a pro-style scheme. The Vikings, Bengals and Chargers could use defensive line depth.
A sneaky pick for teams late could be linebacker Blaze Alldredge, who has pass-rushing skills that can help him earn a spot in passing situations.
He led Missouri in tackles and tackles for loss, and he was second on the team in sacks with 4 1/2. The Packers, Cowboys and Cardinals have a need for pass-rushing skills.
There will be a handful of Tigers who sign with teams as undrafted free agents. Look for these names to get training camp invites if they aren't selected:
Wide receiver Keke Chism
Offensive lineman Case Cook
Defensive lineman Kobie Whiteside
Cornerback Allie Green
Missouri State and other college prospects
Aside from MU, there are more college football players around the state who could hear their names called Friday or Saturday.
They hail from smaller schools, but the talented football players shine regardless.
That's where a player like Missouri State's Eric Johnson comes in. The defensive tackle prospect was a second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference player, recording 19 1/2 tackles for loss and 6 1/2 sacks in 55 career games played.
Johnson blocked two PAT kicks, too. That special teams play helped earn him a fifth-round grade.
Johnson is the only FCS prospect expected to get drafted, but other prospects like Culver-Stockton offensive tackle Andrew Rupcich, Northwest Missouri State defensive lineman Sam Roberts and Missouri Western cornerback Sam Webb are also smaller-school prospects to take note of.
More on Eric Johnson: Missouri State football's Eric Johnson shined at all-star games. His NFL dreams are now getting bigger.
Webb was a ballhawk, intercepting seven passes in his Division II career. Roberts earned the 2021 Cliff Harris Award, given to the top non-Division I defender. Rupcich participated in the 2022 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and was an NAIA All-American three straight years.
Missouri native prospects
Aside from players who played at a Missouri college or university, there are those from the Show-Me State who played college football out of state.
These Missouri-native prospects are separated by grade.
Day one means they are projected to be a first-round pick; day two means they're projected to go between rounds two and three; and day three means they're projected to go between rounds four and seven or get signed as an undrafted free agent.
Day-one grades
WR Jameson Williams, St. Louis (Alabama)
Williams tore his ACL in the national championship game against Georgia, but that hasn't kept him from being one of the best wide receiver prospects in this draft.
Ohio State's Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson and USC's Drake London are atop the receiver rankings, but Williams is a dynamic route-runner who would be the top receiver off the board if it weren't for his injury. He's expected to contribute by October.
UPDATE: The Detroit Lions traded up to select Williams in the first round with the 12th overall pick in 2022 draft
Day-two grades
Guard Marquis Hayes Jr., St. Louis (Oklahoma)
A Pattonville High graduate, Hayes was an all-conference player for the Sooners. He earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2021. Hayes was a full-time starter at left guard for Oklahoma starting in 2019.
Across 40 games, he started 37 games and played in the 2022 Senior Bowl. The Athletic's Dane Brugler gives Hayes a third-round grade as his sixth-best offensive guard prospect.
Day-three grades
The day-three prospects are separated by city.
RB Hassan Haskins Jr., St. Louis (Michigan)
RB Kyren Williams, St. Louis (Notre Dame)
QB Kaleb Eleby, Maryland Heights (Western Michigan)
The greater St. Louis area includes two running backs competing with Badie in the middle rounds of the draft.
Williams, who was the starting back for two 10-win Fighting Irish teams, makes up for his lack of breakaway speed by being a physical back who doesn't shy away from contact. He's reliable as a pass-catcher but needs to improve his ball security.
Haskins burst into the draft conversation with a 20-touchdown season in 2021 that earned him second-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten honors. Like Williams, Haskins is a sturdy back who has more physical traits than breakaway traits.
More: How Hassan Haskins went from St. Louis neighborhood phenom to Michigan football star
Eleby is a quarterback who improved from his first season as a starter to his second. He went from third-team All-MAC in 2020 to second-team All-MAC in 2021, improving from 18 passing touchdowns to 23 in the process. Brugler gives Eleby a seventh-round grade in a draft that's light on standout quarterbacks.
TE Chase Allen, Nixa (Iowa State)
Aside from Williams at Missouri State, Allen is one of the southern Missouri prospects who will have a good chance at hearing his name called. His dad, Terry Allen, was the head coach at Kansas from 1997 to 2001.
Chase Allen was named second-team All-Big 12 four times (2017, 2019, 2020, 2021) as a Y tight end for Iowa State. Allen has been billed as an undrafted free agent, but that could change if a team has a need for a Y tight end, which specifies more as a blocker and special teams ace than a receiver.
DE Tre Williams, Columbia (Arkansas)
Williams is a Rock Bridge alum who was at Missouri for five seasons before transferring to Arkansas to reunite with former MU coach Barry Odom.
Williams recorded 21 tackles for loss and 13 1/2 sacks in 113 games played between the Razorbacks and Tigers. He brings a few off-the-field questions stemming from prior disciplinary situations, including a DWI arrest in 2021. Williams has an undrafted free agent grade, but pass-rushers carry a priority.
CB Mario Goodrich, Kansas City (Clemson)
QB Skylar Thompson, Independence (Kansas State)
The two greater Kansas City prospects vary in their draft grades, but both could be selected in the later rounds.
Goodrich is billed as a sixth-round prospect and was a one-year starter at Clemson. He's a physical player who would benefit the most on a team that features a zone defense to match his tackling skills.
Thompson is an experienced quarterback, having played in 45 college games. He threw for 7,134 yards and 42 touchdowns but most significantly threw just 16 interceptions. Thompson could work his way to being a backup if he improves his accuracy.
2022 NFL Draft on TV
ESPN, the NFL Network and ABC will air coverage of the 2022 NFL Draft. A livestream is available on Watch ESPN (with cable provider login). Here's when each day of the draft begins:
Round 1: 7 p.m. CT Thursday.
Rounds 2 and 3: 6 p.m. CT Friday
Rounds 4-7: 11 a.m. CT Saturday
Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 573-815-1857.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: 2022 NFL Draft guide for Mizzou, Missouri college, native prospects
