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The start of the college football season has started and with that, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper has dropped his top five NFL prospects for the 2022 NFL draft, and two of his top five are SEC players.
At No. 3 is LSU cornerback Derek Stinglely Jr and at No. 4 is Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal.
“This ranking is all about Stingley’s ceiling. His freshman film, when he was one of the best players on LSU’s 2019 title team, is tremendous,” Kiper writes.
Stingley, who is a junior, had a very pedestrian 2020 campaign with only 19 tackles and zero interceptions, mainly because of injuries. He had a better freshman year with 31 tackles and six interceptions.
Neal, a junior also, was a 5-star prospect coming out of high school, is the highest-ranked offensive tackle in next year’s draft.
“Neal has a massive frame and stellar physical traits,” Kiper writes.
Kiper noted that Neal is making the switch from right tackle to left tackle, but doesn’t expect it to be an issue.
“That’s usually a tough transition, but Neal has the tools to make it look seamless.”
The No. 1 pick might not be a QB in 2022 👀
Meet Kayvon Thibodeaux and the rest of @MelKiperESPN‘s top prospects ➡️ https://t.co/gW2xJW3v1s pic.twitter.com/UFrtUX94AG
— ESPN+ (@ESPNPlus) September 1, 2021
Veteran journalist Stacey Mickles graduated from the University of Alabama and covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
