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Round 1
Thibodeaux (pronounced TIB-uh-doh) was the consensus No. 1 recruit of the 2019 class coming out of Los Angeles' Oaks Christian High School. The USA Today High School Defensive Player of the Year had 54 sacks in four years (two at Dorsey High School) and enrolled early at Oregon to contribute immediately the following fall. When asked about why he picked Oregon, Thibodeaux said, "It was journalism. It was Nike. It was Cristobal. It was the whole program." He was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 pick and the conference Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2019 with 35 tackles, including a team-high 14 tackles for loss with nine sacks, three pass breakups and one blocked kick in 14 games with five starts. He led Oregon with 9.5 tackles for loss and three sacks (38 total tackles, three pass breakups) in seven starts as a sophomore, collecting third-team Associated Press All-American honors, winning the Pac-12 Morris Trophy as its top lineman and earning the Pac-12 Championship Game MVP award. He had 12 quarterback hurries, two tackles for loss with one sack vs. USC in the conference title game. Though Thibodeaux missed time with an ankle injury in 2021, he was still named a first-team Associated Press All-American and finalist for the Chuck Bednarik, Ted Hendricks and Bronko Nagurski Awards. The first-team all-conference selection led Oregon with 12 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks among his 50 total tackles in 11 games (nine starts) before opting out of the team's bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft. -- by Chad Reuter
Neal's size and athleticism made him one of the top-10 recruits in the country out of IMG Academy in Florida. Alabama coaches wasted no time getting him on the field, starting him in all 13 games at right guard in 2019 en route to an SEC All-Freshman Team selection. Neal moved to right tackle in 2020, leading the team's offense for all 13 games on its way to a CFP National Championship. In his final collegiate season, he was voted a team captain, started 15 games at left tackle, earned AP second-team All-American honors, and was recognized as a first-team All-SEC selection. Two of his uncles played football with the Miami Hurricanes and in the NFL: running back Cleveland Gary (first-round pick of the Rams in 1989) and defensive lineman Jimmie Jones (third-round pick of Dallas in 1990, where he won two Super Bowls). -- by Chad Reuter
Round 2
"Dale" transferred from Nebraska to Kentucky for the 2021 season to be closer to his hometown of Frankfort -– his grandmother's post-COVID complications were one factor. He excelled at a second-team All-SEC level by ranking third in the country with a school-record 104 receptions that covered 1,334 yards, also a Kentucky record. He scored seven times through the air while rushing for 111 yards (seven carries, 15.9 per att.) and returning punts (6-20-3.3) in 13 games with 12 starts. Robinson was named the 2022 Citrus Bowl MVP (10-170-17.0 receiving), which the Wildcats won over Iowa. He was a four-star recruit and Mr. Football in the state of Kentucky as a senior at Western Hills High School (6,795 career rushing yards, averaged 11 yards per carry). Robinson was an honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference pick and Freshman All-American for the Huskers in 2019, starting four of 10 games played (40-453-11.3, two TDs receiving; 88-340-3.9, three TDs rushing; 11-236-21.5 kick returns; three starts at receiver, one at running back). He had won the Paul Hornung Award as Kentucky's top high school football player in 2018 and was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award as college football's most versatile player the following fall. Robinson was an honorable mention all-conference pick in 2020, as well, leading Nebraska with 51 receptions for 461 receiving yards (9.0 per, one TD) while starting six games outside and two at running back (46-240-5.2, one TD rushing). His father, Dale, played football at Western Kentucky. -- by Chad Reuter
Round 3
Ezeudu (pronounced eh-ZOO-do) played in one game as a reserve his first year on campus but remained off the field the rest of the year to retain eligibility. He then started seven of 13 appearances as a redshirt freshman the next season (two at left tackle, five at left guard). Ezeudu missed the first two games of 2020 with a lower-body injury but still played well enough in his 10 starts (three at right tackle, seven at left guard) to receive third-team All-ACC accolades from league coaches. He was an honorable mention all-conference pick in 2021, starting nine games at left guard and two at left tackle. -- by Chad Reuter
Flott is the cousin of former Tennessee WR Velus Jones Jr., who is also hoping to be picked in the 2022 NFL Draft. The three-star recruit from Saraland, Alabama, played in 14 games with one start as a true freshman (15 tackles, four pass breakups) for the national champions. He started all 10 games at the nickel spot in 2020 (43 tackles, 4.5 for loss, four pass breakups) and then lined up at cornerback, nickel and safety during the 2021 season because of injuries in the Tigers' secondary (41 tackles, one interception, three pass breakups). -- by Chad Reuter
Round 4
This Las Vegas product was a two-star recruit despite receiving first-team All-Nevada honors as a senior tight end/linebacker (and starring in basketball and track) at Palo Verde High School. Instead of taking a redshirt year in 2018, he played the final nine games as a reserve (1-10). Bellinger then started 11 of 13 appearances the following fall (15-201-13.4, three TDs) before garnering honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference accolades in 2020 (21-203-9.7 in eight starts). He started all 13 games for the Aztecs in 2021, catching a career-high 31 passes for 357 yards (11.5 per rec.) and two scores. -- by Chad Reuter
Belton was an all-state pick at Tampa's Jesuit High School, but his father, Danny, grew up in Iowa and was a big Hawkeyes fan. Dane decided to wear the black and gold and was rewarded with four starts at linebacker in eight appearances his true freshman season (33 tackles, two for loss). Belton was an honorable mention all-conference pick in 2020, starting all eight games at the "cash" safety/linebacker spot (33 tackles, 1.5 for loss, five pass breakups). He became a turnover machine while splitting 14 starts between cash linebacker and strong safety in 2021, tying for fourth in the FBS with five interceptions and garnering first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors (46 tackles, three for loss, seven pass breakups). -- by Chad Reuter
Round 5
While current Indiana head coach Tom Allen coached at South Florida, his son played with McFadden at Plant High School. Allen managed to recruit McFadden to IU despite the linebacker being named the Florida Player of the Year with 211 tackles and 39 tackles for loss as a senior. He played in all 12 games as a reserve his true freshman campaign in 2018 (20 tackles) before earning honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference honors in 2019 (team-high 61 tackles, 10 for loss with 1.5 sacks, two interceptions in 13 games, 12 starts). McFadden was named a third-team Associated Press All-American and first-team all-league pick in 2020, leading his squad with 58 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss with six sacks and two picks in eight games (seven starts). The two-time team captain was a second-team all-conference selection in 2021, leading the Hoosiers with 77 tackles, 15.5 for loss with 6.5 sacks, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles in 12 starts. -- by Chad Reuter
Davidson was a first-team All-Arizona selection at Desert Ridge High School and planned on signing with Central Florida for the 2016 season. He did not enroll at UCF that fall and instead waited to sign with ASU for 2017. As a redshirt freshman in 2018, Davidson played in eight games as a reserve (10 tackles, 3.5 for loss with two sacks) before a fibula injury ended his season prematurely. He lost 25 pounds while rehabbing his leg, and the improved movement helped him start 12 of 13 contests in 2019 (51 tackles, 4.5 for loss with 1.5 sacks). Davidson started all four of the Sun Devils' games in 2020 (19 tackles, 1.5 for loss), and in 2021, Pac-12 coaches awarded him second-team all-league status as he excelled in 12 starts for ASU (57 tackles, 6.5 for loss, four pass breakups). He opted out of the team's bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft. -- by Chad Reuter
McKethan (pronounced muh-KEE-thuhn) moved from South Carolina to North Carolina for college, racking up 543 knockdown blocks his senior year at Barnwell High School. He played in five games as a reserve his redshirt freshman season, and then became the starter at right guard for 12 of 13 appearances as a sophomore. McKethan earned honorable mention All-ACC notice in 2020 after starting all 12 games at right guard and repeated that honor in 2021 for his play in all 13 games at right guard. -- by Chad Reuter
Round 6
Beavers began his career at UConn but transferred back home to Cincinnati (he was a three-sport athlete at Colerain High School) after the 2018 season. He actually led UConn with four sacks playing defensive end in 2018 (23 tackles, 4.5 for loss, two pass break-ups) one year after playing all 12 games for the Huskies as a true freshman (15 tackles, three sacks). In his first year with the Bearcats, Beavers started 10 of 14 contests (36 tackles, 1.5 for loss). His game took a step up in 2020, when he garnered second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors (58 tackles, 7.5 for loss with 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, four pass break-ups). Beavers not only graduated to first-team all-conference honors in 2021 (102 tackles, 11.5 for loss, with 4.5 sacks, one interception, two pass break-ups, two forced fumbles in 14 starts) but was also named a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker. -- by Chad Reuter