2022 NFL Draft: Scouting the College Football Championship

The Championship was a showcase of defensive talent

The college football season came to an end on Monday, in a game that that served as a do-over for the SEC title game, and a showcase of NFL talent on both sides of the ball. The game turned out to be a full-on defensive slugfest, which highlighted the litany of defensive prospects both teams sported. If you have even a passing interest in the draft, it was a must-watch game for scouting purposes. Below are some of the players that stood out during college football’s final game.

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DB Derion Kendrick

Alabama’s Bryce Young had 369 yards passing, but that didn’t come against Kendrick, who PFF tracked as having not given up any yards in his coverage during the game, while chipping in with three tackles. His actions in pressing his man may have caused a bit of a hiccup (resulting in a touchdown reception for Alabama’s tight end) but it was overall a very impressive performance for the former wideout.

LB Christian Harris

If you’re looking for a defensive MVP of the game…it was Will Anderson. For those players that are draft-eligible though, it was Harris. The inside linebacker was dominant in every role he was assigned during the game, especially on blitzes, which kept Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett uncomfortable for most of the game. The box score tells the story, with the junior finishing with a team-leading seven tackles, three sacks and four tackles-for-loss.

WR George Pickens

Sure, Pickens only had the one catch during the whole game, but it was a massive catch so early in the game. The 52-yard reception was an elite display of receiving talent and came on a deep fade in one-on-one, man coverage. That play directly led to a field goal and allowed Georgia much better field position in the first half.