As your New Orleans Saints prepare for the 2022 NFL Draft, we take a look at the top 10 ranked players at various positions. The 2022 NFL Draft big board rankings are reflective of Bucky Brooks' top five 2022 NFL Draft prospects by position 1.0 and ESPN's NFL Draft "Best Available" list.
Here are the top-ranked draft prospects at specialist:
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Punter/Kicker | No. 1 Matt Araiza | San Diego State
Matt Araiza punted and kicked at San Diego State in 2021, but he is entering the draft as a punter. The lefty has a chance to be selected relatively highly for the position in this year's draft. He sometimes shows a disregard for touchbacks, with roughly 30 percent of his pooch punts turning into a touchback according to PFF, but he has great power and leg strength. ESPN has him as the best punter in the draft. At the Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds, put up a vertical jump of 32, and had a broad jump of 121.
Height: 6 feet 1
Weight: 200 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 6.09
NFL.com Overview: "Nicknamed "Punt God," Araiza possesses elite power and field-flipping ability that could make him the highest-drafted punter since Todd Sauerbrun went 56th overall in 1995. Punts explode off his instep at a low launch angle with tremendous velocity and force. He has less regard for hang time and coverage considerations than NFL special teams coaches will so he may be asked to dial back the long-ball mentality and dial in with more control from all field positions..."
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Punter | No. 2 Jordan Stout | Penn State
Jordan Stout handled both punting and kicking duties, but will likely shift to a full-time punter in the league. His kicking percentages were not ideal, but as a punter he has some qualities that can land him a role on an NFL team. At the Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds, and he is listed as the second-best available punter on NFL.com and ESPN's Best Available.
Height: 6 feet 3
Weight: 209 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 5.99
NFL.com Overview: "Handled both kicking and punting duties but will be a full-time punter at the next level. Stout combines quality power with outstanding touch to flip fields and throw darts depending upon his positioning...He has the makings of a steady, long-term NFL punter."
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Kicker | No. 3 Cade York | LSU
Cade York was highly consistent in high school and at LSU. He did not handle kickoff in college, but has the leg to do it and can be plugged right into a starting role on an NFL team. He only participated in the bench press at the Combine, where he did 12 reps. ESPN has York as the second-best kicker, and NFL.com has him as the best.
Height: 6 feet 1
Weight: 206 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 5.93
NFL.com Overview: "York was a highly ranked kicker coming out of high school and has played at a consistently high level for LSU. He gets consistent rotation on kicks from all distances and is usually near the middle of the uprights..."
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Kicker | No. 4 Cameron Dicker | Texas
Cameron Dicker appears to be a Day 3 prospect with the ability to go higher depending on the needs of teams. He Is the best kicker on ESPN's Best Available, and he is the second best kicker on NFL.com. Dicker did not participate in any events at the NFL Combine.
Height: 6 feet 1
Weight: 220 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 5.88
NFL.com Overview: "Four-year kicker whose single season as a punter in 2021 was fairly impressive. Dicker has the leg for kickoffs and field goals of 50-plus yards, but he needs to kick with more consistent accuracy to stand out. He appears to have legitimate dual-role potential, which adds roster value...Versatility improves his chances of making a roster as a Day 3 pick."
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Punter | No. 5 Jake Camarda | Georgia
Jake Camarda has good leg strength and punt accuracy, potentially opening the door for some interest from NFL teams. His returnable punt percentage is a bit higher than teams would like, and his hang time is not the best, though. He ran a 4.56 in the 40-yard dash. ESPN has him as the third best punter in this year's draft behind Araiza and Stout.
Height: 6 feet 1
Weight: 193 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 5.85
NFL.com Overview: "Highly decorated four-year punter with kickoff ability to boot. Camarda has NFL operation time and leg strength but was a little inconsistent hitting the football in 2021. He's an accurate directional punter with touch but hasn't learned to control nose-down punts, which has led to touchbacks after the bounce..."
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Kicker | No. 6 Gabe Brkic | Oklahoma
Gabe Brkic showed significant improvement from 2020 to 2021, making him a potential candidate for Day 3 of the NFL draft. His kickoff still lacks deep power and his intermediate kicks need more accuracy, but has refined his power control and excelled in kicking 50+ yard field goals last year. ESPN has Brkic as the third best kicker with the potential to be drafted.
Height: 6 feet 2
Weight: 197 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 5.80
NFL.com Overview: "Brkic had decent power in 2020, but he was a more composed and effective striker of the football in 2021..Brkic could be a Day 3 selection, but needs to sharpen his placement and touchback rate on kickoffs."
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Long Snapper | No. 7 Cal Adomitis | Pittsburgh
Cal Adomitis is the lone long snapper in the draft this year. Long snappers are not often taken in the draft, but his experience may lead him to be a late-round selection or one of the first free agents taken. He has shown that his snaps are easy to handle, and he has worked on getting the ball out faster recently. His spirals are not always the most consistent, however. He has always been heavily involved in his community and could be a great locker room addition. At the Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.97 seconds, jumped 29.5 inches in the vertical jump, and posted a broad jump of 107.
Height: 6 feet 2
Weight: 235 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 5.60
NFL.com Overview: "A long snapper with five years of experience, Adomitis has shown improved accuracy and overall consistency with every season. He has NFL size and gets the ball back on punts and kicks with quality accuracy, but the snap speed is average by NFL standards...He should find an NFL camp as a late draft pick or priority free agent."
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Punter | No. 8 Blake Hayes | Illinois
Blake Hayes is one of the weaker punters in this year's draft, meaning he may not find a team on draft day. His biggest strength is his coffin corner punts, but he takes too long to let the play develop and his punts often have a high return rate. He only has five touchbacks over the past three seasons, and that may play to his benefit come free agency. He did not participate in drills in the NFL Combine.
Height: 6 feet 4
Weight: 226 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 5.59
NFL.com Overview: "Hayes lacks the hang time and consistent drive power teams will be looking for but he's an absolute dart-thrower as a coffin-corner punter. He has outstanding control to park opponents near their own end zone but might not be well-rounded enough to find an NFL home."
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Punter | No. 9 Trenton Gill | N.C. State
Trenton Gill is the punter prospect with the least amount of interest this season. Although he is draft-eligible, he has some work to do before he can make an NFL roster. A team may take him on for training camp and see what he can do, but he needs to show improvement in some key areas to find his way onto a team full-time.
Height: 6 feet 4
Weight: 220 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 5.58
NFL.com Overview: "Punter with good size but an average leg and mediocre control by NFL standards. He has the physical tools, but lacks consistency with his coffin-corner kicks and distance with his open-field punting. Gill improved over the second half of the season and will need to continue on that path to make an NFL roster."
2022 NFL Draft prospects - Kicker | No. 10 Andrew Mevis | Iowa State
Andrew Mevis had a rather productive season in 2021, making 87 percent of his field goals and all of his extra-point attempts. He was a transfer student, so he only has one season of FBS kicking experience, which puts him at a disadvantage when compared to the other kickers entering the draft. Mevis did not participate in any events at the NFL Combine.
Height: 5 feet 10
Weight: 207 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 5.54
NFL.com Overview: "Fordham transfer with one year of kicking experience on the FBS level. Mevis was extremely accurate from all levels in 2021 and hit the ball with consistency. He can handle kickoff duties and get a team out of a game as a punter if needed. He lacks the explosiveness teams look for from a kicker, so he's a longshot to be drafted."
