The 2022 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday, April 28, will turn dreams into reality for some of the top college football players across the country. Included in that group will be a handful of former Florida high school football standouts who are likely to hear their names called within the first three rounds. Which names from the Sunshine State should you be watching for? Here are five former Florida stars likely to come off the board first in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Evan Neal – IMG Academy
A former five-star and Top 10 national player out of IMG Academy in 2019, Neal is a coveted offensive line prospect who is almost a lock to be selected within the Top 5 overall picks. Neal (6-foot-7, 350 pounds) was a day one starter at Alabama, where he saw time at multiple positions along the Crimson Tide’s offensive line, collecting numerous honors such as First Team All-American in the process.
Kaiir Elam – The Benjamin School
Elam was a highly rated four-star cornerback out of The Benjamin School in the Class of 2019 before becoming a three-year starter at Florida, where he amassed 79 tackles and six interceptions. A 2020 First Team All-SEC selection, Elam has the potential to be selected either in the late first or early second rounds as one of the top cornerbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
James Cook – Miami Central
Cook, one of the nation’s top running backs in the Class of 2018, was rated as a four-star prospect out of Miami Central before taking his talents to Georgia. A four-year player who accounted for 2,324 all-purpose yards and 20 touchdowns during his Georgia career, Cook could be one of the first running backs selected, with his name likely called in the second round.
Nik Bonitto – St. Thomas Aquinas
The former four-star out of St. Thomas Aquinas in the Class of 2018 is coming off an impressive four years at Oklahoma that included a combined 117 tackles and 18.5 sacks. Among the top outside linebackers/edge rushers in the 2022 NFL Draft, Bonitto likely will hear his name called on day two as either a second- or third-round pick.
Nicholas Petit-Frere – Berkeley Prep
Similar to Neal, Petit-Frere also was a five-star prospect and Top 10 national player who came out of Berkeley Prep in the Class of 2018 as the No. 3 highest-rated player in Florida. A multi-year starter along the Ohio State offensive line, Petit-Frere could be one of the top OL prospects to watch for on day two, with some mock drafts projecting him as a likely second or third-round pick.
