21 Prospects Attending the 2022 NFL Draft

The 2022 NFL Draft will have 21 prospects in attendance according to NFL.com, among them are a few players that have been linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers in various mock drafts since the 2021 season ended.

With the Steelers picking at No. 20, that means there will be at least two players at the draft who will be available to take. However, of the 21 attendees only a few have been significantly linked to the Steelers. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis of Georgia and offensive guard Zion Johnson of Boston College will be there as well as quarterbacks Malik Willis of Liberty and Matt Corral of Ole Miss. Quarterbacks Kenny Pickett of Pittsburgh and Desmond Ridder of Cincinnati will not be in attendance.

It is expected that either Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan or edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oregon will get drafted first overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars and all three will be in attendance for the draft.

Typically the only players invited to the draft are those who the league expects to go in the first round, however it has not always worked out that way. Former West Virginia University quarterback Geno Smith is the most notable victim of embarrassment after having been invited to the NFL Draft, but not being taken in the first round. He was later selected in the second round by the New York Jets.

Others include quarterbacks Brady Quinn and Aaron Rodgers who fell in the draft despite high projections. Not to mention former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel who reportedly texted Browns’ quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggain in the NFL Draft’s green room. That text was later sent to Browns’ owner Jimmy Haslem and the team then traded up to the No. 22 pick to select Manziel.

With 21 players attending, it is very possible that someone will have to deal with the embarrassment of being in the green room on day 2. So far, it has typically been quarterbacks who have had to deal with that embarrassment. While Malik Willis isn’t expected to fall past the Steelers at No. 20, or even out of the top 10 for that matter, the draft projections for Corral range significantly. He could very likely fall victim to the green room, especially with Ridder and Pickett not in attendance.