This year, the Texas A&M Football team sent a handful of players to the 2021 NFL Draft. Jimbo Fisher would see four former players of his drafted this year. Most notably, Kellen Mond went in the third round to the Minnesota Vikings, a team that he could eventually earn playing time on in the next couple of seasons.
The team would also see a trio of players selected in the fourth round. The first of these players was Bobby Brown III, who was selected to a Los Angeles Rams team that should fit his playstyle perfectly.
He would be followed by Buddy Johnson and Dan Moore Jr., both of whom were selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers, forming a reunion for the Aggies.
Looking ahead, which Texas A&M Football players will headline the 2022 NFL Draft?
The 2021 NFL Draft is now officially behind us. By this point, most fans have already shifted their minds to next year’s NFL Draft, which could be a huge one for this Texas A&M Football team.
The team is full of upperclassmen, so don’t be surprised if a handful of players declared, thereby departing the program for the NFL Draft. Beyond that, there are quite a few seniors on the team who will have no option but to declare.
From offensive line to defensive backs, this team is full of next-level talent, which should translate to their win-loss record in the 2021-22 season. So much so, in fact, that the Aggies’ have at least three players who are projected for the first round next season.
So without further ado, here are your Texas A&M Football top prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft on both sides of the ball in no particular order.
Texas A&M Football TE Jalen Wydermyer will be a highly-touted draft prospect
The Texas A&M Football team was never elite offensively. They were led by a high-powered defense and did just enough to stick around in each game. That said, there is one piece to this unit that stands out in a crowd. Literally.
Jalen Wydermyer stands at 6-5, with 260 pounds of bulk added on. He is a big tight end who can block well and catch the ball with the best of them.
In two years with the Texas A&M Football team, Wydermyer has accumulated nearly 1,000 yards in the air on 78 receptions. His 12.2 yards per reception is a strong stat, while he has pulled in 12 touchdown catches in his time in College Station.
Wydermyer is the whole package at tight end. On a Texas A&M receivers’ room that didn’t produce many yards in the air, the big tight end stepped up as an option for Kellen Mond in 2020. He was second on the team in receiving yards last season with 506 and tied Ainias Smith for most touchdown receptions.
Wydermyer should go early in the draft, even if he has a bad season with a new quarterback throwing him the ball. That said, he is projected to be one of the top tight ends in the 2022 NFL Draft class, with multiple outlets seeing him taken in the first round.
Projection: 1st Round
Texas A&M Football OL Kenyon Green is another first-round talent for the Aggies
Even though Jalen Wydermyer might be the most talked-about Aggie NFL Draft prospect for 2022, Kenyon Green could go higher than anybody else. Green is arguably the most talented offensive lineman in college football, and he should show that off in the 2021 season, even if he’s sliding to the tackle spot.
In the 2021 NFL Draft, he saw just one of his counterparts selected in Dan Moore Jr. Moore was the first of a few players from a deadly offensive line that was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the best offensive line in the country. That said, Dan Moore Jr. was not the best offensive lineman on that unit.
That honor would go to Kenyon Green.
Green also saw three other offensive linemen that blocked alongside him picked up by teams as undrafted free agents, so the Aggies’ offensive line will be well-represented in the NFL.
But the Texas A&M Football team retained their best lineman in Kenyon Green. Reports suggest that Green could be a top ten pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he should be in the running for just about every award that an offensive lineman can win.
He may not play the most exciting position, but this man is an amazing football player.
Projection: 1st Round
Texas A&M DL DeMarvin Leal has been quiet thus far but has limitless potential
The 2020 Texas A&M Football team was great in a lot of areas. The rushing offense was elite, the passing offense was solid, and the secondary got the job done. But the part of the team that excelled most was the defensive line, which was among the best in college football.
As a result, Bobby Brown III, a defensive tackle and the heart of the Aggies’ D-line, was drafted in the fourth round. Next year, there may be higher representation for this Texas A&M Football team in the NFL Draft.
I’m talking about DeMarvin Leal. Yes, I’ve already told you about two players who are projected to go in the first round, but what if there is one more? Well, forget “what ifs,” because there is one more.
Leal hasn’t put up the greatest stats in the world for the Aggies, but he hasn’t been able to step up as the leader of this defense. In 2021, he’ll do just that.
There might not be a defensive player in college football with more potential than Leal. Physically, he’s an animal, standing at 6-4 and weighing in at 290 pounds. He doesn’t move like a big guy either, as he is quick on his feet and can rush the backfield.
If Leal has a breakout year in 2021, he could be one of the first names selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Projection: 1st Round
Texas A&M Football RB Isaiah Spiller has been extremely efficient
Isaiah Spiller isn’t the most explosive back in the SEC. He’s not the strongest back in the SEC, either. That’s the thing about Spiller — he can do a little bit of everything.
It’s not easy to pin down his strengths as a runner, but perhaps one trait stands above all of the rest. His vision.
Spiller has had great offensive line play helping him in College Station, but that shouldn’t take away from his accomplishments. If anything, that should help him, as a huge issue for runningbacks in the NFL is their lack of discipline as a runner. You won’t get a lack of discipline with Spiller.
In just two years with the Aggies, Spiller has accumulated almost 2,000 rushing yards, taking the rock into the endzone 19 times thus far. And he’s only going to be a junior.
That said, if he continues to improve in 2021, he could be one of the first names called for Texas A&M in the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s an extremely talented back who deserves to be one of the top names on big boards.
Expect a big season out of him, even with a revamped offensive line.
Projection: 2nd-3rd Round
Texas A&M Football S Demani Richardson could bounce back in 2021
Demani Richardson is one of the more interesting cases of the 2021 Texas A&M Football season. After a strong start to the year, Richardson was forced to miss a couple of games due to COVID-19 protocols. When he returned, he wasn’t able to reach that same level of performance.
That said, before he got sick, he was one of the best players on this defense. The big question entering 2021 is whether or not he can reach that level again.
In two years with the Aggies thus far, he has accumulated 107 total tackles, bringing down anybody in sight. To add to this, he has a pair of interceptions and three sacks to his name. He’s the type of player who is all over the field.
In 2021, he should be back to full health. Don’t be surprised if he breaks out as one of the best players on this unit, as he has been hugely slept on since missing a couple of games. If he has a good enough season, this could be another player who departs for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Depending on his performance, he could go anywhere as high as the 2nd round. That said, I have more realistic expectations for him.
Projection: 3rd Round
Texas A&M Football DE Micheal Clemons is a top ten prospect at his position
After talking about DeMarvin Leal, Micheal Clemons might not seem nearly as exciting, but he is a player who has proved his game even more than Leal. Rather than leaning on his potential, he’s a guy who can put up electrifying numbers and wreak havoc in opposing teams’ backfields.
In three years, Clemons has put up 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, four of which came in his most recent season with the Aggies. He was expected to leave for the 2021 NFL Draft but opted to return to an Aggies’ defense that is going to be terrifying in 2021.
As a 2021 NFL Draft prospect, Clemons was ranked 11th at his position by WalterFootball. That said, he made appearances in the top ten and as a result, could be a pretty early pick in this year’s draft.
That said, his stock could continue to rise if he puts up numbers on a team that should have one of the best defenses in college football. His performance will play a huge part in that.
His name could be the first one called for Texas A&M outside of the first round.
Projection: 3rd Round
Texas A&M Football’s Ainias Smith might be the most versatile player in college football
Ainias Smith’s selection may be a little bit premature, as he isn’t thought of as a top draft prospect quite yet. That said, he will make his name onto draft boards by the end of the season, I can guarantee you that.
Smith is arguably the most versatile player in college football. In his first two seasons in College Station, coaches haven’t been able to make a decision as to whether he’s a runningback or a wide receiver. The decision is tough because he excels at both positions.
As 2021 approaches, it looks like he’ll be taking more snaps at the wide-out spot. This will be great for his draft stock, as he has likely gone under the radar as a result of the fact that his numbers have been split between rushing and receiving yards. Playing as a full-time wide receiver may put his name on teams’ radars.
That said, those split numbers may be what gets him drafted at the end of the day. Outside of Wydermyer, Smith is the best player returning to this offense — there’s no question about that. The best part? He’s only entering his third season.
Even if Smith goes undrafted, he’s the type of player who will make his way onto an NFL roster. If he has a good year in 2021, don’t be surprised if he leaves early for the draft.
Projection: 5th Round
Texas A&M Football DE Tyree Johnson returned to help his draft stock
Do you know how we talked about a defensive end returning to the team earlier in the article? This is another defensive end who did just that. Tyree Johnson will play across Micheal Clemons to form one of the most menacing defense lines in recent memory in the SEC.
Tyree Johnson was considered a draft prospect for 2021 but decided to return and help bolster a strong defense for the Aggies. He’ll be playing with extra motivation, as his draft stock depends entirely on how well he plays.
That said, he shouldn’t have to worry too much about how he performs.
In Johnson’s career, he has accumulated 14.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in three years with Texas A&M thus far. More specifically, his 2020 season was the best of his career, gathering 6 tackles for loss and 6 sacks. In 2021, he’ll look to improve off of his best season in hopes of hearing his name called next year in the NFL Draft.
Johnson won’t be a big name in draft talks, but he could be a guy who sticks around and gets taken in the later rounds. Heck, if he has a great season, he could slide up into day two. Time will tell with this one.
Projection: 6-7th Round
Texas A&M S Leon O’Neal returned to bolster his draft stock
I know what you’re thinking. It seems like this entire defense returned to help their draft stock. If you feel that way, it’s probably because that’s the truth. The Aggies are returning a lot of talent that didn’t need to come back for another year. That is a testament to the type of environment that Jimbo Fisher has created in College Station.
The next player who is returning in an effort to help his draft stock is Leon O’Neal, the Aggies’ starting safety. That said, O’Neal wouldn’t have been a shoo-in to be selected, so this was a smart choice on his end.
The safety will return for his fourth year and look to dominate in the secondary. In three years thus far, he has accumulated over 100 tackles, 7 for loss, and 4 interceptions. He was a standout player on this defense, which is why many fans thought he’d be departing for the NFL Draft.
But he didn’t.
In 2021, he’ll look to build off of a season that saw him accumulate his best numbers thus far with the team. In 2020, he made 48 tackles, two for loss, with a pair of interceptions. If he wants to raise his draft stock, he’ll have to raise the bar.
Projection: 6-7th Round
Texas A&M Football DT Jayden Peevy will try to make the best of his extra eligibility
Jayden Peevy is one of a relatively small list of players who will need to use his extra year of eligibility in 2021.
Before the 2020 season began, many fans and experts believed that Peevy would be one of the players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. He wasn’t, as he would choose to use the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA to return for the next season.
While Peevy had a relatively disappointing year in 2020, he’ll be huge for the Aggies in 2021. He finished 2020 with 5 tackles for loss and a sack. These are decent numbers, but he’ll be shooting higher in 2021.
As a 5th-year player who didn’t redshirt any of his seasons, he’ll be a leader on the field. That might even be the part of his game that allows him to be taken in the NFL Draft. Right now, he may be on the outside looking in, but don’t be surprised if he surges into draft talks by this time next year.
Projection: 6-7th Round
Just because a certain player isn’t listed above does not mean that he won’t be drafted. These are just the top prospects. There are a handful of players who could sneak their way onto draft boards by the end of the 2021 NCAA Football season.