Which undrafted free agents will make an impact in the NFL in 2022?

Penn State interior defensive lineman Derrick Tangelo

Interior D-line – Derrick Tangelo, Penn State (Atlanta Falcons)

Looking back at where he could be found in other rankings at the start of the actual draft, Tangelo was the 41st interior defensive lineman and 473rd overall prospect, according to the consensus big board of mockdraftdatabase.com, which collects data from just over 100 pages. Tangelo is 6’2”, just under 300 pounds, and he ran a 4.89 in the 40 at the Penn State pro day. He has impressive short-area burst, with the ability to slice through the B-gap and create knockback at the point of attack, while his violent hands and suddenness stand out as a pass-rusher. Some of this may have to do with the philosophy around the league changing, going further away from asking their fronts to attack upfield and quickly create pressure on the quarterback, with a lot of single-high coverages (predominantly with teams trying to recreate what Seattle did with their cover-three based scheme), to more split-safety structures and asking the D-line to play one-and-a-half gaps, as coaches often refer to. Atlanta’s defensive coordinator Dean Pees did put a lot of big bodies on the field in Baltimore and Tennessee, but there is room for guys who are better suited to play at the opposite side of the line. With 2020 second-round pick Marlon Davidson putting on weight, it’ll be between him, John Cominsky, Ta’Quon Graham and probably more situational veterans to fight for snaps alongside Grady Jarrett, as a key piece for their rebuild on defense. However, I don’t believe any of those guys has a guaranteed role, and I could see Tangelo be a significant part of the rotation.