Three Eagles Invited to 2022 NFL Combine
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)
Publisher
The NFL Combine is back after a one-year, COVID-19 hiatus. Three Boston College players have received invites to participate in the pre-draft showcase, which takes place from March 1-7 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Linebacker Isaiah Graham-Mobley already accepted his invite in late January, but the other two Eagles who have the chance to head to Indianapolis are offensive linemen Alec Lindstrom and Zion Johnson.
In total, 324 prospects were invited to this year's NFL Combine. This time around, 10 college programs, including all four 2022 College Football Playoff teams, boasted at least eight invitees. Georgia leads the crop with 14 invitees.
Back in 2019, running back AJ Dillon was BC's lone Combine participant. The year before, however, the Eagles sent a program-record seven prospects to Indianapolis.
Graham-Mobley transferred to BC for a graduate year ahead of the 2021 season after back-to-back injury-riddled campaigns rounded out his five-year run at Temple. The veteran linebacker didn't get through this past season injury-free. That said, he did play nine games and registered 52 total tackles, including 34 solos. The three games he missed were because of a stinger he suffered before the Louisville game (which he ended up playing in).
Graham-Mobley had three games in 2021 with six-plus solo tackles. He lined up 398 snaps in the box, 20 in the slot and 18 on the defensive line, according to Pro Football Focus.
Lindstrom was named a Rimington Trophy finalist and became one of five Eagles to ever earn multiple first-team All-ACC honors. The Dudley, Massachusetts, native has posted an 87.3 PFF pass blocking grade since 2019, which is first among all ACC centers.
Lindstrom wasn't as good in the run blocking department (68.4 PFF grade), and his botched snap exchanges—also seen in the East-West Shrine Bowl—are a cause for concern as well. But he was the centerpiece of BC's O-Line the last three years, and he's currently rated by ESPN Draft Analyst Mel Kiper Jr. as the seventh-best center in this year's class.
If Lindstrom hears his name called in April, BC will have two-plus O-Linemen selected in the same draft for the first time since 2015 (Ian Silberman and Andy Gallik) because Zion Johnson is a surefire pick. Johnson might even go in the first round after his stellar Senior Bowl week, during which he flexed his versatility.
Johnson, Kiper's No. 1 guard in this year's draft class, spent most of his time in Mobile at center but earned first-team All-ACC recognition at left guard this past season. In 2020, Johnson slid over to left tackle due to an injury to Tyler Vrabel and, despite allowing 22 pressures, gave up just two sacks.
The interior is where he'll play in the NFL, though, and he could continue to climb the draft board with a strong Combine performance.
