Illinois Football: Illini prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft

Khalon Tolson

There is always a player or two who goes undrafted but makes a huge impact in the NFL. I think Khalan Tolson could end up being one of those players. He has the ability to really be a good NFL player if he is given the chance.

Tolson doesn’t have the legendary Illinois career that the other players mentioned on this list have, but he was a good player who showed signs of having NFL talent when on the field. In his final season at Illinois, Tolson started in eight games and finished the season with 48 tackles, two pass breakups, and a sack.

NFL.com doesn’t even have Tolson on their list and neither the NFL nor CBS has him in their mock draft. But Tolson has the attention of various NFL teams. He has worked out or visited with multiple teams pre-draft. Some of those teams include the Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Indianapolis Colts.

I think there are numerous teams who could use an interior linebacker like Tolson. The Houston Texans are an obvious possibility. Lovie Smith coached Tolson at Illinois, so Tolson would come in already knowing what Lovie wants to do.

The Miami Dolphins would be an intriguing landing spot for Tolson. There isn’t a ton of talent ahead of him, so this would give him a chance to shine early on. I would also look at the Denver Broncos. They are looking to win now, and building depth at linebacker would be important.

Teams to watch

• Houston Texans
• Miami Dolphins
• Denver Broncos