2022 latest Mock Draft

#1
  1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
The Jaguars don't need another edge rusher because they have good talent at the position, but I don't know how they can pass up on the best prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. I believed that to be Kayvon Thibodeaux beforehand, but Jacksonville prefers Hutchinson at the moment. Travon Walker is also a possibility.

2. Detroit Lions: Travon Walker , DE, Georgia
The Lions will investigate both top quarterbacks. If they fall in love with one of them, they will draft that signal-caller; no questions asked. Whether or not they become smitten with Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis is the big question. Willis was solid at the combine, but I don't know if he quite did enough.

I had slotted Drake London here since the combine, and he was in the lead for the No. 2 pick. Now, Travon Walker has become the favorite. There's a chance Walker may not even be here, given that Jacksonville believes he has more upside than Aidan Hutchinson. Walker got off to a hot start during the 2021 season. Walker has great size and athleticism, and he was one of the top performers at the combine. So Walker is also a possibility.



3. Houston Texans: Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
The Texans missed out on the top two edge rushers, so it'll come down to their preference between Ahmad Gardner and one of the offensive tackles. I've had Evan Neal mocked here the past couple of updates, but a former Texans front office personnel man told me that he believes Houston is targeting Gardner. This may not mean anything, or it could mean everything.

Ahmad Gardner is a 6-foot-2 cornerback with great length, and he just enjoyed a terrific combine.

4. New York Jets: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
The Jets haven't possessed a great edge rusher in quite some time. That appeared to change in the wake of the Carl Lawson signing, but he suffered a season-ending injury. Even with his return next year, the Jets could use another player who can put great pressure on the quarterback on the opposite side.

Kayvon Thibodeaux terrorized Pac-12 backfields with his great pass-rushing ability. There's some question now about his passion for football, but this might be FUD spread by other teams who want Thibodeaux to fall to them.

5. New York Giants: Evan Neal, OT/G, Alabama
Andrew Thomas struggled to begin his career. He has improved, but right tackle is a big problem because Nate Solder is a shell of his former self.

Evan Neal is a 360-pound lineman who can move very well, which almost seems impossible.

6. Carolina Panthers: Malik Willis , QB, Liberty
Matt Rhule believes he's the Jay-Z of NFL head coaches, but he's more Silkk the Shocker than Jay-Z at the moment. For Rhule to truly be Jay-Z, he needs his Beyonce, but he doesn't have a better quarterback option than Sam Darnold , who is basically Rebecca Black. The Panthers whiffed on all the quarterbacks they could've obtained via trade, so they almost have to use this selection on a signal-caller, given that this is the only pick the team has in the top 100. As of right now, I believe the Panthers are deciding between Malik Willis and Ikem Ekwonu (assuming Evan Neal won't be available.) It really sounds like they're trying to sell themselves on selecting Willis. General manager Scott Fitterer discussed the excitement in the building during Willis ' pro day, and owner Axe Tepper wants the team to make a home-run play with this pick. That won't happen with any tackle. Willis can provide the sort of energy Carolina has been lacking since the first time Cam Newton departed.

Willis has a huge arm and great mobility, but struggles to process information and see the field very well. Still, he has the upside to be chosen as high as No. 6 overall.

7. New York Giants: Derek Stingley, CB, LSU
The Giants have an excellent secondary, but that won't be the case once they trade James Bradberry, which seems inevitable right now. Once Bradberry is gone, the Giants will sorely need a No. 1 cornerback.

Derek Stingley had a freshman campaign for the ages, completely erasing one side of the field despite having no experience entering the year. He has great size (6-1, 190) and athleticism, but could fall in the 2022 NFL Draft because of some major injury concerns.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State
The Falcons could opt to take a quarterback with this pick. If they like either Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett , they should. If not, they should tank for next April (I have three quarterbacks in the top three picks in my 2023 NFL Mock Draft.) Regardless, the Falcons will otherwise pick the best player available between edge rusher, cornerback, offensive lineman and wide receiver. Their blocking has been miserable lately, but Ikem Ekwonu would change that. Ekwonu has gotten rave reviews from talent evaluators. Some projected him as a late-first-round pick to start the 2021 season, but he has made major strides and is now a potential top-five choice.
 
#2
9. Seattle Seahawks: Jermaine Johnson , DE, Florida State
Prior to free agency, Pete Carroll discussed that finding edge-rushing help would be essential for the team this offseason. Yet, all the Seahawks have done in that regard is obtain Uchenna Nwosu. That's not nearly enough to combat Matthew Stafford , Kyler Murray and Trey Lance. I believe the Seahawks will target a dynamic edge rusher with this pick unless someone unexpected drops to them.

JermaineJohnson, who left Georgia for Florida State, has good speed off the edge.



10. New York Jets:
Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State

I didn't think the Jets needed a receiver very much, but Joe Douglas disagrees because he offered this pick to the Seahawks for D.K. Metcalf. Obviously, receiver will be considered at this spot if Douglas loves someone at the position. He needs to give Zach Wilson as much help as possible, after all.Garrett Wilson has ridiculous run-after-the-catch ability.


11. Washington Redskins: Drake London, WR, USC

The Redskins traded for Carson Wentz, so how can they not provide their new quarterback with some new receiving talent? All they have is Terry McLaurin at the position. They'll be setting Wentz up for failure if they don't give him another dynamic weapon. Drake London has mismatch size, and he could be the first receiver off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has drawn comparisons to Mike Evans.

12. Minnesota Vikings: Trent McDuffie , CB, Washington
The Vikings are still stuck with playing against Aaron Rodgers twice per year, so they'll need to strengthen their cornerback situation, which has been in flux for quite some time. Trent McDuffie isn't six feet (5-11), but he has great cover skills.

13. Houston Texans: George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue
Assuming the Texans don't have a chance at the top two edge rushers in this class, they'll be able to wait until No. 13 overall to address that area.

George Karlaftis was a monstrous pass rusher in his freshman campaign, generating 17.5 tackles for loss.

14. Baltimore Ravens: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
The Ravens have declined since Lamar Jackson's second season because of offensive line issues. Marshal Yanda retired, while Ronnie Stanley hasn't been able to stay healthy. There also have been issues at center, which could be fixed with this pick. However, if Charles Cross, who could go as early as No. 6, is still available, the Ravens may trip over themselves trying to hand their card into Roger Goodell.

Cross has great feet as a former five-star recruit. Charlie Campbell reported that Cross has impressed team evaluators this season.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
The Eagles need to begin thinking about life without Fletcher Cox. The soon-to-be 32-year-old signed a 1-year deal this spring, so this could be his final season in Philadelphia.

Jordan Davis was a monster in the 2021 season debut against Clemson. He has continued to dominate this year, and he continued to improve his draft stock with a 4.78 40 time at the combine.

16. New Orleans Saints: Chris Olave , WR, Ohio State
The Saints obtained this pick from the Eagles (check out my NFL Trade Grades for more). I wonder if they'll use their two selections to move up for a quarterback. If not, they could consider a receiver because they had nothing at the position last year.

Chris Olave has a good mix of size (6-1, 185) and speed. He became a big play-maker at the end of 2019.
 
#3
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
The Chargers have done an excellent job of bolstering their roster this offseason. They now have the personnel to win a Super Bowl, though right tackle is a rare weakness. The oft-injured Bryan Bulaga was cut, and he was not replaced yet.
Trevor Penning has massive size and good athleticism to go with it.
18 . Philadelphia Eagles: Kyle Hamilton, S Notre Dame

Yes, Kyle Hamilton could fall this far. Not only did he work out poorly at his pro day - some scouts clocked him at 4.7 in the 40-yard dash - but some teams don't know where to use him. There was a similar dilemma with Isaiah Simmons a couple of years ago, and that pick has not panned out for Arizona thus far.
The very physically gifted Hamilton showed lots of promise in his freshman year. However, teams question if he'll play safety or linebacker in the NFL. As it so happens, the Eagles need help at both positions.

19.
New Orleans Saints: Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa

Charlie Campbell reported that the Saints are interested in this particular prospect as a replacement for Terron Armstead, who may leave via free agency. Tyler Smith is a terrific athlete with plus strength. Charlie
Campbell's sources expect Smith to see his stock rise during the pre draft process.

20 Pittsburgh Steelers, Tyler Lindholm, C IOWA


Rumors are that the Steelers like Malik Willis. They have traded up for players they've coveted before, so they may do so in this case because they really need a solution at quarterback. Unfortunately for the Steelers, Willis came off the board way too early. Kenny Pickett is still available in this mock update, but I don't get the sense that Pittsburgh is interested in him. The Steelers want a mobile quarterback.
Pickett can move around, but he's not like Sam Howell or Matt Corral. His small hands might also be an issue in the cold, Pittsburgh conditions. I know Pickett played at Pitt, but the college regular season doesn't extend past Thanksgiving. Playing in Pittsburgh in December and January could be very problematic for him.
If the 2022 NFL Draft plays out this way, I believe the Steelers would opt to fix their offensive line with this pick and then address quarterback in the second round.Tyler Linderbaum is coming off an amazing year. He can play guard as well, but would be much better at center.

21. New England Patriots: Devin Lloyd, ILB, Utah
Dont'a Hightower is a free agent, while Kyle Van Noy was just released. Bill Belichick may want a young linebacker.

Devin Lloyd can be used outside or inside in a 3-4 (or at linebacker in the 4-3), as he's an athletic defender who has impressed as both a pass rusher and a coverage linebacker this year.




22. Green Bay Packers:

Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
Will the Packers finally draft a receiver? They could finally do that with this pick, which they obtained in the Davante Adams trade.

Jameson Williams is a tall (6-2), electric play-maker with great burst. He hurt his knee in the national championship, but could play in 2022 at some point.

23.
Arizona Cardinals: David Ojabo, DE, Michigan

Chandler Jones is gone, so the Cardinals need a new edge rusher. David Ojabo tore his Achilles this spring, but he's expected back in the second half of this upcoming regular season. Many expect him to fall to Round 2, and while that could happen, I see a Montez Sweat situation playing out where Ojabo is chosen in the 17-32 range.


24

Dallas Cowboys: Treylon Burks, WR Arkansas

The Cowboys lost Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson, so they'd be interested in another receiver to get the most out of Dak Prescott. Treylon Burks is a 6-foot-3 receiver with good speed.
 
#4
25.
Buffalo Bills: Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson
We know the Bills wanted Eric Stokes last year, but the Packers snatched him off the board. Cornerback hasn't been addressed since, so I expect that to be the pick here unless all viable options aren't available once again. The Bills need players who can defend all the great quarterbacks in the AFC, after all.
Andrew Booth Jr. is coming off an impressive 2020 campaign. There will be more focus on him with Derion Kendrick being expelled from the team.

26.
Tennessee Titans:
Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
This reminds me of the Aaron Rodgers pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Not that
Kenny Pickett is Rodgers, but the Pittsburgh product is expected by many to be chosen in the top 10, like
Rodgers was. However, there wasn't much excitement for Rodgers entering the 2005 NFL Draft. There weren't many logical spots for him, so when he slipped, he plummeted hard. The same could happen to
Pickett. If the Falcons and Steelers don't take him, I don't know where he'll go before this pick.

It makes so much sense for the Titans to draft Pickett. Ryan Tannehill isn't the answer, but Tennessee didn't have the resources to enter the quarterback frenzy in free agency. If Pickett falls to them, however, I believe they'll pull the trigger.

Pickett is an accurate passer with nice size. He was on fire in 2021. However, he's just a middling first-round quarterback prospect, and his small hands might scare the cold-weather teams.


27.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Zion Johnson, G, Boston College

The Buccaneers lost two guards to free agency and retirement this offseason. They replaced one with Shaq Mason, but they still have a hole up front. Zion Johnson played tackle at Boston College, but his size and length limitations may force him to guard.

28.

Green Bay PackersL Nick Petit-Frere, OT Ohio State
The Packers cut BillyTurner, while Dennis Kelly is also a free agent. They have no viable player at right tackle at the moment. They obviously need to protect Aaron Rodgers. Nick Petit-Frere has moved from right tackle to the blind side this year and has played very well.
29.
Kansas City Chiefs:

Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State
The Chiefs acquired this pick in the Tyreek Hill trade . They have many selections, so they could move up for a better receiver. If they stay put, one of their first-round choices will likely be used on a wideout.

Christian Watson has a massive 6-4 frame and looked great at the Senior Bowl.

30.
Kansas City Chiefs:

Daxton Hill , CB/S, Michigan
The Chiefs lost Charvarius Ward in free agency, so they'll need to add another cornerback to help defend all the talented quarterbacks in the conference. Daxton Hill played great as the nickel cornerback this year, but he may move to safety in the NFL.


31.
Cincinnati Bengals: Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia
The Bengals signed La'el Collins Alex Cappa and Ted Karras, so they won't be drafting an offensive lineman with this pick. Perhaps they'll look at the other side of the line of scrimmage after losing Larry Ogunjobi in free agency. DeVonte Wyatt has some quickness despite his 315-pound frame.
32.
Detroit Lions:

Lewis Cine , S, Georgia
The Lions have huge holes throughout their roster, and their secondary is no exception.
Lewis Cine is coming off a terrific year for Georgia, patrolling the middle of the field during the team's championship run.
 

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