NFL Mock Draft 1.0
Yeah, I saved it for April because, honestly, how accurate can it be in February? With less than a month to go before the draft, and free agency mostly wrapped up, it's finally time to release my first mock draft. With the first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select...
1. Jacksonville Jaguars – Aiden Hutchinson, Edge, Michigan. With the Jags extending Cam Robinson and signing Brandon Scherff, all signs point to the Heisman-runner up and Michigan man heading to Jacksonville.
2. Detroit Lions – Travon Walker, Edge, Georgia. Walker’s massive upside and pre-draft rise lands him in Detroit where Dan Campbell and company will welcome Walker’s pass rush and all-around ability on defense. Plus, our guys at Lion up kind of agree that it's not been pretty since the year 2000.
3. Houston Texans – Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State. Yes, the Texans have Laremy Tunsil on the roster, but for how long? Why not pick up a perennial Pro Bowl tackle for the next 10 years in Ekwonu.
4. New York Jets - Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge, Oregon. Robert Saleh would love to have a piece like the former Oregon star to use on defense. Saleh had multiple first round picks on his defensive line while in San Francisco and Thibodeaux gives his defense a high ceiling player who can immediately contribute.
5. New York Giants – Evan Neal, OT, Alabama. The Giants need to build around Daniel Jones and give him the best chance to succeed. That starts with the offensive line. Neal could slide to right tackle with Andrew Thomas plugged in on the left side. Wonder what Giant Up Joe thinks about that?
6. Carolina Panthers – Malik Willis, QB, Liberty. Matt Rhule and the Panthers staff have scouted Willis very closely this Spring. The Panthers desperately need to add talent to their QB options.
7. New York Giants – Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati. If you go by the name “Sauce” you must be able to back that up on the field. Gardner didn’t allow a single TD over three years while playing for a very good Cincinnati team and will step into the CB1 role if the Giants move on from James Bradberry.
8. Atlanta Falcons – Kyle Hamilton, Safety, Notre Dame. The Falcons go BPA (similar to the Kyle Pitts selection in 2021) but could really use someone like Hamilton. They have holes all over their roster and Hamilton is a leader who is extremely versatile and athletic and could also be moved around all over on defense.
9. Seattle Seahawks – Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State. It would be pretty ironic if the Seahawks use a pick acquired in the Russell Wilson trade to address what was one of Wilson’s biggest concerns. Cross allowed just one sack last year while playing in an extremely pass-happy offense and would fit in well in Seattle.
10. New York Jets – Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State. Joe Douglas finally lands a WR this offseason as Wilson becomes the first WR off the board. The buckeye will be a great fit in Mike LaFleur’s offense thanks to his route running and explosiveness after the catch. Our friends at Jet Up think a little differently and put out a poll based on their own scenario.
11. Washington Commanders – Drake London, WR, USC. The Commanders give new QB Carson Wentz a trusted weapon opposite Terry McLaurin. London gives Wentz a big target who is much more than just a “win in the air” body.
12. Minnesota Vikings – Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU. Stingley Jr. would have been a top five pick after his freshman season in 2019. After two uneven seasons filled with injuries and inconsistent play, his stock has fallen a bit but he is well worth the risk at this point in the draft for Minnesota, who needs help in the secondary.
13. Houston Texans – Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington. Investing in a talented cornerback is always a good idea if you have holes to fill all over your roster.
14. Baltimore Ravens – Jermaine Johnson, Edge, Florida State. After the Za’Darius Smith deal fell through, Baltimore desperately needs pass rush help. Johnson will pair well with Odafe Oweh to give the Ravens some needed ability to rush the passer.
15. Philadelphia Eagles – Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia. The Eagles select Wyatt who gives them some added explosiveness and youth on the defensive line next to Fletcher Cox. Matt and Nick just need Howie to brush up on his scouting.
16. New Orleans Saints – Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh. If Pickett falls this fall, I think the Saints look to secure their future at QB in the post-Brees era.
17. Los Angeles Chargers – Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia. The Chargers scoop up Davis to add some much-needed beef to their run defense. Davis also has some sneaky pass rush upside and is a terrific athlete.
18. Philadelphia Eagles – Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah. Lloyd is a terrific athlete and will fit in nicely with the rest of the Eagles front seven.
19. New Orleans Saints – Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State. The Saints need more dynamic weapons for whoever will be starting at QB. Olave provides NFL-ready route running and smooth athleticism.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers – Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida. The Steelers add some talent to their secondary with Elam, who is big, fast, and was productive in college football’s best conference.
21. New England Patriots – Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas. The Patriots need more talent around Mac Jones. Burks has some solid SEC production and good size/athleticism.
22. Green Bay Packers - Jamison Williams, WR, Alabama. If Williams wasn’t coming off a torn ACL he might be in my top 10 picks. After the Davante Adams trade, the Packers are desperate to add a WR, and they do well to pick up Williams here.
23. Arizona Cardinals – Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa. Penning should be a plug and play tackle, which is great value at this point in the first round.
24. Dallas Cowboys – Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M. Green will slide into the offensive line after Connor Williams and La’el Collins departed this offseason.
25. Buffalo Bills – Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State. The Bills played their best football last year when their running game was keeping defenses honest. Hall adds three-down back capabilities to one of the best offenses in the NFL and I think he bumps that offseason grade up to an A+.
26. Tennessee Titans – Boye Mafe, Edge, Minnesota. Mafe had a dominant Senior Bowl and combine and would fit in nicely alongside Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson. Booth Jr. reportedly underwent surgery for a sports hernia but is expected to be ready for training camp. The Bucs could use the reinforcements in a secondary that struggled in 2021.
28. Green Bay Packers – George Karlaftis, Edge, Purdue. After cutting Za’Darius Smith the Packers could use some long-term help at defensive end.
29. Kansas City Chiefs – Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State. After trading away Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs need to add some more talent to their wide receiver room.
30. Miami Dolphins – Zion Johnson, G, Boston College. It seems like the Dolphins could always use some offensive line help. Johnson is versatile and could likely handle multiple positions in year one.
31. Cincinnati Bengals - Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa. Teams have cooled a bit on Linderbaum. The Bengals, however, are looking to protect Joe Burrow at all costs.
32. Detroit Lions – David Ojabo, Edge, Michigan. Ojabo won’t have to travel far. After tearing his Achilles during his pro day, Ojabo still lands in round one purely based on his pass-rush upside.
Let me know your thoughts by commenting below or hit me up on twitter!