Final NFL Mock Draft
Updated: Apr 28, 2022
The week of the draft is upon us which means my final mock draft has arrived. Here is my official prediction on how things will go Thursday night, and If you missed Mock 1.0, you can still check it out or listen to the Roster Up Media crew break down picks 1-32 here. Let me know what you think and tune into our Draft coverage this Thursday night!
1. Jacksonville Jaguars – Travon Walker, Edge, Georgia. Jags GM Trent Baalke has gambled on upside over the ‘safer’ pick in the past. Walker’s massive upside and pre-draft rise catapults him to the very top of the draft.
2. Detroit Lions – Aiden Hutchinson, Edge, Michigan. The Lions will happily add the Heisman-runner up and high-motor, high-character Hutchinson to what Dan Campbell is building in Detroit. The local Michigan man won’t have to travel far and our Detroit Lions Podcast will have plenty to talk about if they can just pick a spot to watch the draft.
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. Thibodeaux falling to 4th overall will surely generate plenty of dialogue in NY. Just do us a favor and don't rock Jet Up's boat by quote tweeting the OG pod.
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 and Neal could slide to right tackle with Andrew Thomas plugged in on the left side. Some rumors are swirling that Charles Cross may be the guy here but our Giants coverage is drowning out the noise.
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 and few guys have the upside of Malik Willis.
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 – Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State. Wilson becomes the first WR off the board. The buckeye will step into the WR1 role instantly for Atlanta, who is looking to replace Calvin Ridley’s production.
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 – Jamison Williams, WR, Alabama. Teams don’t seem to be too worried about William’s recovery from a torn ACL in January. Joe Douglas adds another weapon for Zach Wilson and Mike LaFleur to use.
11. Washington Commanders – Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU. Teams have cooled a bit on Stingley Jr. but the upside here for Washington, who needs an upgrade in the secondary, is too much to pass up.
12. Minnesota Vikings – Kyle Hamilton, Safety, Notre Dame. After missing out on Stingley Jr., the Vikings still add to their secondary with the extremely versatile and athletic Hamilton.
13. Houston Texans – Jermaine Johnson, Edge, Florida State. Houston has holes all over the roster but adding a high-upside pass-rusher like Johnson is a no brainer.
14. Baltimore Ravens – Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia. Davis just seems destined to be a Raven and someone we will talk about on the Ravens' Podcast for quite some time.. He’ll add some youth to the Ravens defensive line next to Calais Campbell and the Ravens will bet on him turning into more than just a dominant run-stopping defensive tackle. Plus, it looks like Mike MacDonald plans on putting his guys in the best spot to succeed.
15. Philadelphia Eagles – Drake London, WR, USC. The Eagles need to give Jalen Hurts a trusted weapon opposite Devonta Smith. London gives Hurts a big target who should complement Smith very well and potentially push Reagor right out of the door.
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 – Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa. The Chargers should be looking to protect Justin Herbert and Penning would pair with Rashawn Slater to form one of the better tackle duos in the NFL.
18. Philadelphia Eagles – Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington. After adding a weapon earlier for Jalen Hurts, the Eagles will look to invest in their secondary. McDuffie is a talented and versatile corner who Eagles fans will love.
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 – Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati. The Steelers have done their homework on QB’s. OC Matt Canada will love using Ridder’s natural athleticism.
21. New England Patriots – Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah. Lloyd is a terrific athlete and extremely versatile. He will fit in nicely with what the Patriots do on defense.
22. Green Bay Packers - Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas. The Packers need to add a WR who can immediately contribute after the Davante Adams trade. Burks has solid SEC production and good size/athleticism.
23. Arizona Cardinals – Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia. The Cardinals go BPA here but this is also a position of need. Wyatt will bring added explosiveness and youth on the defensive line.
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 – Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson. Booth Jr. reportedly underwent surgery for a sports hernia but is expected to be ready for training camp. The Bills could use reinforcements in the secondary after Tre'Davious White tore his ACL in ’21 and Levi Wallace departed via free agency. Andy Mac and I are finally on the same page and, if you're part of Bills Mafia, tune into his latest podcast discussing team specific needs for the 2022 NFL Draft.
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 – Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida. The Bucs need to add talent to their secondary after the unit struggled in 2021. Elam is big, fast, and was productive in college football’s best conference.
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. Kansas City Chiefs – Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State. Two Penn State picks in a row for the Chiefs. Ebiketie put up 9.5 sacks in the Big Ten in 2021 and would boost a pass rush in Kansas City that needs more production.
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 – Daxton Hill, safety, Michigan. Hill gives the Lions two studs from Michigan’s dominant defense. Hill could play safety, match-up in the slot, and excel on special teams early on for the Lions.
As always, with potential shake up on draft night, let's see how much of this holds true by Friday morning when we have some actual results to talk about!