2022 NFL Mock Draft, v1.0
The Pre-Combine, Pre-Free Agency, Pre-Everything Relevant, and Preeminently Pointless Edition
The fumes of Super Bowl LVI have all but subsided (am I the only one that still gives a shit about the Roman numerals of said game?), meaning we’re about to enter my least favorite six-week stretch of any NFL offseason:
Pre-April Mock NFL Draft season.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: any NFL Mock Draft prepared before the third week of April is groin-grabbingly moronic. Personally speaking, I would rather try and spend time teaching my two-and-a-half year old daughter how to speak Hungarian—even though I don’t speak a single bit of Hungarian and she’s still a toddler who speaks like, well, a toddler.
In other words: it’s a COLOSSAL waste of time.
So naturally, what follows below is a 2,000-plus word Mock NFL Draft prepared during the last week of February, even though we’re still days away from the NFL Combine, the 2022 free agency period, and countless individual private workouts—which will surely change the entire landscape of what happens when the Draft actually takes place.
So, I will openly admit that MAYBE 10% of what’s written below is actually going to happen. It’s literally the NFL equivalent of FanFiction.
With all of that out of the way, here’s the usual explanatory disclaimer: this is my best approximation of what I believe could happen, using a combination of current team needs and best players available at each selection.
Away we go…
1. Jacksonville — Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
I fully recognize that Aidan Hutchinson has the early advantage in the race for the #1 pick among the internet Draftniks. But I still believe that, come Draft day, Kayvon Thibodeaux’s combination of athletic talents will tantalize Jacksonville enough to make him the #1 pick.
2. Detroit—Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
As of right now, I would put the probabilities of this pick somewhere around 80% towards “the best pass rusher available,” and 20% towards a dark horse-ish possibility of Detroit shocking everyone and taking a quarterback.
3. Houston—Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
In a Draft that’s rich in upper-tier offensive line talent, it would be very difficult (though far from impossible) to see the Houston Texans passing on the blue chip talents available at nearly every position along the line—including the guy that some people believe has both the most polish and the most upside of any lineman in this class.
4. NY Jets—Ikem Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State
While one of the most common Mock Draft picks here is a certain do-it-all safety who wore blue and gold last season, I believe that Joe Douglas’ penchant for upgrading the offensive line could/would lead to the New York Jets taking a guy that some believe could be a dark horse choice for the #1 overall pick.
5. NY Giants—Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
This may seem like a “reach” selection to some. But I don’t think the New York Giants can skip out on using either one of their first round picks to upgrade their offensive line that continues to be problematic, and I also don’t think Charles Cross makes it out of the top 10 picks on Draft day.
6. Carolina—Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
I believe that the Carolina Panthers’ hiring of Ben McAdoo as their new Offensive Coordinator (trust me: I can barely type that sentence with a straight face) is just the first step in Matt Rhule & company going all-out to upgrade the team’s offense. Why would they take Kenny Pickett as their top choice at quarterback? Pretty simple; Rhule has familiarity with Pickett, given that the latter originally committed to Temple University (when Rule was the coach there) before finally signing with the University of Pittsburgh.
7. NY Giants (from Chicago)—Kyle Hamilton, Safety, Notre Dame
Given the Giants’ need at weakside linebacker, combined with safety Julius Peppers likely being punted far, far away now that Dave Gettleman has left town, they could use this pick on a do-it-all presence on the back seven of their defense.
8. Atlanta — George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue
The Atlanta Falcons finished dead last in sacks of opposing quarterbacks in the NFL last season (h/t to Dane Brugler for that stat). The last time they had an edge rusher register double-digit sacks, they were en route to blowing a 28-3 halftime lead in the Super Bowl (sorry, Falcons fans).
9. Denver—Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
Three linebackers who started extensively for Denver this season—Alexander Johnson, Josey Jewell and Kenny Young—are all scheduled to become free agents this offseason. I’m inclined to agree with the thinking that they could bring back one or two of these guys, but also re-fortify the position via the Draft.
10. NY Jets (from Seattle) — Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
The New York Jets established some youthful depth at the cornerback position this season, but they’re painfully lacking in elite talent among that group.
11. Washington—Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
Washington fans, let me remind you: my Mock Draft isn’t what about what I think a team could/should do; it’s my best approximation with what they will do with this pick. If the Commanders (← I still don’t like calling them that) don’t acquire a veteran starter at quarterback in exchange for this pick, and if the Draft falls this way, I believe they would see Willis as the best available quarterback.
12. Minnesota—Derek Stingley Jr., CB, Louisiana State
Death, taxes, and the Minnesota Vikings having a need at the cornerback position—three of the most certain things in life. Two of the top three cornerbacks on Minnesota’s season-ending depth chart (Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander) are free agents, and it’s far from a certainty that they’ll bring either one of them back.
13. Cleveland—Drake London, WR, Southern California
In what will likely be a season defined by the “we’re giving Baker Mayfield one last chance to prove he can be ‘the guy’ for us” subplot, upgrading the wide receiver position appears to be an early (and understandable) priority for Cleveland.
14. Baltimore—Tyler Linderbaum, OL, Iowa
There is a strong likelihood that free agent center Bradley Bozeman gets a fat contract offer in free agency. Baltimore is already razor-thin along the offensive line, and Tyler Linderbaum is a top-half-of-Round-1 talent, so this would fit the Ravens’ model of taking the best available player.
15. Philadelphia (from Miami)—Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
The feeling around those who follow the team is that at least one of Philadelphia’s two starting outside linebackers—Genard Avery and Alex Singleton—won’t be back with the Eagles next season; Avery does appear to be the more likely odd man out. But even if the Eagles do re-sign Singleton, there’s a very good chance that they use this pick to bolster their talent & depth at outside linebacker.
16. Philadelphia (from Indianapolis)—Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
Let’s start with this: I think it’s a lock that the Eagles trade of their three first round picks. That could either come in the form of trading down from this pick, or trading away their later pick (see pick #19) and getting out of the first round entirely, in exchange for a future haul. But for the purposes of a Mock Draft (in which I don’t project trades), I’m pairing them with the best available player at another position identified as a pressing need: the starting cornerback spot opposite of Darius Slay.
17. LA Chargers—Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
The Los Angeles Chargers walked out of the 2021 NFL Draft with one of the best performing rookie players in offensive tackle Rashawn Slater. Ironically, the opposite side of the Chargers offensive line is in dire need. Veteran right tackle Bryan Bulaga will likely be a cap casualty this offseason, and incumbent starter Storm Norton (who started 16 games last season after Bulaga’s season-ending injury in Week 1) didn’t inspire any confidence.
18. New Orleans—Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
I think the New Orleans Saints would be as willing to trade away their first round pick as any team in this year’s Draft, if it means getting a veteran quarterback in return (with someone like Russell Wilson likely being atop their wish list). But if New Orleans doesn’t trade away this pick, I could easily see them taking a wide receiver with this selection, making their offense that much more appealing given that they might be able to mend the fences with Michael Thomas.
19. Philadelphia—David Ojabo, DE, Michigan
As I said in the blurb for the Eagles’ pick at #16: given the track record of Executive Vice President Howie Roseman, I just don’t believe the Eagles will end up using all three of their first round picks as they’re currently slotted; I also don’t believe they’ll walk out of Round 1 having made three selections. In the unlikely scenario in which they do select three players with their current selections, an edge pass rusher is another position they could upgrade, especially if they do let Derek Barnett walk away in free agency.
20. Pittsburgh—Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
You’re kidding yourself if you think the Pittsburgh Steelers would be comfortable entering next season with Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins as their only options at the quarterback position. I don’t know if this is the quarterback whom the Steelers will select, but you have to believe they’re going to take who they think is the best available player at that position with this selection.
21. New England—Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
You could very well throw darts at a board filled with the next 50 best guys available at this pick, and have just as good a chance as anyone else at predicting what New England will do here (with the highest odds, of course, being on them trading down from this pick, and out of the first round entirely). But, people who follow the team believe that adding receiving options for quarterback Mac Jones will be a priority this offseason.
22. Las Vegas—Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
The loss of Henry Ruggs crippled the Las Vegas Raiders’ downfield passing attack, as evidenced by Derek Carr’s average air yards per attempt falling off a cliff in the second half of the season (6.53) compared to what it was when Ruggs was in the lineup (8.59). If Las Vegas doesn’t bring back Zay Jones this offseason, nobody will mistake the remaining receivers for being speedy deep threats.
23. Arizona—Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
It doesn’t top the list of Arizona’s perceived offseason needs, but given the current acrimony between Kyler Murray and his team, I just don’t think General Manager Steve Keim can get away with using another first round pick on the defensive side of the ball.
24. Dallas—Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
Dallas has quietly become one of the shrewdest drafting teams in recent years—a fact that disgruntles me to no end. They’ve found a way to capitalize on taking the best player available in the first two rounds, jumping on highly-talented players still available while other teams reach for positions of need.
25. Buffalo—Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson
Defensive line seems to be the top priority for Buffalo this offseason (according to those who follow the team). But next on the list might be the cornerback spot opposite of Tre’Davious White, especially with incumbent cornerback Levi Wallace being a free agent this offseason.
26. Tennessee—Jahan Dotson, WR, Pennsylvania State
Tennessee's gamble of resting the production of their entire group of wide receivers on A.J. Brown and Julio Jones clearly backfired, given that the two of them combined for 10 missed games last season. It's not realistic to suddenly expect Jones to remain healthy, and those who follow the team say the same thing: the Titans must add playmakers this offseason, to help out Ryan Tannehill.
27. Tampa Bay—Kair Elam, CB, Florida
Putting aside that massive question mark at the quarterback position for a moment, Tampa Bay’s decision to duct tape the Super Bowl-winning team together for one more season now leaves them with a ton of impending free agents. They have three free agents at cornerback, headlined by unrestricted free agent Carlton Davis; he will get PAID in free agency if Tampa Bay doesn’t re-sign him. Even if Tampa does put the franchise tag on Davis, it’s fair to think they could bolster the position with this pick.
28. Green Bay—Jermaine Johnson II, DE, Florida State
In the course of a week, edge rusher Za’Darius Smith not only sent a tweet using only the eyes emoji, but also removed all Green Bay-related content from his Instagram page. According to the social media Rosetta Stone, that means that he’s probably on the move this offseason.
29. Miami (via San Francisco)— Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia
Expect the Miami Dolphins to use the ample space they have under the salary cap (no team has more cap space entering this offseason) to make big splashes in free agency at the wide receiver and offensive tackle positions. If that takes place, they can address another position of need: fortifying the interior of their defensive line.
30. Kansas City—Trayvon Walker, DE, Georgia
Kansas City finished 29th in sacks recorded last season, and they're entering the offseason with Melvin Ingram and Alex Okafor being free agents, combined with a very tough salary cap decision regarding Frank Clark; they could save over $13 million in cap space by releasing the latter.
31. Cincinnati—Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A&M
It seemed like Cincinnati’s smoke-and-mirrors offensive line finally caught up with them—at the worst possible moment, no less (ie, the Super Bowl). The Bengals absolutely need to upgrade their talent at both of the guard spots this offseason.
32. Detroit (via LA Rams)—Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
Assuming Detroit does not take a quarterback with the #2 pick, and also assuming they don’t trade down from this selection (particularly to some other team looking to move up and grab a quarterback), the Lions could very well take someone to be the successor to Jared Goff—and secure that guy with the all-important 5th year option by selecting him in the first round. ■