In my eighth 2022 NFL Mock Draft of the year, we will see a new name at #1 and a really new name at #32.
Let’s do some mock drafting!
**PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DRAFT ORDER WAS SELECTED PRIOR TO SNF & MNF**
| Pick | Team | Player | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit Lions | Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan | The Lions don't have a QB worth having but they choose the Browns method of building. Take the premier edge rusher and punt on the QB position until 2023. Hutchinson has been on such a dominant tear the last month that the Lions can feel cmfortable going with the hometown pick over Thibodeaux. |
| 2 | Houston Texans | Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon | The Texans are getting a little life out of Tyrod Taylor and they will need to address the QB position at some point. In this case they go back to the old trick of get the pass rusher first and then the QB later. |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Evan Neal, OT, Alabama | The Jags must protect Trevor Lawrence. Evan Neal is the franchise left tackle they need. |
| 4 | NY Jets | Derek Stingley, Jr., CB, LSU | The Jets can upgrade a great many positions. With two selections in the top 5, they can do a lot to help Robert Saleh in his second season as coach. Stingley is the top corner in the class and a true lockdown player. |
| 5 | NY Jets (F. SEA) | Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame | The Jets take another crack at adding talent to their defense with another piece in teh secondary. Hamilton is one of the top talents this year and the only safety worthy of a first round selection. |
| 6 | NY Giants (F. CHI) | George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue | The Giants have picks back-to-back here. They can better up front on both sides. Getting Karlaftis to rush the passer and Charles Cross to help stop it are tremendous picks. |
| 7 | NY Giants | Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State | |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Matt Corral, QB, Mississippi | Matt Ryan is washed. The Falcons have to move on. Corral has the talent but isn't a sure thing. No QB in this class is. |
| 9 | Carolina Panthers | Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh | Pickett has had a tremendous senior season and has moved himself into the first round conversation. Carolina's Sam Darnold experiment went so well they had to bring back Cam Newton. They need something else. I am also not ruling out a trade for Deshaun Watson before the draft. |
| 10 | Minnesota Vikings | David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan | This will likely be a common position pick for Minnesota going forward. An edge rusher to pair with Danielle Hunter. |
| 11 | New Orleans Saints | Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas | The Saints need a big play threat on offense. Burks can give them that immediately. |
| 12 | Philadelphia Eagles | Demarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M | Leal can give the Eagles a pass rushing threat from the interior and bulk up their defense as a whole. |
| 13 | Philadelphia Eagles (F. MIA) | Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida | After Stingley, the next few corners could go off the board in any order. I am higher on Elam than I think the NFL might be. |
| 14 | Las Vegas Raiders | Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama | Unfortunately the Raiders are lacking the deep threat at receiver again because their former 1st-round pick was a complete and utter moron. Jameson Williams has emerged so much that I have no problems seeing him at the #2 WR in this class. |
| 15 | Cleveland Browns | Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State | The Browns need a new threat at WR. Garrett Wilson is one of the best WRs in the country. And I am sure the hometown faithful would love to bring a Buckeye into the fold. |
| 16 | Philadelphia Eagles (F. IND) | Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah | Llyod is a multi-faceted LB prospect that can be a three-down asset. He is the guy that will be wearing the green dot on his helmet. |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina | Howell has been up and down this year but has shown to be a top tier passer when he is on. The rumors are swirling that we are in the closing days of the Ben Roethlisberger retirement tour. So, they will need to move on quickly. |
| 18 | Denver Broncos | Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia | Nakobe Dean is an athletic, versatile, and playmaking LB. He can help Denver immediately. |
| 19 | Miami Dolphins (F. SF) | Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa | There aren't many players rising higher than Trevor Penning over the last month. He was the first to get a Senior Bowl invite this year. Penning can upgrade the Miami OL. |
| 20 | Washington FT | Ikem Ekwonu, G, NC State | Ekwonu is a bully that will immediately help the Football Team at one of three spots. |
| 21 | Cincinnati Bengals | Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa | Is Trey Hopkins going to get back to his better self? Linderbaum would be perfect for the Bengals to either play center or right guard. |
| 22 | Los Angeles Chargers | Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M | Chargers need a tone setter on the interior of the offensive line. Green gives them that. |
| 23 | Buffalo Bills | Channing Tindall, LB, Georgia | Tindall has been flying up my draft board about as fast as he flys around the field for Georgia. |
| 24 | Detroit Lions (F. LAR) | Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State | The Lions have to upgrade the WR room. Olave is a perfect receiver for them. |
| 25 | Kansas City Chiefs | Drake London, WR, Southern Cal | How quickly can Drake London rehab his injury? He was a top ten pick before that. |
| 26 | Dallas Cowboys | Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati | Cowboys add the "Sauce" to pair opposite of Trevon Diggs. |
| 27 | Baltimore Ravens | Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan | The Ravens may need another offensive tackle and the Austrian import has been ridiculously impressive this year. |
| 28 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M | Wydermyer to replace Gronk? Sure why not. |
| 29 | Tennessee Titans | Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia | This may seem low for Davis. And it probably is. However, I have seen some questions about his ability to consistently get after the QB. If he falls to the Titans, I think they run the card up to grab him. |
| 30 | Green Bay Packers | Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn | Add a WR or replace Kevin King? Green Bay goes with the latter. |
| 31 | New England Patriots | Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington | McDuffie has been rising up my board and I could see New England going with the Husky CB. |
| 32 | Arizona Cardinals | Rachaad White, RB, Arizona State | There is always a shocking pick in the first round. The Cards add a three-down RB from right down the street. White while get a chance to shine at the Senior Bowl where he could emerge as that 1st-round RB prospect. |
| Pick | Team | Player | Explanation |