My mock for the 2022 NFL Draft based on what I think each team should do:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
This pick was a pretty easy one. They attacked their O-Line need in Free Agency, and now are left with a pass rusher need. Lucky for them, the best player in the draft is a pass rusher. So Aidan Hutchinson is the easy pick.
DE Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan Wolverines)
2. Detroit Lions
This pick was harder. The best prospects on the board right now are offensive lineman, but that is not a need for the Lions. That leaves them with needs for an edge rusher and a corner. They could go with Kayvon Thibodeaux at edge rusher. He is kind of a high risk, high reward situation this high in the draft though. Corner is a bit safer, but could still be risky if you go with Derek Stingley. Stingley was very good in his freshman year in college, but has not been the same since due to injury. That leaves Ahmad Gardner who seems to be the safest and possibly best overall option for the Lions.
CB Ahmad Gardner (Cincinnati Bearcats)
3. Houston Texans
O-Line and edge rusher are both needs. I’d argue edge rusher is a bigger need. However, The Texans have their pick of the best O-Lineman in the draft, while they would be taking more of a risk if they went edge rusher here. This is why I like the Texans taking Evan Neal here with the No. 3 pick.
OT Evan Neal (Alabama Crimson Tide)
4. New York Jets
The Jets could be looking at O-Line, edge rush, and corner here, but they can only get one. The best player left on the board is an O-Lineman, but I’d say that their biggest need is corner. The pick is in between Ikem Ekwonu (OT), Derek Stingley (CB), and Kayvon Thibodeaux (DE). I personally like Ekwonu here, just because he is the best available and still fitting a need. While that need is not as big as the others, it is still there.
OT Ikem Ekwonu (NC State Wolfpack)
5. New York Giants
O-Line is their biggest need, but all of the O-Lineman that are left would be a reach at this point. That leaves them with a best available prospect situation. Kayvon Thibodeaux, in my opinion, is the best prospect left, while still still filling a small need.
DE Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oregon Ducks)
6. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are in a very interesting situation. They need a QB desperately. I don’t think any QB’s are even a top 15 prospect in this year’s class. Offensive Line is another need, but would also be a reach. They could also trade back, but if they want to make sure they get a QB they want, they would have to trade back before the Seahawks or the Commanders. They could wait till next year to get a QB in the draft, but they probably won’t be bad enough to get a top QB unless they tank. That leaves them in a tough situation. I personally think they should trade for Jimmy G, but it doesn’t sound like that’s happening anytime soon. They are really in a tough situation. They could also look at ILB here, but that isn’t a very important position. A trade doesn’t sound like much of a possibility without losing the QB they want, so they’ll probably just have to reach and take Malik Willis here.
QB Malik Willis (Liberty Flames)
7. New York Giants
The Giants pick again here, and I personally think it would be a good idea to trade back in this situation. If they don’t trade back though, they should probably address the offensive side of the ball. Probably go for WR or OL. I’m thinking OL with a bit of a reach in Charles Cross.
OT Charles Cross (Mississippi State Bulldogs)
8. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have a need at basically every position on both sides of the ball. Edge rush, WR, and OL is probably the top things they should address in this years draft. Right here I think edge rush is the way to go with Jermaine Johnson II.
DE Jermaine Johnson II (Florida State Seminoles)
9. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks has two pretty big needs on the offensive side of the ball. QB and OT. However, it would be a pretty big reach to take either of those positions right now. The way I think they need to go right here is on the defense, especially since I think Drew Lock will improve in a new environment. I like the first ILB to go here with the best one in the draft. Devin Lloyd.
ILB Devin Lloyd (Utah Utes)
10. New York Jets
The Jets pick again. This time they ought to address the defensive side of the ball, and fill one of their biggest needs. I have them taking a risk on CB Derek Stingley Jr.
CB Derek Stingley Jr. (LSU Tigers)
11. Washington Commanders
There’s three ways Washington could go here. OL, CB, or QB. At the O-Line the could grab Tyler Linderbaum or Trevor Penning. At corner they could grab Trent McDuffie or Andrew Booth Jr. At QB they could grab Kenny Pickett or Matt Corral if they want a bit more mobility. If they don’t get a QB now, then they won’t be able to get a top one later, while they could possibly find a good CB or O-Lineman in the second round. So I have them taking Kenny Pickett.
QB Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh Panthers)
12. Minnesota Vikings
There are two projects I like here. Tyler Linderbaum, Travon Walker, and Kyle Hamilton. Walker is at the most important position out of the three. Linderbaum fills the biggest need. Hamilton is the best overall prospect while being at the least valuable position. I think Hamilton is the way to go since he can be a game changer immediately.
S Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame)
13. Houston Texans
Right here I think the pick is obvious. Travon Walker is the best player overall left, and fits the need the Texans skipped out on with their first pick. The Texans would love to be in this position come draft day.
DE Travon Walker (Georgia Bulldogs)
14. Baltimore Ravens
I would say to get an edge rusher here, but all the best ones are gone. That leaves them with their next biggest need. CB depth. There are still plenty of good corners left, so Trent McDuffie sounds like a good pick.
CB Trent McDuffie (Washington Huskies)
15. Philadelphia Eagles
There are three ways Philly could go here. ILB, CB, and WR. WR is one of the deepest positions in this year’s draft, but it hasn’t really been a glaring need for most of teams up till this point. I don’t think they get a WR yet though. They’ve got another pick coming up, so I would take Nakobe Dean here to make sure you get a 1st round caliber ILB.
ILB Nakobe Dean (Georgia Bulldogs)
16. New Orleans Saints
WR. The Saints desperately need a receiver. Now the question is, which one? There are 6 different receivers that could make an argument to be the first one of the board. I think here it just depends on the type of receiver the Saints want. I think they need some speed, so I like Jameson Williams here. He is the fastest receiver in the draft. He’ll be very dangerous combined with Jameis Winston’s big arm.
WR Jameson Williams (Alabama Crimson Tide)
17. Los Angeles Chargers
I think this is the right place for one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s draft to go. DT Jordan Davis. His combination of speed and size is amazing and should be dangerous on an already good pass rush.
DT Jordan Davis (Georgia Bulldogs)
18. Philadelphia Eagles
Now it’s back to the Eagles. As I said before, WR should be a position they look at. Lucky for them, they didn’t need speed, so losing Jameson Williams is fine. They need someone with size, and Drake London has more size than any of the other top WR prospects.
WR Drake London (USC Trojans)
19. New Orleans Saints
Now that they have WR taken care of, they should address OT after losing Terron Armstead. Trevor Penning is the best available OT so they may as well just grab him.
OT Trevor Penning (Northern Iowa Panthers)
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
QB is the way they should go, and the way the probably will go. With only one top QB left on the board, this is the time to grab one. Matt Corral is my pick here for Pittsburgh.
QB Matt Corral (Ole Miss Rebels)
21. New England Patriots
For the longest time I thought WR would be the way to go in the 1st round, but then they traded for Devante Parker. A corner seems like play now. There are 4 different corners they could go with, but I think Andrew Booth Jr. is the best one.
CB Andrew Booth Jr. (Clemson Tigers)
22. Green Bay Packers
They kept Aaron Rodgers. Good for them. Guess what they didn’t keep? An edge rusher and a receiver. Now they got to fill those holes. I actually think that edge rusher is a bigger need, but the wide receiver prospects that are left are way more enticing than the edge rushers. I think Garret Wilson is the way to go here.
WR Garret Wilson (Ohio State Buckeyes)
23. Arizona Cardinals
I think corner is the way to go here. they could also look at RB, but I think they could get a good one later. I like Roger McCreary here.
CB Roger McCreary (Auburn Tigers)
24. Dallas Cowboys
Edge rush was a problem last year. the best edge rusher left is George Karlaftis. Batta bing batta boom.
DE George Karlaftis (Purdue Boilermakers)
25. Buffalo Bills
They have two needs here. O-Line and corner. There are two really good prospects here. Tyler Linderbaum and Kaiir Elam. I just think corner is just a little bit bigger of a need so I give the edge to Elam here.
CB Kaiir Elam (Florida Gators)
26. Tennessee Titans
They could go with either O-Line or WR. At WR they could go with Jahan Dotson. At O-Line they could with Tyler Linderbaum. I like Dotson here because of the fact that AJ Brown is on the last year of his contract. If they don’t reach an agreement, then they’re gonna need a new receiver, and Dotson is a very good receiver.
WR Jahan Dotson (Penn State Nittany Lions)
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers need inside O-Lineman. Tyler Linderbaum is a prospect I like that is an inside O-lineman. How perfect.
IOL Tyler Linderbaum (Iowa Hawkeyes)
28. Green Bay Packers
There are three ways I could go here. With Boye Mafe they get a good edge rusher. They could also get David Ojabo who was an even better pass rusher, but he had an achilles injury. They could also get Chris Olave who is a very good prospect and could turn an average receiving corps into a good receiving corps. This would also team him up with his former teammate Garret Wilson from earlier in the draft. While a Wilson-Olave pairing would be cool, I think edge rusher is more practical. I would pick David Ojabo. The Packers haven’t made it to the super bowl in over a decade. They need to take a risk. If it pays off, they should make the super bowl sooner rather than later. Ojabo has the potential to be star.
OLB David Ojabo (Michigan Wolverines)
29. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are gonna have back to back picks here. D-Line and WR seem to be the needs. I would take Treylon Burks right here first over Olave since the Chiefs already have a lot of speed. Burks gives them someone mor physical.
WR Treylon Burks (Arkansas Razorbacks)
30. Kansas City Chiefs
On the D-Line they can grab Devonte Wyatt.
DT Devonte Wyatt (Georgia Bulldogs)
31. Cincinnati Bengals
After addressing O-Line in free agency, they need to help the second thing that killed them in the super bowl. Cornerback. The best corner left is Kyler Gordon, so they should grab him.
CB Kyler Gordon (Washington Huskies)
32. Detroit Lions
The Lions are back, and I think they should grab the best prospect available. The last top WR in this year’s draft. Chris Olave.
WR Chris Olave (Ohio State Buckeyes)
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