We’re getting closer to the 2022 NFL Draft at the end of April. As things progress in free agency, the needs of the team become clearer. A sense of where each player’s “draft pool” sits is also beginning to work its way into our atmosphere. The process is a crapshoot, and there will be several massive surprises on day one. With so much trade movement, what will we see on draft night? This 2022 NFL Mock Draft attempts to make an educated guess.
2022 NFL Mock Draft | Choice 1-16
There’s a lot of positional value going on early in this draft. The class is at the top with pass rushers, offensive tackles, wide receivers and cornerbacks.
1) Jacksonville Jaguars: Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
Aidan Hutchinson has officially become the draft media darling. As much as a tackle still makes sense for the Jaguars after they hilariously franchise-tag Cam Robinson for a second time, it would be surprising to see. Ikem Ekwonu seems a perfect fit but they have decided to solve the problem for 2022 with money.
Hutchinson is an excellent complement to Josh Allen. And as we recently saw with teams like San Francisco and Las Vegas, a pass rush can change the prospects of an entire defense. Hutch is the whole package as a pass rusher, minus the fact that he’s only a seventh percentile in arm length.
2) Detroit Lions: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
Malik Willis is a long-term future project. In a vacuum, he’s not worth the second overall win. However, the tax of drafting a quarterback is high, and there are no guarantees the Lions will be able to select their franchise talent in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Willis has all the physical makings to be a franchise quarterback. He needs to move his process forward and become cleaner overall, but the clay ball is there. There’s no point putting the farm on a thoroughbred that didn’t make it as a racehorse. No, the farm is backing this spirited horse who needs round-the-clock help but has the potential to win the Kentucky Derby.
In the modern NFL, quarterbacks are similar. There aren’t many “traditional” pocket QBs out there anymore. The game evolved. Willis is this development.
3) Houston Texans: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
Granted, Evan Neal only happens in Houston if they decide to move away from Laremy Tunsil. It would be a tough pill for Texans fans considering what they gave up to get him, but it may be the front office’s only realistic option.
Neal or Ekwonu could be the first tackle off the board in this class. Given Charles Cross’s footwork and smooth pass set, he could come as a surprise as a first tackle off the board. But Neal’s experience in three different positions could also allow Houston to draft him while they figure out Tunsil’s future. He could play at right in this 2022 NFL mock draft scenario.
4) New York Jets: Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
Travon Walker acts like a glass ceiling breaker. He only had 7.5 tackles for loss and 6 sacks in 2021. The production does not exist. Typically, these prospects are left behind because context can be lost.
Walker didn’t produce because he wasn’t asked to produce. In modern “odd front” defense, his role as a 270-pound defensive end is more like a defensive tackle than a traditional defensive end. If he’s asked to lay his ears back and charge out from a wide-nine alignment more often, he may be the Heisman contender on the defensive side of the ball.
He’s the perfect better pro than college player contestant.
5) New York Giants: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
Aside from anonymous quotes about a lazy work ethic, it seems like Kayvon Thibodeaux will be the next Oregon player to be dropped because East Coast elites didn’t want to stay up to watch the West Coast play football.
Even at 250 pounds, Thibodeaux was very impressive against the run during his time in Oregon. And while the bench press isn’t a very good barometer of how good a soccer player is (even from a field strength standpoint), it can demonstrate work ethic. Although he weighed in the 20th percentile, Thibodeaux’s 27 reps were in the 78th percentile at 225 pounds.
The Giants desperately need pass rush help. With the fifth pick, they may have gotten the most talented player in the class.
6) Carolina Panthers: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
If you’re a Carolina fan, please watch the second overall pick to see why Kenny Pickett could be wrong about aiming so high. However, despite personal opinion on this quarterback class, it seems inevitable that three or more will go into Round 1.
We’ve heard rumors that David Tepper writes “Kenny Pickett no matter what” on a bar napkin pretty much every day and throws it at random spots around the facility. But what is the realistic advantage of the Pittsburgh quarterback? Sure, he could be Tom Brady by a one-in-a-million lucky break, but he doesn’t even own Brady’s 40+ year old arm.
If Pickett is a sportier Kirk Cousins, is it worth it? In the NFC South, maybe with an aging Brady, a losing Falcons franchise, and the Saints without Drew Brees and Sean Payton. Perhaps an elevated bus driver could carry a large list to the promised land. But it won’t be easy.
7) New York Giants (from CHI): Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
It would be great to have offensive linemen surrounding Daniel Jones in the top 10 here, but the chips aren’t falling right for New York. You need inside blockers and a proper tackle. Aside from Neal, a proper tackle doesn’t deserve to go in that area.
Ahmad Gardner’s selection will likely spell the end of James Bradberry in New York, but that’s okay because they at least get something for the cornerback in a trade. Gardner’s band led to questions about his long pace because he mostly played against lesser competition. His Alabama ribbon and athletic tests allayed those concerns. It fits perfectly with Wink Martindale’s man-heavy defensive system.
8) Atlanta Falcons: Jordan Davis, DT, Geogia
Jordan Davis could be the best player in this class. The problem is his position. He’s a 340-pound defensive tackle with just 7 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss in 42 career games. But the problem with looking at box scores to gauge a player’s worth is that you miss the details.
ALL of Georgia’s defensive stats fell sharply when Davis walked off the field. He’ll probably only play 50-70% of next-level defensive snaps. This is a major disadvantage in designing an even larger human. But on these snaps, he’ll change defenses. If we’re talking about players making others around them better, Davis could be the poster child.
Drafting Davis puts a defensive face on Atlanta’s roster. He went to Georgia and is from Charlotte, North Carolina. In a rebuild that’s going to take time, the Falcons need that face.
9) Seattle Seahawks (of DEN): Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
Duane Brown still plays for the Seahawks but Ikem Ekwonu could be the future. Seattle loves to referee football. No second level blocker is more physical and athletic than Ekwonu. It’s also explosive enough to hit almost any rusher to a landmark.
There isn’t a quarterback worthy of a pick here. The search for possible ranges is also becoming difficult. As important as having a quarterback is, risk management is the true name of the drafting game.
Ekwonu will most likely be a strong blindside blocker for the next decade. His improvement year after year proves his desire to be the best.
10) New York Jets (from SEA): Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
For a time, it seemed like position value wouldn’t be a limiting factor in Kyle Hamilton’s mock NFL draft position. Now it seems his questionable 40-year streak could be another culprit. There’s a chance he’ll fall well past that point, too.
The jack-of-all-trades security is ridiculously sized for the position. In a team full of NFL defensemen, he was already the best player on the field as a freshman. The Jets can take turns moving him and Jordan Whitehead in two-high looks. Neither are elite single-high safeties, but both can survive this role in midfield “closed” covers.
11) Washington Commanders: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
Washington would have liked to see Hamilton drop another spot, but they weren’t so lucky. However, designing a receiver to take some pressure off Terry McLaurin and try to help Carson Wentz survive is a big consolation prize.
Garrett Wilson still has a few nuances to add to his game as a routerunner, but his tape is smooth and explosive. While jumping just 36 inches, he got close to the cornerbacks’ shoulder pads as he raised for passes.
12) Minnesota Vikings: Kaiir Elam, CB, Fla
The Kaiir Elam slide in the draft stock doesn’t make much sense. He has good route detection skills in both man and zone coverage. While not as long as originally expected, he ran a 4.39 despite only having a mediocre 1.55 10-yard split. He’s supple, he’s fast, he’s the prototypical size and he has a good ligament. The mock draft slide seems overdone.
13) Houston Texans (from CLE): Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
Derek Stingley Jr. is another in the long line of LSU defensemen who start at the top of NFL mock drafts before falling to earth. Stingley has some of the most natural ball skills a cornerback can have. He also possesses the athleticism and strength to hold his own against faster and stronger receivers.
Injuries and an inability to repeat his 2019 performance hurt his stock, but there’s no reason Houston should be without Stingley if they’re looking to improve from their last defensive dropback success rate in 2022.
14) Baltimore Ravens: Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State
Jermaine Johnson II is a perfect match for Odafe Oweh. While he’s an older prospect who’s a little stiffer in the hips and ankles compared to the top players, he makes up for it in other areas.
First, Johnson is probably the most consistent run defender in the class at this position. Not only is he a wall on the outside, but he can do it at under 260 pounds. It’s ridiculously long, which keeps causing problems. Second, he’s incredibly explosive, which is evident when he runs through the chest of an offensive tackle before they have a chance to react.
15) Philadelphia Eagles (by MIA): Drake London, WR, USC
The Eagles have designed and signed larger receivers in the past without much success. But Drake London is different. While leading the NCAA in contested catches, London caught 88 total passes in his first season focused solely on football after starting as a two-sport at USC.
The 6-foot-3 receiver raises and secures passes like a rebound, but he’s also an underrated route runner. He breaks routes with efficiency and would be a nice addition to DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins.
16) Philadelphia Eagles (from IND): George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
George Karlaftis jumped 38 inches at 266 pounds and ran 4.71 at Purdue’s Pro Day. It was reportedly 28 degrees during training. While Karlaftis’ performance couldn’t match his freshman season, he also carried the burden of being the good player in the Boilermakers’ defense. He never found many clean looks in 2021.
Brandon Graham is 33, and Karlaftis would be a nice yin to Haason Reddick’s yang.