Full 1st Round: 2022 Mock NFL Draft 1.0

We are two and a half weeks away from this year’s NFL draft and it is going to be a wild one. For the first time since 2017, the #1 overall pick will not be a Quarterback and frankly, it remains somewhat of a mystery who the selection will be. The mock drafts this year have been wild so without further ado, here are my picks for the entire 1st round.

*Note: this is not necessarily what I would do if I were General Manager of the team, but is what I am seeing following rumors and NFL news.*

Jacksonville Jaguars: Aiden Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan: Hutchinson has been widely considered as the #1 overall player in this years draft class and he helped solidify the consensus with by blowing away the interviewing process after an outstanding combine. He may not have the ceiling as some of the other edge rushers in the class, but he will be a contributor immediately and Jacksonville can use all the help they can get.
Detroit Lions: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon: Thibodeaux has been an enigma in this years draft. He was the #1 overall high recruit out of high school in the 2019 class and was an 1st team All-American for the Oregon, leading the Ducks with 10 TFLs and 7 sacks in 11 games. He has all the speed (4.54 40), strength (27 reps), and size (6’4″ 254lbs) you could want for a premier edge rusher. However, many are questioning his work ethic and love for the game. Depending on who you ask, Thibodeaux will either a top 3 pick or fall out of the top 15 completely. I don’t believe the latter. I cannot see the Lions passing on him and his All-Pro potential. Dan Campbell is a hell of a motivator and I am sure will use all this pre-draft nonsense to push Thibodeaux to the next level.
Houston Texans: Sauce Gardiner, CB, Cincinnati: The Texans are in full rebuild and need all the help they can get on both sides of the ball. They especially need help at DB so they will select the best one on the board. Sauce immediately becomes the best player on the Texans defense from day 1.
New York Jets: Derek Stingley Jr, CB, LSU: The Jets are probably hoping the Texans would take Gardner but they stick to the plan and get the next best CB on the board with Derek Stingley. Stingley was a beast his freshman year, helping the Tigers win a National Championship but nagging injuries limited his production the last two years. Robert Saleh will look to revive that freshman year Stingley and if he can, the Jets are looking at the second coming of Darrel Revis.
New York Giants: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama: The G-men most likely do not expect Evan Neal to be here at #5 overall but if he is, they will happily select him to help them sure-up that struggling offensive line. Neal was a stud for the Crimson Tide last year, helping Bryce Young stay upright and helping him win the Heisman Trophy. The Giants don’t have the best luck with 1st round tackles but Neal is about as polished of a prospect you can get at the tackle position and he has experience at RT as well as LT, which will allow Andrew Thomas to stay at LT. He should be a longtime starter for the Giants.
Carolina Panther: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty: The Panthers are the first team to select and QB and they go with the player with the highest upside in the class, Malik Willis. The Liberty QB will need a year to learn the nuances of NFL defenses and adjust to the NFL speed. However, he will most likely be forced into action early given the state of the Panthers. It will be bumpy at first but if they stick with him, he could turn out to be another Kyler Murray.
New York Giants: Trayvon Walker, EDGE, Georgia: Walker has been flying up mock draft boards and is even rumored to be in consideration for the first overall pick. It is widely rumored the Giants are in love with Purdue’s edge rusher Karlaftis, but they may be pleasantly surprised that Walker is still on the board at #7 and go with the higher Walker and his higher potential. He wasn’t awfully productive at Georgia, but he after running a 4.51 40 at 6’5″, 272lbs, he has the elite size and athleticism that coaches dream about. He will need some coaching to reach his full potential but as a 21 year old true junior, he has plenty of room to grow.
Atlanta Falcons: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State: The Falcons need to replace the suspended Calvin Ridley and outside of taking an edge rusher, they will likely take the consensus #1 receiver on the board, Garrett Wilson. They are probably salivating at the thought of Walker falling to them at #8. However, Mariota will need someone else to throw to other than Kyle Pitts and Wilson has all the potential to be just as good as, or even better, than Calvin Ridley.
Seattle Seahawks: Ikem Okwanu, OT, NC State: The Seahawks are in rebuild mode after trading away Russell Wilson for this 9th overall pick as well as a bounty of other picks between this year and next. Right now, the Seahawks have basically no one at either tackle position with much experience so luckily for them, Okwanu falls right into their laps here at #9. The Wolfpack have put out some good NFL offensive lineman as of late and Okwanu may be the best of the bunch.
New York Jets: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame: The Jets end Hamilton’s draft night slide and suddenly have a terrifying pair of DBs in Stingley and Hamilton. Kyle Hamilton was widely considered to be the best prospect in this draft before he ran a 4.59 40 at the combine. Suddenly, people are starting to question if he’s even a safety and if he is more of a dime linebacker. I don’t buy it and neither do the Jets. Robert Saleh’s master plan is starting to finally come together.
Washington Commanders: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State: The Commanders will be bashed by all the mock drafters out there but this pick has been clear and obvious from the moment they traded for Carson Wentz. Further, we have heard Rivera talk about the need for ‘more playmakers’ on this offense and said in an interview that he was excited about how one player ‘hustled back to the huddle after each play at his pro day’. Rivera went to two pro days: Cincinnati’s and Ohio State’s. He was seen talking with two players, Cincinnati’s ILB Darrian Beaves and Ohio State’s WR Chris Olave. Using process of elimination, only one of those is a offensive playmaker (granted, Beavers is an exciting defensive playmaker in his own right). Could it be that obvious? They were rumored to really like Jamin Davis last year…
Olave is an exciting player and will start right away across from McLaurin. He will give this offense it’s much needed #2 receiver that it hasn’t had since the D-Jax/ Garcon days. It will be interesting to see if Scott Turner can put it all together since his track record so far has been below average, at best. However, you know Wentz is going to let it rip with Scary Terry and Big Play Olave on either side. Mix in a healthy Curtis Samuel hopefully becoming the playmaker we signed him to be, Logan Thomas getting healthy and becoming the red zone threat he was in 2020, and Antonio Gibson holding onto the football and continuing to be a top RB in this league, this new look Commanders offense might just take off in 2022.
Minnesota Vikings: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia: The vikes have been had some good 1st round draft picks the past few years, taking Christian Darrisaw in 2020 and Justin Jefferson in 2019. This year is no different. The select arguably the scariest player in the draft and put everyone in the NFC North on notice that running up the middle will not happen in Minnesota anymore.
Houston Texans: Charles Cross, OT, Miss St: The Texans have made it known that they are happy with Davis Mills and want to rebuild around him. They have been rumored to like Charles Cross at 3 overall so they will be ecstatic he is there at #13. They use one of the many picks they received from the Browns in the Watson deal to select Charles Cross who should start at LT immediately for the rebuilding Texans.
Baltimore Ravens: Jermiane Johnson, EDGE, Florida State: The Ravens hit it out of the park last year drafting edge rusher Odafe Oweh who made an instant impact on that revamped Ravens defense. Jermaine Johnson had an excellent senior bowl week and could easily be one of the best edge rushers in this class once it’s all said and done. He could be a 5-tech or an OLB for the Ravens given his size and athleticism, making him that much more value here at #14.
Philadelphia Eagles: Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson: The Eagles traded away one of their first round picks this year so they clearly don’t see a lot of value in the middle part of this first round. Darius Slay played well ever since signing with the Eagles last off-season but the rest of that secondary is ugly. Booth is arguably the best ball-hawking corners in this draft and should be there, according to numerous mock drafts, and this is an selection makes plenty of sense for the Eagles. He starts right away across from Slay.
New Orleans Saints: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh: The Saints traded their 1st round pick in next years draft for this pick. It appears they may be acquiring picks to make a big move into the top 5 or 10 to select a QB. However, if they stay put here at #16, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense if they did all that maneuvering just to take a WR or an offensive lineman here. Pickett was the best QB in College football not named Bryce Young last year. His hand size has raised some concerns about him playing in inclement weather but since the Saints play in a dome, that should not concern them one bit. Pickett will have the opportunity to learn behind Jameis Winston for a year, just so long as Winston’s knee holds up.
Los Angeles Chargers: Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia: The Chargers have made some moves this off-season, bringing in JC Jackson and Khalil Mack to help that defense. They have been rumored to be infatuated with Jordan Davis but since he’s gone already, the stick to the plan and continue to add to that defense by selecting Devonte Wyatt, who dominated the senior bowl. He isn’t the household name that Jordan Davis is, but given his pass rushing prowess, he might end up becoming a bigger game wrecker than his old teammate. Some scouts are even comparing him to Aaron Donald. He helps fill a need for the Chargers and is one of the best players available at this point of the draft.
Philadelphia Eagles: Devin Lloyd, ILB, Utah: The Eagles use their second pick in the 1st round on Utah middle linebacker Devin Lloyd. Lloyd is great against the pass and is the tone setter that the Eagles could use in the middle of the defense. His 4.7 40 time scared some scouts but if his game speed is anything like he showed on the tape, he should be just fine at the NFL level.
New Orleans Saints: Drake London, WR, USC: With the Saints selecting their QB of the future a few picks before, they will likely go ahead select their WR of the future here with USC’s Drake London. London’s pro comparison is Michael Thomas so it makes sense the Saints know exactly how to use him. I’m not a big fan of London’s tape and his lack of separation but USC has churned out some good WRs as of late (Michael Pittman/ St-Brown) and he is supposedly better than all of them.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa: The Steelers will hope Pickett fall to them at #20 and will likely even attempt to trade up. However, if they miss out on both, I expect them to take one of the best offensive lineman in this draft, Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum. Centers are not one of those high value positions most teams take in the first round, but Linderbaum isn’t your average center. He could (and should) be an all-pro before long and be the first step in helping turn around that putrid Steelers offensive line.
New England Patriots: Zion Johnson, IOL, Boston College: Though they played admirably last year, the Patriots need some help along that offensive line, especially if they want to be the two tight end, run-heavy team Belichick wants. Johnson is from right around the corner at BC and is a classic mauler. Perfect fit.
Green Bay Packers: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama: The Packers need a Devonte Adams replacement after trading him away and Jameson Williams is rumored to be that guy for the Pack. He was downright unstoppable in college football before he tore his ACL. Obviously, he doesn’t help them now since he’s still recovering from his ACL surgery so Burks or Dotson could be the pick here instead. However, I see the Packers front office going for the upside play here. Plus, he might be back the second half of the year, just in time for the Packers playoff run.
Arizona Cardinals: George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue: The Cardinals were the team to beat there for a bit last season before falling apart late and losing in the wild card round. I could see them going WR here to replace Christian Kirk but they need some help rushing the passer. Karlaftis is a clone of Ryan Kerrigan and should fit in well across from JJ Watt.
Dallas Cowboys: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa: Similar to the Cardinals pick, this pick could also be a receiver to replace the departure of Amari Cooper. However, Trevor Penning being a top 12 player in this draft and he is too much value here to pass up. The cowboys lost La’el Collins to free agency so it makes sense that they would bring in a replacement. Penning is 6’7″ and a mean, nasty offensive lineman who wants to quite literally wants to beat you up (he showed as much at the senior bowl, fighting basically everyone). He’ll be a fan favorite in no time.
Buffalo Bills: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington: The Bills had the best pass defense in football last year even though their cornerbacks (outside of White) were suspect at best. They’ll gladly stop McDuffie’s fall here at #25. McDuffie is a heck of a talent and could play nickel corner or outside.
Tennessee Titans: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas: The Titans could be in play for a QB here given how poorly Tannehill looked in the playoffs. However, they need a receiver on the other side of AJ Brown to take some pressure off of him. Julio was supposed to be that guy but that clearly hasn’t worked out so far. Burks is basically a clone of AJ Brown so the Titans should know exactly how to get the most out of him.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida: The Bucs had the best passing offenses in football last year but the 20th ranked passing defense. Elam was an underrated playmaker for the Gators last year and should quickly become the best corner on that Buccaneers defense.
Green Bay Packers: Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota: As much as I wanted to select another WR here since Williams might not be healthy for most of the season, Mafe makes too much sense. This draft class is loaded with edge rushers and Mafe might be the most slept on one in the class. He stood out his senior year, leading the Gophers with 7 sacks and 10 TFLs. However, his 4.53 40 and 125″ broad jump at the combine is what finally got GMs talking. His pro comparison? Preston Smith -the same edge rusher they just gave a contract extension to. Factor that into him playing college ball right down the road from Green Bay and The Packers should know plenty about him.
Kansas City Chiefs: Kenyon Green, Guard, Texas A&M: With all these QBs still on the board, this could be a spot where KC trades down. However, if they stay here, I can see them taking Kenyon Green to beef up that offensive line to protect Mahomes. Green has been rumored to go as high as #11 to the Commanders so this is excellent value here at pick #29. He should start immediately right next to the their big 2nd year center Creed Humphrey.
Kansas City Chiefs: Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State: Again, this could be a spot where KC trades back with a QB needy team but if they keep both of their picks, I guarantee one of them will be WR. Dotson is burner and Andy Reid/ Mahomes love burners.
Cincinnati Bengals: Nakobe Dean, MLB, Georgia: The Super Bowl runners-up could look to add to that poor offensive line here. However, I imagine they would be ecstatic if the captain of the 2021 NCAA National Champions falls right into their laps at #31. The Bengals defense played well in the playoffs last year but they could use a tone-setter in the middle to take them to the next level. Dean may not have the ideal size and speed you look, but he has all the instincts and tenacity to make up for it.
Detroit Lions: Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati: The Lions hold the last pick in the 1st round as part of the Matt Stafford deal. Therefore, it is only fitting they use it to select a potential QB of the future. Dan Campbell is sticking by Jared Goff (for now) but it’s apparent he cannot start for them past this 2022 season if they ever want to be a contender. Ridder is the third winningest QB in college football history and led the Bearcats to their first ever College Football Playoff game (the first time a non-power-5 conference team has made it and possibly the last). Like the rest of the QBs in this class, Ridder will need a year or two to get comfortable in the NFL so he will benefit from sitting behind Goff. However, he is infinitely more mobile than Goff so I can see him being used in short yardage/ read-option situations similar to how Mariota spelled Derek Carr this past year.