Edit by @DL087 on Twitter
The NFL Scouting Combine just wrapped up and now it’s time to take stock of what we learned during the week. While I don’t personally move players on my board very often after the combine, teams tend to tip their hands just a little bit with some reporting through the media.
Thus, it’s time to dive back into the void that is mock drafts. The 2022 class doesn’t seem to have a consensus at all, so I’m gonna throw some names at the wall and see what sticks. This is mostly what I think will happen, not what I would personally do.
If you want to learn more about some of these players, I’ve linked their scouting reports to their names.
Pick 1: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Selection: Evan Neal, Offensive Tackle, Alabama
Alabama Offensive Tackle, Evan Neal, preparing to end some poor soul’s career.
Look, the Jaguars need to protect Trevor Lawrence, and although Neal didn’t test this week, his interviews seemed to have helped him based on some of the reports from media who attended the combine.
Neal is the real deal and can be Lawrence’s blindside protector for the next 10 years or so. He’s powerful, smooth, long, and smart. There are some balance concerns in his game, but he’s consistently improved in that area the past two seasons.
Pick 2: Detroit Lions
The Selection: Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
Michigan EDGE Rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, watching Lions’ Head Coach Dan Campbell eat his fourth bowl of nails of the day.
I wouldn’t personally take Hutchinson this high, but he strikes me as the type of player Dan Campbell and the Lions would love. He’s a local product, and for his faults, he’s definitely a knee cap biter.
The Lions’ biggest need is a quarterback, but this isn’t the class to be taking one in the top-5. Hutchinson will get a chance to fill their second biggest need though, which is a franchise pass rusher.
Pick 3: Houston Texans
The Selection: Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
Georgia EDGE Rusher, Travon Walker, looking up at some dude who is about to be seven yards in the backfield.
Again, this isn’t a pick I would personally make, but there are two things that are painfully obvious. The Texans do not make sound decisions, and Walker is flying up NFL draft boards. That’s a recipe for something crazy to happen. The most likely chef to be cooking up the “crazy recipe” is Jack Easterby.
Houston doesn’t really have an elite pass rusher on the roster, and new head coach Lovie Smith could make use of Walker all over the field thanks to his length and movement skills.
I almost took a quarterback here, but I’m not quite there with the Texans yet.
Pick 4: New York Jets
The Selection: Ikem Ekwonu, Offensive Tackle, NC State
North Carolina State Offensive Tackle, Ikem Ekwonu, deciding whether to run his man over or throw him out of the club.
The Jets needing a tackle is honestly kind of jarring. George Fant was pretty good last season, but the uncertainty around former first-round pick Mekhi Becton makes things complicated.
Assuming Becton is still the long-term left tackle, Ekwonu should be able to come in and play right tackle for the foreseeable future while also fitting the Jets’ clear prototype and preference at the position of runaway boulders with legs.
Protecting Zach Wilson should be priority number one, and Ekwonu will help with that no matter where he lines up in 2022.
Pick 5: New York Giants
The Selection: Charles Cross, Offensive Tackle, Mississippi State
Mississippi State Offensive Tackle, Charles Cross, looking at some player who can’t match him in pass protection.
The Giants have Andrew Thomas at left tackle, but they still need someone to take over for Nate Solder when he finally retires. Cross is one of the most athletic tackles this class has to offer, and he proved that in Indianapolis.
His tape shows a smooth and efficient pass blocker, who should be just fine working in a zone run blocking scheme. The Giants’ new brain trust should follow the same model they did in Buffalo. Build the team first, and find the quarterback second.
Pick 6: Carolina Panthers
The Selection: Kenny Pickett, Quarterback, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Quarterback, Kenny Pickett, using a nerf football because of his small hand size.
I imagine this will put me on the hit list of Panthers’ Twitter, and I honestly wouldn’t blame them. However, I’d challenge them to look me in the eye and tell me they would be surprised if Matt Rhule and the Panthers took Pickett at six.
That’s what I thought.
Anyway, Pickett does project as an average starting quarterback, which does technically qualify as an upgrade over the likes of Sam Darnold and the ghost of Cam Newton. If the Panthers’ defense continues to play well, and if Pickett can keep the offense on schedule, Rhule might win enough games to save his job.
Pick 7: New York Giants
The Selection: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
Oregon EDGE Rusher, Kayvon Thibodeaux pointing and laughing at everyone who thinks he has work ethic concerns.
I imagine this is something close to a dream scenario for Giants fans. Thibodeaux is still in the running for my number one overall player in the class, and here he is, going at pick seven.
Pairing him with Azeez Ojulari would give the Giants a potent young pass rush duo rivaling any in the NFL. Again, they just need to draft talented players this year, and Thibodeaux is definitely one of them. I’m not personally buying into the effort concerns. The anonymous scouts lost credibility with me when I was still in High School.
Pick 8: Atlanta Falcons
The Pick: Kyle Hamilton, Safety, Notre Dame
Notre Dame Safety, Kyle Hamilton, running across the field to make an interception on the opposite sideline, while being seven feet tall.
Hamilton is the other player competing for my number one overall spot. The Falcons are another team that needs to add talent wherever they find it, and Hamilton fits the bill.
He’s a unicorn at the safety position with the size to play in the box, and the movement skills to patrol deep zones. He’s a heat-seeking missile moving downhill and has tremendous ball skills at the catch point.
Pick him first and worry about where he lines up later.
Pick 9: Denver Broncos
The Selection: Malik Willis, Quarterback, Liberty
Liberty Quarterback, Malik Willis, pointing Drew Lock to the nearest stadium exit.
With my luck, Aaron Rodgers will announce tomorrow he wants to play for Denver on the Pat McAfee show, but I think he just likes the drama and is staying in Green Bay.
As for the Broncos, Drew Lock is bad, and Teddy Bridgewater is about as mid as it gets. Willis is a project, but Bridgewater could still live up to his name and serve as a bridge quarterback for one season while Willis irons out his game.
Look, someone has to draft these quarterbacks — it’s just the way it is now. At least Willis has a high ceiling.
Pick 10: New York Jets
The Selection: Ahmad Gardner, Cornerback, Cincinnati
Cincinnati Cornerback, Ahmad Gardner, thanking god he wasn’t drafted by the Adam Gase led Jets.
Oh hey, it’s the Jets again. I wouldn’t draft Gardner this high, but all indications are he’s probably going to be the first cornerback off the board in April, and the Jets do have a need at the position. I’ll give him credit though because his combine was quite impressive both with his times and on-field work.
Gardner is a good prospect and should provide the Jets with improved play in a secondary that struggled a fair bit last season. He is a scheme-diverse corner with good movement skills and playmaking ability at the catch point.
Pick 11: Washington Commanders
The Selection: Garrett Wilson, Wide Receiver, Ohio State
Ohio State Wide Receiver, Garrett Wilson, measuring how much separation he creates with a single step.
I actually don’t think the Commanders force a quarterback selection despite some reports they might. Instead, I think they benefit from a run on trench players and get this draft’s potential WR1, Garrett Wilson.
Pairing Wilson with Scary Terry will give whoever is throwing the football at that god-awful stadium in Landover, Maryland legitimate weapons to work with.
Wilson is an easy separator with above-average long speed and silly ball skills at the catch point. He’ll likely operate as a high volume underneath target right away and build out the rest of his game as the season progresses.
Pick 12: Minnesota Vikings
The Selection: David Ojabo, EDGE Rusher, Michigan
Michigan EDGE Rusher, David Ojabo, realizing Penn State sent multiple players to block him, and it doesn’t even matter.
I don’t wanna hear about the Vikings never drafting an EDGE rusher. They have a new general manager and head coach. Those tendencies are going out the window.
Ojabo is an uber-athletic and explosive EDGE player with impressive ankle bend around the outside allowing him to get consistent pressure. He needs some development in his ability to defend the run, but his raw speed will be an upgrade for the Vikings right away.
Pick 13: Cleveland Browns
The Selection: Jameson Williams, Wide Receiver, Alabama
Alabama Wide Receiver, Jameson Williams, allowing this defender to keep his ankles by using a stiff arm.
The Browns need another wide receiver. Odell is gone, Jarvis Landry’s contract is up, and he’s not looking too great these days anyway.
Reports are Williams is ahead of schedule on recovery from his ACL tear suffered towards the end of the 2021 season, but he’s this draft’s best speed/vertical threat and worth a top-15 selection regardless.
He’s also an easy separator in the short areas of the field, which should make him a high volume target for Baker Mayfield this season.
Pick 14: Baltimore Ravens
The Selection: Derek Stingley Jr., Cornerback, LSU
LSU Cornerback, Derek Stingley, looking justifiably annoyed I mocked him this low.
Every draft has a surprise faller, and I think it might be Stingley this year. The Ravens benefit by getting one of the draft’s best prospects all the way at pick 14.
The LSU corner had some of the best freshman tape of all time a couple of years ago but injuries and inconsistent play have made some evaluators weary of his chances to reach his gaudy ceiling.
I trust the Ravens coaching staff to get the most out of Stingley, and in today’s NFL, you can never have enough good cornerbacks.
Pick 15: Philadelphia Eagles
The Selection: Chris Olave, Wide Receiver, Ohio State
Ohio State Wide Receiver, Chris Olave, going to hug that one Eagles fan that dresses up in full pads for every game.
The Eagles have three of the next five picks thanks to trades with the Colts — they really got a first for Carson Wentz lol — and the Dolphins. Olave ran much better at the combine than some thought he would, and the Eagles have a need at wide receiver.
Pairing Olave with Devonta Smith would give Jalen Hurts and the Eagles one of the smoothest wide receiver rooms in the NFL.
Olave and Smith just know how to get open better than most and pairing them together is as perfect as it gets.
Pick 16: Philadelphia Eagles
The Selection: Devin Lloyd, Linebacker, Utah
Utah Linebacker, Devin Lloyd, celebrating being the first linebacker selected by the Eagles in the first round since the Bronze Age.
So, the Eagles are back on the clock, and hey look at that, Howie Roseman finally drafted a linebacker in the first round. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Lloyd get picked before this, but it’s difficult to find a team truly in need of him before the Eagles.
Lloyd is an athletic, versatile, and impactful second-level defender, who should prevent opposing teams from using the “I don’t respect your linebackers” gameplan like the Buccaneers did in the playoffs.
Break the streak, Howie.
Pick 17: LA Chargers
The Selection: Jordan Davis, Defensive Tackle, Georgia
Georgia Defensive Tackle, Jordan Davis, being pulled back to earth after ascending to heaven after his forty-yard dash time.
That’s right we’re back on this train. My hope is Chargers fans are a little more open to this pick after the mutant performance Davis put on at the combine. He had the second-best combine performance of all time, according to RAS. Not for a defensive tackle. All time. For any position.
He’s not just a run-stopper, he’s a force of nature.
Either way, the Chargers need his help upfront as they got gashed by the running game a ton last season.
Pick 18: New Orleans Saints
The Selection: Treylon Burks, Wide Receiver, Arkansas
Arkansas Wide Receiver, Treylon Burks, running away from a defender not quite as fast as people thought but, still, fast enough.
I almost picked a quarterback, but I think the Saints are buying into Jameis Winston’s hilarious workout videos just like the rest of us.
Burks is an offensive weapon built for today’s NFL game. He didn’t have quite the combine some were expecting, but he still tested quite well for a man of his stature.
He’s a three-level threat, who will make the most of the manufactured touches the Saints have shown they’re willing to embed in their offense the past couple of seasons.
Pick 19: Philadelphia Eagles
The Selection: Trent McDuffie, Cornerback, Washington
Washington Cornerback, Trent McDuffie, celebrates hitting the game winning shot in mini basketball.
Almost similar to linebacker, cornerback has been a weak spot for the Eagles for quite some time now. They traded for Darius Slay, but he still needs a more reliable running mate on the opposite side of the field.
Enter Trent McDuffie, who is a polished, productive, and smart player on the backend. He’s got clean and repeatable technique and the starting experience to go with it.
Olave, Lloyd, and McDuffie is one hell of a first-round haul for a team that just made the playoffs.
Pick 20: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Selection: Desmond Ridder, Quarterback, Cincinnati
Cincinnati Quarterback, Desmond Ridder, getting ready to throw a ball 100 mph at my head because I won’t stop making jokes about him on Twitter.
I can see it now. The Steelers reading Desmond Ridder’s height, watching him run a sub 4.50 forty-yard dash, and then saying to themselves “he might be a more athletic Big Ben.”
I’m kidding. Well, sort of. I do think the Steelers take a swing at a 2022 quarterback in the first round, and since Malik Willis is off the board, and I’m not doing trades, then Demond Ridder it is.
Honestly, this is a good spot for Ridder to develop his tools. He can rely on solid playmakers at wide receiver and running back while their defense keeps them in games consistently.
Pick 21: New England Patriots
The Selection: Christian Watson, Wide Receiver, North Dakota State
North Dakota State Wide Receiver, Christian Watson, using his 104 foot wingspan to make a catch outside of his frame.
I warned you I was going to throw stuff at the wall in this mock. This is probably a slight overreaction to his testing numbers this week, but Watson was just as impressive at the Senior Bowl, and he’s got two years of good tape to back it up.
New England needs to hit on a wide receiver in the first round at some point. Watson is an outside X prototype with some freaky change of direction ability that should make him Mac Jones’ new best friend sooner rather than later.
Pick 22: Las Vegas Raiders
The Selection: Tyler Linderbaum, interior offensive lineman, Iowa
Iowa Center, Tyler Linderbaum, preparing to get to the second level before the linebacker even knows the ball is snapped.
I wanted to find a way to get Linderbaum off the board sooner, but alas, I’ve failed. It works out for Raiders fans as they get a player ranked inside my top-10 overall all the way at pick 22.
Linderbaum is one of the best center prospects I’ve scouted in four years with his ability to seal off rush lanes and move out in space. His movement skills are paired with good technique and respectable functional strength to move defensive linemen off their spots.
The Raiders could use some help on the interior as they look to make a longer postseason run with Josh McDaniel and Derek Carr — probably — at the helm.
Pick 23: Arizona Cardinals
The Selection: Andrew Booth, Cornerback, Clemson
Clemson Cornerback, Andrew Booth, looking sort of unhappy about an incomplete pass for some reason.
Booth is another player with the talent to go inside the top-15 but ends up falling outside the top-20. Simply put, it doesn’t seem like the NFL likes Booth as much as Draft Twitter does.
The Cardinals badly need help at corner as they spent a good chunk of the season relying on noted shoe enthusiast Marco Wilson.
Booth has all the athletic and ball-tracking traits you could ask for in a starting cornerback. He’s smooth, physical in the running game, and scheme diverse.
Pick 24: Dallas Cowboys
The Selection: Drake London, Wide Receiver, USC
USC Wide Receiver, Drake London, with nobody around him, shocking the people who think he can’t create separation.
I imagine Cowboy fans won’t want this, and I get it. However, drafting good football players regardless of team need, especially this late in the first round is never a bad idea.
London should work well with CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and Cedric Wilson. He would also help offset the loss of Amari Cooper while keeping the Cowboys’ offense as potent as it has ever been.
It’s a deep defensive draft, and I think London is just too much of a unique talent to pass up here.
Pick 25: Buffalo Bills
The Selection: George Karlaftis, EDGE Rusher, Purdue
Purdue EDGE Rusher, George Karlaftis, screaming at all the people who said he was a bad athlete for some reason.
Karlaftis will likely finish as a top-five overall player on my board, but the NFL clearly doesn’t agree with me. With that said, I love his fit in Buffalo’s defense, which needs an infusion of young pass rush talent.
Karlaftis is one of the most technically sound rushers I’ve watched in recent years and has some inhuman strength while being a better athlete than given credit for. He and Ed Oliver will make for a scary duo upfront for years to come.
Pick 26: Tennessee Titans
The Selection: Jermaine Johnson, EDGE Rusher, Florida State
Florida State EDGE Rusher, Jermaine Johnson, flexing on the fact he somehow went from Georgia to Florida State and is still good.
The Titans don’t really have a primary need at EDGE, but I think they’ve proven they are willing to take the best player available more than once, and based on the way the board has shaken out in this mock draft, it’s Johnson.
Johnson tested better than I thought he would, and his film displays a powerful, polished, and consistent pass rush threat around the outside of the arc.
You can never have too many pass rushers in today’s NFL.
Pick 27: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Selection: Kenyon Green, Offensive Guard, Texas A&M
Texas A&M Interior Offensive Lineman, Kenyon Green, seeing Vita Vea line up in front of him in practice for the first time.
This is the pick I struggled the most with so far. Tampa is currently rolling with Kyle Trask at quarterback, so I considered the remaining quarterbacks. However, Ali Marpet also retired this offseason leaving a massive hole on the offensive line.
Green is much better than the remaining quarterbacks and has the versatility to play all over the line of scrimmage if needed. He’s powerful, smooth, and experienced.
If Kyle Trask is going to be successful, he’ll need a brick wall in front of him, and Green should help provide that.
Pick 28: Green Bay Packers
The Selection: Calvin Austin III, Wide Receiver, Memphis
Memphis Wide Receiver, Calvin Austin III, gliding past 57 defenders on his way to a 99-yard touchdown.
Is this another overreaction to a wide receiver testing super well? Maybe? However, we saw Tutu Atwell go in the second round last year at Austin’s size, but his film was bad, and he didn’t run fast.
Austin’s film is good, and he’s a confirmed speed demon. I predicted the Packers would keep Aaron Rodgers, so them trying to make him happy by adding a legitimate speed threat makes a fair bit of sense.
Pick 29: Miami Dolphins
The Selection: Zion Johnson, interior offensive lineman, Boston College
Boston College Offensive Lineman, Zion Johnson, realizing he has to block both his and Jesse Davis’ assignments.
This one just makes too much sense. Johnson worked under Miami’s new offensive line coach, Matt Applebaum, while at Boston College, he’s a perfect scheme fit for the outside zone, and he’s versatile enough to play all three spots on the interior.
Miami needs to keep taking shots at talented offensive linemen high in the draft. They aren’t going anywhere if that group doesn’t make a marketed improvement this season, and free agency isn’t the easy fix everyone thinks it is.
Pick 30: Kansas City Chiefs
The Selection: Daxton Hill, Safety, Michigan
Michigan Safety, Daxton Hill, counting out how many times he’ll make a play on the ball in every game.
I’ve mocked Hill to the Chiefs before, and I just really like his fit there. He can help replace Tyrann Mathieu if he leaves, or he can play as the team’s primary slot cornerback if Mathieu stays.
Hill tore up the combine and is one of the cleanest movers this class has to offer on the backend. The Chiefs’ secondary has relied on vet minimum free agents and late-round picks too much in recent years.
It’s time to invest some first-round capital into that room.
Pick 31: Cincinnati Bengals
The Selection: Trevor Penning, Offensive Tackle, Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa Offensive Tackle, Trevor Penning, seen here as the last thing a defensive lineman saw before being thrown through a wall.
I must’ve typed Penning’s name down for about three other teams, but I ultimately went another direction. I’m not as high on Penning as the NFL seems to be, but his ceiling as a potential starting offensive tackle is undeniable.
He’s powerful, mean, long, and athletic. He’s got some technical issues to iron out, but I find it hard to believe he does any worse than what the Bengals were rolling out at times this season.
Pick 32: Detroit Lions
The Selection: Nakobe Dean, Linebacker, Georgia
Georgia Linebacker, Nakobe Dean, screaming after forgetting to bring his lunch pail to a Lions’ practice.
I wanted to take a quarterback here so badly, but they are just all so uninspiring. The Lions would benefit from finding out if one of Corral, Strong, or Howell is “the guy,” but I don’t think they’ll see it that way, so I went with Dean.
He’s undersized for the position, but he plays with speed, toughness, and technique. Three things the Lions are largely missing on the second level of the defense.
Dean and Hutchinson should give the Lions two stalwarts on the defense while they continue to build up their roster for whenever they settle on a quarterback of the future.