Well, the Super Bowl has come and gone so I guess that means it’s time for a mock draft. The most fun thing you can do in this business is to write a mock draft, right? Right? Wrong.
Let’s go over a few things before we get into the picks. First, this mock was done using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine. Second, there are no trades in this mock. There will be mock drafts I do this offseason where there are trades, but this will not be one of them. Third, my mock drafts are a mix of what I’ve heard from people that are far more connected in the league than I am but with some of my personal rankings sprinkled in for good measure. Remember, big boards are what I see, mock drafts are more about what you hear. Long preamble aside, let’s get going.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars- Evan Neal, OT Alabama
This one’s easy for Jacksonville. Do you like Trevor Lawrence? Do you want him to not end up like David Carr? Good. Draft the best offensive tackle prospect in this year’s class in Evan Neal. You can address the defensive side of the ball in free agency and later in the draft. Save Trevor Lawrence with this pick.
2. Detroit Lions- Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
The Lions need a QB, but this is not the year to need one early. Instead, they can use this pick to fix their pass rush for the long run. You have the Okwara brothers who can get to the QB, but neither of them is on the level of Aidan Hutchinson, who per PFF saw a Pass Rush Win % of 24.8% which is absurd and a roughly 10% increase from 2020. The QB can wait until the end of Day 1 in this case. The Lions’ brass has one thing most teams don’t have the luxury of getting: time.
3. Houston Texans- Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
Who knows what the Texans will do? This is my best guess at what they’ll do because of the coaching staff in place. Also, I’m not sure where the narrative around Kayvon Thibodeaux not putting in the work came from, but it needs to stop. He got better every year at Oregon and this year he won at nearly a 23% clip on his pass rush reps. He may never be a Chase Young type player, and that’s fine. He can be a Brian Burns level player, which if you’ve watched the NFL the past 3 years is a fantastic player to build a defense around.
4. NY Jets- Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
There are serious questions about where Mekhi Becton fits into the Jets’ future and as mindboggling as that may seem at the surface, if it’s true, then Ikem Ekwonu is the perfect replacement for Becton. If you want to run the ball behind him, you’re on Easy Street as he’s a bulldozer in the running game. He still needs some refinement as a pass blocker but he’s got what it takes to be a cornerstone franchise offensive tackle in this league.
5. NY Giants- George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
Are you sick of trench play? No? Good, because there’s plenty more left to come. With the new regime in place with the Giants coming from the Bills, you have to look at what that franchise did to build the team and it starts with the trenches. The Giants have Azeez Ojulari already but pairing him with Karlaftis gives the G-Men two ass-kickers coming off the edge, something they’ve not had since the days of Tuck, Umenyiora, JPP and Strahan.
6. Carolina Panthers- Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
Please, Panthers. Fix the offensive line. It’s been about a decade since you had a consistent year-to-year starter at left tackle. Cross can immediately come in and solve that problem for the next decade. He’s light for the position at approximately 305 pounds and while he may come out of a system that’s not exactly known for producing NFL-ready offensive linemen, Cross should be able to buck the trend. For more on my opinion on Cross, here’s a link to his scouting report.
7. NY Giants- Kenyon Green, IOL, Texas A&M
Still not done with linemen yet with this pick. If you’re not familiar with Kenyon Green, you should get on that. He’s got positional flexibility, he’s a road grader in the run game and he’s got good footwork as a pass blocker. There’s no reason the Giants should pass this opportunity up when their offensive line is in shambles.
8. Atlanta Falcons- David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan
Do you know what the Falcons haven’t had in about 7 years? A competent pass rusher. The Nigerian-born Ojabo is still learning the game after growing up in Scotland and there was plenty of chatter that he was going to return to Michigan for his senior year. However, his raw athletic skillset can be built upon at the NFL level and he’s already seemingly a first-round lock. The Falcons have plenty of needs, but with the run on EDGEs happening this early, they can’t risk missing out on the elite talent in this class at the position.
9. Denver Broncos- Kyle Hamilton, SAF, Notre Dame
The Broncos went “best player available” last year and snagged Patrick Surtain. Why not add to that with another high-level talent in the secondary? A secondary with PS2, Hamilton and Justin Simmons is something that I’m pretty sure would be illegal in Madden, but thankfully, this ain’t no Madden game. Do the Broncos still need a QB? Is the sky blue? Of course, they still need a QB, but again, this is not the year to do it. Also, I have a gut feeling that by the time the draft rolls around, this pick won’t belong to the Broncos anyways because they’ll have figured out a way to trade for their QB.
10. NY Jets- Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
Imagine saying back in September that Derek Stingley would still be available at pick 10, but here we are. The LSU product burst on the scene in their magical 2019 national title run, however, two years later, he hasn’t been able to stay on the field. If durability is a major concern then he may be in for a fall, however, when you look at the Jets’ corners, you realize they need to get on fixing that position right now.
11. Washington Commanders- Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
First, I haven’t written about the new name, so allow me to get it out of my system. The new name sucks.
Anyways, as for Treylon Burks, he’s my personal WR1 and I think he’s the perfect player for the Commanders to use to complement Terry McLaurin. At 6’3 225 pounds and a physical specimen, he’ll take a lot of the burden off Scary Terry in the coming years. Now you just have to figure out the QB position. Have fun.
12. Minnesota Vikings- Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State
More EDGE rushers! Jermaine Johnson went into the Senior Bowl as a potential first-round player. However, he was the best player down there and by the end of the second day of practices, there was nothing left for him to prove. This might be a tad early for him, but given the fact that Johnson is the fifth EDGE off the board in the first 12 picks and that the Vikings have questions about the future of Danielle Hunter and how long he’ll be in the Purple and Gold, Johnson is either a great replacement or a fantastic sidekick in the first few years of his career.
13. Cleveland Browns- Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
I resisted the urge to go QB here, despite how much I desperately wanted to make that pick. It seems as though the Browns are willing to give Baker Mayfield one last chance to prove himself. If that’s the case, they better get him more weapons to take out any excuses. Enter Garrett Wilson. Wilson has been one of the best receivers in the nation for the last 2 seasons. He’s a great route runner, he can jump out of the stadium, and he’s got good hands. He’s not exactly a tremendous athlete but he’s far from a bad athlete. With the Browns needing someone opposite of Jarvis Landry, someone with Wilson’s ability to separate is exactly what they should want.
14. Baltimore Ravens- Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
The Ravens’ projected starters at corner next year are Jimmy Smith and Marcus Peters. As good as they’ve been in years past, they both have had injury histories (Peters is currently coming off a season-ending injury) and they’re 33 and 29 respectively. Ahmad Gardner is someone that NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah would say “plays like a Raven”. He’s physical without being too physical with great ball skills that scared off opposing QBs in his three years with the Bearcats. I wouldn’t be shocked if by the time the draft rolls around, he’s the first corner off the board.
15. Philadelphia Eagles- Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
Yes, Howie Roseman is still the GM of the Eagles and he hates linebackers the way you hate your mother-in-law, but dammit this is my team and I want good football players suiting up in Kelly Green. I refuse to believe that this team will head into 2022 with Genard Avery, TJ Edwards and either Alex Singleton or Shaun Bradley starting at linebacker. Instead, they get my LB1 in this year’s draft.
16. Philadelphia Eagles- Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson
Speaking of positions that the Eagles need, they get an upgrade at corner with the very next pick. Andrew Booth has seemingly no hype in this year’s class, but I think he’ll grade out as a top 10 player for me. Teams last year targeted Avonte Maddox because it was like taking candy from a baby and Booth should be able to take his starting job about as easily. The Eagles have 3 picks in the top 20, they need to get home runs with these picks. Andrew Booth is definitely a home run.
17. LA Chargers- Devonte Wyatt, DL, Georgia
The Chargers need interior defensive line help and look to the defending national champs to attain said help. It’s just not the defensive tackle that everyone has been giving them. Instead of Jordan Davis, they go to his teammate in Devonte Wyatt who offers much more pass-rush upside, which in today’s NFL is more valuable than what Davis offers and is more appealing as a top 20 pick.
18. New Orleans Saints- Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
I have this inkling that the Saints are going to roll the dice with either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill starting at QB next year to keep the core of the team intact. That being said, the WR room for the Saints is ROUGH. Outside of Michael Thomas, there’s a whole lot of nothing with a big lack of speed. Jameson Williams might be the type that can run in the 4.3s in the 40. He tore his ACL in the national title game but that should see him return probably by October or November. The Saints just need help with receiving targets. Taking Williams at 18 is a lot easier to stomach with his injury than taking him towards the top 10.
19. Philadelphia Eagles- Tyler Linderbaum, IOL, Iowa
If Jason Kelce does retire, the team’s going to need reinforcements on the interior. They already drafted Landon Dickerson last year, why not add to that with Tyler Linderbaum? That’s a guard-center combo that you can be proud of for years to come. Nice going, Eagles, you nailed your three picks.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers- Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
It took 20 picks, but we finally have the first QB coming off the board. Malik Willis may not be my personal QB1, but I think he’s got the highest ceiling of any of the signal-callers in the class. It was no secret that the Steelers were all over the Senior Bowl QBs in Mobile and Willis was the cream of the crop (albeit a fairly bland crop) that week. The Steelers can start Mason Rudolph while Willis acclimates and then they can make the switch when he’s ready.
21. New England Patriots- Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
JC Jackson could very well leave in free agency. If that’s the case, then they’re going to be looking for a new potential lockdown corner. Enter Trent McDuffie, the corner with the most upside left on the board who’s ready to start day 1. Washington corners have shown the last decade or so that they come into the league pro-ready- something that speaks to how well the Huskies get their guys prepared for the next level. He may not be the tallest (he’s 5’11), but I see no reason why he shouldn’t be an outside corner at the next level.
22. Las Vegas Raiders- Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia
The new front office regime in Vegas came from the Patriots and when you look at how the first three rounds have gone for the Patriots in the last several years, those picks were invested in the trenches, largely used on the interior. It’s also a sore spot for Vegas. Enter the world’s largest human being Jordan Davis. Yes, he’s mocked in the top 10 most of the time, but he’s still a work in progress as a pass rusher. I think he could do well if he slimmed down to 330 and got in an NFL system that teaches him to do something other than eat two or three blockers every play.
23. Arizona Cardinals- Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
Chandler Jones’ contract is up and the other EDGE for the Cardinals is Markus Golden. EDGE is a huge need for the team and Walker’s size profile is very similar to Chandler Jones, so you can either line him up opposite of Jones or use him to replicate what Jones gave you. The Cardinals need to build a team that strikes fear in their opponents, and they don’t get much scarier than the DL/EDGE hybrid Walker. His inside-outside versatility is going to make him a hot commodity.
24. Dallas Cowboys- Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
The triad of Bulldogs continues as the Cowboys find the successor to Leighton Vander Esch. LVE hasn’t worked out thus far and I’m trending towards it never working out. Dean is incredibly intelligent both on and off the field (he’s a mechanical engineering grad for crying out loud) and he had a breakout season for the ages with the Bulldogs in 2021 and showed his leadership in key moments (see the title game when he had to show some tough love to a teammate). This Cowboys team is close to breaking out. Dean might help them get over the edge.
25. Buffalo Bills- Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State
The Bills like tall, physical corners and Emerson fits the bill to a tee. He’s a little raw and his ball skills are still developing, but he may just be the best tackling corner in the 2022 NFL draft.
26. Tennessee Titans- Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
Taylor Lewan is now on the wrong side of thirty and has had mounting injuries the past few years so it comes as no surprise that the Titans could look to find his eventual successor in the draft. In terms of playstyle, Trevor Penning is fairly similar to Lewan. Penning’s a big, physical tackle who can be over-aggressive at times, but I’d rather have to tell my offensive linemen to tone it down than to have to get them to ramp up their physicality. Penning plays every snap like Keanu Reeves in John Wick. He’ll be a natural as Lewan’s eventual replacement.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Max Mitchell, OT, Louisiana-Lafayette
The Bucs can still go “best player available” with their pick despite the recent retirement of Tom Brady. Donovan Smith has been great these past two years after a subpar start to his career, but it if the team is looking for a possible successor for the now 30-year-old, then Max Mitchell is the perfect draft and stash candidate along the offensive line. A standout performer at the Senior Bowl, Mitchell affords the Bucs the ability to kick the proverbial can down the road when it comes to their future at tackle opposite of Tristan Wirfs.
28. Green Bay Packers- Logan Hall, EDGE/DL, Houston
In this particular mock, the Packers are keeping Aaron Rodgers. If that’s the case, they still have a team capable of making a run. With the likelihood of Za’Darius Smith returning in 2022 shrinking by the day, the Packers draft his successor with Logan Hall of Houston. The Cougars had a similar player go round 1 last year in Payton Turner. Hall projects to be a better version of that.
29. Miami Dolphins- Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
If the Dolphins are giving Tua one more year to prove himself, they should follow the same principle as the Browns did with their first-round selection and give him another target in the passing game so that there are fewer excuses. Drafting the 8th offensive lineman in the first round could make sense here, but the front office and coaching staffs have yet to figure out that position. Instead the Dolphins get perhaps the most polished receiving option in the class in Chris Olave who may have been a first-rounder in 2021, but returned to school and had another great season with the Buckeyes instead. He’s got good speed, great route running skills and catches everything. The pairing of Olave and Jaylen Waddle presents a perfect dynamic duo out wide in South Beach.
30. Kansas City Chiefs- Drake London, WR, USC
The Chiefs desperately need a number 2 receiver in their offense and Drake London is the perfect complementary target for the team to go along with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. At 6’5 215, London is faster than you might think and is perfect for any jump ball scenario with his background as a basketball player as well. London has the gifts to be the best receiver to come out of this class and he lands in the perfect spot in Kansas City, where he won’t be asked to carry the load of the passing game right away.
31. Cincinnati Bengals- Zion Johnson, IOL, Boston College
If you saw the Super Bowl (and I would venture that if you’re reading this that you did) you probably noticed that the Bengals’ offensive line is still a work in progress. Quinton Spain is fine at left guard. The team has a solid left tackle in Jonah Williams and Trey Hopkins is a perfectly capable starting center. It’s the right side of the line that’s the sticking point. The Bengals should hopefully get 2021 second-round pick, Jackson Carman, on the field next year, but that would still leave one spot open. Zion Johnson’s been one of the best interior offensive linemen in the country for the better part of three years now and has shown he can play just about anywhere on the offensive line. He had a great week at the Senior Bowl and his position flexibility is music to the ears of a Bengals team desperately searching to have an OL with 5 starting-calibre players.
32. Detroit Lions- Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
It’s no secret that the Lions need a QB, and would you look at that, perhaps the safest QB in the class (not saying much, I know) falls to them at 32. Pickett Lands in a spot where he doesn’t need to start right away, and he also gets to play indoors 9 games every season. The perfect gift for a QB with small hands.
