2022 NFL Mock Draft: Falcons hit reset at QB, Packers plug hole on defense
New 2022 NFL Mock Draft entering Week 2 of the season as team needs become clearer, as does the outlook for every team this year.
We’re just entering Week 2 of the NFL season but some teams are already starting to look ahead to the 2022 NFL Draft. In fact, any franchise that’s worth its salt is doing the same, but some organizations and fanbases already have a larger focus on the future (and potentially on every 2022 NFL mock draft) than others.
Of course, because the college football season is also young, there is still a lot to learn about the class of players that will appear in this 2022 NFL mock draft and in future ones. However, all we can do is work with the information we have now and then go from there.
So with that being said, we’re going through the full first round with the draft order determined by our latest NFL Power Rankings to build a 2022 NFL mock draft that gives every team picking exactly what they need.
2022 NFL Mock Draft – Picks No. 1-4
player. 52. . OT (Alabama). Jacksonville Jaguars. Evan Neal. 1
If the Jacksonville Jaguars could draft a new head coach, they might take whoever up on that offer, even after only one game with Urban Meyer. That, of course, isn’t how this thing works, so they settle for the best offensive tackle in the class, Evan Neal.
An absolute freak at the position, Neal has performed well for the Crimson Tide to this point and could provide Trevor Lawrence with a long-term blindside protector if Cam Robiinson leaves after this season playing on the franchise tag.
Derek Stingley Jr.. 2. player. 30. . CB (LSU). New York Jets
There’s a chance that someone off the street could come into the Jets secondary and do just about as much as their current group of cornerbacks. Things are that bad for this group but Derek Stingley Jr. can help. Possessing elite man-coverage traits, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound LSU product has all the tools to be a shutdown player at the NFL level.
Kyle Hamilton. 3. player. 50. . S (Notre Dame). Detroit Lions
In back-to-back years, we’ve seen Isaiah Simmons and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah captivate NFL draftniks and Kyle Hamilton is in that mold but also might be the best of the bucnh.
The Notre Dame safety is a sure tackler in the open field with great play strength and explosiveness in his 6-foot-3, 218-pound frame to go with great range as a mover as well. But when you pair that with elite coverage ability as well, he’s the type of playmaker the Lions simply don’t have on defense. And if Jared Goff needs more of an audition, then Hamilton is the easy pick.
31. . EDGE (Oregon). New York Giants. Kayvon Thibodeaux. 4. player
General manager Dave Gettleman and the rest of the Giants front office would be doing proverbial backflips if Kayvon Thibodeaux fell into their laps at No. 4. Some people have the Oregon edge rusher as the best prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft but, no matter where you slot him, he’s a versatile and long rusher who can overwhelm tackles with his physical tools. Once he develops more technique and an arsenal of moves, he’s a double-digit sack player in waiting for the NFL.