The latest 2022 NFL mock draft features a new player on top to the Detroit Lions and plenty of twists and turns throughout round one.
The Detroit Lions got their first victory of the 2021 season, but they remain alive for the top overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. In this 2022 NFL mock draft scenario, the Lions make yet another change with the top pick.
For months, the top pick has been expected to be Oregon pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, or possibly a quarterback prospect like Matt Corral. In fact, Corral was the player atop our other most recent mock draft scenario.
In recent weeks, a new possible first overall pick has emerged right in the Lions’ backyard. In this 2022 NFL mock draft scenario, we take a look at some fascinating player-team fits and prospect matches including some new quarterbacks for not only the Detroit Lions, but also the New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Carolina Panthers…
Latest 2022 NFL mock draft features a new #1 overall pick
The Detroit Lions need to rebuild the foundation of their roster. It began in the 2021 NFL Draft when they got one of the best linemen in the class, Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell.
Most of my personal mock drafts to this point have had the Lions taking Oregon pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, but they shouldn’t have to go so far out west to find a player that fits the way this team wants to rebuild.
Aidan Hutchinson is right in their backyard.
The Heisman finalist has been a game-changer this season, racking up 13 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss going into the College Football Playoff.
At 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, Hutchinson is an unreal athlete with a variety of moves to win off the edge. He has a similar play style to that of Chargers star pass rusher Joey Bosa.
Kayvon Thibodeaux may have better production over the last three years compared to Aidan Hutchinson as a pass rusher, and he may have a higher ceiling.
Although Hutchinson is hotter right now, Thibodeaux is absolutely still a top overall pick candidate.
For many mock draft scenarios, the Jaguars have gone with Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal, who still makes plenty of sense here. However, in this scenario, they don’t pass on the opportunity to pair up their current best defensive player — Josh Allen — with a guy who could wreak havoc with him off the edge.
Houston Texans take first swing at a QB in 2022 NFL mock draft
It’s going to be a fascinating offseason in Houston, isn’t it?
No one knows at this point what the future holds for Deshaun Watson. The Texans decided not to trade him at this year’s deadline, and since that time, Tua Tagovailoa seems to have made some big strides for the only team that was rumored to be seriously interested in Watson, the Miami Dolphins.
If Watson is cleared off the field, the Texans should be able to get an incredible bounty of picks for him from some team. Who? That remains to be seen.
Davis Mills has an important audition coming up, but I think David Culley is going to get the chance to talk GM Nick Caserio into a playmaker like Matt Corral, who could fit what he wants to do offensively very well.
The Jets have the 4th and 5th overall pick in this mock draft scenario thanks to the Jamal Adam trade with the Seattle Seahawks, a deal that looks worse and worse for Seattle by the day.
Maybe somewhat ironically, the Jets get a safety here with one of these picks, albeit a very different kind of safety by comparison to Adams.
Hamilton has elite range and playmaking ability and can interchange between playing the deep safety position and sliding into the box. He would be a star in Robert Saleh’s defense.
New York Jets load up on secondary in 2022 NFL mock draft
The Jets placed a major emphasis on the offensive side of the ball early on in the 2021 NFL Draft, so here they switch it up and go with the defensive side.
Robert Saleh is obviously a defensive coach and with the infrastructure in place on offense as well as a QB of the future in Zach Wilson, Saleh should have his pick of defensive prospects to build around early in this particular draft class.
Either that, or the Jets are going to get a ton of calls from teams about moving into one of these picks.
Derek Stingley Jr. suffered an injury early this season but he’s still pretty much considered the unanimous CB1 of this class and paired with Kyle Hamilton would give the Jets a couple of major building blocks defensively.
The New York Giants have so many question marks heading into the 2022 offseason, not the least of which will be whether or not they can do enough to lure Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks.
Would they have to use both of their 2022 first-round picks to get him? If the Giants keep their picks, they’ll need to revamp the offensive line a bit more.
Evan Neal is a freak at the tackle position and the Giants could move him or Andrew Thomas to the right side. This team will obviously need to protect its QB, but they also need to do a better job of clearing lanes for Saquon Barkley.
After taking the best tackle prospect in this draft with the previous pick, the New York Giants turn right around and get the best interior offensive line prospect in the class as well.
Tyler Linderbaum has looked like an NFL player for the last three years at Iowa, and this is an area the Giants need to address.
They made a trade for Billy Price before the season but Linderbaum is the type of guy that’s going to solve this issue for the long haul.
Just like the Detroit Lions did earlier in this mock draft, the Atlanta Falcons don’t have to look far from a potential game-changer off the edge for their defense.
Travon Walker has the size to play a versatile role on the defensive front and even if the stats don’t reflect it, he’s been a consistently disruptive player against both the run and pass this season for the Bulldogs.
Guys who are 275 pounds aren’t usually able to move around like Walker, who gets asked to play coverage at times for Georgia as well.
He’s an outstanding athlete and projects well to the next level.
Vikings add another top WR threat in 2022 NFL mock draft
As has been pointed out on Twitter, Kenny Pickett was once heavily recruited by Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule. As a matter of fact, Pickett committed to Temple, initially, before ultimately deciding to go to Pitt.
That ultimately may wind up meaning absolutely nothing…or everything.
Pickett has been one of the biggest risers in college football this year, utilizing the extra year of eligibility to his advantage and enhancing his NFL Draft stock substantially.
Pickett has shown a tremendous ability to push the ball to every level of the field with accuracy. He has also shown outstanding mobility and has one of the best moves of the season, a fake slide that resulted in a long touchdown against Wake Forest.
If he had bigger hands, people would probably be talking about him as the number one pick. There’s still time for that, too.
Adam Thielen will be 32 next season and while he’s not exactly declining, how could the Vikings pass up the best receiver in the draft here with a skill set that perfectly complements Justin Jefferson for the future?
Garrett Wilson has a fun combination of speed, toughness, and the ability to win at the catch point downfield.
He knows how to create separation despite not having ideal size and he would transform this Vikings’ offense.
New Orleans Saints swing on a QB in latest 2022 NFL mock draft
The New Orleans Saints make an extremely bold move here to bring in Malik Willis, an Atlanta native whose last couple of seasons at Liberty have been extremely productive.
Even if Willis is not the most refined prospect in the class at the quarterback position, he has outstanding all-around traits with speed, toughness as a runner, a strong arm, and the ability to make game-changing plays at any given time.
After what the Saints have gotten this year from Jameis Winston, Trevor Siemian, and Taysom Hill, why not give this a shot?
Willis would be a pretty big risk for Sean Payton, but perhaps a very worthwhile risk.
With three picks in this 2022 NFL mock draft scenario, the Philadelphia Eagles have to make sure they go with the best possible players available.
Ekwonu has recently earned some top-10 hype, but he falls to the Eagles’ top pick in this mock.
There were questions about Ekwonu’s ability to hold up at tackle but he’s done so nicely this season and improved more than almost any other player in this class.
The Eagles have Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson at the tackle positions right now, but Ekwonu could slide in at guard and give them an immediate starter there as they look to establish a dominant ground game with Jalen Hurts under center.
Philadelphia Eagles land top defensive playmaker in 2022 NFL mock draft
With back-to-back picks, the Philadelphia Eagles go for a player here in Devin Lloyd who has been one of the most dynamic three-down playmakers in all of college football.
At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Lloyd is exactly what the NFL covets today in terms of size, athleticism, range, and instincts.
He has an astounding 22 tackles for loss this season along with seven sacks, four interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns.
To say he’s been all over the field would be an understatement. The Eagles need to fortify their defense at all three levels, and Lloyd will fill a longstanding problem area for them.
The Denver Broncos made a massive trade before this year’s deadline, sending Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams which leaves Brandon McManus as the lone remaining member of their Super Bowl 50 squad on the roster.
The team has in-house options to “replace” Miller but rest assured, this will be a position area of emphasis going forward.
The Broncos get a boost opposite Bradley Chubb and along with Jonathon Cooper here in George Karlaftis, one of the more relentless pass rushers in college football since he stepped foot on a field for the Boilermakers.
Karlaftis may be the best rusher in this class at converting speed to power outside of Aidan Hutchinson.
There are a number of directions the Las Vegas Raiders could go with this selection.
If Mike Mayock is still the man in charge of things, we know how much he’s loved the Clemson program in recent years.
Andrew Booth Jr. has really come along this season as many expected he might, and he’s proven he could be the next in a growing line of stellar cornerback prospects coming out of that Clemson program.
Booth has tremendous ball skills and would be a game-changer for the Raiders’ defense.
The former Ohio State transfer had just 15 receptions coming into this season with the Buckeyes, but he has exploded in the Alabama offense.
On 68 receptions this season, Williams is averaging a staggering 21.3 yards per reception and he’s already got 15 touchdowns going into the College Football Playoff.
Here he returns to the state of Ohio, which no longer includes Odell Beckham Jr.
The Browns need a true go-to, number one receiver in their offense and Williams could be it.
Philadelphia Eagles cap off trio of picks in 2022 NFL mock draft
With their first pick in this mock draft scenario, the Eagles got themselves a mauler on the offensive line in Ikem Ekwonu out of NC State.
They followed that up by getting an athletic playmaker at linebacker in Devin Lloyd out of Utah.
Here, they go with one of the biggest risers in this year’s Draft process, Michigan pass rusher David Ojabo. Ojabo has been extremely productive this year and may be one of the best edge benders in the entire class. A lot of the other pass rushers in this class win in other areas but Ojabo gets to the QB quicker than most.
This would complete a borderline ideal first round for the Eagles, who would obviously plan on building around Jalen Hurts in this scenario.
If this is the final year for Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, it’s been an incredible run.
The Steelers could look to a “hometown” player in Pitt’s Kenny Pickett if the opportunity presents itself, but GM Kevin Colbert has visited the UNC campus on a number of occasions this year and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them even move up to get Howell.
It hasn’t been the most impressive season from Howell, but he was awesome in his first two seasons with the Tar Heels before losing a bunch of teammates to the NFL this past offseason.
That would affect a lot of QBs.
Howell still has so many traits NFL teams covet, and the Steelers would probably not pass on him in a situation like this.
Even after using a first-round pick on Austin Jackson in the 2020 NFL Draft, the offensive line remains a problem area for the Miami Dolphins.
That’s not to say that Cross already needs to be replaced in Miami, but they probably wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to add a starting tackle at this spot.
Charles Cross is still raw as a prospect, but the traits are there for him to be a long-term starter in the NFL and the Dolphins have to find ways to surround Tua Tagovailoa with the best possible talent.
The Washington Football Team may have no choice but to let Taylor Heinicke be a bridge for them again in 2022.
After banking on Ryan Fitzpatrick this past offseason, Heinicke has stepped in nicely and helped lead the Football Team to another potential playoff berth in 2022, this time without Chase Young.
On the offensive side of the ball, this team has to just continually make progress. I loved the pick of Samuel Cosmi last offseason but Charles Leno Jr. is just a placeholder for them right now. Trevor Penning plays at a small school, but he’s massive, athletic, and strong.
He could step in immediately at left tackle and give Washington a young pair of bookends to build around.
The Buffalo Bills have been emphasizing the trenches on both side of the ball since they used their first-round pick on Josh Allen in 2018.
The defensive side has had a bit heavier emphasis in the early rounds of late, so this time around, they get themselves a solid value on the offensive line.
Whether the Bills feel they need an upgrade at tackle or guard, Kenyon Green can be the guy. He has proven inside-outside versatility and that kind of versatility will endear him to NFL coaches.
Most mock draft scenarios up to this point involve the Cincinnati Bengals going after more offensive line help after passing on Penei Sewell in 2021 for Ja’Marr Chase.
So far, that looks like they made themselves a good decision, with all due respect to the work Sewell has done in Detroit.
On the defensive side, the Bengals don’t exactly have long-term solutions figured out at the cornerback position.
Kaiir Elam is a top-10 talent at the position whose production doesn’t match all of his traits at this point, still, the ceiling here is very high and a player with Elam’s size and overall athleticism is well worth the risk in the late first-round.
I think the Chargers will find a way to retain Mike Williams after this season. The former first-rounder out of Clemson has been far too impactful to just let hit the open market.
Even if that does happen, I think the Chargers will pursue some additional reinforcements at receiver.
Treylon Burks is a big-bodied playmaker who can be the LA version of Deebo Samuel. We haven’t seen him utilized in as versatile of a role as Samuel has been with the 49ers, but he has that kind of potential.
A trio of Burks, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams? With Justin Herbert firing the passes? Yikes.
I typically shy away from giving the Lions a quarterback in mock draft scenarios these days, but this situation here is fascinating.
Jared Goff will still be around if the Lions want him to be. With that being said, if this team is going to pass on QBs at the top of the Draft, they should give themselves a player to evaluate in another building year in 2022.
Desmond Ridder is one of the ideal dart throw types of prospects at QB in this class because of his arm talent, experience, leadership, and speed as a runner.
He’s a dynamic athlete and a talented player with a good head on his shoulders. It would be worth a pick here to see if the Lions could strike gold while also getting a guy like Hutchinson at number one overall.
The Dallas Cowboys seem to come away with a steal in every 2022 NFL mock draft scenario I put together.
For the last dozen picks, I’ve been trying to find the best slot for Dean, who doesn’t have ideal size like Devin Lloyd but he’s been an extremely impactful three-down linebacker.
Yes, the Cowboys just drafted Micah Parsons this past season, but they are soon to say goodbye to Leighton Vander Esch, Keanu Neal only signed a one-year deal, and this position group could quickly become an area of need again if they let it.
Or, if they make this pick, it could quickly become an area of strength for a long, long time.
How could the NFL possibly let this happen?
Could Roger Goodell intervene to prevent this?
The Kansas City Chiefs don’t lack for dynamic playmakers on offense, so adding Chris Olave would just be flat-out unfair.
They have struggled this season with dropped passes, but Olave is a sure-handed receiver with big-play ability who would make Kansas City’s offense even more terrifying than it already is.
The Baltimore Ravens love a good value in the NFL Draft, and they always seem to get it.
Although draft grades are objective and certainly beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to instantly evaluating draft classes, typically the Baltimore Ravens are near the top of everyone’s list.
Picks like this are why.
Jordan Davis may be a part-time player and a better run defender than pass rusher, but he’s a force on the defensive interior who has the chance to be a game-changer. The Ravens’ defensive line could use a jolt and Davis is a tremendous fit here.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gotten better as the season goes along, but their secondary was a problem early on and injuries were a reason why.
The Bucs spent a lot of their 2021 draft capital on guys who were more of “down the road” investments but Gardner is someone who could contend for immediate playing time on their defense.
He has not allowed a single touchdown in his college career.
There was a period of time when DeMarvin Leal was a lock for the top-10 picks of any 2022 NFL mock draft.
Here we are after most of the college football season is complete, and his stock has taken a mini plummet.
Although Leal is still a very solid prospect, he may not be dynamic enough on the defensive interior to go in the top 10 selections overall. Still, he would provide Mike Vrabel’s defense with a versatile player who can move around the front and play with strength and outstanding movement skills for someone who is nearly 300 pounds.
If Aaron Rodgers is traded in the 2022 offseason, how ironic would it be for Brian Gutekunst to use his first-round pick on a wide receiver?
This has been an area of need for the Packers for quite some time, but Rodgers is so good that the personnel behind Davante Adams at wide receiver hasn’t mattered a ton.
Will Davante Adams be done in Green Bay after this year, too?
I think we’ll see one of Rodgers or Adams back with the Packers, but then again, maybe not.
Even if Adams is back, a big body like London on the outside will provide Rodgers or Jordan Love with a massive target to get the ball to, one with strong hands and the ability to consistently win at the catch point.
The rich keep on getting richer.
Cameron Thomas may not be a household name at this particular point in time, but wait for the pre-draft process to play out.
Cameron Thomas was the Mountain West defensive player of the year and rightfully so. He terrorized quarterbacks all season long to the tune of 68 total tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks.
The Patriots love having guys who can move around the defensive line and Thomas can do just that. He can be a terror in the pass rush department off the edge or playing inside.
It’s time to put some respect on Trey McBride’s name.
He’s making his debut in the first round of one of my mock drafts, and it probably won’t be the last time you see him, either.
When you turn on the tape of this guy, there’s not a more physical, punishing blocker at the tight end position that I have scouted.
Of course for the Arizona Cardinals, it will make much more of a difference how well he catches the ball, and he’s absolutely outstanding in that regard as well.
His first-round status may depend on pre-draft testing and metrics, but with Zach Ertz’s contract expiring, the Cardinals could slide McBride right into their system and he would be an impact player.