2022 NFL Mock Draft: Washington, Pittsburgh land top QBs
2022 NFL mock draft: Picks 25-28
Pick Analysis. WR. Ohio State. Chris Olave. player. Scouting Report. 25. 16
The Buckeyes have been fortunate to produce talented receivers year after year. The Buffalo Bills are fortunate to have an extremely talented quarterback in Josh Allen. Hence, you fuse the ideologies together and you get the Bills taking Chris Olave and putting him in their lineup.
Olave is certainly a gifted prospect. 65 catches for 936 yards and 13 scores isn’t something to sneeze at, and given how Buffalo needs a player opposite of Stefon Diggs in the passing game, the thought is too good to be true and yet it comes true.
Buffalo is heavily reliant on the pass, and adding Olave, only makes the job for Buffalo less stressful and more complex for the opposition. Olave may not fall this far, but if he does, the Bills need to grab him before another team does.
26. player. Pick Analysis. Northern Iowa. Trevor Penning. Scouting Report. OT. 56
Joe Burrow got his key weapon in Ja’Maar Chase and now the Bengals look like they are turning the corner. All that said, it is finally time to get Burrow some protection on the line, and they do so in Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning.
Northern Iowa is mostly known as the birthplace of Kurt Warner, but Penning has carved out a nice niche for himself. This past fall, he was the only offensive lineman named as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award. At 6’7″, 340 pounds, he is a massive human being and would serve really well as a bodyguard for Burrow and company.
Though he plays at a smaller school, Penning has the necessary tools to be successful in the NFL. Given how he played in a pro-style offense in college, expect him to make a seamless transition to the NFL and likely into the Day 1 starting lineup for Cincinnati next season.
27. player. 48. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. CB. Washington. Trent McDuffie
Though Tom Brady’s troops just won the NFC South, the main issue outside of injuries has been their secondary, particularly the cornerback position. There isn’t the one guy that can come in and be a threat. Ronde Barber isn’t walking through the door, but Trent McDuffie can.
The former Huskie was a first-team All-Pac-12 member and registered six pass breakups this past season. Though Washington was below 0.500 at 4-8, McDuffie was a diamond on the roster and projects to make an early impact in the league. The Buccaneers are certainly banking on that.
Explosiveness in the secondary outside of Antoine Winfield Jr is vital for Tampa Bay. Plus, with several of their corners projected to leave via free agency, the Bucs will need to rebuild, and grabbing McDuffie would be an excellent place to start, given that the roster is built to win now.
player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. WR. Alabama. Jameson Williams. 28. 50
Detroit traded Jared Goff to the Rams kick start a rebuild which resulted in Penei Sewell being their first-rounder from a year ago. They got a pass rusher early in this draft and they should feel satisfied with it. Now, thanks to the Goff trade, they are back on the clock, and this time, their offense gets some much-needed speed in the form of Jameson Williams.
Williams is an intriguing prospect, mainly because he flashed at two of college football’s most pristine programs in Ohio State and Alabama. That and his speed. After transferring from Columbus to Tuscaloosa, Williams provided more depth to the Tide’s receiving corps and it paid off handsomely.
68 catches for over 1,400 yards and 15 scores while averaging 21.3 yards per catch is jaw-dropping. Look for Williams to draw double teams in the NFL. Sometimes, a trade doesn’t sound good at first, but its eventual benefits might be worth paying the price for.