We’re only one week away from the draft, which means it’s time to once again take our shot at predicting which teams will land which players.
We won’t be projecting any trades this time around. Everyone’s keeping their pick. We have several major changes in the top 10, and some brand new players in the first round.
So let’s get right into it. Mock Draft Version 10.0… Jacksonville Jaguars, you are on the clock!
1.Jacksonville Jaguars: Aidan Hutchinson
Nothing changes here. The Jaguars have to take the best player available, and Hutchinson would give this franchise a second game-wrecking pass rusher to complement Josh Allen.
And trust us, you need players like Hutchinson when you play in a conference LOADED with superstar quarterbacks.
2. Detroit Lions: Travon Walker
Don’t be shocked if the Lions trade down here. But if they hold the pick, the Georgia defensive end makes a ton of sense for them.
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Detroit lacks quality pass rushers outside of Charles Harris. Walker’s size, strength and athleticism allow him to line up in a number of different spots. He can wreak havoc from anywhere – just the type of guy the Lions can build their defense around.
3. Houston Texans: Evan Neal
It’s the “best player available” mentality here for a team with more flaws than any other squad. Pairing the Alabama sensation alongside veteran mainstay Laremy Tunsil would give Houston an elite tandem at the tackle position.
And an upgraded o-line would give Houston the best chance to evaluate Davis Mills’ ability to lead this team into the future.
4. New York Jets: Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner
New York could really go anywhere here. But after fielding the NFL’s worst defense a year ago, how could the Jets pass up on one of the best cornerback prospects in years?
“Sauce” Gardner would eliminate the opposition’s top wideout, and did you know he didn’t allow a single touchdown in coverage over his three years at Cincinnati? Sounds like someone Robert Saleh could use!
5. New York Giants: Ikem Ekwonu
The G-Men have to use at least one first-rounder here on an offensive lineman. Ikem Ekwonu is ready to start. Pairing him with Andrew Thomas should be too enticing for GM Joe Schoen to pass up on.
2022 is a make-or-break year for Daniel Jones in New York. The least the Giants could do is give him a decent o-line to work behind.
6. Carolina Panthers: Kenny Pickett
By no means is Pickett a top 10 or even a top 15 prospect in this class. But Matt Rhule is on the hot seat, and Carolina is in desperate need of a quarterback.
Pickett is the most NFL-ready QB in this class. Maybe he unleashes it right away with the help of Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore. We hate “reaches” this early, but the Panthers really have no choice.
7. New York Giants (From Chicago Bears): Kayvon Thibodeaux
The Giants should use their second first-rounder on defense here. Oregon pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux is a boom-or-bust prospect, but it’ll be hard for this new regime to pass on the young man’s high ceiling.
Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari and Leonard Williams suddenly give the Giants a promising trio in their front seven.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Hamilton
This would be just perfect for Atlanta. Hamilton gives this leaky defense a dynamic weapon who can fly all across the field.
Hamilton’s best trait is his coverage skills. And as bad as the Atlanta defense looks on paper, Hamilton and AJ Terrell alone could give this group a top-five secondary. How does GM Terry Fontenot pass on that idea?
9. Seattle Seahawks (From Denver Broncos): Charles Cross
The Seahawks SHOULD be in rebuild mode without Russell Wilson, but they don’t seem willing to admit it just yet. Either way, they have enough holes that they should just settle on the best player available. In this case, it’s Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross.
The o-line has been Seattle’s main weakness for a long time. Adding Cross gets Pete Carroll and company one step closer to making it a strength for once.
10. New York Jets (From Seattle Seahawks): Garrett Wilson
The Jets already got “Sauce” Gardner with their fourth-overall pick. Now it’s time to find a home run threat for young QB Zach Wilson.
Garrett Wilson is the most polished receiver prospect in this class. Him, Elijah Moore and Corey Davis would give the Jets three potential 1,000-yard options. That’d be one way of accelerating your young QB’s growth!
11. Washington Commanders: Drake London
The Commanders gave up a lot to bring in Carson Wentz. They have to bring in at least one more weapon to give him the best chance to succeed.
Terry McLaurin, Antonio Gibson and Logan Thomas are a nice start. Adding London gives Washington another playmaking weapon to complement McLaurin. Now the offense is set for Wentz. No excuses.
12. Minnesota Vikings: Derek Stingley Jr.
This pick just makes too much sense. The Vikings need a capable lockdown corner, and future Hall of Famer Patrick Peterson can mentor Stingley into that role.
If he’s able to stay healthy, Stingley could come out of this class as a top three prospect. For Minny, it’s absolutely worth taking a chance on.
13. Houston Texans (From Cleveland Browns): Devin Lloyd
The Texans lack star power on the defensive side of the ball, so let’s solve it by giving them Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd. He’s a playmaker all across the field and would flourish immediately in Lovie Smith’s defense.
14. Baltimore Ravens: Jermaine Johnson II
The Ravens need more juice and speed off the edge. After ignoring that in free agency, they resolve it by picking up the Florida Seminoles standout.
Johnson, who had 12 sacks last year, is tailor-made for an aggressive, blitz-happy defense like the Ravens’.
15. Philadelphia Eagles (From Miami Dolphins): George Karlaftis
With Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox getting up there in age, the Eagles should address the defensive line early.
Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis makes perfect sense here. He can learn from two of the very best in the business in Graham and Cox, before taking over as the lead dog in Philly’s front seven.
16. New Orleans Saints (From Philadelphia Eagles): Trevor Penning
Quarterback is a possibility here, but the popular belief is that the Saints are in win-now mode with Jameis Winston – and that they’ll use their two first round picks to address their two most immediate needs, wide receiver and offensive tackle.
Losing Terron Armstead in free agency leaves NOLA with a hole at left tackle. So Trevor Penning is the pick here. He and Ryan Ramcyzk would solidify that offensive line for the long run.
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Kenyon Green
The Bolts already have two stalwarts on the o-line in Cory Linsley and Rashawn Slater. But the rest of the group leaves a lot to be desired, so let’s give LA a third building block to further improve Justin Herbert’s pass protection.
Green does it all at guard. He’s a world-class run-blocker and a premiere pass protector who allowed just one sack between 2020 and 2021, per Pro Football Focus.
18. Philadelphia Eagles (From New Orleans Saints): Jameson Williams
The Eagles gotta find another explosive pass-catcher to help Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith. Don’t worry about Williams’ ACL tear.
That’s not a career-ending injury in this day and age, and his game-changing speed is too exciting for Philly to pass on. Smith and Williams would give Hurts one of the fastest receiving duos in NFL history. And we’re not exaggerating.
19. New Orleans Saints (From Philadelphia Eagles): Chris Olave
This would be the cherry on top of a solid offseason. After drafting Penning, they find that much-needed third weapon to help out Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara.
Olave is a grade-A route-runner and a matchup nightmare in the red zone – having racked up 32 touchdowns over his last three years at Ohio State. Sounds like someone Jameis Winston would LOVE to have!
Olave AND Penning would put the Saints in great position to compete in a suddenly wide open NFC. With Tom Brady *likely* to retire after the 2022 season, these two picks would put NOLA in the long-term driver’s seat for the NFC South crown.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Desmond Ridder
With few holes all over their roster, Pittsburgh can afford to reach for a QB here.
Cincinnati product Desmond Ridder needs to sit for a year or two, which is just fine because the Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky in free agency.
Ridder has a nice dual-threat game and makes smart decisions with the football. Let him learn behind Trubisky for a year or two before handing Ridder the reins. It’s the perfect situation for all parties.
21. New England Patriots: Nakobe Dean
We know many New England fans want to see a receiver here, but don’t you think the DeVante Parker trade takes them out of the running? Plus receiver isn’t their biggest need right now.
The Patriots need more youth, speed and athleticism on their aging defense. Dean checks off all the boxes, and his high football IQ makes him the type of player Bill Belichick values the most.
22. Green Bay Packers (From Las Vegas Raiders): Treylon Burks
After trading Davante Adams, the Packers seriously gotta take a receiver in round one FOR ONCE.
At this stage, Arkansas product Treylon Burks is the top pass-catcher remaining. Having racked up 18 touchdowns over the last two years, this elite deep threat would immediately do wonders with Aaron Rodgers.
23. Arizona Cardinals: Trent McDuffie
This is such a tough spot to predict, but the Cardinals wouldn’t regret taking a capable cover corner to help them deal with Cooper Kupp, Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf and all those other scary-good pass-catchers in the NFC West.
McDuffie fits the bill, as he has the athleticism to line up anywhere, and could seriously emerge as the top corner from this draft.
24. Dallas Cowboys: Zion Johnson
The Cowboys’ once-stout o-line lost key starters Connor Williams and La’el Collins this offseason.
Dallas has to address the interior part of the unit. Boston College product Zion Johnson can start right away and learn from two future Hall of Famers in Tyron Smith and Zack Martin.
25. Buffalo Bills: Roger McCreary
The Bills may be the most complete team in the NFL, so consider this a luxury pick. They had the NFL’s best defense a year ago, but the ceiling would be even higher with Roger McCreary lining up beside All-Pro Tre’Davious White in the secondary.
Buffalo’s secondary was gashed by Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs last year. That won’t happen again if White and McCreary are joining forces in the secondary.
26. Tennessee Titans: Bernhard Raimann
Tennessee should be locked in on the best offensive lineman remaining. Big Austrian Bernhard Raimann – listed at 6-foot-7 and 305 pounds – would add a TON of juice to a Titans’ team that always looks to wear down their opponents in the trenches.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jordan Davis
You can argue that guard, defensive end or cornerback are bigger positions of need. But imagine if the Bucs had not one, but two elite run-stopping forces together?
Vita Vea takes out double teams on his own, for starters. What if the Bucs added Jordan Davis to that mix? More physicality and strength along the defensive line is never a bad thing to have.
28. Green Bay Packers: Daxton Hill
Some Packers fans understandably want a doubling down on receivers in round one. But could you imagine adding Daxton Hill to a Green Bay secondary that already has Jaire Alexander, Adrian Amos and Rasul Douglas? That would take this defense to a whole other level.
Good luck throwing on these guys.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (From Miami Dolphins): Jahan Dotson
KC is taking the best receiver available either here. The Penn State star is a speedy five-star deep threat who hauled in 12 touchdown passes last season.
Plug him in an Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes-led offense, and watch the fireworks happen.
30. Kansas City Chiefs: Boye Mafe
The Chiefs brought back Frank Clark on a restructured deal, sure. But his inconsistent production means KC should add another starter on the front seven.
Mafe, the Minnesota standout, would be ready to produce right away in Steve Spagnuolo’s super-aggressive defense. He’d give KC a third potential Pro Bowl pass rusher to help Clark and Chris Jones.
31. Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Linderbaum
The Bengals already added Alex Cappa, La’el Collins and Ted Karras to their o-line. Great. Love it. Now pencil in Tyler Linderbaum as your long-term starter at center and watch the offense fly.
Linderbaum is far and away the best center prospect available in this draft. He’d go higher if there were more teams with a need at that position, but the Bengals won’t complain.
Four new starters to upgrade an o-line that allowed Joe Burrow to get sacked 70 times last year, including playoffs? That’d be one heck of an offseason for Cincy.
32. Detroit Lions (From Los Angeles Rams): Malik Willis
With so much draft capital, why shouldn’t the Lions take a chance on a quarterback in the No. 32 spot?
Sure, Liberty QB Malik Willis is a boom-or-bust prospect. But the Lions’ wealth of draft picks allows them to take a shot on a possible franchise quarterback at the end of the first round.
Willis has such high upside but he’s going to need a year or two to develop… No problem there. The Lions can let him sit behind Jared Goff in 2022 – and possibly 2023 – before making the transition.
Willis could really flourish behind an elite Lions offensive line, and the front office would have ample time to improve the supporting cast around him.
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