NFL Mock Draft 1.0 (Pre Free Agency)

With the combine finished and free agency ready to kick off, it's only fitting that we drop our first mock of the year and give the people an EARLY look into the potential of the 2022 NFL Draft. We decided to go no trades + include some free agency assumptions for our mock 1.0 just like last season.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars- Evan Neal OL Alabama

Let's start things off with a FREAK athlete. We understand that Cam Robinson just got the Franchise Tag and they also have a need at edge, but Evan Neal is a top tier athlete who has proved his versatility on the line against the SEC. His immaculate college career featured starting stints at Guard, Right Tackle, and Left Tackle. Protecting their franchise QB has to be priority 1; bringing in Neal instantly helps this cause.

2. Detroit Lions- Aidan Hutchinson EDGE Michigan

A hometown pick for a rebuilding team is exactly what the Lions need this draft. The Lions had one of the worst pass rushes in the league last year, tied for the 3rd least team QB pressures. The Michigan product has all the tools you look for, especially length and power. As a 3 down type of defensive end Hutchinson will make an immediate impact on this rebuilding Dan Campbell team.

3. Houston Texans- Kayvon Thibodeaux EDGE Oregon

The Texans have holes on every level and even though an Edge rusher seems like a luxury pick at this point but they just need NFL caliber players and Thibodeaux fills that. Widely considered as the best prospect in the draft until a couple months ago, Thibodeaux comes in and becomes the face of the Texans organization who desperately needs one.

4. New York Jets- Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner CB Cincinnati

The Jets get an absolute baller here at number 4. Sauce didn’t give up a Touchdown in 3 seasons at Cincinnati. Yeah… you read that right. The Jets go and get their anchor for defensive minded head coach Robert Saleh. Gardner has major star potential and can bring that much needed CB leader they’ve been lacking since Revis left.

5. New York Giants- Ikem Ekwonu OL North Carolina State

If the Giants decide to roll with Danny Dimes and Saquan they will need to be proactive in building the trenches. Our second lineman off the board is highly regarded as the best run blocker in the class. Ikem Ekwonu boasts an immense amount of power at the point of attack. He instantly improves a zone blocking scheme as well as most schemes immediately. He’s a tone setter and will be aggressive with top defenders from the jump.

6. Carolina Panthers- Charles Cross OL Mississippi State

Coming off a phenomenal defensive year, the big question is whether the Panthers pull the trigger on a signal caller, or decide to build the O-Line. Free Agency will shed light on this pick more than most, but with one of the best pass protectors on the board and many QBs still needing a home, we're rolling with Charles Cross. Cross had dominant year; giving up just 2 sacks on 700+ passing protection snaps. All you hear from the top scouts is his amazing first step and ability to resist the rush. Something that will be very refreshing to this Panthers squad.

7. New York Giants (via Chicago)- Kyle Hamilton S Notre Dame

With multiple question marks in the Giants secondary heading into free agency Kyle Hamilton seems like a homerun here. He’s arguably one of the highest safety prospects in the last couple decades and has big play ability and range. If Jabrill Peppers is out and Hamilton is on the board at 7 this seems like a no brainer.

8. Atlanta Falcons- Treylon Burks WR Arkansas

With Calvin Ridley getting suspended this pick makes too much sense. Outside of Kyle Pitts, the Falcons have zero outside threats. Treylon is a freak athlete and we don’t believe his draft stock will tank because of the bad combine showing. NFL level coaches can help his tree route and refine some other skills to bring him to the next level

9. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver)- Malik Willis QB Liberty

Willis had a very impressive combine that separated him from the other QBs. Seattle is officially in rebuild mode after trading away Wilson for a haul that included this pick. We believe it makes sense for Seattle to start that rebuild with a Wilson-esque QB.

10. New York Jets (via Seattle)- Garrett Wilson WR Ohio State

The headline just writes itself… Wilson to Wilson. They need to get their franchise QB some legit weapons and Garrett Wilson has the size, speed and the hands to be a constant weapon for Zach Wilson. With two picks in the first round the Jets will be looking to continue to build after hitting on some nice building blocks over the last two years.

11. Washington Commanders- Devin Lloyd LB Utah

The first pick in the Commanders era is an aggressive and versatile linebacker in Devin Lloyd. He has plus coverage skills and always seems to be around the football. Washington already has a legitimate defensive line so getting a linebacker to complement them makes sense for a Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio lead defense.

12. Minnesota Vikings- Derek Stingley Jr. CB LSU

Minnesota has been desperate for a lockdown corner for the past few years. Patrick Peterson was obviously not the answer last year. Assuming that they stick with Cousins, I think that they retool at the CB position with another LSU standout. Injury concerns are there, however, his presence immediately upgrades this team’s secondary.

13. Cleveland Browns- Drake London WR USC

As much as people pile on Baker for his QB performance, they still need WRs. Even with the Amari Cooper signing Jarvis Landry could easily be on his way out coming on a contract year (potential dead cap hit of just 1.5 million if released now). Drake London has a unique build and while we could easily see some D-line depth here ultimately they take the best player available. London has been rising in our draft rankings and the commitment to weapons is significant for a team that averaged less than 200 pass yards per game.

14. Baltimore Ravens- Jordan Davis DL Georgia

Baltimore suffered some significant losses on defense due to injury. We think they will bolster the interior of their defense with Jordan Davis who had a very impressive combine. Him with Oweh on the edge set the foundation of a scary front 4.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (via Miami)- George Karlaftis EDGE Purdue

The Eagles have an endless amount of moves they can make in the middle of the 1st round as they have 3 out of the next 5 picks. Karlaftis has major buzz in January which has slowly tapered off since but he remains our #3 pass rusher on the board. His high motor matched with elite power rush skills can provide an immediate bump to this D-Line. The Eagles were 2nd to last in sacks forced in 2021, something they will need to improve on fast.

16. Philadelphia Eagles (via Indianapolis)- Nakobe Dean LB Georgia

The hole at linebacker is the most apparent with this team and with a top prospect at that position left on the board, Nakobe Dean lands in Philly. The video attached screams range. He’s always around the ball, flying around the field and having the knack of a true playmaker. Dean is a strong tackler and easily has some of the best instincts and overall football IQ in this class. The Eagles grab a field general and get two defensive studs in back to back picks.

17. Los Angeles Chargers- Devonte Wyatt DL Georgia

The Chargers just made the trade for Khalil Mack making their pass rush duo one of the best we’ve seen in a while but they were terrible against the run in 2021 giving up 138.9 rush yards per game. Devonte Wyatt is a fast and physical Defensive Lineman who can clog up those rushing lanes and win those 1 on 1 battles he's bound to see with Los Angeles’ talent on the outsides.

18. New Orleans Saints- Kenny Pickett QB Pittsburgh

The Saints are in a weird spot since their roster is built to win now but have a major need at QB and will be going into 2022 with a new head coach. Taking a QB (and his contract) here can help with their Cap Space situation and help them build even more towards a Championship.

19. Philadelphia Eagles- Kenyon Green OL Texas A&M

Kenyon Green is a consensus top interior lineman in this class and considering the deep WR free agency class we decided to grab O-Line help for one of the top rushing teams in the league. He took snaps at every spot on the line besides Center in 2021 and isn’t ever shy about finishing his blocks, he’s a massive weapon for rushing offenses.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers- Matt Corral QB Mississippi

We don’t believe the GM of the Steelers when he gave Rudolph the ‘vote of confidence’ to be a starter for this team. QB is probably the 2nd biggest team need outside of OL after Big Ben’s retirement. Matt Corral had a very impressive season at Ole Miss. Showing off potential as a downfield passer and runner. This should definitely open up the offense with play actions and QB options.

21. New England Patriots- Trent McDuffie CB Washington

With J.C. Jackson hitting the open market and likely receiving a pay day elsewhere, the Patriots reload their secondary and take one of the top corners off the board. One of the few knocks on McDuffie is length, but his ability to play both man and zone and not shy away from contact make him a first round corner. The Patriots have proven they can develop corners in the press situations, which could really help round out McDuffie.

22. Las Vegas Raiders- Tyler Linderbaum C Iowa

With how the AFC West is looking this year the Raiders have 3 huge needs and one of them is the offensive line. With the belief that Vegas will bring in a WR and CB in Free Agency, going with Linderbaum is a safe pick that will come in and protect Derek Carr from day one. Linderbaum brings a tough player who can be a monster upgrade at the position.

23. Arizona Cardinals- Travon Walker EDGE Georgia

Most mock drafts have Walker as top 15 pick, his slip here has nothing to do with talent but more of pre free agency need. Walker has dominated the post college season, showing out at the combine and demonstrating his pure potential. He’s one of those guys that I wouldn’t bat an eye at if he was selected in the top 10. The Cardinals get an immediate replacement for Chandler Jones at 23.

24. Dallas Cowboys- Bernhard Raimann Central Michigan

Dallas is in a weird spot with their money. Almost in some sort of cap purgatory. They just released Cooper and will most likely release Collins. We think a safe pick here would be to replace Collins with an athletic lineman like Raimann to protect Dak.

25. Buffalo Bills- Jameson Williams WR Alabama

The Bills are solid pretty much at every position. Why not take a shot at a vertical threat like Williams. The Bills can afford to bring him back slowly from his ACL injury and reap the benefits come playoff time.

26. Tennessee Titans- Zion Johnson OL Boston College

The Titans can go multiple routes here but building the interior O-Line seems like the best bet considering the lack of depth in this class. Zion Johnson has been climbing draft boards the past month due to his ability to move through defenders and create space. Derrick Henry will instantly appreciate this 6’3, 312 pound guard and his ability to redirect some big bodies.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Jermaine Johnson II EDGE Florida State

Jermaine Johnson is another guy that's been flying up boards lately. His size jumps out as he’s 6’5, 250+ and ran a blazing fast 4.58 40 yard dash. He can easily fit into any scheme needed and has the explosiveness to compete right away. Johnson will show his relentlessness from the jump and matches that with excellent defensive instincts.

28. Green Bay Packers- Chris Olave WR Ohio State

We will be looking for the Packers to draft weapons for Rodgers this year after that history making extension. They have needed someone opposite of Davante Adams for a while and this is a loaded WR draft class. Olave had a geat combine and is considered one of the more complete WR in this class.

29. Miami Dolphins (via San Francisco)- Trevor Penning OL Northern Iowa

Miami needs to protect their QB who has shown some flashes of being great but has also shown his share of being a career backup. The Dolphins need to protect Tua to give him the best chance of success and Penning is a big and physical tackle who can really do a nice job of anchoring that Offensive line.

30. Kansas City Chiefs- Kaiir Elam CB Florida

The Kansas City Chiefs have virtually no needs on the offensive side of the ball so it’s easy to go defense here but with three good offenses in the AFC West you can never have enough quality cornerbacks. With Mathieu most likely leaving, they have a huge need in the secondary. The Chiefs are bound to keep contending at a high level and Elam has the tools to be a huge reason for their success now, and in the future.

31. Cincinnati Bengals- Darian Kinnard OT Kentucky

The SB exposed the year long hole at OL that the Bengals need to fill. They absolutely need to pick the best lineman here to protect their franchise QB, give him more time to throw, and let the deep plays develop with Jamarr Chase. Kinnard won't sniff most 1st round boards but his size and skill land him in Cincy here.

32. Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles Rams)- Desmond Ridder QB Cincinnati

It’s fairly safe to say that Goff is not the long term answer at QB. Especially with the contract he carries with him. We think the Lions can go with a better QB here with Ridder. A year behind Goff would be beneficial so the Lions can accrue more talent for their young QB.

This Mock Draft was centered around emphasizing talent level, team need/fit, and free agency market. Nevertheless with the ever changing nature of this league things could look a lot different come April 1st.

* Special Shoutout to Twitter accounts: @UGArecruiting20, @Footballism, @Dpbrugler, @PFF_Anthony

- Written and evaluated by: Ryan Mobley, Vince Sciacqua, and Patrick McPartland