By Jack Follman, SuperWest Sports
April 2, 2022
We’re about a month out from the 2022 NFL Draft. We’re post-Combine with Pro Days behind us, and the layout of the first couple of rounds is actually starting to take shape for me.
This will be the first mock I do of two full rounds. We’ve seen a lot of movement with Pac-12 players within rounds in the offseason but no one really jumping rounds yet.
The most interesting thing to watch as the Draft approaches will be how the top four Pac-12 prospects end up lining up in where they are taken.
Devin Lloyd, Drake London, and Trent McDuffie now appear to have the potential to be taken ahead of Kayvon Thibodeaux.
First Round
1. Jacksonville – Aidan Hutchinson, Defensive End, Michigan
2. Detroit – Travon Walker, Defensive End, Georgia
3. Houston – Ikem Ekwonu, Tackle, NC State
4. Jets – Ahmad Gardner, Cornerback, Cincinnati
5. Giants – Evan Neal, Tackle, Alabama
6. Carolina – Malik Willis, Quarterback, Liberty
7. Giants – Kayvon Thibodeaux, Defensive End, Oregon
Thibodeaux has insane range this late in the game. Some mocks still have him as high as No. 2 to the Lions and some have him all the way down in the 15 range.
I think where he goes hinges on whether teams prefer Combine star Travon Walker over him, and if teams decide it’s worth it to take all three of the stud offensive linemen available in the Top 10 over him.
I think there are too many teams that need Edge players high, and with Hutchinson off the board first, it will slide up Edge players and Thibodeaux lands with the Giants, who need a pass rusher.
8. Atlanta – Garrett Wilson, Wide Receiver, Ohio State
9. Seattle – Charles Cross, Tackle, Mississippi State
10. Jets – Kyle Hamilton, Safety, Notre Dame
11. Washington – Drake London, Wide Receiver, USC
London’s size has kept him up at the very top of the wide receiver board. Well, he’s also a ridiculously smooth playmaker with great hands and he could even test getting ahead of the much faster Wilson.
For now, he will be a great WR prospect right around the tenth pick.
12. Minnesota – Derek Stingley Jr., Cornerback, LSU
13. Houston – Jermaine Johnson II, Defensive End, Florida State
14. Baltimore – Jordan Davis, Defensive Tackle, Georgia
15. Philadelphia – Devin Lloyd, Linebacker, Utah
What a run it has been for Lloyd. Before late-2021 he was a guy mostly only Utah and savvy Pac-12 fans knew about. Now he’s a player who feels like a lock to go in the first 20 picks.
I doubt he gets past one of the three picks the Eagles have in the middle of the first if he is still around.
16. Philadelphia – Chris Olave, Wide Receiver, Ohio State
17. Chargers – DeVante Wyatt, Defensive Tackle, Georgia
18. New Orleans – Trevor Penning, Tackle, Northern Iowa
19. Philadelphia – Trent McDuffie, Cornerback, Washington
McDuffie could be the first corner off the board after Gardner, and he feels like an ultra-safe pick as a smooth player who just did nothing but cover receivers in three years in Seattle.
His lack of size drops him a bit and he gets scooped up by one of the many teams that really need cornerbacks in the back half of the First Round.
20. Pittsburgh – Kenny Pickett, Quarterback, Pitt
21. New England – Andrew Booth Jr., Cornerback, Clemson
22. Green Bay – Jameson Williams, Wide Receiver, Alabama
23. Arizona – Kaiir Elam, Cornerback, Florida
24. Dallas – Tyler Linderbaum, Center, Iowa
25. Buffalo – Kenyon Green, Guard, Texas A&M
26. Tennessee – Bernhard Raimann, Tackle, Central Michigan
27. Tampa Bay – Zion Johnson, Guard, Boston College
28. Green Bay – George Karlaftis, Defensive End, Purdue
29. Kansas City – Treylon Burks, Wide Receiver, Arkansas
30. Kansas City – Lewis Cine, Safety, Georgia
31. Cincinnati – Tyler Smith, Tackle, Tulsa
32. Detroit – Desmond Ridder, Quarterback, Cincinnati
Second Round
33. Jacksonville – Daniel Faalele, Tackle, Minnesota
34. Detroit – Jahan Dotson, Wide Receiver, Penn State
35. Jets – David Ojabo, Defensive End, Michigan
36. Giants – Nakobe Dean, Linebacker, Georgia
37. Houston – Roger McCreary, Cornerback, Auburn
38. Jets – Abraham Lucas, Tackle, Washington State
The tackle class is super deep in the First Round but then it falls off and that should be great for Lucas as he should be the best option available in the Second Round.
Teams are also very in need of offensive linemen so I don’t see him last long after the first.
39. Chicago – Darian Kinnard, Guard, Kentucky
40. Seattle – Matt Corral, Quarterback, Mississippi
41. Seattle – Boye Mafe, Defensive End, Minnesota
42. Indianapolis – George Pickens, Wide Receiver, Georgia
43. Atlanta – Nik Bonitto, Defensive End, Oklahoma
44. Cleveland – Logan Hall, Defensive Tackle, Houston
45. Baltimore – Leo Chenal, Linebacker, Wisconsin
46. Minnesota – Arnold Ebiketie, Defensive End, Penn State
47. Washington – Sam Howell, Quarterback, North Carolina
48. Chicago – Skyy Moore, Wide Receiver, Western Michigan
49. New Orleans – Jalen Tolbert, Wide Receiver, South Alabama
50. Kansas City – Kyler Gordon, Cornerback, Washington
Gordon didn’t quite blow up in testing the way I think many thought he would.
He’s still a great Second-Round prospect in a draft where there are few top ones available after Round One.
51. Philadelphia – Daxton Hill, Safety, Michigan
52. Pittsburgh – Jamaree Salyer, Guard, Georgia
53. Green Bay – Trey McBride, Tight End, Colorado State
54. New England – Chad Muma, Linebacker, Wyoming
55. Arizona – Travis Jones, Defensive Tackle, UConn
56. Dallas – Josh Pashcal, Defensive Tackle, Kentucky
57. Buffalo – Martin Emerson, Cornerback, Mississippi State
58. Atlanta – Breece Hall, Running Back, Iowa State
59. Green Bay – Perrion Winfrey, Defensive Tackle, Oklahoma
60. Tampa Bay – Justyn Ross, Wide Receiver, Clemson
61. San Francisco – Tariq Woolen, Cornerback, UTSA
62. Kansas City – Drake Jackson, Defensive End, USC
Jackson has fallen down draft boards for a while now and not just because he was underwhelming in 2020 and 2021.
He’s still a player with so much upside though and I don’t think he falls out of the Second Round.
63. Cincinnati – Brian Asomoah, Linebacker, Oklahoma
64. Denver – Christian Harris, Linebacker, Alabama
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