NFL Draft: 2022 NFL Mock Draft - Defense Dominates Early

As we near the end of the college football season, let's take a look at the latest first-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft. View the breakdown of each team's picks and their scouting reports.

NFL Draft: 2022 NFL Mock Draft

As we near the end of the college football season, let's take a look at the latest first-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft. View the breakdown of each team's picks and their scouting reports

With college football bowl games in full effect and the playoffs just around the corner, it's time to dive deep into these mock drafts. The NFL Draft order at the top will be solidified soon enough and we can start predicting the early portion of the first round. Let's dive into the first round of the latest 2022 NFL Mock Draft.

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1. Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Evan Neal, Alabama

"A huge two-year starter at left guard and right tackle. Neal has rare athleticism for his size, possessing quick feet and lower body flexibility to get out of his stance and work to the second level."

2. Detroit Lions:  DE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan

"Aidan Hutchinson is an experienced, productive and well-built defensive end. He primarily wins with his length and technique, managing distance well. Hutchinson also fights hands to keep his frame clear. What’s more, he employs early hands and strings a wide variety of moves together with an incredible work rate."

3. New York Jets: DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon

"Kayvon Thibodeaux is one such prospect who has been considered a future first-overall pick contender since his debut college season. The Oregon star’s game is predicated on his incredible athleticism. Thibodeaux boasts excellent burst, change of direction and long speed."

4. Houston Texans: FS Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame

"Kyle Hamilton has both in a 6040, 220-pound frame. The Notre Dame product exhibits excellent short-area burst, long speed, change of direction and clean transitions. The oversized safety also has excellent play strength."

5. New York Giants (via CHI): DE George Karlaftis, Purdue

"Purdue’s George Karlaftis boasts all three. A well-built athlete, the Boilermakers’ star has high-level starter potential at defensive end in both a 4-3 and a 3-4 defense; he is a better fit in a 4-3 front. He can kick inside to 4-3 defensive tackle on passing downs."

6. New York Giants: WR Treylon Burks, Arkansas

"Burks aligns as the starting outside receiver for the Razorbacks. Possesses a very large frame, ideal for an X-receiver. Extremely fluid athlete, long strider who showcases his acceleration and burst in a flash."

7. Carolina Panthers: QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh

"Pickett has very good athletic ability, displaying the foot speed+acceleration to escape the pocket and some agility to make a linebacker miss in space. While he has a large amount of career rushing attempts, Pickett is always keeping his eyes downfield, scanning the defense while he scrambles, exhibiting a pass-first mentality when the play breaks down."

8. New York Jets (via SEA): CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU

"Impressive length, strong hands and the ability to locate the football made Stingley a turnover machine in man coverage as a freshman. The outside corner is an excellent athlete with long speed to carry verticals or drags and crossing routes, great hip fluidity and recovery speed."

9. Washington Football Team: OT Ikem Ekwonu, North Carolina State

"Having lined up at left guard and left tackle, Ekwonu is a very aggressive run blocker who creates a push upfront with great strength. He is very competitive, looking to finish defenders and successfully doing so."

10. Atlanta Falcons: DE David Ojabo, Michigan

"Explosive two-point stance rusher with very good length. Ojabo possesses a great get-off and burst to consistently threaten and win the outside shoulder of tackles from wide alignments. His speed causes tackles to be off-balance, allowing him to extend and knock them off balance at the top of the rush."

11. Minnesota Vikings:  DT DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M

"Leal was moved all over the defensive line in 2020 for the Aggies defense, which hints at one of his biggest strengths, versatility. His size suggests he will move to an interior role on the defensive line, but he has shown to be proficient in every technique."

12. Cleveland Browns: DT Jordan Davis, Georgia

"Nose tackle with great size and strength. Davis eats up space on the interior with his strong anchor. Putting on a clinic in how to stack and shed, he takes advantage of his length and upper body power to extend as he pleases."

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13. Philadelphia Eagles (via MIA): OLB Jermaine Johnson, Florida State

"Jermaine Johnson is an athletic playmaker on the defensive line with a muscular build and long arms giving him a physical advantage. Johnson excels versus the run, playing from 4, 3 and 2 point stances from both the strong and weak side."

14. Denver Broncos: OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State

"Two-year starter at left tackle who possesses great athleticism. Cross plays with excellent foot speed, allowing him to run speed rushers around the pocket consistently. Keeping a wide base with great knee bend, Cross stays on balance and can recover quickly because of it."

15. New Orleans Saints: CB Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson

"Great overall athlete with springy explosiveness. Booth is shot out of a cannon, allowing him to break and make up lost ground quickly. Trusting his deep speed, he does not have to get hands on receivers as he can run with them stride for stride."

16. Las Vegas Raiders: OC Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa

"Aligning at center for the Hawkeyes, Linderbaum displays his wrestling background on every play with an extremely competitive nature exhibited by his tendency to block past the whistle. In the run game, Linderbaum excels in Iowa’s zone-heavy scheme, where his lightning-quick first step allows him to make special reach blocks and gain playside leverage."

17. Los Angeles Chargers: OT Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa

"Penning possesses powerful hands that can uproot defenders. He plays in a calm and composed manner, his footwork is smooth. He isn’t the most athletic, free-moving guy but he showed enough competence to block in space."

18. Baltimore Ravens: ILB Nakobe Dean, Georgia

"Inexperienced, yet smart inside linebacker who continues to get better as a processor. Dean reads and reacts quickly in the run game, coming downhill well and especially excelling in pursuit. The further the season progressed, the more of a communicator he became."

19. Philadelphia Eagles: CB Kaiir Elam, Florida

"Well put together outside cornerback with desired size and length. Elam is a good athlete with sufficient long speed, acceleration and above-average recovery speed. His hips are low and fluid in space allowing him to flip them easily."

20. Miami Dolphins (via SF): OG Kenyon Green, Texas A&M

"Kenyon Green has a thick build at his position of offensive guard. Furthermore, his frame is very balanced so his athleticism does not slack because of his size. Has the flexibility to drop low in his stance to get good leverage at the beginning of every play."

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Matt Corral, Ole Miss

"Matt Corral has improved every year as the Rebels quarterback and should hear his name called early in the 2022 draft. Corral has tremendous feel for maneuvering around in the pocket and while keeping his eyes downfield he gets low to slide up, back, or to the side to evade incoming defenders."

22. Buffalo Bills:  CB Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati

"Has extreme length on the outside at corner. Is able to bump and run at the line of scrimmage in press coverage with his longer frame and is able to stay with receivers stride for stride down the field. Works well with inside leverage in man coverage, pushing guys towards the sideline and forcing difficult throws."

23. Philadelphia Eagles (via IND): WR Drake London, USC

"Natural catcher of the ball. Tough runner after the catch and runs with an edge to him. Possesses good body control and a large catch radius to haul in passes in his relative area. Excellent concentration in traffic and over the middle of the field to keep his eye on the ball throughout the catch process."

24. Arizona Cardinals:  DE Travon Walker, Georgia

"Lining up as a five-technique on base downs, Walker has the positional versatility to kick all the way out to a seven or reduce inside and rush from a three-tech alignment. His length is nothing short of special, utilizing it to outreach blockers and creating knockback."

25. Cincinnati Bengals: LB Devin Lloyd, Utah

"Displaying versatility, Lloyd lines up as the middle and weakside linebacker as well as on the line of scrimmage for the Utes. He possesses great length and quick hands which he uses to avoid second-level blockers."

26. New England Patriots: WR Jameson Williams, Alabama

"Williams displays track-level speed and explosiveness at all times. Hard cuts at the top of routes are able to create separation. Has a unique ability to drop his hips and stop his momentum instantly. Shows the advanced route-running ability to change speeds throughout his stem."

27. Dallas Cowboys: FS Daxton Hill, Michigan

"Although he is a safety, Hill has the coverage ability of a cornerback with added instincts and lateral agility. He plays hard and through the whistle, often frustrating his opponents with his methods. Hill’s pressing ability at the line of scrimmage can interrupt routes run by receivers and causes them to be out of position when the ball comes."

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: QB Malik Willis, Liberty

"Malik Willis has a thicker, more well-built frame than some people may give him credit for. He is a dynamic runner who can execute on designed run plays and also extend plays with his legs to save a bad situation. He offers strength, as well as speed, in his running ability. As a passer, Willis has incredible arm talent."

29. Tennessee Titans: WR Jahan Dotson, Penn State

"As a receiver with extremely quick feet and flexible ankles, Dotson excels as a receiver on underneath routes. He makes it hard for defenders to stay with him completely because of his acceleration into the top of his route."

30. Detroit Lions (via LAR): QB Carson Strong, Nevada

"Prototypical, big frame and build for the position. Looks comfortable and poised in the pocket at all times. He stands in there strong and is willing to take a hit to get the ball out to his receivers. Footwork and mechanics are very smooth and clean."

31. Kansas City Chiefs: WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State

"Wilson is a very smooth mover in space, both as a ball-carrier and a route-runner. He makes changing direction at full speed look extremely easy and silky. He has the versatility to line up anywhere on the offense."

32. Green Bay Packers: WR Chris Olave, Ohio State

"Olave constantly threatens secondaries with his speed. Defenders always have to stay on their toes from the snap of the ball and leave cushion which opens up a lot for Olave’s overall game. He times the snap well and has quick burst off the line to get upfield and into his route."

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