1 Jacksonville – Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan DE – Jaguars LT Cam Robinson has been franchise tagged. Hutchinson makes the most sense for Baalke and Pederson.
2 Detroit – Malik Willis, Liberty QB – Looking at the quarterbacks in the ’22 class and looking at CJ Stroud and Bryce Young as the stars of the 2023 draft class, Willis with all of his flaws looks like the highest ceiling prospect out of all of his peers. The Lions will start Jared Goff in 2022 regardless of who they draft. Malik Willis could use some help with his accuracy, but looks lightyears ahead of where Josh Allen was at this stage. Willis most closely resembles super QBs Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen with his cannon arm and his ability to move the ball as a runner. Willis will check Dan Campbell’s character box.
3 Houston – Ikem Ekwonu, NC State OL – Lovie Smith specifically first mentioned running the football when asked about running an NFL team. The Texans offensive line when healthy can pass protect, but isn’t beefy in run blocking. The Texans were last place in both yards per carry and total rushing yards last season. Icky is known for his power run blocking.
4 New York Jets – Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon DE – Thibodeaux will fill the role occupied by Nick Bosa when Robert Saleh coached at San Francisco. Some intelligent people like Daniel Jeremiah and Jordan Reid believe Travon Walker will get drafted ahead of Thibodeaux. I believe the Jets will desire the pass rush skill of Thibodeaux more than the overall ceiling of Walker.
5 New York Giants – Evan Neal, Alabama OT – With the struggles New York has had at offensive line, they would be lucky to get Evan Neal.
6 Carolina – Charles Cross, Ole Miss OT – The last of the premium tackles, Carolina faces a rebuild in 2022. Cross will be important as they are gutted at O-line.
7 New York Giants (From Chicago) – Travon Walker, Georgia DE – Walker feels like a Wink Martindale guy. The Giants are still soft at defensive end and Martindale could get the best out of Travon Walker.
8 Atlanta – Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame Safety – Young Falcons GM Terry Fontenot invested early in safety last year with Richie Grant in the second round, and they still need help in that area. Hamilton is a prototype safety, and while he had a bad 40 time, he played plenty fast in pads.
9 Seattle (From Denver) – Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa OT – My spidey sense is telling me Seattle will run the ball more with a new face at quarterback. Penning is a bruising run blocker, and can only get better as a pass protector :). If they get Duane Brown back for another season they might draft a cornerback here.
10 New York Jets (From Seattle) – Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati CB – The Jets are terrible at cornerback. And Gardner is an excellent cornerback. Played well against Alabama’s starters.
11 Washington – Garrett Wilson, Ohio State WR – Wilson’s a scheme fit for Scott Turner’s vertical passing scheme.
12 Minnesota – Derek Stingley, LSU CB – Minnesota needs help badly at cornerback. Stingley has played like an elite corner before.
13 Houston (From Cleveland) – Devin Lloyd, Utah Linebacker – Lovie Smith emphasized takeaways when asked about building a team. Lloyd happens to specialize in takeaways. Smith had some talented linebackers like Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs when he coached Chicago.
14 Baltimore – George Karlaftis, Purdue DE – Like Walker, Karlaftis has the size to move around the defensive line.
15 Philadelphia (From Miami) – Jermaine Johnson, FSU DE – The Eagles are known for bringing a competitive defensive line. In 2021, they were the second worst team in sacks (29) and Jermaine Johnson was consistent as a pass rusher for Florida State.
16 Philadelphia (From Indianapolis) – Trent McDuffie, Washington CB – McDuffie was an excellent zone corner at Washington and should fit right in with Jonathan Gannon’s defense for Philly.
17 LA Chargers – Roger McCreary, Auburn CB – The Chargers have favored defensive backs early in the draft for several years now. McCreary is battle tested and allowed in the low 40 percent mark for completions. His lone touchdown allowed came against Georgia in 2021. They have a need at defensive tackle, I’m not convinced they will want Jordan Davis if he won’t be able to hold up for the 17 overtime games the Chargers are bound to play in in 2022.
18 New Orleans – Zion Johnson, BC OL – The Saints struggled to run the ball in 2021. The Saints’ interior offensive line could use some work. Johnson is an elite run blocker and could line up at center or guard.
19 Philadelphia – Jordan Davis, Georgia DT – The Eagles are getting older on the defensive line. Davis may need some time to adjust to an NFL schedule as a full time starter, the return of Fletcher Cox will give him that. His combine performance solidifies his first round status.
20 Pittsburgh – David Ojabo, Michigan DE – The Steelers have long prioritized an aggressive front seven. Ojabo may not be able to play in 2022, but he’s still learning the game and can blossom in the Steelers defense.
21 New England – Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson CB – Booth is an excellent man corner which Patriots coach Bill Belichick will covet.
22 Green Bay (From Las Vegas) – Daxton Hill, Michigan DB – Hill played slot corner for Michigan and could fill that role for Green Bay. The Packers have shown a commitment to early investment in secondary in seasons past.
23 Arizona – Logan Hall, Houston DT – Hall played inside at Houston but may move to edge because of his size. Steve Keim has emphasized front seven size/speed athletes early in the draft (Zaven Collins, Isaiah Simmons).
24 Dallas – Drake London, USC WR – Jerry Jones does a great job of not screwing up his first round picks. Dallas will want a high level offensive tackle, and pass rusher. And cornerback. And Safety. He’s not going to turn down 6’4″ Drake London.
25 Buffalo – Kyler Gordon, UW CB – Gordon is a high ceiling corner. Buffalo will want someone to replace Levi Wallace.
26 Tennessee – Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa C – Tennessee’s had a strong offensive line under their current regime. Linderbaum would likely move to guard. Tennessee would take David Ojabo here if he’s available.
27 Tampa Bay – Jalen Pitre, Baylor DB – Tampa is a strong roster, but they are thin at corner. Pitre thrived as a slot corner, something Tampa badly needs.
28 Green Bay – Devonte Wyatt, Georgia DT – Wyatt might be the best interior pass rusher in the draft. The Packers need wide receivers, but didn’t become the class of the NFC by drafting them in the first round.
29 Kansas City (From Miami) – Jameson Williams, Alabama WR – The Chiefs Air Show will be operating without Tyreek Hill for the first time since 2015.
30 Kansas City – Boye Mafe, Minnesota DE – Kansas City will need to rush the passer now more than ever. Mafe had a terrific senior bowl.
31 Cincinnati – Kenyon Green, Texas A&M OL – The Bengals have already heavily invested in OL. Green is extremely versatile and is a great run blocker.
32 Detroit (From LA Rams) – Treylon Burks, Arkansas WR – Detroit knows they need receiver help. They’ve gone heavy into offensive and defensive line. With some more help for Amon-ra St. Brown, this team could score a lot of points.
Honorable Mentions: Sam Howell, UNC QB; Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan OL
Song of the post – “White Coats” by Foxes