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The Draft "Expert" - 2022 NFL Mock Draft 3.0


Welcome everyone to the Draft "Expert's" officially official mock draft 3.0! Now, I hear what you're saying, Logan, why was there a delay on mock draft 3.0? Wasn't it supposed to come out on March 28th, exactly one month before the draft? Well, yes, loyal TLBS fan. The problem was I couldn't find a draft that I actually liked. I would say this is, arguably, the most work I've done on a mock draft in a while, because the closer we get, the more unpredictable this draft feels. Whether that be the first pick or the last pick, this draft is bound to surprise us.


Speaking of that first pick, I played into the potential unpredictability of this draft, and went a little off the rails. Now, I didn't go insanely crazy, I don't think. Like, I didn't throw Bailey Zappe to Jacksonville or anything, or did I? I guess you're just going to have to scroll down and see for yourself.


With all that being said, in this draft, there are again, two quarterbacks, one running back, six wide receivers, five offensive tackles, three interior o-lineman, three d-tackles, six edge rushers, two linebackers, three corners, and one safety. So almost every position is getting represented in this draft! Sorry, tight ends.


So, without further ado, I am proud to introduce you to the Draft "Exert's" officially official mock draft 3.0! Enjoy!


Make sure to subscribe to the Logan Blackman Show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Pictured: Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia; Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State; Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

1. Jacksonville Jaguars - Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia

  • For the second time in two years, the Jacksonville Jaguars have the number one overall pick in the draft. That being said, this draft is a little different to last years draft, in the sense that no one really knows who will get picked with the number one overall pick. The entire offseason, it has looked as if the Jaguars would draft either Alabama's Evan Neal or NC State's Ikem Ekownu, as starting left tackle Cam Robinson was entering free agency, but, in a twist of fate, Jacksonville applied the franchise tag, solidifying the left side of their offensive line for at least they one more season, not to mention they also brought in former Washington Commander guard Brandon Scherff in on a three-year deal worth $49.5 million. So, though they still could go after one of the aforementioned tackles, or guard/tackle hybrids in Ekwonu's case, it's looking more and more likely that they'll in fact move for one of the top edge rushers in this class. Though most people out there would assume the Jaguars would take Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson, as he is widely considered to be the best player in the draft, I feel like the Jags could go rouge and take Georgia's Travon Walker here with the number one overall pick. For me, this pick comes down to two very important factors. The first one being, again, as opposed to recent years, we have no idea who the number one pick in the draft is going to be, but one thing I have gathered is that people around the league are really starting to fall in love with Walker's game, more so even after the combine. The second thing is that Walker is an insane athlete, more so than Hutchinson and, arguably, even more than Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux, while also not having any questions being brought up about his desire to play the game. Though it'd be crazy if it happened, it's definitely not out of the question, and I'm starting to think things are starting to turn to Walker being the number one overall pick, especially with reports saying Walker possesses "rare traits" Jags GM Trent Baalke really likes. As we've seen how things have gone on in Jacksonville recently with all these weird free agent signings/contracts, can we really rule this pick out? I don't think so. Again, it is widely believed Walker has the highest ceiling compared to all the other edge rushers in this class, that being said, you wouldn't necessarily think that if you just solely looked at his numbers. This past season for Georgia, Walker totaled just four sacks with 32 total tackles. The main reason Walker's numbers won't stand out to you is because this was his first year starting at d-end, playing mostly interior d-line while at Georgia. That's the main thing I like about Walker though, dude can play anywhere along the defensive line, whether that be in a 3-4 defense or a 4-3. This past season at Georgia, Walker came out weight 275 lbs., slimming down from his 290 lbs. frame from the season prior. At 6'5", Walker's body can handle the weight gain, or weight loss, that some coaches will be looking for, whether they want him to play inside or outside. At whatever size, Walker shows off his insane athleticism, making a ton of plays in Georgia's insane defense. Best against the run, Walker's athletic ceiling says that he should turn into a fine pass rusher at the next level, and could develop into a very nice 3-4 outside linebacker given his athletic talents. After testing extremely well at the combine, Walker has catapulted himself into being a lock to go in the top 10 of the draft, and into the conversation for the number one overall pick, and I think the Jaguars, who again, need help in getting after the passer and stopping the run, Walker could be the perfect player for their defense. If coached right, Walker could become one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, giving the Jaguars a legit threat on the defensive side of the ball. (they may have signed Arden Key, but I still think they should move for either Walker or Hutchinson with this pick)

2. Detroit Lions - Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan

  • This will be one of the most fun picks in the entire draft. Before the season started, many people expected the Lions to hold a top three pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, one thing I'm sure most people didn't expect is how competitive the Lions would be throughout the course of the season. Though they finished 3-13-1, they were 11-6 against the spread this year and as the old adage states, good teams win, great teams cover. Even though they finished with three wins, they had some very impressive performances against some pretty solid teams. They were one score away from beating the 49ers, Ravens (would've won if not for a 66-yard field goal), Vikings (should've beat them twice), Steelers (tied), Browns, Bears, and Falcons while also dismantling the Cardinals 30-12 in Detroit. All in all, given the expectations, I don't think this season was all too bad. They have two first round picks, plus an early second round pick, an underrated offensive line (when healthy), a very good running back in D'Andre Swift, and a coach that has really galvanized the team (we'll see if he can improve this team this season), things could look up here soon. What makes this pick extremely fun is the fact that no one really knows what they're going to do, as they have needs all over the defensive side of the ball but have also been heavily linked with Liberty's Malik Willis, and rightfully so. If you've listened to the Logan Blackman Show long enough, you'd know how much we like Malik Willis. His upside is absolutely ridiculous, and given the fact that the Lions coached Willis at the Senior Bowl makes this pick even more interesting. Though I would love to stick Willis here, my head is telling me to go for someone on the defensive side of the ball, mainly an edge rusher, and with the Jaguars taking Travon Walker first overall, that opens the door for the Lions to take Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson here with the second overall pick. After Jacksonville franchise tagged left tackle Cam Robinson, most people believed the Jags would take Hutchinson first, but with it instead being Walker, that allows the Lions to take the number one guy on their board. There's no doubt Aidan Hutchinson had one of the greatest seasons coming off the edge in recent college football memory. A combination of size, speed, and power, Hutchinson bullied his way to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, finishing second behind Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. This season at Michigan, after coming off a fractured ankle last season, Hutchinson went out and broke the Michigan single season sack record, totaling 14 with three of them coming against Michigan's biggest rival Ohio State. In his final three regular season games at Michigan, Hutchinson totaled six sacks to go along with 21 total tackles, a forced fumble, and a pass defended. Once he locks eyes on the opposing quarterback, there's very few players in the country that can stop him. Hutchinson's aforementioned power mixed with his will power makes him a very tough match-up for opposing offenses. If the Lions want to turn their fortunes around, they'd be smart by looking to Plymouth's Aidan Hutchinson. He may not have grown up a Lions fan, but he'll create some young fans by being a local kid playing for his local team. A match made in Heaven.

3. Houston Texans - Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State

  • Much like we mentioned with the Lions before, even though the Texans finished the season with four wins, they exceeded everyones expectations. Before the season started, I was under the impression that the Texans would become the first 0-17 team in NFL history. That was quickly proven wrong after week one after they dismantled Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars 37-21. Even after that, we saw Houston beat the number one seed in the AFC, the Jaguars again, and basically derail the Chargers season. I know the AFC South is seen generally as the worst division in the NFL, but to think of the Jaguars finishing with a .500 record while also almost sweeping the aforementioned Titans was seen as crazy, at least to me, before the season started, especially given everything that was going on off the field for the Texans. So, with this pick I think the Texans will try to do something to improve their defense, especially after hiring former Bears head coach and former d-coordinator Lovie Smith as their new head coach. I know their may be some people out there that say the Texans hold draft a quarterback given Deshaun Watson's current predicament, but Davis Mills showed out this past season, arguably being the second best rookie quarterback this past season behind Mac Jones. Given how raw he was coming in, I think they did some good stuff with Mills and think he could be the answer for Houston going forward. One thing the Texans could do is look for someone to keep either Mills upright for the foreseeable future. Though they have former first rounder Tytus Howard on the roster, who was drafted as a tackle, Howard has spent most of his time in Houston as a rotational piece, playing mostly guard this past season. Whether Howard plays at guard or tackle next season, the Texans could still use some help across the offensive line, especially after allowing 44 sacks this past season. So, with this pick, I'm going to send NC State guard/tackle hybrid Ikem Ekownu to Houston with the third overall pick. Now, though I have Ekwonu going third, I think there is a very real chance he winds up at number one, with the gap between him and Alabama's Evan Neal pretty much being non-existent. Ekwonu is one of, if not the meanest lineman in this draft class. Nicknamed the "Pancake King," Ekwonu drives his opponents back with relative ease and absolutely dominates edge rushers and linebackers in the run game, which is something the Giants would like a lot given their best player is their running back. Though he's probably more dominant in the run game, Ekwonu doesn't let anything get past him in the pass game either, allowing only 13 pressures all season and has led the nation in big time blocks, according to PFF. Though Ekwonu may not have the prototypical size for a franchise left tackle (6'4" 320 lbs.), I have no real doubts that he'll be a beast at the next level. Like we said before, Ekwonu is stout in the run game. With the Texans ranking dead last in rush yards per game, yards per carry, and touchdowns, Ekwonu would massively improve the Texans rushing attack and open holes for whoever Houston's running backs are this season. I think there's a really good chance Houston goes with a defender with this pick, especially with Hamilton and Thibodeaux available, I think the Texans could look to add to the offensive line. Ekwonu would help the Texans improve in pass protection and in the run game, a win win for the Texans.

4. New York Jets - Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon

  • The Jets are going to be one of the teams to watch in the 2022 NFL Draft. With two picks in the top 10, the Jets could really improve some problem areas of their team, whether they keep the said picks or trade out of them to acquire more picks to improve their roster even more. One of two New Jersey based teams with multiple top 10 picks, though they have some needs along the offensive line, I think head coach Robert Saleh will want to add some difference makers on the defensive side of the ball. Coming from San Francisco, where they built their team around a solid defensive line. During Saleh's time as San Francisco's defensive coordinator, the Niners drafted a defensive lineman with three of their first round picks, selecting Javon Kinlaw (2020), Nick Bosa (2019), and Solomon Thomas (2017), while also selecting DeForest Buckner (2016) and Arik Armstead (2015) the two drafts prior to Saleh coming in. Riding the coat tails of their defensive line, the 49ers made it to the Super Bowl in 2019, with Saleh as the DC, and the NFC Championship game this past season. Though they lost, the strength of the Niners defense has come from their defensive line, and I'm sure Saleh would love to establish something similar as the Jets head coach. Both Saleh and GM Joe Douglas have spoken highly of this edge rushing class. Though they've said there's value to be had later and that there's no Nick Bosa or Chase Young in this class, I find it hard to imagine Saleh wanting to pass up someone like Kayvon Thibodeaux with this pick, especially given his history in San Francisco. Now, according to some reports, some are expecting Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux to be one of the surprise "fallers" during the 2022 NFL Draft. The main thing in question for Thibodeaux is his work ethic. In a recent quote from ESPN draft "expert" Todd McShay, he stated that, “I heard a lot about Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, including concerns that he just doesn’t play with the same fire as some other top prospects. His ceiling is high, but the floor is lower than what you want for a top-five pick. And based on a handful of conversations, it wouldn’t shock me if Thibodeaux fell out of the top five. Speaking of which, it was very apparent this week that the top of the draft isn’t nearly as set as it normally is at this point. Picks at the top of the first round might be a little more based on team flavor than recent years.” Now, though all that may be true, I feel the same things have been said about other Oregon prospects such as Justin Herbert and Penei Sewell, and they've turned out quite alright at the next level. Of course, we are still very early in the Draft process so this could be complete bull shite by the time April 28th roles around. That being said, one thing I like about Thibodeaux is the fact that he can play across multiple fronts on the defensive side of the ball. While at Oregon, we saw Thibs play as a stand-up outside linebacker while also playing as a hand in the dirt 4-3 defensive end. So whatever defense the Giants end up rolling with, Thibodeuax should be able to slot right in. I think, if he's available, Thibodeaux is a no brainer. Dude is an insane athlete coming off the edge. After coming off an ankle injury early in the season, Thibodeaux came back and flashed his athletic prowess, registering a season high nine total tackles against UCLA (eight solo) with two sacks and a forced fumble. Throughout the rest of the season, Thibodeaux finished with seven sacks (half as much as Aidan Hutchinson) and two forced fumbles. He also registered the second-best pressure rate in the country (17.8%), per ESPN. Thibodeaux can really do in all for your defense, mixing a nice combo of athleticism and power to not only get after the passer but also make key plays in the run game. In a recent quote, Robert Saleh stated that, “there was a minute there where we were giving up 40 points a game, 30, 40 points. If you’re having to play a shootout, that’s a lot of pressure on a quarterback. I don’t care which quarterback you are, to wake up on Sunday morning knowing that you’re about to go into a shootout and you have to keep pace because you can’t get enough stops." This draft could be seen as a draft to help Zach Wilson, so most people will gravitate towards the offensive line or wide receivers, but as Saleh said, the Jets can't stop anybody, giving up the most yards and points per game this past season, not to mention they only generated 33 sacks as well. Adding Thibodeaux to their defensive line will massively improve the Jets as a whole and would instantly take some of the pressure off Zach Wilson.

5. New York Giants - Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

  • Ever since he was drafted sixth overall in 2019, there have been some people out there saying that the G-Men should move on from Daniel Jones, I think the hiring of former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll says that the Giants will try and develop Daniel Jones into a franchise quarterback. To me, Jones has all the tools to become a nice quarterback in the NFL, we just need to see if he can put it all together. Now, if this is the route the Giants end up going, the first thing they need to do is address the offensive line. Ever since Daniel Jones has been in the league, the Giants have had one of the worst offensive lines in the entire NFL. Hell, I'll say it again, the Giants offensive line is one of the worst units in the league, and may actually hold top spot for that category, depending on who you ask. Though they did try and fix it by drafting Andrew Thomas (4) and Matt Peart (99) in 2020 and trading for Billy Price, but nothing has seemed to work. Not to mention Price, Nate Solder, and Will Hernandez are all impending free agents this offseason, with Solder Turing 34 in April. The Giants have to address the offensive line with at least one of their first round picks and to me, with Aidan Hutchinson going first overall, that should give the Giants a great opportunity to draft a tackle that they had no business of drafting prior. So, with this pick, the Giants spring to the podium and select Alabama's Evan Neal. Like I just said, there is no reason Evan Neal should be available for the Giants here at number five, but again, with the Jaguars franchise tagging Cam Robinson, that opens the door for the Jags to take Hutchinson at number one, which in turn, will cause both Ekwonu and Neal to drop a little more than they should, as they are both elite prospects for the position. That being said, the Giants sure as hell won't be complaining. Neal has everything you're looking for in a franchise tackle. The thing that makes Neal special is his rare combination of size, athleticism, and versatility. While at Alabama, Neal has played all across the offensive line. Lining up at left guard, right tackle, and then, finally, left tackle this season. For being as big as he is, 6'7" 337 lbs., you have to be an insane athlete to be able to move and play every line position at a high level, and Neal is just that. Whether you play Neal at guard or tackle he'll make his presence known. He's an athletic freak on the offensive line that'll help keep Daniel Jones upright while also opening up more run lanes for Saquon Barkley, or whoever their running back is if the former second overall pick is in fact traded. If Neal falls to the Giants, again, they will sprint to the podium to stop the slide, giving the Giants a potential franchise saving tackle here at number five.

6. Carolina Panthers - Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt

  • The Carolina Panthers have a couple of glaring needs on their roster, both coming on the offensive side of the ball in the former of the offensive line and the quarterback position. Last offseason, the Panthers thought they may have solved their quarterback dilemma by trading for former third overall pick Sam Darnold from the New York Jets. Though he started off fine, once leading the league in rushing touchdowns, he was found out shortly after and eventually benched/rotated with former Panthers and Patriots quarterback Cam Newton. As the season went on, the more Matt Rhule toyed with the quarterback position, with both Cam Newton and Sam Darnold throwing more interceptions than touchdowns, and each completing sub 60% of their passes. Just not good enough, and with Panthers owner David Tepper saying, "unless you have that guy that for sure gets you to playoffs and Super Bowls, you have to keep reevaluating that because that’s the only thing that matters is Super Bowls. And until you have that guy, you’re evaluating, evaluating, evaluating every year," I think it'd be wise for the Panthers to look in another direction. That being said, the Panthers stupidly accepted Sam Darnold's fifth year option before he came to Carolina, so I think trading for a quarterback or signing one in free agency is out of the question, at least for now. So, I think the Panthers turn their attention to the NFL Draft, and specifically a quarterback that Matt Rhule knows fairly well, in the form of Pitt's Kenny Pickett. For those of you who are unaware, Rhule recruited Pickett, and go him to commit, while he was the coach at Temple. That being said, Rhule took the Baylor job shortly after, which saw Pickett wind up at Pittsburgh. To me, this is kind of like the Kliff Kingsbury - Kyler Murray situation. Not so much that Pickett is like/as good as Murray, but the situation itself. The head coach knows the quarterback in question well, and though they may have more needs on the roster, i.e. offensive line, the connection between Pickett and Rhule should see the former Pitt Panther wind up in Carolina. Remember, it's not always about what you know, but rather, who you know. Now, though the connection is apart of it, Pickett is, as of right now, seen as the number one quarterback in this class. After putting up monster numbers in his fifth and final season at Pitt, Pickett has shot up the draft boards, much like a certain Bengals quarterback who is now playing in the Super Bowl. During his aforementioned last season, Pickett threw for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns, which ranked fifth and third in the nation respectfully. Prior to this season, Pickett had never thrown for more than 3,100 yards and if you combined every touchdown he threw in his career prior to this season, it's less than what he did this time around. Through his first four seasons, combined, Pickett threw 39 touchdowns which, for those who can't do math good or just don't know numbers, is three less than what he threw in one season, which is pretty ridiculous. Not only are the numbers themselves impressive, they're also record breakers. In the game against Syracuse back on November 27th, Pickett broke Dan Marino's 40-year-old record for passing touchdowns in a season, setting the new record at 40 before breaking another Marino record, this time for Pitt's all time leader in passing touchdowns, throwing two against Wake Forest to bring his grand total to 80, passing Marino by a singular touchdown. Also in that game against Wake Forest, Pickett led the Panthers to their first ever ACC title and first conference title in general since 2010 while also securing a plane ticket to New York City, becoming Pitt's first Heisman finalist since Larry Fitzgerald in 2003, where he finished second to Oklahoma's Jason White. Like I said before, I'm not saying it's a slam dunk guarentee that Pickett ends up in Carolina, but don't be surprised if it does happen. Though he has tiny hands, this could be a match made in football heaven. (important to note that owner David Tepper is from Pittsburgh and is a grad from there as well, too many connections for this not to happen imo)

7. New York Giants (via Chicago) - Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

  • We have now reached the second of the Giants two top 10 selections. With their first pick, we saw the Giants address the offensive line by getting Alabama's Evan Neal, which was by far the biggest need on the G-Men's roster for this upcoming season. Now, with their second pick, they could go in a couple of different directions. That being said, those directions are all on the defensive side of things. I think the first thing many will point out is the Giants need for some more help in getting after the quarterback, as the Giants ranked in the bottom half of the league in total sacks, registering 34, with last years second round pick, Azeez Ojulari leading the way with eight. After Ojulari though, the Giants next pure edge rusher with the most sacks was Quincy Roche, who only registered two and a half last season. Others like Leonard Williams, Lorenzo Carter, Austin Johnson, and Dexter Lawrence ranked above Roche, but Carter left for Atlanta in free agency and Williams, Johnson, and Lawrence all play on the d-line. All that being said, yes, the Giants should look for an edge rusher in this draft, but it doesn't necessarily have to be here. This class, as per usual these days, is littered with very good edge rushers. Hell, the aforementioned Azeez Ojulari wasn't taken until the 50th pick in 2021, and with the Giants holding the 37th pick in the second round of this draft, that could be the perfect spot to select a very talented edge rusher. To me, instead of going after a pass rusher, they should look to add a pure lock down corner, especially now, given how James Bradberry has been linked with a move away from New Jersey this entire offseason. With Bradberry's future in question, and reports going around stating that your stadium partners love this guy, I think the Giants should look to add Cincinnati's Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner here with the seventh overall pick. A big bodied corner, standing at 6'3" and weighing 200 lbs., Gardner combines insane ball skills with great physicality and length that makes him a match-up nightmare for opposing offenses. In his three years at Cincinnati, Gardner posted 99 tackles, 16 passes defended and nine interceptions. Gardner had more pick-sixes (two) than receiving touchdowns allowed (zero) and allowed just 712 total receiving yards on 138 career targets. In 2021, Gardner became the first Cincinnati player in history to be honored as a consensus All-American. This season, Gardner allowed just .1 yards per coverage snap, that is absolutely ridiculous. If the Giants want to get to the top of the NFC East again they've got to improve their defense, and adding a pure lock down corner like Gardner would be a very good place to start. If the Giants left the first round with a potential franchise saving left tackle and a lock down corner, Giants fans should be throwing a party in the streets, cause this would be an awesome scenario.

8. Atlanta Falcons - Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State

  • The Atlanta Falcons could go a couple of directions with this pick. Firstly, they could try and fix some of the problem areas on the offensive side of the ball, namely getting a wide receiver to replace the suspended Calvin Ridley and the Tampa bound Russell Gage, possibly getting some more help for the offensive line, and, probably least importantly at this point at time, especially now, given the top guys are already off the board, but getting a quarterback for the future to replace franchise legend and Indianapolis bound Matt Ryan. Important thing to note on that last need, the Falcons brought in former Titan and Raider quarterback Marcus Mariota, who played for Arthur Smith in Tennessee and is perfect for his style of offense, and reports from a few weeks ago said they liked Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder, so maybe look for them to add someone like Ridder in round two. Going back to that original point, of the Falcons losing Ridley to suspension and Gage to a division rival, Atlanta has three receivers currently on the active roster, in the form of Frank Darby, Chad Hansen, and Austin Trammell, all of who accumulated a grand total of 14 yards combined, all coming from Darby off one catch. To say Atlanta is in desperate need of wide receivers is an understatement. Like, whoever the quarterback is for the Falcons, whether that's Mariota or a rookie, they're going to want someone they feel comfortable throwing to. So, with all that being said, the Falcons should look to draft someone like Ohio State's Garrett Wilson. Though he may not be the deep threat that Jameson Williams or Chris Olave are, Wilson may be a better all around wide receiver. When you talk about the "complete" wide receivers in the country, Garrett Wilson should be at the top of your list, arguably. He may not be the fastest wide out in this class (he is very fast, just not the fastest), but his versatility really sets him apart when comparing him to the other wide receivers in this class. Before this season, Wilson had done most of his work from the slot, averaging just under 17 yards per catch (16.8) and totaling 723 yards on the season. This year, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba taking the most of the reps form the slot, Wilson has been a real threat from the outside, recently surpassing 1,000 yards on the season with 12 touchdowns, averaging 15.1 yards per reception. In Ohio State's insane three headed monster out wide, Wilson is the dawg, the main man in the wide receiver room at Ohio State. Wherever you line him up, Wilson will make a play, kind of like Justin Jefferson at LSU, where he excelled in the slot but worked wonders out wider as well. I think Wilson would be a great addition to the Falcons wide receiver core. I'm sure Mariota would love to have someone like Garrett Wilson on the outside, as he will make everyones life so much easier. (I flipped back and fourth between Wilson and USC's Drake London, as Arthur Smith had success with a big bodied receiver in AJ Brown in Tennessee)

9. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver) - Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State

  • A new era is upon us in the Emerald City, as long time quarterback Russell Wilson was traded to Denver for a whole pack of picks, quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, and d-linemen Shelby Harris. Even after the Russell Wilson trade, Seattle could still be involved in even more offseason moves with them linked with Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and with both wide receivers, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, seemingly on the trade block as well. This season will be a weird one to watch if all these moves end up happening. One thing is for sure though, without Wilson working his magic and escaping blitzers like it's nothing, the Seahawks should definitely look to revamp the offensive line. Like, no offense to Drew Lock and his athletic ability or anything, but I just can't see him making the same moves Wilson did to avoid tacklers, he may be in for a world of hurt if he tries them. Not only do I worry about Lock's athletic ability getting him out of trouble, but the Seahawks best offensive lineman, Duane Brown, is still on the market, and hasn't really shown any signs of actually resigning with the team, leaving a hole open on the left side of the offensive line. As of right now, Seattle has three tackles on the active roster, with the three of them combining for five starts between them. So, in order to hopefully remedy the Seahawks issue, they should look to go after one of the top tackles in the draft, and after Ekwonu and Neal, the next best one is Mississippi State's Charles Cross. To me, Cross is a very polarizing prospect. On one hand, he is easily the best pass blocking lineman in the '22 draft class, playing 719 pass blocking snaps and only allowing 16 pressures. Let me repeat that, just 16 pressures allowed in 719 pass blocking snaps, that's just stupid. Not to mention that he's a great athlete for the tackle position (6'5" 310 lbs.) and has great use of hands, being able to brush off edge rush moves from opposing d-ends and linebackers. The only real "issue" I guess is that Mississippi State is a very, and I mean very, pass first team. This past season, Mississippi State, statistically, were the worst run team in college football, ranking dead last in yards (821), yards per game (63.2), and rush attempts (270). They even ranked last in longest rush attempt, with their longest run coming in at just 32 yards. Now, this isn't saying Cross can't run block, it's just saying he's not as experienced in that department as some of the other tackles in this class (think of someone like Andre Dillard, another Mike Leach o-lineman). What I think helps Cross out a lot is his potential. His size/frame and athleticism are a rare combination, and if given the right environment, he could develop into a very good tackle at the next level. Whoever the quarterback is for Seattle, whether that's Lock, Mayfield, or someone else, they'd really appreciate having someone like Cross protecting their blindside. If Cross develops into the tackle everyone thinks he is, the Seahawks would have one of the best pure pass blocking tackles in the league.

10. New York Jets (via Seattle) - Drake London, WR, USC

  • Like we stated before, the Jets are one of two New Jersey based teams with two top 10 picks, using their first one on Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux. Now, if you've been following the Jets offseason to this point, and it's ok, I don't blame you if you haven't, but there have been two things they've tried to do, but have failed at up until this point. Those two things are add an edge rusher and add a wide receiver, as they were in for both Chandler Jones, who's now in Vegas, and Tyreek Hill, who got traded to the division rival Dolphins. Now, I could be reading in to this too much, but I think those attempted moves may be pre-cursers to the upcoming draft. So, after adding Thibodeaux with their first pick, I think the Jets will look to add the best receiver available with their second pick. With Garrett Wilson already off the board, going to Atlanta at number eight, the next best option, depending on who you ask of course, is USC's Drake London. Now, I don't really have an issue with the Jets current crop of receivers, but I definitely think it could be improved, especially given how Corey Davis and Elijah Moore battled injuries last season. I think London would be an excellent compliment to those two, plus Braxton Berrios, giving Wilson a lot of options on the outside. Now, hough he's coming off an ankle injury (Oct. 30 vs Arizona), London is just simply too freakish to pass up for wide receiver needy teams. London, a former basketball player, is again, an insane athlete out wide. At 6'5" 210 lbs., London out jumps every single defender that challenges him. Not only can he out jump defenders, his insane wing span sees him high point the ball with ease and has seen him make many circus catches while at USC. This past season, before his injury, London totaled 88 catches for 1,084 yards, and seven touchdowns, with only two games seeing him have less than 100 yards receiving (one of those games was the game he got hurt, and he had 81 yards before halftime). Again, London is a fantastic athlete and would give Zach Wilson a reliable target on the outside. I think London would be a great addition to the Jets wide receiver core. The Jets could really use an athlete on the outside, and London is that, making Zach Wilson's life a whole hell of a lot easier. Again, I could be reading too much into the Jets attempted offseason moves, but either way, coming out of the first round with an insane athlete in Kayvon Thibodeaux and a big bodied wide receiver in Drake London would be great for the Jets moving forward. For their sake, they hopefully solved one of the problem areas on defense and got their young quarterback a true number one option. I like this draft for the two New Jersey based teams.

11. Washington Commanders - Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

  • This could really be the shock of the entire draft. I think most people out there believe that Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton is a top five player in the draft, like to me, Hamilton is the second best player in this draft behind Hutchinson. The sad reality for Hamilton is that the NFL teams do not tend to take safeties with "valuable picks," basically meaning picks in the top 10, let alone the top five. Like, the last safety taken in the top five of a draft was Sean Taylor back in 2004, when he was taken fifth by the then Washington Redskins. Though Taylor looked to be on course for a Hall of Fame career, he could be seen as more of an outlier than anything, as though he was insanely talented, he isn't enough to change the perception around safeties in the draft. For example, in the past two drafts, the first safeties weren't taken until the second round, with Jevon Holland (2021) and Xavier McKinney (2020) both being the first safeties taken in their respective drafts, both at pick 36. Even insanely talented safeties like Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James, who Hamilton is compared to, fell in that double digit range, with Fitzpatrick going 11th to Miami and Derwin James lasting until pick 17, and those are two of the top safeties in the NFL, as both have made All Pro teams during their young careers. Again, I think Hamilton is a top five player in the draft, easily, but he may suffer the same fate as Fitzpatrick and James just given how the NFL values safeties in the draft, same goes for centers. All that being said, I'm sure Washington won't complain, especially after releasing Landon Collins in mid-March. The thing is with Hamilton is that you're not getting a typical safety, you are getting a football player. Hamilton combines the size of a linebacker, with the speed of a receiver, and the coverage skills of a corner into one player. Whether you want him playing as a center fielder, up against the line of scrimmage, or even outwide covering a wide receiver, Hamilton will always get the job done. The thing I like the most about Hamilton is his range. His ability to cover insane amounts of ground in a short amount of time makes him a very fun player to watch on the defensive side of the ball. Throughout his Notre Dame career, Hamilton made eight interceptions and 138 total tackles. This past season Hamilton missed a portion of the season due to a knee injury he sustained during a game against USC back in October, but still managed to get three interceptions, with two very impressive ones coming in week one vs Florida State. To me, Hamilton the type player that would instantly improve the Commanders secondary, giving them a Swiss Army knife that would be able to rip apart opposing offenses. Remember, Hamilton is not a safety, he's a football player.

12. Minnesota Vikings - Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

  • This pick honestly may surprise some people. Maybe not with the position that was drafted but with the player that was taken. If you told me back in 2019, when LSU eased their way to a National Championship that Stingley not only wouldn't be the first corner taken, but would also fall outside the top 10, I would've called you crazy. That season for Stingley was one for the ages. During that season, Stingley intercepted the ball six times and defended 15 passes en-route to a National Championship, which also saw Stingley be named a Conscious All-American and First Team All-SEC recipient (an honor he got in 2020 as well). So, with that season in mind, how does Stingley fall to 12? If we're talking upside, I don't know if there's a lot of defenders that have a higher upside than former LSU corner Derek Stingley. Now, though I think Stingley may have the highest upside out of the top corners in the draft, there are some areas of concern that could be brought up here. The main concern for Stingley is that he hasn't really played a whole lot since his insane freshman season. Though that season was ridiculous, a season that saw Stingley intercept the ball six times and defend 15 passes en-route to a National Championship, while also seeing Stingley named a Conscious All-American and First Team All-SEC recipient (an honor he got in 2020 as well). Like we said before though, that was two years ago. Since then, Stingley has played, playing just three games in 2021 and seven times in 2020. From what it sounds like, scouts and coaches are questioning Stingley's willingness to play, especially after he opted out this past season due to an ankle injury. There's no questioning Stingley's natural abilities, it's just a matter of if he can stick it out for a full season that has some out there worried. There's no questioning Stingley's natural abilities, it's just a matter of if he can stick it out for a full season that has some out there worried. For the Vikings though, who need secondary help, badly, I think they'll be fine with taking Stingley here at number 12. Even with them resigning Patrick Peterson, I don't trust Cameron Dantzler or Mackensie Alexander on the opposite side of him. Again, talent wise, there's no corner in this draft that compares to Derek Stingley. At 6'1" 195 lbs., Stingley possesses ideal size, speed, and ball skills to be a truly elite corner at the next level. If everything pans out like it should, the Vikings will have gotten themselves an absolute steal at number 12. If Stingley can stay healthy and apply himself for a full season, he may become one of the best corners in the NFL. We could look back in a few years and see this as an absolute steal for the Vikings, if this happens of course.

13. Houston Texans (via Cleveland) - Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington

  • In one of the most shocking moves of the offseason, the Houston Texans traded star quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns for a kings ransom. Now, it's not necessarily surprising the Texans traded Watson, just more so on where he went. When all signs pointed to him going to the NFC South, whether that was Atlanta, Carolina, or New Orleans, he decided to wave his no trade clause for the dawg pound. It feels like it wasn't too long ago that Houston had no draft picks, now their lined up with multiple first round picks until the 2024 Draft, which is perfect for a team that is rebuilding. Though Watson is gone, I think the Texans have something in second year quarterback Davis Mills. People may forget Mills had only played 14 games since high school, he's extremely raw but showed flashes of his potential when he got his chance as Houston's starter, setting the franchise record for most passing yards in a season by a rookie quarterback in franchise history, in only 11 starts, while also leading all rookies in 300+ yard passing games. So if people thought Houston would go after a quarterback with their first two picks, I'm not saying they 1000% won't, but in my opinion, just don't count on it. So, after taking the fastest riser in the draft, edge rusher Travon Walker, with the third overall pick, the Texans dip their hand back into the defensive cookie jar and take Washington's Trent McDuffie. If we're talking about athletes at the corner position, there are arguably none better than Washington's Trent McDuffie. For what he lacks in "elite size" (only 5'11" 195 lbs.) he makes up for with insane athleticism and excellent timing and ball skills. Though he's not the biggest, according to PFF, McDuffie is one of the top corners when it comes to red zone defense, just behind his Washington teammate Kyler Gordon in regards to red zone grade. He also has allowed just 44.4% passes thrown his way to be completed this season, which is the lowest among Pac-12 corners, per PFF. Throughout his Washington career, McDuffie totaled 94 tackles (only 14 in 2020 due to COVID), eight passes defended, one sack, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Again, though he may not be the biggest or most physically imposing corners in this draft, McDuffie may be the most athletic and, possibly, the best tackler out of all the corners in this draft. As we said with the Walker pick, the Texans ranked in the bottom two in yards allowed, bottom 10 in pass defense, and bottom six in points allowed per game. If the Texans want to improve, they need to address their offensive line and secondary, and getting two great pieces in the form of Ikem Ekownu and Trent McDuffie is a damn good way to start.

14. Baltimore Ravens - Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State

  • The Baltimore Ravens were an odd team throughout the 2021-22 NFL season. At points, this team looked to be one of the best in the NFL, staging come from behind wins against the Chiefs and Colts while also blowing out the LA Chargers to start the season 5-1. Then, at other times, they looked lost. Finishing the season on a six game losing streak and getting dick stomped by the Bengals by a combined score of 82-38. Now, a lot of that can come down to the fact that the Ravens were without Lamar Jackson for a good portion of the year and their offensive line and running backs were being depleted more and more as the season went on. Overall, just a very weird season for the Ravens, who finished 8-9, which was their first sub .500 season since 2015, where they finished 5-11 and, coincidentally, lost to the Bengals twice. Now, to help rectify some of their issues, the Ravens should look to restrengthen their defense. This offseason, the Ravens could be losing some key pieces across their defensive line and linebacking core, with Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams, Justin Houston, Justin Ellis, and Pernell McPhee all impending free agents. Not only that, every player just mentioned is over the age of 31, with Campbell turning 36 in September. Not to mention their secondary resembled something out of the movie The Replacements, giving up 278.9 yards per game through the air, by far the worst in the league. So, with all these needs on the table, it could be hard to pin point what they should address with their first pick. Though it could be hard to predict, one thing that isn't too difficult to get is that the Ravens have always gone by their draft board, meaning whoever is on top, that's who they're going to take. To me, the next best player available is Florida State's Jermaine Johnson. Throughout this offseason, Johnson has been one of the standout candidates. After impressing during his first and final season at Florida State (transferred from Georgia), where he totaled 12 sacks, which was good for seventh nationally, 70 total tackles, two passes defended, and two forced fumbles, Johnson showed off his nature speed and get off at the Senior Bowl. Every day during practice Johnson's name would pop up somewhere in regards to the "best players" during the week, causing some kind of mayhem every day. Much like, again, at Florida State, Johnson led the ACC in pressures in 2021, registering 46 this season. His combination of speed, burst, power, and hand movement makes him a really fun player to watch and his willingness to not only get after the quarterback, but to make huge plays in the running game, is a huge boost to his stock to go along with his dominating week. Johnson went from a potential first rounder to a potential top 10 pick. That being said, Johnson does slide a little, but the Ravens won't complain. Johnson would give the Ravens an absolute freak coming off the edge, and they should be thankful he fell to them here at 14. (offensive tackle was an option here for a while, especially following Alejandro Villanueva's retiring. But the Ravens went out and got Morgan Moses to fill the hole left by Villanueva, making this pick a defensive one, more than likely)

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

  • Like we said before with the Lions, Jets, Giants, and now, the Packers and Chiefs, the Eagles are another team with multiple first round draft picks. The only difference between those teams and the Eagles is that Philly holds three first round picks, thanks to the Carson Wentz trade and the trade that saw the Dolphins move back into the top 10 after trading down to 12 in the 2021 NFL Draft, seeing them take Jaylen Waddle. Speaking of the Dolphins, this is the one the 'Phins possessed before the aforementioned trade. Now, with three first round picks the Eagles can really make themselves a legit threat in the NFC. Though they made the Playoffs this past season, most people didn't think the Eagles were "for real." That being said, the Eagles can feel really good about some of the things they did in '21-'22, the main thing finding out that Jalen Hurts would be their "franchise quarterback," so that takes out one of the possible picks for the birds. For me, the biggest need on this team is re-strengthening the edge rushers, especially with 2017 first rounder Derek Barnett and former Washington Football Team d-end Ryan Kerrigan entering free agency, and team legend Brandon Graham turning 34 in April, while also coming off a torn achilles. Though they did bring back Barnett on a two-year deal, that doesn't change the fact that Graham is again, turning 34 in April, and Kerrigan is still a free agent, so depth at the edge rusher position should be a top priority for the Eagles going into the draft. So, with their first pick in the first round, I think the Eagles should look towards Purdue's George Karlaftis. Compared to the two edge rushers taken before him, though he may not have the numbers, Karlaftis has the size (6'4" 275 lbs.) and the ability to get after the quarterback or stop the run from either the inside or the outside. This season, Karlaftis has only registered four and a half sacks, but does have two forced fumbles and two passes defended to his name this year as well. With Purdue not having a lot of other "threats" to deal with on the defensive side of things, Karlaftis gets double teamed almost every single time he goes after the quarterback, yet still has registered some nice pressure numbers, coming in at 13.7%, per ESPN. Karlaftis would be perfect for the Eagles 4-3 defense, with his size and power causing real problems for opposing offensive linemen, again, whether that's outside as a d-end or even inside as a d-tackle. I think if the Eagles want to get back to the top of the NFC East they've got to re-strengthen their defensive line and Karlaftis could be the perfect candidate for the Eagles new look d-line.

16. Philadelphia Eagles (via Indianapolis) - Devonte Wyatt, DL, Georgia

  • Like we said before, the Eagles are one of the many teams in this draft that hold more than one first round pick. That being said, they're the only team that holds three, which means they should really come out of the first round with three absolute studs, or, would have the ability to make a massive trade, whether that's for an active player or for someone in this draft. Regardless, the Eagles are sitting pretty here, and after selecting George Karlaftis with the 15th pick, they have gotten one problem area out of the way, getting another edge rusher to help out, and eventually replace, the aging Brandon Graham. Throughout his tenure as Eagles GM, Howie Roseman has always valued two things when it comes to the draft. Those things are positional depth and strengthening the trenches. Usually, when he sees a player on the Eagles edging towards retirement, he makes a move for a player that can sit behind them and learn before taking over, usually, the following season, i.e. Andre Dillard (Jason Peters), Landon Dickerson (Jason Kelce), and Derek Barnett (Chris Long). So, even though the Eagles brought back Fletcher Cox on a one-year contract, I wouldn't put it past Roseman and co. to look for Cox's eventual replacement, especially given how heavily linked Cox was to either being cut or traded the past two offseasons. So, with that being said, I think the Eagles should go after one of the Georgia d-tackles with this pick, whether that's Jordan Davis or Devonte Wyatt. I think with Wyatt being a little smaller, but more athletic, makes him the pick here for the Eagles here at 16. At 6'3" 315 lbs., Wyatt is an extremely explosive lineman who moves very well for being as big as he is, rarely getting beaten off the ball by anyone, whether that's his own teammates or the opposing offensive line. Though his individual numbers won't necessarily stand out to you, totaling 39 tackles, two and half sacks in 2021, and two forced fumbles, it's his work athleticism that sees him developing into a nice interior pass rusher at the next level. Like we have already said with Travon Walker, Wyatt was apart of one of the greatest defenses in college football history, ranking in the top three for total defense, pass defense, run defense, and points allowed per game. Georgia's defense also allowed just three touchdowns on the ground as opposed to 12 forced fumbles, posting one of the best ratios in the country. Now, I wouldn't be too surprised if Wyatt went a little sooner than 16 as he is one of the players who tore up the NFL combine, running a 4.77 40, which was the fastest out of the d-tackles. Wyatt's athletic ability would make him too hard to pass up for a team that needs some help along the defensive line. Wyatt would be an excellent pick for the Eagles, who would have a much younger, and hopefully improved, d-line by adding Karlaftis and Wyatt with their first two picks.

17. Los Angeles Chargers - Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia

  • The LA Chargers are one of the more interesting teams in the entire NFL. On the face of it, the Chargers have one of the most talented rosters in the league featuring a, now, top five quarterback in Justin Herbert, a versatile running back in Austin Ekeler, a borderline elite wide out in Keenan Allen, a vastly improved offensive line (on the left side), and a defense that features the likes of Joey Bosa and Derwin James. Overall, an insanely talented roster. The issue is though that they can't ever seem to just get out of their own way, whether that would be refusing to settle for field goals, constantly going for it on fourth down, even if they were in their own territory, or just not showing up against teams like the Broncos and Texans, games they got outscored in 69-42. Now, most of the problems for the Chargers stem from the defensive side of the ball, where they rank in the bottom half in total yards allowed per game, bottom four in points allowed per game, and bottom three in rush yards allowed per game while allowing the third most rushing touchdowns with 22. Now, they did go out and get some big name players in the form of Khalil Mack and JC Jackson, but for a team that has playoff aspirations, they should not be posting similar numbers to three teams that are picking in the top four, something needs to change on that defensive line. Coming from the Rams, head coach Brandon Staley should know how important it is to build a solid defensive front, whether that's along the line of scrimmage or coming off the edge. If the Chargers want to get to that next level as a team, they have to improve their run defense and strengthen their d-line. One player that I think could definitely help resolve things is another Georgia guy in the form of Jordan Davis. At 6'6" 340 lbs., Davis moves very well (running a 4.78 40 at the combine), and though he doesn't register a whole lot of sacks, he does take on as many blockers as possible, allowing players such as Travon Walker, Devonte Wyatt, Nakobe Dean, and others to make plays in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage. Davis was a key member of the Bulldogs insane defense, with him being the main cog in their run defense. A run defense that again, allowed just 81.7 yards per game this past season while also allowing only three touchdowns on the ground to boot. There are not a lot of people that want to block him at the college level, I feel even at the next level he'll be a threat as well. Though there are some concerns with Davis in regards to the amount of snaps he can play a game, I think his overall ability to wreck the line of scrimmage over trumps that, as he will be able to clog up rush lanes while also allowing his teammates to get after the quarterback, which will only boost Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack's sack numbers, which I'm sure they'll appreciate. In a division that is becoming the best in football, the Chargers should keep trying to sure up their defense. Adding someone like Davis would be a great step in that direction as he would, again, sure up the run defense while also causing issues in the pass game. Davis would be an awesome pick for the Chargers, if he's available.

18. New Orleans Saints - Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa

  • The Saints are in a really interesting spot going into the '22-'23 NFL season. As late as last week, the Saints were weirdly in for former Texan and now Cleveland Brown quarterback Deshaun Watson. Though they didn't get Watson, the brought back last seasons starter, Jameis Winston, who was playing rather well prior to tearing his ACL on Halloween against Tampa Bay. With Winston coming back on a two-year deal, I don't necessarily think the Saints will move for a quarterback with their first pick, especially since the top two guys, Willis and Pickett, are already off the board. To me, the Saints two biggest needs lie out wide at wide receiver and on the offensive line, mainly at tackle, especially with longtime tackle Terron Armstead looking to leave in free agency. Let's focus on that last need, offensive tackle. Since 2013, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis has drafted five starters on the Saints offensive line, including Cesar Ruiz (24, 2020), Erik McCoy (48, 2019), Ryan Ramcyk (32, 2017), Andrus Peat (13, 2015), and the Miami bound Terron Armstead (75, 2013). Again, everyone I just mentioned, apart from Armstead, is a current starter on the Saints offensive line. So though they could draft a wide receiver here, given Loomis' recent track record, my money may be on the Saints taking a tackle with their first pick, depending on who's available of course. With the Chargers taking Devonte Wyatt to sure up their defensive line, that opens the door for New Orleans to select Northern Iowa's Trevor Penning here at 18. A massive human, standing at 6'7" and weighing 322 lbs., Penning is very athletic and a true s.o.b. if there ever was one. Much like Ekwonu before, Penning mauls opposing defenders. His strength and athleticism mixed with his competitive nature rarely sees him get beaten around the edge. Though he spent most of his time at left tackle, Penning played both right and left tackle throughout his time at UNI, and even played right guard at the Senior Bowl, possessing some of that positional versatility that many teams are looking for nowadays, especially along the offensive line. Penning would not only help keep recently resigned Jameis Winston upright, but would also open up massive run lanes for them as well, which will make them a hard team to stop once the postseason roles around, especially if Alvin Kamara is available to play. Being a graduate from UNI, I am a little biased towards former Panthers, but even so, Penning is a truly special prospect and should be considered one of the top tackles in the draft. I don't care if he didn't play top level FBS football, Penning dominated everyone he went against, and will be a beast at the next level. Terron Armstead's absence will be magnified if the Saints don't move for a tackle, and again, if he's available, Trevor Penning would be very hard to pass up.

19. Philadelphia Eagles - Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah

  • The third and final pick for the Philadelphia Eagles comes here at number 19, and I think this really will come down to two positions, wide receiver and linebacker. Starting off with the first position, wide out, the Eagles could use some upgrades at the position. Though they do have last year's 10th overall pick DeVonta Smith, two of the other wide receivers, Jalen Reagor and JJ Arcega-Whiteside, have not really panned out during their time in the league, and that's putting it pretty lightly. What makes matters worse is the fact that the two receivers they passed on to draft those two, Justin Jefferson and DK Metcalf, are two of the best receivers in the NFL. The question you have to ask yourself is would Howie Roseman and co. really spend three first round picks, in three straight years, on wide receivers? I'm not so sure. The last time I can remember that happening was with the Detroit Lions back in '03, '04, and '05 where they drafted Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, and Mike Williams, with only the first Williams, Roy, having some success in the NFL. If NFL history has taught us anything, try not to follow in the footsteps on the Detroit Lions, it usually doesn't work out. That being said, there are some good receivers still available, but I just think the Eagles will want to continue to sure up the defensive side of the ball here at 19, most notably at linebacker. Now, this would be a very historic pick if they were to select a linebacker here because apart from 2014, when they selected Marcus Smith out of Louisville, the Eagles have not selected one in the first round since 1979, where they took Jerry Robinson from UCLA. Linebacker drafting history aside, the Eagles do need to restrengthen their linebacking core. Now, they did make a very nice signing in the form of former Temple Owl Haason Reddick, while also signing former Charger linebacker Kazir White, they could still use someone manning the middle of their defense. So, if he's available, I think the Eagles would be smart by looking for someone like Devin Lloyd from Utah. To me, Devin Lloyd is the most complete linebacker in this draft. Again, in a somewhat similar mold to that of Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, Lloyd possesses great natural size and athleticism that make him damn near impossible to stop for opposing offenses. At 6'3" 235 lbs., Lloyd has the perfect frame for being a stud linebacker at the next level. That being said, it's not all about size, and Lloyd has showed why he should be the number one linebacker with his play this season. For the PAC-12 Champions, Lloyd totaled a career high 111 tackles, with 66 of those being solo tackles. Not only that, Lloyd has showed off his prowess as a pass rusher, totaling eight sacks (which is more than Kayvon Thibodeaux), one forced fumble/fumble recovery, four interceptions, six passes defended, with two of those pics being returned for touchdowns. Again, dude has insane speed to combine with his size, which makes him such a match-up nightmare for opposing offenses. Every Utah game you tune in to, Lloyd makes his presence known. Like I said before, he comes in a similar mold to that of Micah Parsons, and I think after playing him twice a year, the Eagles would like to have one of their own Micah Parsons. If the Eagles come out of this draft with George Karlaftis, Devonte Wyatt, and Devin Lloyd, they could be able to push Dallas for the division crown again.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers - Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

  • Before I get started on the reasoning for this pick I would just like to say that I do not think Malik Willis will be available for the Steelers if they stayed here at pick 20, but, I think the Steelers are the most likely team to draft Willis, so I kind of forced this, and for that I am sorry. The Ben Roethlisberger era in Pittsburgh has finally reached it's conclusion. After 18 years as the Steelers starting quarterback, Big Ben has retired, and since has ushered in the Mitchell Trubisky era in Pittsburgh. Now, I'm not saying Trubisky is the greatest quarterback of all time or anything, but I do think he has received far too much criticism for his time in Chicago, and deserves a chance to be the number one guy for an NFL team again. That being said, he's obviously not the long term answer in Pittsburgh, coming in on a two-year deal after being Josh Allen's back-up in Buffalo last season. I think he could really turn his career around, but I think the Steelers have done a really bad job at not telling us who they want in this draft. Much like last year, after the combine, it was pretty well documented Mike Tomlin and co. wanted former Alabama running back Najee Harris. To the shock of everyone, they took Harris with he 24th pick. This year, it is blatantly obvious they really like Liberty's Malik Willis, so whether it's via a trade or just standing pat here at 20, I just feel like Willis will be a Pittsburgh Steeler, one way or another. When I look at Willis as a prospect, he reminds me a whole lot of current Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Like Allen, Willis has an insanely live arm, but that can cause him some problems every now and again. For example, at the Senior Bowl, Joe Marino of the Draft Network said that "the best way I can sum up Liberty QB Malik Willis’ performance today during Senior Bowl practices is that he had the five best throws of the day and the five worst throws of the day." Even during the actual Senior Bowl game, Willis had moments that made your jaw drop, both good and bad, but you can really see the potential that's there. If he can develop properly, Willis will become the best quarterback in this class but like Allen, he'll need some time. While at Liberty, Willis flashed his God given abilities, but also showed that he's still very raw. This season, statistically, Willis threw for 2,626 yards with 24 touchdowns but with 12 interceptions. He also totaled 820 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground on 189 carries. Though he may not have elite size, he possesses elite tools that could take him far at the next level. The fact of the matter is Willis is better than what his stats show. If you're looking for a quarterback with elite arm talent, elite athleticism, and elite leadership qualities with a will to win, Willis is your guy. At the combine, reports were saying that most scouts and coaches thought Willis needed one to two years to develop. With Mitchell Trubisky in as the starter, Willis can develop behind him before taking over in a year or two, depending on how ready he is. I think Willis' upside will make him a very hard quarterback to pass up in the '22 NFL Draft and with Pittsburgh in need of a quarterback for the future, Willis could be their guy. Again, if they develop him right, they could have a very special player on their hands. (again, this is a totally forced pick, I just really think he'll end up in the steel city. Detroit was my second choice)

21. New England Patriots - Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama

  • The New England Patriots are in need of some more juice on the outside. Though the signed Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne this offseason, the only other active receiver on the Patriots roster is former first round draft pick N'Keal Harry, who's hands have been somewhat inconsistent since coming to New England in 2020. This crazy thing about Harry is that he was the first ever wide receiver taken in the first round by Bill Belichick, so maybe he's scared to take a chance on another first round wide out since Harry really hasn't worked out, especially when you look at some of the receivers who went after him. Now, the Patriots leading receiver from a season ago, Jakobi Meyers, is a restricted free agent, meaning there's a solid chance he'll be back in New England next season, but the Pats still need to go out and get a dawg for this receiving core. If they truly believe in Mac Jones, I would go out and get him a playmaker on the outside, and in this draft, if you're looking for a receiver that is an absolute playmaker, and a dawg, look no further than Alabama's Jameson Williams. Barring an ACL injury that he sustained in the National Championship game against Georgia, Williams would be going a hell of a lot sooner than 27th overall. When healthy, Williams is the best receiver in the draft. An insane deep threat that can also do a job in the run game and special teams, Williams possesses great size and instincts for how fast he is, which is kind of rare. The issue surrounding Williams going into the offseason is the fact that he is coming off of a torn ACL, which he suffered against Georgia in the National Championship back on January 10th. Now, reports said that he'd have surgery 10 days after the Naty, and doctors believe that after said surgery, Williams will retain his sub 4.3 speed, expected to make a full recovery, per Adam Schefter. It's no secret, at least to me, that Williams is the best receiver in the draft when healthy, and if he does in fact come back at full strength, he'd be an absolute steal if he does fall into this range. This past season, before his injury, Williams ranked fifth in the nation in receiving yards, 1,572, touchdowns, 15, and finished seventh in yards per reception, 19.9. Standing at 6'2" and weighing around 189 lbs., Williams can not only run past defenders, but he stands over most corners that'll be covering him, which again, is kind of rare for someone that fast. Like we said before, if he wasn't coming off a torn ACL, Williams would be the first receiver taken in the draft. His size and speed is a rare combo and could be a blessing for the Pats, who would've never been able to pick Williams if the former Bama wide out was 100% healthy. With Bill O'Brien possibly coming in as the Patriots new OC, I'm sure bringing in a player he has worked with would be a top priority, especially when said player is as talented as Williams. If/when he fully recovers, the Patriots will have an absolute stud on their hands. Though I'd despise this pick, it does make a decent amount of sense.

22. Green Bay Packers (via Las Vegas) - Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

  • The Green Bay Packers are in a very interesting situation going into this draft. After all the questions surrounding the reigning two time MVP, Aaron Rodgers, the Packers made the move and signed him to a three-year $150.8 million contract, making him the highest paid player in North American sports history on an annual basis, surpassing the NBA's Damian Lillard's $49 million, per annum contract. Now, on one hand, this is a nice move, as the Packers locked in their super star quarterback for the foreseeable future, but on the other hand, it caused the Packers to lose some key pieces this offseason, namely outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith, who signed with the rival Vikings, wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who signed with the Chiefs, and, most importantly, wide receiver Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting him with his college quarterback, Derek Carr. The crazy part about the Davante Adams situation was that they did attempt to franchise tag him, but after he refused, they were left with no other option, really, but to trade him. This all happened after Rodgers' signed his new deal, and I think his silence in regards to the whole situation speaks volumes. So to me, in order to appease the reigning MVP, in some capacity, the Packers have to break tradition and actually draft a wide receiver in the first round. As we've said in previous mock drafts, the Packers last drafted a receiver in the first round back in 2002, drafting Javon Walker 20th overall. So, with this pick, I think the Packers should look to Ohio State touchdown machine Chris Olave, here at pick 22. Dude is one of the best deep threats in the draft, and though I wouldn't put him on the same level as Jameson Williams in regards to being a deep threat (though he's not far off), I do think Olave is a very special player outside who just always finds the end zone. Throughout his career, Olave totaled a pretty astonishing 35 touchdowns, which is 12 more than his Ohio State teammate Garrett Wilson and 10 more than Penn State wide out Jahan Dotson, with no other receiver in the first round posting over 20 touchdowns throughout their college careers. This past season with the Buckeyes, though his numbers may not blow you away, as apart of their three headed monster out wide, Olave posted 936 yards on 65 catches this season with 13 touchdowns, which is good for fifth in the nation and second among first round wide receivers in this class. Like I said before, Olave is a great deep threat with a nose for the end zone, and with Rodgers having one of the best arms in the game, this could be a match made in heaven. Drafting Olave would give the Packers some much needed speed on the outside and would give Rodgers a true number one option in replacing Davante Adams. Packers fans can now rejoice, your team finally drafted a wide receiver in the first round.

23. Arizona Cardinals - Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

  • The Cardinals season can be broken up into two segments. The first segment saw the Cardinals catch a lot of people off guard, starting the season off 7-0 while beating the Titans, Rams, and Browns by double digits, all on the road. Even after the 7-0 start the Cardinals continued playing well, becoming the first team to reach 10 wins this season while not losing a single game on the road during that span. Then, everything kind of changed. After becoming the first team to win 10 games, the Cardinals proceeded to lose four of their last five games, including an embarrassing double digit loss to the Detroit Lions and a loss to a Colts team that had four of their five starters out on their offensive line and didn't have linebacker Darius Leonard. Not to mention they lost a division deciding game to the Seattle Seahawks during week 18. After that horrific end to the season, they Cardinals got ass blasted by the LA Rams 34-11. Basically, the Cardinals were this years version of the '20 Pittsburgh Steelers, starting strong and then plummeting back down to earth. With that being said, the Cardinals have a few glaring needs on their roster, most notably in the secondary and across the d-line and o-line. That being said, one need that I don't think gets talked about enough is their need for weapons on the outside. Yes, the do still have DeAndre Hopkins, who, on his day, is one of the best receivers in the NFL. Outside of Hopkins though, who battled injures all last season, the Cardinals receiving core isn't anything spectacular. For starters, they just lost slot receiver Christian Kirk to the Jaguars, which, for that kind of money, I would've let him go too. Second, AJ Green is also a free agent and turns 34 in July, so I think it may be smart for the Cardinals to get Kyler another weapon on the outside, especially now, given how pissed off Murray seemed this offseason, may want to calm that down and get him another toy. With Hopkins on one side and second year receiver Rondale Moore in the slot, adding someone like Treylon Burks would be very fun to watch down in the desert. Again, out of every receiver in this draft, I don't think a single one can match Burks' combination a size, speed, and power from the position (though he didn't necessarily wow at the combine). At 6'3" 225 lbs., Burks totaled 1,104 yards with 11 touchdowns on 66 receptions, averaging 16.7 yards per reception, while also totaling 112 yards on the ground with one touchdown to boot. Pretty much, Burks was Arkansas' entire offense, doing a little bit of everything while clearly (and smarty) being quarterback KJ Jefferson's favorite receiver. Another thing that I think would work with Burks in Arizona is his abilities as a run blocker. With Arkansas being a predominantly run first team, Burks has had to use his size and strength to straight up bully corners and safeties, which could work perfectly with how often Kyler Murray likes to run on the outside. Burks would not only open up the passing game, but give the Cardinals stud blocker in the run game as well. Burks can outmuscle, out jump, and nearly out run every single defensive back in college, could that change it the pros? Probably, but if Burks keeps getting better and keeps refining his craft, the Cardinals may have one of the best up and coming wide outs in the league.

24. Dallas Cowboys - Zion Johnson, iOL, Boston College

  • When the Cowboys were the most dominant team in the early to mid '90s, winning three Super Bowls over the span of four years, what was one thing everyone knew them for? Yes, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin, the triplets as they were called, were the stars of the show, but the offensive line is what really made the Cowboys go. Players like Nate Newton, Nate Stepnoski, Mark Tuinei, Erik Williams, and the great Larry Allen were the men that kept the Cowboys moving. That tradition of a dominant offensive line even carried into the 2010s, with the Cowboys using premium picks on the likes of Tyler Frederick, Zack Martin, and Tyron Smith, all, at one point, the best in their respective positions. Now, they're getting older, with Frederick already retiring and Martin and Smith rarely able to stay healthy. If the Cowboys truly want to get back to the promise land, they've got to re-strengthen their offensive line, especially now given that both La'el Collins and Conor Williams left for Cincinnati and Miami in free agency this offseason, respectfully. I'm not saying they were the best, but they do have two pretty big holes to now fill along the offensive line. So, in order to try and fill at least one of those holes, I think the Cowboys should look to add one of the top interior lineman in this draft here at 24. With all the top ones still available, the Cowboys have their pick of the litter. So, with this pick, I'm going to send them Boston College's Zion Johnson here at pick 24. Out of everyone that was present at the Senior Bowl, I don't know if there was anyone who had a better week of practice than Zion Johnson. Whether it was at guard or at center, Johnson bullied his opponents into submission, making for some very fun videos surrounding his play on social media. It's not just his Senior Bowl week that I like about him though, Johnson is a friggin battler. A former zero star recruit, Johnson first started his college career at FCS non-scholarship school Davidson. There, he developed into one of the best run blockers in the country as apart of Davidson's triple option attack, playing both guard and tackle throughout his time there. After impressing for two seasons at Davidson, Johnson transferred to Boston College, where he kept up the same dominance in the run game as a key member of the Eagles run first mentality. From being a zero star recruit to a First Team All-American at the FBS level is something to be very proud of. At 6'3" 316 lbs., Johnson possesses great athleticism/high motor and technique to become a very good guard at the next level. With the Cowboys having one of the best one-two punches at running back in the league in the form of Zeke Elliott and Tony Pollard, adding Johnson would help open even more gaps for the pair moving forward, given his run blocking expertise. I think Johnson would be an excellent addition to the Cowboys, being able to fill in at either guard or tackle, the two positions Dallas has serious questions about, can even fill in at center if needed. Johnson would help open up runs lanes for the aforementioned backs while also keeping Dak Prescott upright. Johnson is a very easy player to root for in this draft, and I hope he balls out at the next level, even if it's in Dallas.

25. Buffalo Bills - Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State

  • Going into the offseason, though they lost a heart breaker in overtime against Kansas City in the AFC Divisional Round, the Buffalo Bills are the early favorites to take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy come next season, which is a really weird feeling for me. So far this offseason the Bills have made some very nice moves in regards to strengthening their roster. They added Pro Bowl guard and former Tennessee Titan Rodger Saffold on a one-year deal, they brought in Jameson Crowder to replace the aging Cole Beasley in the slot, they signed former Dolphin Duke Johnson, replacing the originally signed JD McKissic, who went back to Washington after signing with Buffalo, and then, on the same day, they brought in former first round pick OJ Howard, to tag team at tight end with Dawson Knox, and two time Super Bowl champ, one time Super Bowl MVP, and one of the greatest edge rushers of all time, Von Miller on a six-year deal. The Bills made their intentions clear, it's Super Bowl or bust for the team out of western New York. Even with all these signings, the main reason the Bills have a chance at winning the Super Bowl is because of who they have at quarterback, Josh Allen, who has cemented himself as a top two quarterback in the NFL, and he ain't two. Before all these signings were made, Bills general manager Brandon Beane made one thing clear, the main goal is to protect Josh Allen, so the signing of the aforementioned Rodger Saffold was a very good start, the only issue was that Ryan Bates, a guy who basically transformed the Bills o-line when he was inserted into the lineup after former Hawkeye, Ike Boettger, was hurt against the Jets in week 16, had been offer sheeted by the Bears, which means the Bills had until Tuesday to present Bates with an offer. Thankfully for Josh, and all of Bills Mafia, the Bills matched the offer, bringing Bates back to hopefully seal up the offensive line. So, with the line seemingly "fixed," another way to project Josh Allen is to give him a rushing attack, something the Bills haven't had since Josh has been the starter. The last time the Bills had a 1,000 yard rusher was back in 2017, when Shady McCoy rushed for 1,138 yards and six touchdowns. Recently, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said he wishes Josh wouldn't run as much, but when you have literally zero rushing attack, Josh's hand is forced, causing him to take a lot more hits than he probably should. So, after bringing Bates back, I think the Bills could look in the direction of a running back with this pick, and to me, know one in this draft is as good as Iowa State's Breece Hall. One of the most consistent backs in all of college football, Hall posted back-to-back 1,400+ yard and 20+ touchdown seasons in his final two years at Iowa State, rushing for 1,572 yards and 21 touchdowns his sophomore year and 1,472 yards and 20 touchdowns his junior year, and that was without playing in Iowa State's bowl game against Clemson. Though the rushing numbers are fantastic, one thing a lot of NLF teams are looking for in todays running backs is their ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, and Hall showed off his abilities this past season, setting new career highs in catches, yards, and touchdowns, catching 13 more passes from the season prior. I think before the combine, Hall had a somewhat outside shot at getting selected in the first round, but after seeing a guy as big as he is 6'1" 220 lbs., run a 4.39 40 with a 40" vertical, teams have to be thinking of the possibilities with Hall in their offense. For a team like the Bills who, outside of Josh Allen, have no semblance of a running game, Hall would be a perfect fit. His combination of tough running and broken tackles mixed with his newly refined pass catching ability makes him almost perfect for the Bills offense. I know a lot of people out there say you shouldn't draft a running back in the first round, but I think Hall could be special if put in the right situation. Right now, to slow down the Bills, all you need to do is get to Josh Allen, which is easier said than done but they need to establish some sort of running game if they want to get to where they want to be. Breece Hall gives the Bills a legit threat in the run game, as well as the pass game, while also, most importantly, taking hits off of Josh Allen.

26. Tennessee Titans - Kenyon Green, iOL/OT, Texas A&M

  • Like the Arizona Cardinals before, the Tennessee Titans were one of the weirder teams this past season. Though they finished the regular season with a 12-5 record and the number one overall seed in the AFC, they battled a crap ton of injuries and lost games to some very interesting teams. This season, the Titans lost to the New York Jets and the Houston Texans, two teams with who are picking top four in the draft, while also getting ass blasted by the Cardinals in week one and the Patriots later in the season. They also had close encounters with the Seahawks, Colts, Saints, and the aforementioned Texans during the last week of the regular season. Now, like we said before, some of those losses could be traced back to their injury history this season, as they were without Derrick Henry, AJ Brown, Julio Jones, and pretty much their entire secondary for most of the season. Aside from injuries, the Titans do have some other problem areas as well, mainly out wide and on the offensive line. Now, if they can stay healthy, and that's a big if, I think AJ Brown and the recently acquired Robert Woods, who's coming off his own injury, are good enough to carry the receiving core, so maybe they could look for someone like Trey McBride from Colorado State to fill that Jonnu Smith sized hole at the tight end position. If not, the Titans should look to restrengthen their interior offensive line. Though they did manage to bring back center Ben Jones, they did lose both starting guards in free agency this offseason, with Rodger Saffold making his way to Buffalo and David Quessenberry still, technically, on the market, though it doesn't look like he'll be back. So, in order to fill at least one of the holes left by the recently departed guards, the Titans should probably look to select on of the top ones here with this pick. Given who's available, and with the Titans wanting to pull a fast one, I'll give them a guard tackle hybrid from Texas A&M in the form of Kenyon Green. During his time at A&M, Green started 13 games at right guard during his freshman season and then moved to left guard during his sophomore season, where he started nine games while also being named to the All-SEC Second Team and named a Consensus All-American. Then during his junior season, though he started off at left tackle, Green played in every single position across the o-line (apart from center). In all, Green logged snaps at four positions. He totaled 241 snaps at left guard, 142 at right tackle, 106 at right guard, and 81 at left tackle, per The Athletic, not to mention he was also named First Team All-SEC and named a First Team All-American. That's pretty damn impressive if you ask me. Green would be perfect for the Titans run first mentality on offense. I think Green would be an excellent addition to the Titans, being able to fill in at either guard or tackle. Green would help open up runs lanes for King Henry while also keeping Ryan Tannehill upright. Dude would be an excellent addition to the Titans offensive line.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Travis Jones, DL, Connecticut

  • The last mock draft we did, we opened up the Buccaneers pick reasoning by talking about Tom Brady finally retiring from the NFL. Well, things have kind of changed, not only is Tom Brady back as the Bucs starting quarterback, but head coach Bruce Arians retired for the second time in his career, first retiring when he was coaching the Cardinals back in 2017. That being said, Arians is still with the Bucs, just as the teams new Senior Football Consultant. So, with Brady back and Arians out of the picture, Todd Bowles has stepped in as the Bucs new head coach, signing a new five-year contract with the team to take over for Arians. Now, though we're going to get a new philosophy with Bowles in as head coach, as he's a defensive minded guy, as opposed to Arians offensive approach, I don't think a whole lot will change in regards to expectations for the team. With the NFC South easily being the worst division in football, the Bucs should have no real issues retaining their 2021 title. And with the NFC, as a whole, becoming a little weaker, with Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Khalil Mack, among others, moving to the AFC, the Bucs are essentially in a two to three horse race for the top of the mountain in the NFC. That being said, though the Bucs should still be at the top of the NFC, there are some holes on their roster, most notably along the offensive line (mainly guard) and the defensive line. Starting with the offensive line, though the Bucs did manage to trade for former Patriot guard Shaq Mason, that only fills in one of the guard spots, as Ali Marpet retried after just six seasons in the NFL. But, with the top two guards already off the board, with Green going to Dallas and Johnson going to Tennessee, attention should be turned to the defensive line. As of right now, the Bucs only have three linemen that have logged significant minutes in the NFL. They also may be without Ndamukong Suh, as he is a free agent and just turned 35-years old in January. With the Bucs real lack of depth on the d-line, and a defensive minded coaching taking over, I think that's the direction the Bucs will go with this pick. Someone who's been building up a lot of steam recently is former UConn Husky, Travis Jones. Though Jones has played for one of the worst teams in all of college football, with UConn going 4-32 during his time there, Jones really stood out. At 6'4" 325 lbs., Jones is, unsurprisingly, very powerful. Much like Georgia's Jordan Davis, Jones' size and strength allow him to absorb multiple blockers, allowing his teammates more lanes to get after the quarterback. When he's not getting double teamed by the opposing offensive line, Jones blows up every one of his one-on-one match-ups, making him lethal in the run game. Even after blowing up his assignment, if he doesn't get to the running back, his ability to break through the line causes the running backs to try and bounce outside, allowing for more plays for his teammates. A former three star guard in high school, Jones has had an extremely good offseason in regards to workouts, running a pretty impressive 4.92 in the 40, which ranked fourth out of d-tackles, while also ranking near the top in both the vertical test and broad jump. Adding Jones to a d-line that already has Vita Vea and William Gholston would make the Bucs even more threatening than they already are. Like Vea, three words I would use to describe Jones is strength, strength, and strength. His impressive showing at the combine has caused his draft stock to rise, making it seem as if he's going to go in the first round. If the top guards are off the board, expect Tampa to move for someone like Travis Jones. This d-line could be very fun to watch.

28. Green Bay Packers - Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa

  • The Green Bay Packers should have one thing on their mind coming into this draft, not pissing off Aaron Rodgers. Look, I know Rodgers is somewhat of an acquired taste these days, but the fact of the matter is that he's the reigning two time MVP, who went from wanting out of Green Bay as soon as possible to signing a new three-year contract with the team. Now, I don't know if he was privy to the situation regarding Davante Adams before hand, but I can imagine, regardless, he wasn't too happy with his partner in crime getting traded to Las Vegas, after refusing the franchise tag. With Adams gone, like we said with the Olave pick, the Packers are finally going to have to use a first round pick on a wide receiver, if not for anything but to appease Aaron Rodgers. Now, do I think they could double down on wide receivers in the first round? Not likely, but it is possible, I guess. Like, the Packers go however many years without drafting a wide receiver in the first round and then take two in the same draft? Again, I guess it could happen, but I don't think it's very likely. So, instead of drafting someone like Jahan Dotson or Christian Watson with this pick, I'm going to go down the route of trying to keep Aaron Rodgers upright, making sure he can see out those three years in his new contract. Last year, the Packers battled injures all across their offensive line, with left tackle David Bakhtiari missing most of the season with a torn ACL and starting center Josh Meyers a knee injury of his own. Now, though Elgton Jenkins filled in at tackle, he's a natural guard, and would probably like to move back to his aforementioned natural position. So, with Jenkins kicking back inside to guard, I think the Packers could/should move for someone like Tulsa's Tyler Smith with their second first round pick. Though he played tackle at Tulsa, some out there have speculated that Smith could kick inside to guard, if needed. So, even if the Packers continue to go with Jenkins at tackle, Smith should still be an option here at 28. At 6'4" 324 lbs., Smith is a very powerful and physical lineman who is equally adept in the pass game and the run game. His physicality sees him bully smaller defenders in the run game whereas his quick feet and power make him very strong in the pass game, allowing him to keep defenders away from his body, in turn keeping them off the quarterback. Now, one thing about Smith that is a turn off for some, but a turn on for others, is that he's a pretty raw prospect, in regards to his technique. Though he's tough in both the run and pass game, Smith will need to reign in everything, and if he does, this athleticism sees him becoming a top tackle, or even guard, at the next level. Again, though his rawness may scare some teams away, the Packers took a punt on Michigan's Rashan Gary a few years ago, and that's worked out rather well for them up to this point, so I don't see it scaring them away here. If the Packers come away from the first round with Chris Olave and Tyler Smith, not only should Rodgers be happy, but all of cheese head nation should be as well. If Smith develops properly, they could have a very good lineman on their hands.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (via Miami) - Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota

  • I'm going to say something pretty crazy here, so I hope you're ready for it. The Kansas City Chiefs are still a very good team, even after trading the cheetah, Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. Yes, I know, in this economy? I just think people are starting to underrate the Chiefs a little bit, and most of that isn't even because of stuff they're doing, but rather what their division, and the AFC in general is doing. Like, in the AFC West alone, we have seen Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Chandler Jones, Khalil Mack, and JC Jackson all come into the division. Who have the Chiefs signed in retaliation to all these moves? JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Ok, I'll admit, they're not necessarily the signings that'll move the needle in Kansas City but c'mon, this is a team that has hosted the AFC Championship game four straight years, and I've seen recent power ranking having them as low as 12th, which is kind weird to me. The Chiefs are already going to be pissed off coming into the season given how the last one ended, I don't want people to give them any more. As long as they have Patrick Mahomes at the helm, they'll be in contention for the Super Bowl, regardless of how everyone else is around them. Now, I'm not saying the Chiefs aren't without their holes, especially on the defensive side of things, but let's not get crazy here. Two areas of concern for me are edge rusher and the safety position. Starting with the latter, both starting safeties from a season ago, Tyrann Mathieu and Daniel Sorenson, are either still free agents or signed with another team, as Sorenson has signed with the Saints this offseason. Though the loss of Sorenson doesn't really matter, losing Mathieu could be big for the Chiefs. Now, the team did go out and pick up former Texan Justin Reid, which fills one spot in the secondary, but there's still that opening on the other side. With Reid more than likely going to line up as the teams new free safety, the Chiefs should be looking for a strong safety with this pick and to me, it's a little too early to look at someone like Lewis Cine or Jaquan Brisker. So, instead of safety, I'm going to look to sure up the defensive line. Before the season started last year, the Chiefs tried to kick All Pro d-tackle Chris Jones out to d-end, which unsurprisingly, didn't really work, as he's not a d-end. But after the team traded for Melvin Ingram from Pittsburgh, the defense started turning a new leaf. With the Chiefs in a division with decently mobile quarterbacks, I think it'd be smart to try and replace Ingram with one of their first round picks, as again, he was pretty instrumental in the Chiefs defensive turnaround midway through the season. To me, out of all the healthy edge rushers available, none are better than Minnesota's Boye Mafe. Though the likes of Travon Walker, Jermaine Johnson, and Trevor Penning have been rising up draft boards, they were all pretty much seen as, at least, late first round draft picks. None of them went from being a day three pick to a potential first rounder, which is exactly what Boye Mafe has done. One thing that helps Mafe stand out is that he is an absolute freak of an athlete. During the Senior Bowl, Mafe registered two sacks, a forced fumble, and three tackles for losses, which sprung his name right into first round conversations. At 6'4" and weighing 260 pounds, Mafe possesses great get off and strength to absolutely blow past, or even run over, opposing offensive tackles, i.e. reps against Bernhard Raimann during Senior Bowl practices. While at Minnesota, over a four year career, Mafe totaled 87 tackles (59 solo) to go along with 15 sacks and three forced fumbles, which aren't necessarily numbers that'll blow you away, but when you watch him, you see there's a great player in there. His athletic ability mixed with a motor that seemingly never stops makes him a very enticing prospect to watch come draft day. If the Chiefs want to keep improving their defense, they've got to retool their pass rush. Last season the Chiefs ranked fourth from the bottom in total sacks last season, with just 31. Adding someone like Mafe would instantly help improve their pass rush, keeping them right near the top of the AFC.

30. Kansas City Chiefs - Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State

  • In one of the strangest moves in recent league history, the Kansas City Chiefs traded star wide receiver, Tyreek Hill, for a shite ton of picks, including the pick before, pick 29. Like seriously, it felt like it was reported the Chiefs were going to allow Hill to seek a trade after being unable to restructure his contract and then bam! He's traded to Miami. I think the whole thing took like five minutes or something, at least that's what it felt like. Now, even though the Chiefs brought in former Steelers JuJu Smith-Schuster and former Packer Marquez Valdes-Scantling, they should still look to add a wide receiver with one of their first round picks. Especially since, even with Hill, the Chiefs wide receiver core really wasn't anything that special. Outside of Hill and tight end Travis Kelce, the options weren't that great. Nothing against Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling, but they themselves are not enough to fill the hole left by Tyreek Hill, which is why I think the Chiefs should go after someone like North Dakota State's Christian Watson here at pick 30. Now, this may come as a surprise to some, as many people out there, including myself, believe Penn State's Jahan Dotson is a better wide receiver, right now, then Watson. But look at what I said, I think Dotson is better right now. I think, out of all the receivers in the draft, Watson, arguably, has one of the highest ceilings. At 6'4" 208 lbs., Watson ran a pretty astonishing 4.36 40 with a 38.5" vertical and a 11'4" broad jump, which was the best measured attempt out of any wide receiver in the draft. Now, myself and other draft "experts" could be freaking out a little too much, right? I mean, Watson never even had a season where he posted more than 800 yards receiving. The thing is, Watson is coming from North Dakota State, the most physically impassive run oriented team in all the FCS, essentially meaning, they don't normally pass the ball all too much. I think that may be another thing that also helps Watson's case, as he has plenty of experience as a run blocker, given North Dakota State's style, something that I think truly helped the Ravens first first round pick from last year, Rashod Bateman, slide into the first round. I think, with Tyreek Hill gone, the Chiefs have to go after a receiver in the first round, unless they trade for DK Metcalf or something, than these picks will belong to Seattle. I think if Watson develops right, he could be an insane deep threat at the next level. His natural size and speed will make him a match-up nightmare and could the the perfect "Robin" to Travis Kelce's "Batman" on the Chiefs offense. Given time, Watson could be a real problem at the next level.

31. Cincinnati Bengals - Tyler Linderbaum, iOL, Iowa

  • Unlike last offseason, the Bengals have made massive strides in improving their offensive line. After making it to the Super Bowl, the main goal of this team was clear, protect Joe Burrow, who has the distinguished honor of becoming the first quarterback to lead the league in sacks to make it to a Super Bowl. So far this offseason the Bengals have signed Super Bowl champ Alex Cappa, a guard/center hybrid from New England in Ted Karras, and a guard/tackle hybrid from Dallas in La'el Collins, who, if he can stay healthy, will be a force at right tackle for Cincinnati. Again, Joe Burrow was sacked 51 times in the regular season and 19 times in the postseason, with nine of those postseason sacks coming against the Tennessee Titans, and seven of them coming in the Super Bowl against the Rams. I know the moves the Bengals made so far have vastly improved their line, but if they have the opportunity to add to that in the draft, they better do it, as it's not often one of the greatest center prospects of all time falls right into your lap with the second to last pick in the first round. If this draft plays out like it has, the Bengals better sprint their card to the podium to select former Iowa center, Tyler Linderbaum, here at pick 31. Now, there's no questioning Linderbaum's quality, the problem is that he is a center, a position that usually goes later in the draft as it's not seen as a "glamorous" position. Technically speaking, the last center drafted in the top 10 was the Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews back in 1983, but even then Matthews played all across the line, so one may not classify him as just a center. Since 2000, the earliest pick used on a center was pick 18, which was used on Garrett Bradbury (2019), Ryan Kelly (2016), and Maurkice Pouncey (2010), so the likely hood of him going very high in the draft is small, especially given how some teams are reportedly concerned with Linderbaum's arm length. Now, all that being said, whatever you need Linderbaum to do, he'll do it and dominate in doing it. A former d-tackle, Linderbaum flashes his athleticism while pulling when run blocking, where he opposes his will on the opposing team. With the Bengals having one of the more balanced offenses in the league, in regards to running and passing the ball, they would only be getting better by adding someone like Linderbaum. Not only does he dominate in the run game, but he is a more than capable pass blocker. Since becoming Iowa's starter, he has allowed just three sacks. Combined, in 2019 and 2020, Linderbaum allowed just one sack and has allowed two during the 2021 season, which should make Joe Burrow very happy. Again, though I'd assume most Iowa fans would be surprised to see Linderbaum go this late, there are some out there saying he's a little "undersized" for the position. That mixed with the fact that he's a center could cause him to go a little later than expected. That being said, that shouldn't matter, cause Linderbaum is a special talent at the center position and if he does in fact fall this far, the Bengals would be getting an absolute steal.

32. Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles) - Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia

  • The final pick in the first round, and the final team with multiple first round draft picks. Now, I could be wrong here, but this has to be a record, there are five teams, currently, in the first round that have multiple first round draft picks. I could look that up, but it doesn't really matter to me, but it has to be a record, or at least close to it, right? Well, with the Lions, they were the first team that picked out of the five teams with multiple first round picks, and now they are the last, with Detroit somehow managing to get Aidan Hutchinson with their first pick. Now, with their second pick, the Lions could go a few different directions. Starting with the obvious one, quarterback. There is a whole lot of smoke surrounding the Lions and Liberty quarterback Malik Willis, and rightfully so. Like we said before, if you've listened to the Logan Blackman Show long enough, you know how I feel about Malik Willis. Though he can be a little out of control at times, his potential is through the roof, with his athleticism and arm strength topping every other quarterback in this draft. Though I think there's a solid chance he does in fact go second overall, the emergence of Hutchinson at number two changes the Lions draft strategy, just a little bit, as I feel those are the top two guys on their board. For here though, I think another quarterback they coached in the Senior Bowl, Sam Howell, and Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral are the top two options here, but I still think they'll go somewhere else. The second option for the Lions is at wide receiver. Last offseason the Lions lost Kenny Golladay to the Giants and Marvin Jones to the Jaguars, not really replacing either of them, at face value. To me, Amon-Ra St. Brown was one of the steals of the draft, getting taken with the 112th pick. St. Brown had a very nice season last time out, leading the Lions in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. To partner him, the Lions went out and signed DJ Chark from Jacksonville, who, when healthy, is a very nice receiver in the NFL. So, though they could go after a quarterback or receiver here, I think they'll stick on the defensive side of things with this pick. When Dan Campbell came in as the Lions new head coach, he came in with a bang, stating that they were going to bite off other teams knee caps, never going down without a fight. A player that could be perfect for that mindset is Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean. Now, I know linebacker may not be the first position of need you think of when thinking about the Lions, but I think the value is just too good to pass up on Dean here. We talk about the Lions possibly looking for a quarterback of the future, well, why not try and find one for your defense too? Though he may not be as big or as athletically gifted as Utah's Devin Lloyd, but Dean was the quarterback of one of the greatest defenses in college football history. This season, Georgia gave up just 253.9 yards per game (4 yards per play) while being really stout in the run game, giving up just 81.7 yards per game and giving up just 9.5 points per game. For a Cowboys team who's secondary, apart from Trevon Diggs, has been suspect at times, Dean would help take some of the pressure off. Even after Bryce Young put on a show in the SEC Championship game, opposing quarterbacks still only managed to post a 117.3 QBR, which was the worst in college football. That loss aside, Georgia's defense was special. Why were they so dominant? One reason is because of Dean's leadership. His leadership really makes him stand out, not just with the other linebackers, but with almost everyone in the draft. This season, Dean post 61 total tackles with five sacks, one forced fumbles, five passes defended, and two interceptions, one of them being returned for a touchdown. Again, Dean may not be the athlete Lloyd is, but Dean works his ass off. Leading vocally and by example, he'll make a play wherever he is needed and will rarely miss a tackle. Dean just feels like a Dan Campbell style of player. He'll never back down from anybody and he's a leader, not to mention he's a very good football player. If Dean falls down to 32, I can't see the Lions passing on him. Last season the Lions ranked in the bottom four in total defense, adding players like Hutchinson and Dean would instantly improve their defense, which in turn, should make them a better team. (honestly, I kind of like the Lions offense, pretty underrated imo, though I do think they need to eventually find a quarterback of the future, Matt Corral or Sam Howell in round 2 are the most likely options, to me)

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