Welcome to Draft Day! You've seen the Kevin Costner gifs, the sticky note memes, and hundreds of mock drafts. And here is some good news: a FINAL mock draft.
A few thoughts on the 2022 NFL Draft: After months of Aidan Hutchinson looking like the guaranteed first pick of the draft, Travon Walker of Georgia has become the overwhelming favorite to go No. 1. There could be anywhere from just one to even four QBs selected in the first round and they are the true wild cards in this process. In a year full of unpredictability, the quarterbacks (and who might take them) remain the toughest picks to make. Every indication seems like tonight's first round is going to be wild.
(Complete 1st round coverage of the 2022 NFL Draft can be heard on The Team 980 here!)
Without further ado, here is the final 1st round Mock Draft;
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Travon Walker – Edge Rusher, Georgia
2. Detroit Lions: Aidan Hutchinson – Edge Rusher, Michigan
3. Houston Texans: Derek Stingley – Cornerback, LSU
4. New York Jets: Ikem Ekwonu – Offensive Tackle, N.C. State
5. New York Giants: Evan Neal – Offensive Tackle, Alabama
6. Carolina Panthers: Charles Cross – Offensive Tackle, Mississippi State
7. New York Giants: Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner – Cornerback, Cincinnati
8. Atlanta Falcons: Jermaine Johnson – Edge Rusher, Florida State
9. Seattle Seahawks: Kayvon Thibodeaux – Edge Rusher, Oregon
10. New York Jets: Garrett Wilson – Wide Receiver, Ohio State
11. Washington Commanders: Drake London – Wide Receiver, USC
I'm of the belief that Washington is going to go receiver or safety tonight, depending on how the board unfolds in front of them. Kevin Sheehan (and others) have reported that WR Drake London out of USC is their highest-ranked receiver, and if he's available at No. 11 I'm expecting him to be the pick.
If London goes No. 8 to Atlanta or No. 10 to New York (or San Francisco, maybe?) then we get into a few fun scenarios where it could be safety Kyle Hamilton out of Notre Dame. It could still be a receiver, and if London is gone I'd expect the board to look like 1) Ohio State's Garrett Wilson, 2) Ohio State's Chris Olave and 3) Alabama's Jameson Williams.
In that case, I'd have Williams first, but his ACL injury combined with Ron Rivera's win-now, this is the all-important third-year attitude has me guessing he isn't as high of a priority.
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12. Minnesota Vikings: Trent McDuffie – Cornerback, Washington
13. Houston Texans: Kyle Hamilton – Safety, Notre Dame
14. Baltimore Ravens: Jordan Davis – Defensive Tackle, Georgia
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Jameson Williams – Wide Receiver, Alabama
16. New Orleans Saints: Trevor Penning – Offensive Tackle, Iowa
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Chris Olave – Wide Receiver, Ohio State
18. Philadelphia Eagles: Devin Lloyd – Linebacker, Utah
19. New Orleans Saints: Treylon Burks – Wide Receiver, Arkansas
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Malik Willis – Quarterback, Liberty
21. New England Patriots: Quay Walker – Linebacker, Georgia
22. Green Bay Packers: George Karlaftis – Edge Rusher, Purdue
23. Arizona Cardinals: Logan Hall – Defensive Tackle, Houston
24. Dallas Cowboys: Zion Johnson – Offensive Guard, Boston College 25. Buffalo Bills: Kyle Gordon – Cornerback, Washington
26. Tennessee Titans: Kenyon Green – Offensive Tackle, Texas A&M
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Daxton Hill – Safety, Michigan
28. Green Bay Packers: Jahan Dotson – Wide Receiver, Penn State
29. Kansas City Chiefs: Andrew Booth Jr. – Cornerback, Clemson
30. Kansas City Chiefs: George Pickens – Wide Receiver, Georgia
31. Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Linderbaum – Center, Iowa
32. Detroit Lions: Lewis Cine – Safety, Georgia
Follow @Team980 and @BrendanDarr for the latest.
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