Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - With just a couple days remaining before the 2022 NFL Draft kicks off in Las Vegas, here's my second mock draft, with a look at 10 picks at a time, made via The Draft Network:
I have many of the same players in the top-10 from my first mock, but this time in different places.
The biggest change is Kenny Pickett now being the first quarterback off the board, going eighth overall to the Atlanta Falcons. This comes after the Carolina Panthers pass on taking a quarterback altogether due to edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux dropping out of the top-five.
I still have the New York Jets grabbing with a wide receiver with their second pick (10th overall), but this time it's University of Alabama's Jameson Williams.
The next group of 10 starts with a run of defenders, then three wide receivers in a row, making it four wideouts in the top-16 overall.
Two teams have two picks in this group. The Philadelphia Eagles go offense-defense, while the New Orleans Saints stick on the offensive side for both picks, including snatching Liberty University quarterback Malik Willis just before the Pittsburgh Steelers are on the clock.
The New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and Arizona Cardinals all take players who fit their team and schemes really well, then the Cowboys grab Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam, a player the Bills may be targeting right before they're on the clock.
With the 25th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills select:
Jahan Dotson - Wide receiver - Penn State
Dotson can fit right in and play on the Bills as their No. 3 outside receiver behind Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis, while also being able to play in the slot. With Diggs, Davis, Jamison Crowder and Isaiah McKenzie on the roster, he won't have the pressure of having to put up huge production right away, either.
He's one of the most pro-ready wide receivers in the entire class, playing four years at Penn State and increasing production every single year in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. He can also return punts, averaging an impressive 13.5 yards a return on 25 chances in his college career.
At 5-foot-11, Dotson is on the smaller side, but his speed and athleticism allow him to make plays everywhere. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein's comparable for Dotson is Emmanuel Sanders, who played for the Bills last year and who the team has yet to replace, on paper.
Here's more of what Zierlein wrote about Dotson:
"Finesse wideout with good speed and great athleticism who is fully operational on all three levels of the field. Dotson's passing scheme was well-designed and allowed for clear access to space for most of the season. His route-running is smooth but features speed changes and his in-air athleticism and ball skills look effortless. His confidence and competitiveness are just average against physical coverage and he's likely to see a lot more press looks as a pro. Dotson has inside/outside starting talent but a lack of physicality could prevent him from taking over games at the same rate we saw at Penn State."
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