Welcome to NFL Draft Day 2022. Here is the final NFL Mock Draft of the season from Audacy Sports:
After Jaguars pass, Aidan Hutchinson stays in the State of Michigan
Aidan HutchinsonMike Mulholland - Getty Images1.) Jacksonville Jaguars: Travon Walker - Edge - Georgia
2.) Detroit Lions: Aidan Hutchinson - Edge - Michigan
3.) Houston Texans: Ikem Ekwonu - Offensive Tackle - N.C. State
4.) New York Jets: Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner - Cornerback - Cincinnati
5.) New York Giants: Charles Cross - Offensive Tackle - Mississippi State
While the Jaguars appear inclined to bet on the tremendous upside of Georgia's Travon Walker at No. 1, Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions will be happy to take one of the surest things in this year's draft in former University of Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson with the second overall pick. Set to turn 22 in August, Hutchinson had 14 sacks, three pass deflections, two forced fumbles and 16.5 tackles for a loss in his senior season for the Wolverines.
Jets, Giants make mutually beneficial trade
Kayvon ThibodeauxTom Hauck - Getty Images6.) Carolina Panthers: Evan Neal - Offensive Tackle - Alabama
7.) New York Jets (trade up with New York Giants): Kayvon Thibodeaux - Edge Rusher - Oregon
8.) Atlanta Falcons: Drake London - Wide Receiver - USC
9.) Seattle Seahawks: Jermaine Johnson - Edge - Florida State
10.) New York Giants (trade down with New York Jets): Kyle Hamilton - Safety - Notre Dame
Rivals will make draft-day trades when they view it as beneficial for both parties involved. As unconventional as it may seem, that's what we've projected the Jets and Giants to do here. With Kayvon Thibodeaux still on the board, the Jets trade up and give defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh both an extremely talented edge rusher and cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner to build his defense around. Meanwhile, the Giants move down after selecting Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross at No. 5. After obtaining additional draft compensation from the Jets in 2023 - when they may very well be in the quarterback market - the Giants select University of Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton with the No. 10 overall pick. The Draft Network has Hamilton ranked as the No. 1 player on their 2022 big board.
Eagles trade up, pair former Alabama wide receivers together
Jameson WilliamsKevin C. Cox - Getty Images11.) Washington Commanders: Garrett Wilson - Wide Receiver - Ohio State
12.) Minnesota Vikings: Derek Stingley Jr. - Cornerback - LSU
13.) Philadelphia Eagles (trade up with Houston Texans): Jameson Williams - Wide Receiver - Alabama
14.) Baltimore Ravens: Trevor Penning - Offensive Tackle - Iowa
15.) Houston Texans (trade down with Philadelphia Eagles): Andrew Booth Jr. - Cornerback - Clemson
It's been reported this week that the Eagles are prioritizing wide receiver and edge rusher in the 2022 NFL Draft, and that they've been one of the most active teams in discussing potential trade ups. With both of those things in mind, we've projected that the Eagles move up two picks in a trade with the Houston Texans to assure they land former University of Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams. While Williams missed out by a year on a chance to play with DeVonta Smith at Alabama, he said this week that if the two had a chance to play together on the Eagles, they would form "the most explosive offense in the NFL."
Steelers leapfrog Saints, pick Malik Willis
Malik WillisJonathan Bachman - Getty Images16.) New Orleans Saints: Chris Olave - Wide Receiver - Ohio State
17.) Los Angeles Chargers: Jordan Davis - Defensive Tackle - Georgia
18.) Pittsburgh Steelers (trade up with Philadelphia Eagles): Malik Willis - Quarterback - Liberty
19.) New Orleans Saints: Devonte Wyatt - Defensive Tackle - Georgia
20.) Philadelphia Eagles (trade down with Pittsburgh Steelers): George Karlaftis - Edge Rusher - Purdue
While we aren't projecting the Saints to use the No. 16 overall pick on a quarterback - instead, former Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave is the selection - they are still a team that could potentially take a quarterback at pick No. 19. So to assure that they get their man, Kevin Colbert and the Steelers leapfrog the Saints in an intrastate trade with the Eagles, who would be happy to move down and recoup some of the ammo they traded earlier in the draft. At No. 18 the Steelers select Malik Willis, the quarterback in this year's class that gives them the best chance to have a future franchise quarterback. Back in March, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah reported that the Steelers were "smitten" with Willis.
Cowboys select wide receiver with immense talent
Christian WatsonNathan Ray Seebeck - USA TODAY Sports21.) New England Patriots: Trent McDuffie - Cornerback - Washington
22.) Green Bay Packers: Treylon Burks - Wide Receiver - Arkansas
23.) Arizona Cardinals: Boye Mafe - Edge Rusher - Minnesota
24.) Dallas Cowboys: Christian Watson - Wide Receiver - North Dakota State
25.) Buffalo Bills: Zion Johnson - Offensive Guard - Boston College
Things aren't barren at the receiver position in Dallas with CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, but Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson are no longer in the fold. That means Jerry Jones and company will need to re-stock the weapons around Dak Prescott. Enter, North Dakota State wide receiver Christian Watson, a 6-foot-4, 208-pound wideout that ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Chris Simms of NBC Sports ranked Watson as his No. 2 overall wide receiver prospect in this year's class, saying he has qualities that remind him of D.K. Metcalf, Chase Claypool and Mike Evans.
Seahawks, Lions attempt to land franchise quarterbacks
Kenny PickettJustin Berl - Getty Images26.) Tennessee Titans: Devin Lloyd - Linebacker - Utah
27.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Daxton Hill - Safety - Michigan
28.) Green Bay Packers: Nakobe Dean - Linebacker - Georgia
29.) Seattle Seahawks (trade up with Kansas City Chiefs): Kenny Pickett - Quarterback - Pittsburgh
30.) Kansas City Chiefs: David Ojabo - Edge Rusher - Michigan
31.) Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Linderbaum - Center - Iowa
32.) Detroit Lions: Desmond Ridder - Quarterback - Cincinnati
While both the Seahawks and Lions weren't comfortable using top-10 picks on quarterbacks, each team is more willing to do so late in the first round, where they will secure the fifth-year option. The Seahawks have the 40th and 41st picks overall, so they have plenty of ammo to move back into the end of the first round and select Kenny Pickett, who seemed likely to be the top quarterback taken for much of the process. Meanwhile, the Lions bet on the intangibles and athleticism of Desmond Ridder, who will be able to sit behind Jared Goff for part or all of his rookie season.
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