Monday Morning Draft is back! This is a column that delves into the past weekend’s action from an NFL Draft perspective. As the season goes on, the draft picture and slotting will become more clear, but every Sunday will provide a few hints for next April.
By Charlie Campbell.
Send Charlie an e-mail here: [email protected]
Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates.
Race for the No. 1 Pick:
Detroit Lions: Detroit lost to the Vikings on a long field goal on the final play of the game after almost pulling off a fourth quarter comeback in Minnesota. A few weeks ago, Baltimore needed an NFL record 66-yard field goal on the final play of the game to get the win in Detroit. The 0-5 Lions are deep in rebuilding mode after previous general manager Bob Quinn and previous head coach Matt Patricia did a terrible job of drafting. It will take some time for Detroit to rebuild the roster new general manager Brad Holmes and new head coach Dan Campbell inherited. Hence, it could be a long year for the Lions, but Holmes is a phenomenal talent evaluator who will build a talented team and the Lions are playing really hard for Campbell. This year is going to be painful, but the Lions have the staff to build a winner.
If the Lions land the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, what they do with it will depend on how Jared Goff plays this season. If Goff plays well enough, they could maybe trade down for a big package of picks. If Goff struggles, they could replace him with the top quarterback. Detroit has two first-round picks in each of the next two drafts, so the franchise already has good resources thanks to the haul that Holmes landed for Matthew Stafford. If the Lions don’t take a quarterback, wide receiver and edge rusher could be the top considerations.
Houston Texans: The Texans got back to their ugly football ways as they were blown out by the Colts. A week ago, Houston came close to its second win of the season, but the Patriots won thanks to horrible special teams play by Houston. Clearly, the Texans are one of the worst teams in the NFL, and they are paying the price for Bill O’Brien ruining one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. With Deshaun Watson on his way out of town, finding the long-term franchise quarterback is the priority for Houston.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars grabbed their first victory of the season, as they won in London thanks to some late long field goals to drop Miami. New head coach Urban Meyer has received a rude welcome to the NFL, and clearly Jacksonville is a young team with a lot of holes on the roster. The team has been mismanaged for years, and that was given further illustration when the organization only received a third-round pick for C.J. Henderson, who was the 9th-overall pick just a year ago. That is a terrible return on a top investment for the franchise, and shortly after that, the Meyer controversy hit. It remains to be seen if Meyer can win over a NFL locker room, but right now it feels like the Jaguars made a mistake in hiring Meyer to lead the franchise.
Given the state of the Jacksonville roster along with a controversial coach who may not have credibility in the locker room, the team will probably be a top candidate to earn the No. 1 pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. If Jacksonville lands the top pick, it would make sense to trade down and load up on picks to help the rebuilding process around Trevor Lawrence.
Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins just lost their fifth straight game, as they couldn’t hold a lead or a tie against the Jaguars in London. Miami has struggled on both sides of the ball this year. If the Dolphins land the top-pick, they could consider taking a quarterback, depending on how Tua Tagovailoa plays this year. It wouldn’t be surprising if Miami puts a package of picks together to trade for Deshaun Watson.
New York Jets: New York had a bye this week. Last week, the Jets got dropped by the Falcons in the United Kingdom and Zach Wilson struggled again. It will be interesting to see if the Jets made the right decision to dump Sam Darnold and start over with Wilson. They could have had Kyle Pitts to help Darnold, but alas general manager Joe Douglas decided to deal Darnold and take Wilson. If the Jets were to land the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, they probably would look to trade down and load up on picks to help their rebuilding process.
New York Giants: The Giants lost to the Rams to fall to 1-5. It looks like it could be a long-year for New York. I’m not confident, however, the Giants will be bad enough to land the No. 1 pick. If they were to land the No. 1 pick, it would mean that Daniel Jones probably has not panned out and they would look to replace him with a new quarterback.
Top General Manager Candidates:
Top Head Coach Candidates:
Let’s Play Matchmaker:
This section will look at some of the top talent in college football and match those prospects up with teams that have a dire need at the position.
Las Vegas Raiders: Ed Ingram, G, LSU 
The Las Vegas offense stepped up against the Broncos, putting together a phenomenal game to lead Las Vegas to a road win in Denver. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson called a masterful game, and Derek Carr hit a series of clutch throws. Las Vegas had an aging and expensive offensive line that had to be revamped last offseason. The team could use more interior run blocking for Josh Jacobs and pass protection for Carr. Here’s a replacement for Richie Incognito.
For the NFL, Ingram (6-3, 320) is a powerful left guard who can generate a push in the ground game. He is a physical force to hit defensive lineman and deliver some violent hits when on the move. This year, Ingram’s pass-protection ability looks improved in terms of his technique. He’s playing with better leverage, feet, and hand placement. Ingram is a powerful people mover, but he is not a superb athlete or shockingly fast, so he might be a better fit as a pro in a man-blocking scheme as opposed to a zone-blocking scheme. While his run blocking is ahead of his pass protection, Ingram is well-rounded and could be a second-day pick in the 2022 NFL Draft who becomes a quick starter in the NFL. Ingram would be a great scheme fit for the Raiders.
Kansas City Chiefs: Travon Walker, DE, Georgia 
The Chiefs were down in Washington before Pat Mahomes caught fire and led his to a road win that spoilied the retiring of Sean Taylor’s number. Kansas City has been in a lot of shootouts this season, and the defense didn’t record a sack on Sunday despite taking on a vulnerable offensive line. Adding more defensive line help would help the Chiefs.
Scouts are buzzing about Walker, and he is shooting up boards for the 2022 NFL Draft. The junior is off to an impressive start in 2021, including a big performance against Clemson in the season opener. Thus far, he has 19 tackles and 2.5 sacks, but has played better than the numbers indicate. Team sources say Walker is big, athletic, and has speed. The 6-foot-5, 275-pounder has the size to set the edge and is quick off the ball. They feel he is a well-rounded defender with a lot of upside. Walker could be a superb addition to go next to Chris Jones and across from Frank Clark.
Green Bay Packers: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas 
Aaron Rodgers continued his domination over the Bears in what might have been his final game at Soldier Field. While Green Bay’s big three of Rodgers, Aaron Jones, and Davante Adams played well, the team continued to see the need for more receiver talent. Even if Davante Adams gets re-signed, the Packers will need more receivers for Jordan Love to work with. Burks could be a big possessional and safety blanket receiver for Love to work with.
Burks has 38 receptions for 628 yards and five touchdowns in 2021. In 2020, he made 51 receptions for 820 yards and seven touchdowns. Burks is a big possessional receiver for the next level. The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder is tough, physical, and dangerous after the catch. Burks is a phenomenal jump-ball receiver using his height, strength, and frame to get good position while showing an innate ability to high point the ball and use his strong hands to make acrobatic leaping grabs. If Burks runs fast times in workouts before the 2022 NFL Draft, that would really help him.
Baltimore Ravens: Damone Clark, LB, LSU The Ravens rolled the Chargers in impressive fashion, shutting down Justin Herbert, Mike Williams and Keenan Allen. Baltimore did have some issues with Austin Ekeler out of the backfield as a receiver, and inside linebacker has been an issue throughout season for the Ravens. Unless Patrick Queen starts playing at a higher level, adding a steady presence in the middle of the defense could be a priority in the offseason.
Clark is having a superb season, leading the nation in tackles and flying all over the field for the Tigers. In 2021, Clark has 80 tackles, a forced fumble, an interception and a pass defended. The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder has good speed, athleticism and instincts. He could be a nice addition to the Ravens’ defense and help solidify the middle of their stop unit.
Indianapolis Colts: Jahan Doton, WR, Penn State 
The Colts rolled the Texans to get their second win of the season and welcomed the return of T.Y. Hilton. While Hilton has had an excellent career, he is aging and prone to injury. Adding a similar speed receiver like Dotson could be a great addition to the Colts’ offense and give them a shifty fast receiver to go with Michael Pittman Jr.
Dotson provided some huge plays to lead Penn State to the road upset over Wisconsin to open 2021, but it would have been a prolific game if Dotson had a competent quarterback to work with. He was wide open for would-be touchdowns of over 80 yards, 70 yards and 60 yards, but terrible passes by Sean Clifford blew those opportunities. Dotson’s stat line of five receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown does not tell the story of how phenomenal he was. He made string of acrobatic leaping grabs to help beat Auburn as well. In 2021, Dotson has 43 receptions for 494 yards and six touchdowns.
Dotson had an impressive 2020 season, hauling in 52 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns over nine games. The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder can provide some big plays to his offense. In 2019, he had 27 catches for 488 yards and five touchdowns. He could be a nice big-play receiver for Wentz in Indianapolis.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon 
The Jaguars got their first win of the season thanks to some late field goals, but their defense really struggled to defend Tua Tagovailoa, who threw for 329 yards, and Mike Gesicki and Jaylon Waddle put together good games for Miami. Jacksonville did not record a sack, and improving the pass rush is going to be a necessity to help the team’s secondary. K’Lavon Chaisson was a pick of the prior regime and has been a disappointment thus far.
While dealing with an ankle injury, Thibodeaux has 13 tackles and two sacks in 2021. He recorded 32 tackles, three sacks and three passes batted in 2020. Thibodeaux had a superb freshman season for the Ducks, doing an excellent job of getting after the quarterback and totaling nine sacks, 35 tackles, a forced fumble and three passes batted. Thibodeaux (6-5, 242) is very fast off the edge with an explosive first-step and flashes speed to power to bull rush some offensive tackles. He could stand to refine and add more pass-rushing moves, but he has big-time ability and a lot of upside to develop. He could form an excellent tandem with Josh Allen.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida 
The Bucs have had issues at cornerback this season, and that led them to sign declining veteran Richard Sherman. Even if Carlton Davis is signed to an extension, Tampa Bay could use more cornerback talent to go with him. Late in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Elam would be a nice fit for the Bucs because he has an excellent ability to cover but he also faces some speed concerns.
Elam has 12 tackles, three passes broken up and an interception in 2021. Taking on Alabama, Elam was phenomenal blanketing and shutting down future NFL receivers. He played well in 2020, recording 39 tackles, two interceptions and 11 passes broken up. The 6-foot-1, 187-pounder was fantastic as a freshman, flashing serious ball skills even though he had a part-time role. Elam has good height and length with enough quickness to become a potential starter. He could be a plug-and-play cornerback upgrade for the Bucs as a No. 2 across from Davis. Elam would be a solid value for Tampa Bay late in the first round or second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand in regards to the 2020 NFL Draft.
Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are a young team that is showing significant improvement over 2021 with a healthy Joe Burrow and a dynamic young receiver in Ja’Marr Chase. Cincinnati is definitely a franchise headed in the right direction, and another good draft or two could have the Bengals challenging to be among the top teams in the AFC.
In my latest mock 2022 NFL Draft, I have the Bengals taking Ohio State left tackle Nicolas Petit-Frere, who I think would be an excellent choice for them. Petit-Frere could be a franchise left tackle to protect Burrow, and adding a left tackle would allow the Bengals to move Jonah Wiliams to guard, center, or right tackle. Thus, that one pick would upgrade the line at two spots. Other first-round offensive tackles for Cincinnati to consider include Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning, Penn State’s Rasheed Walker, Minnesota’s Daniel Faalele and Kentucky’s Darian Kinnard.
Aside from an offensive tackle, the Bengals could consider adding talent to the defense. They could use help on the defensive line with an edge rusher to go across from Trey Hendrickson. Cincinnati won’t be picking high enough for Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux, but there are other good options like Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson, Georgia edge rusher Adam Anderson, Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker, Purdue defensive end Georg Karlaftis and Florida State defensive end Jermaine Johnson.
The Bengals also could consider some interior defensive line talent with a replacement for Geno Atkins. They have a good heavy nose tackle in D.J. Reader, but they could use a speedy interior rusher to go next to him. Oklahoma’s Perrion Winfrey and Texas A&M’s DeMarvin Leal would be players to consider depending on where Cincinnati is choosing in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Cincinnati also could consider going with a cornerback because adding a long-term No. 1 corner could be a worthy investment for the defense. The Bengals won’t be picking high enough to keep the LSU train going with Derek Stingley, but they could have other good options like Penn State’s Tariq Castro-Fields, Alabama’s Josh Jobe and Washington’s Trent McDuffie.
The Bengals are in great position to make a run at becoming a top team in the AFC. With Burrow, Chase, and some other young talent coming into their prime, they have the building blocks in place to return to the playoffs very soon. Adding another good draft or two could put Cincinnati among the elite of the AFC, so the 2022 NFL Draft will be a great opportunity for the franchise.
Philadelphia Eagles: After the end of the short Doug Peterson-Carson Wentz era, the Eagles are a team in rebuilding mode. Philadelphia is loaded up with at least two first-round picks next year – possibly three depending on the playing time of Wentz with the Colts. If Philadelphia hits on its draft picks in 2022, the organization could quickly put together a young core to the roster that can lead the team back into playoff contention.
The biggest decision will be whether to stay with Jalen Hurts as the long-term starting quarterback. There have been rumors of the Eagles being interested in trading for Deshaun Watson, and the Eagles have the draft ammo to make that trade without it costing them picks for many years to come. If they don’t stick with Hurts or trade for Watson, Philadelphia could consider first-round quarterback options like Ole Miss’ Matt Corral or Liberty’s Malik Willis. The remaining 11 games of 2021 will determine that decision for Philadelphia, and right now, it would be premature to say what the franchise should do. That being said, if this draft analyst was the general manager of the Eagles, I would probably trade for Watson because I have had doubts for years that Hurts can ever be a consistent pocket-passing quarterback in the NFL.
Aside from quarterback, the Eagles could use help on the defense especially. In my latest mock 2022 NFL Draft, I have the team taking Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson high in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Brandon Graham is aging, and Derek Barnett is entering free agency. Philadelphia could use defensive line youth, and this is a deep draft for edge-rush talent. Aside from Hutchinson, the Eagles could consider Georgia edge rusher Adam Anderson, Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker, Purdue defensive end Georg Karlaftis or Florida State defensive end Jermaine Johnson.
In my latest mock 2022 NFL Draft, I have the Eagles taking Penn State cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields. He is a big cornerback who is a good fit for Philadelphia’s scheme thanks to his size, speed, and ability to play press-man, off-man, or zone coverages. Wwith the receivers at the other NFC East teams, the Eagles could use more cornerback talent to match up with their division rivals and give them a solid No. 2 corner to go with Darius Slay. Aside from Castro-Fields, they could consider LSU’s Derek Stingley if they’re picking high enough, and other first-round options for them could include Washington’s Trent McDuffie and Alabama’s Josh Jobe. There should be other good cornerback options in the second round for Philadelphia, including Florida’s Kaiir Elam, Alabama’s Jalyn Armour-Davis, Auburn’s Roger McCreary, Missouri’s Akayleb Evans and Virginia Tech’s Jermaine Waller.
Other positions that could warrant consideration for the Eagles include offensive line help and linebacker. Given the Eagles track record, they seem to not prioritize linebacker until Day 2 of NFL draft. There aren’t words to describe how big the 2022 NFL Draft is to the Philadelphia franchise. If the Eagles draft well, they could be laying the foundation to get back in Super Bowl contention. If they don’t get this draft right, the Eagles could be among the worst teams in the NFL for many years. Thus, the pressure is on for Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman.
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