2022 NFL Mock Draft – WalterFootball

Last update: Sunday, April 24, 2022. Changes across seven rounds.
Next update: Occasionally. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

The order of this 2022 NFL Mock Draft is based on the 2022 NFL Draft Order.

NFL Draft Recent Links:

2025 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 11/13): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (11/15)
2026 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 7/24): Round 1 /Picks 17-32
Other 2026 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (10/26)
(More links to previous NFL mock drafts at the bottom of this page)

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Jacksonville Jaguars: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
The Jaguars don’t need another edge rusher because they have good talent at the position, but I don’t know how they can pass up on the best prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. I believed that to be Kayvon Thibodeaux beforehand, but as Charlie Campbell wrote in the NFL Hot Press, Jacksonville prefers Hutchinson at the moment. Travon Walker is also a possibility.

Hutchinson has excellent potential, but we didn’t get to see it very much last year because he suffered an ankle injury.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Travon Walker, DE – The Jaguars believe Hutchinson is safer, but Walker has more upside.

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Detroit Lions: Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
The Lions will investigate both top quarterbacks. If they fall in love with one of them, they will draft that signal-caller; no questions asked. Whether or not they become smitten with Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis is the big question. Willis was solid at the combine, but I don’t know if he quite did enough.

I’ve slotted Drake London here since the combine, and he was in the lead for the No. 2 pick. Now, Travon Walker has become the favorite. There’s a chance Walker may not even be here, given that Jacksonville believes he has more upside than Aidan Hutchinson.

Walker got off to a hot start during the 2021 season. Walker has great size and athleticism, and he was one of the top performers at the combine.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Aidan Hutchinson, DE – The Lions will likely pick the edge rusher the Jaguars don’t take.
Houston Texans: Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
The Texans missed out on the top two edge rushers, so it’ll come down to their preference between Ahmad Gardner and one of the offensive tackles. I’ve had Evan Neal mocked here the past couple of updates, but a former Texans front office personnel man told me that he believes Houston is targeting Gardner. This may not mean anything, or it could mean everything.

Ahmad Gardner is a 6-foot-2 cornerback with great length, and he just enjoyed a terrific combine.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Evan Neal/Ikem Ekwonu, OT – It would make sense for the Texans to address their mediocre offensive line, especially after losing their right tackle this offseason.
New York Jets: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE/OLB, Oregon
The Jets haven’t possessed a great edge rusher in quite some time. That appeared to change in the wake of the Carl Lawson signing, but he suffered a season-ending injury. Even with his return next year, the Jets could use another player who can put great pressure on the quarterback on the opposite side.

Kayvon Thibodeaux terrorized Pac-12 backfields with his great pass-rushing ability. There’s some question now about his passion for football, but this might be FUD spread by other teams who want Thibodeaux to fall to them.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Derek Stingley, CB – The Jets could pick Stingley here to shore up their poor cornerback situation. I believe they’d like Stingley more than Ahmad Gardner because of his upside.

2. Evan Neal/Ikem Ekwonu, OT – I don’t think a tackle could be dismissed here, but I think it’s more likely the Jets select an edge rusher or a cornerback.
New York Giants: Evan Neal, OT/G, Alabama
Andrew Thomas struggled to begin his career. He has improved, but right tackle is a big problem because Nate Solder is a shell of his former self.

Evan Neal is a 360-pound lineman who can move very well, which almost seems impossible.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Ikem Ekwonu, OT – Charlie Campbell reported the Giants are targeting a tackle at No. 5.
Carolina Panthers: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
Matt Rhule believes he’s the Jay-Z of NFL head coaches, but he’s more Silkk the Shocker than Jay-Z at the moment. For Rhule to truly be Jay-Z, he needs his Beyonce, but he doesn’t have a better quarterback option than Sam Darnold, who is basically Rebecca Black. The Panthers whiffed on all the quarterbacks they could’ve obtained via trade, so they almost have to use this selection on a signal-caller, given that this is the only pick the team has in the top 100.

As of right now, I believe the Panthers are deciding between Malik Willis and Ikem Ekwonu (assuming Evan Neal won’t be available.) It really sounds like they’re trying to sell themselves on selecting Willis. General manager Scott Fitterer discussed the excitement in the building during Willis’ pro day, and owner Axe Tepper wants the team to make a home-run play with this pick. That won’t happen with any tackle. Willis can provide the sort of energy Carolina has been lacking since the first time Cam Newton departed.

Willis has a huge arm and great mobility, but struggles to process information and see the field very well. Still, he has the upside to be chosen as high as No. 6 overall.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Evan Neal/Ikem Ekwonu, OT – I’m 55-45 on the Panthers going with a quarterback with this pick. If they don’t, they’ll look to fill their huge hole at left tackle.

2. Trevor Penning, OT – If the top two tackles are off the board, and the Panthers don’t want a signal-caller, I believe Penning would make sense, as the Panthers’ general manager may draft as the Seahawks have over the years.
New York Giants: Derek Stingley, CB, LSU
The Giants have an excellent secondary, but that won’t be the case once they trade James Bradberry, which seems inevitable right now. Once Bradberry is gone, the Giants will sorely need a No. 1 cornerback.

Derek Stingley had a freshman campaign for the ages, completely erasing one side of the field despite having no experience entering the year. He has great size (6-1, 190) and athleticism, but could fall in the 2022 NFL Draft because of some major injury concerns.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Ahmad Gardner, CB – The Giants would love to land Gardner, but he’ll probably be off the board.

2. Kayvon Thibodeaux/Jermaine Johnson, DE – If the top two cornerbacks are off the board, the Giants could trade down. If they don’t, they may address their poor edge-rushing situation.
Atlanta Falcons: Ikem Ekwonu, OT/G, N.C. State
The Falcons could opt to take a quarterback with this pick. If they like either Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett, they should. If not, they should tank for next April (I have three quarterbacks in the top three picks in my 2023 NFL Mock Draft.) Regardless, the Falcons will otherwise pick the best player available between edge rusher, cornerback, offensive lineman and wide receiver. Their blocking has been miserable lately, but Ikem Ekwonu would change that.

Ekwonu has gotten rave reviews from talent evaluators. Some projected him as a late-first-round pick to start the 2021 season, but he has made major strides and is now a potential top-five choice.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Malik Willis/Kenny Pickett, QB – The Falcons could target a quarterback with this pick, but then again, they passed on Justin Fields at No. 4 last year, and Fields was a much better prospect than Willis or Pickett.

2. Jermaine Johnson, DE – Atlanta has lacked a potent edge rush for a very long time.
Seattle Seahawks: Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State
Prior to free agency, Pete Carroll discussed that finding edge-rushing help would be essential for the team this offseason. Yet, all the Seahawks have done in that regard is obtain Uchenna Nwosu. That’s not nearly enough to combat Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray and Trey Lance. I believe the Seahawks will target a dynamic edge rusher with this pick unless someone unexpected drops to them.

Jermaine Johnson, who left Georgia for Florida State, has good speed off the edge.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Derek Stingley, CB – Stingley seems like the perfect prospect for the Seahawks, but he may not be available.

2. Trevor Penning, OT – Rob Staton of SeahawksDraftBlog.com did a great breakdown of why Seattle could be interested in Penning at No. 9 overall.
New York Jets: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
I didn’t think the Jets needed a receiver very much, but Joe Douglas disagrees because he offered this pick to the Seahawks for D.K. Metcalf. Obviously, receiver will be considered at this spot if Douglas loves someone at the position. He needs to give Zach Wilson as much help as possible, after all.

Garrett Wilson has ridiculous run-after-the-catch ability.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Derek Stingley, CB – As mentioned at No. 4, the Jets would love to obtain a prospect like Stingley.

2. Jermaine Johnson, DE – If the Jets pass on an edge rusher at No. 4, Johnson would be a great choice at this spot.
Washington Redskins: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
The Redskins traded for Carson Wentz, so how can they not provide their new quarterback with some new receiving talent? All they have is Terry McLaurin at the position. Wentz will struggle to catch on in Washington if they don’t give him another dynamic weapon.

Jameson Williams is a tall (6-2), electric play-maker with great burst. He hurt his knee in the national championship, but could play in 2022 at some point.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Chris Olave/Drake London, WR – Here are the other receivers in play at No. 11.

2. Kyle Hamilton, S – I’ve mocked Hamilton here for a while, but I think there’s more of a chance that he’ll slip.

Pick change; previously Drake London, WR
Minnesota Vikings: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
The Vikings are still stuck with playing against Aaron Rodgers twice per year, so they’ll need to strengthen their cornerback situation, which has been in flux for quite some time.

Trent McDuffie isn’t six feet (5-11), but he has great cover skills.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Jordan Davis, DT – The Vikings could continue to beef up their defensive line with the best player available.

2. Trade Down – Many of the Vikings’ needs don’t align with the top players on the board, so trading back makes a lot of sense.
Houston Texans: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
The Texans want to evaluate Davis Mills this season. They won’t be able to properly do that if Brandin Cooks is Mills’ only viable receiver.

Chris Olave has a good mix of size (6-1, 185) and speed. He became a big play-maker at the end of 2019.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Drake London, WR – Another receiving option for the Texans.

2. Charles Cross/Trevor Penning, OT – If the Texans pass on a tackle at No. 3, they could consider one of these options at this spot.

Pick change; previously George Karlaftis, DE
Baltimore Ravens: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
The Ravens have declined since Lamar Jackson’s second season because of offensive line issues. Marshal Yanda retired, while Ronnie Stanley hasn’t been able to stay healthy. There also have been issues at center, which could be fixed with this pick. However, if Charles Cross, who could go as early as No. 6, is still available, the Ravens may trip over themselves trying to hand their card into Roger Goodell.

Cross has great feet as a former five-star recruit. Charlie Campbell reported that Cross has impressed team evaluators this season.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Trevor Penning, OT – The other tackle option for Baltimore.

2. George Karlaftis, DE – Karlaftis seems like the type of prospect the Ravens love. Baltimore needs edge-rushing help.
Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
The Eagles need to begin thinking about life without Fletcher Cox. The soon-to-be 32-year-old signed a 1-year deal this spring, so this could be his final season in Philadelphia.

Jordan Davis was a monster in the 2021 season debut against Clemson. He has continued to dominate this year, and he continued to improve his draft stock with a 4.78 40 time at the combine.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. George Karlaftis, DE – The Eagles will lose Brandon Graham in the coming years, so they’ll need a replacement.

2. Devonte Wyatt, DT – Wyatt would be considered here if it weren’t for repeated domestic violence. We’ll see if the Eagles have removed him off their board.
New Orleans Saints: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
The Saints obtained this pick from the Eagles (check out my NFL Trade Grades for more). I wonder if they’ll use their two selections to move up for a quarterback. In this case, they don’t have to do anything because a first-round signal-caller fell into their lap.

Pickett is an accurate passer with nice size. He was on fire in 2021. However, he’s just a middling first-round quarterback prospect, and his small hands might scare the cold-weather teams.

*** OTHER 2022 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***

1. Chris Olave/Drake London, WR – The Saints have nothing at receiver outside of Michael Thomas.

2. Trent McDuffie, CB – New Orleans could use some cornerback help in their attempt to stop Tom Brady.

Pick change; previously Chris Olave, WR

Go to 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Picks 17-32

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