Reader 2022 NFL Mock Draft

This is an opportunity for you, the readers, to vote on the picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. All you need to do is vote for each selection. Look for updates on Twitter @walterfootball.

Click here if you’re looking for my 2022 NFL Mock Draft.

Reader 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Picks 17-32

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2024 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 Other 2024 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25) /April Fools Mock (3/31)
2025 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 5/2): Round 1 /Picks 17-32
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (5/2)
(More links to previous NFL mock drafts at the bottom of this page)

Jacksonville Jaguars: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
Aidan Hutchinson: 67.2%
Travon Walker: 14.5%
Evan Neal: 11.3%
Ikem Ekwonu: 5.2%
Kayvon Thibodeaux: 1.7%
Total votes: 344

Chad M: Reading the comments below from a year ago is hilarious. Mac Jones ended up the best rookie QB, by far, and was an alternate who played in the Pro Bowl. Meanwhile, Trey Lance rode the pine basically the entire season LOL.
Detroit Lions: Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
Travon Walker: 44.0%
Kayvon Thibodeaux: 21.1%
Malik Willis: 13.4%
Evan Neal: 8.5%
Ikem Ekwonu: 5.0%
Drake London: 4.7%
Kenny Pickett: 3.2%
Total votes: 402

Ben W: Pleasantly surprised how well my comments aged. I’ve been mocking Walker to the Lions for a few weeks now. Not because it’s a good pick, but because it seems most likely. They don’t need an OT and I feel like waiting til 2023 is their better bet for a QB, so they can maximise his rookie contract and get the better prospects.

Jeremy W: I know Walter is mocking London to the Lions but the rise of Travon Walker is much more a better fit for a team needing to rebuild. Better to find your elite pass rusher now instead of a receiver.

Thomas W: I’m pleased to see last year’s comments still here so we can see how wrong we all were. Anyway, I think most of these options are bad for Detroit. They’re not going OT and the QBs and London are poor value here. Hamilton should be an option.
Houston Texans: Evan Neal, OT/G, Alabama
Evan Neal: 23.9%
Kayvon Thibodeaux: 22.0%
Ikem Ekwonu: 18.1%
Kyle Hamilton: 8.4%
Malik Willis: 7.7%
Derek Stingley: 6.1%
Ahmad Gardner: 5.6%
Kenny Pickett: 5.1%
Drake London: 3.3%
Total votes: 574

James K: The Texans are in a nice spot, as they can take a top-tier edge rusher (Walker, Thibodeaux) cornerback (Gardner, Stingley) or offensive lineman (Ewkonu, Neal). In my opinion, OL makes the most sense. Outside of the expensive Tunsil, who may not be there long term, their OL ispretty weak. Meanwhile, the edge rushers (and wide receivers) available at No. 13 or No. 37 won’t be a huge drop-off in comparison to OL.

Ekwonu is my (close) OL1 in this draft class and either Ekwonu or Neal would be a good bookend to Tunsil so long as he’s in Houston. Ekwonu would win out for me over Neal as he has the LT upside to eventually replace him, but Neal is absolutely fine too as he’s an All-Pro calibre RT prospect on paper. Neal is winning here, so I don’t expect my vote for Ekwonu will materialise into it being the pick in this reader mock.

Ben W: Lots of solid options here for the Texans. If anything, trading down is their best bet. I think KT is a little too risky in this spot and while they still have some need at CB, I’d rather they prefer their O-line for next year’s rookie QB and make his transition easier. Whether it’s Ickey or Neal is a bit of a lottery.
New York Jets: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE/OLB, Oregon
Kayvon Thibodeaux: 37.3%
Ahmad Gardner: 23.9%
Ikem Ekwonu: 19.5%
Drake London: 8.1%
Kyle Hamilton: 6.4%
Derek Stingley: 4.8%
Total votes: 518

James K: Split between KT and Ahmad Gardner for the Jets. Similar to above, think the drop-off for edge rushers is less than CB. Gardner is the best defensive player available, and alongside D.J. Reed would lock down their secondary, but I think Thibodeaux is still a top-10 talent and a dream fit for Saleh. I can’t attest to his maturity or work ethic issues, but either pick makes sense if the Jets are comfortable. Lean towards Gardner, but KT makes a ton of sense too.

Robert D: Split between KT and Ahmad Gardner for the Jets. Similar to above, think the drop-off for edge rushers is less than CB. Gardner is the best defensive player available, and alongside D.J. Reed would lock down their secondary, but I think Thibodeaux is still a top-10 talent and a dream fit for Saleh. I can’t attest to his maturity or work ethic issues, but either pick makes sense if the Jets are comfortable. Lean towards Gardner, but KT makes a ton of sense too.

Ben W: The Jets need help most at DE, though I suspect they’ll also take a CB in the first round too. So this will come down to who they think will be available at 10 and how much they’re willing to reaching for these guys that aren’t truly Top 4 talents. I’ll predict they go KT, but with the Jets, who knows?!
New York Giants: Ikem Ekwonu, OT/G, N.C. State
Ikem Ekwonu: 67.6%
Ahmad Gardner: 11.9%
Charles Cross: 6.3%
Kyle Hamilton: 4.6%
Kenny Pickett: 4.0%
Malik Willis: 2.8%
Jermaine Johnson: 1.7%
Derek Stingley: 1.1%
Total votes: 176

William C: I think Ikem Ekwonu is the best player, but I think the Giants need to grab someone here that’s a position they can’t get at 1.07. That’s why I say Kyle Hamilton. He’s a unique talent they can’t grab at 1.07 (if Hamilton goes 1.06). At OT Cross or Ekwonu is still available. For QB, either Pickett or Willis has to be available. Same for CBs. Hamilton is the smart selection.
Carolina Panthers: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
Malik Willis: 42.4%
Kenny Pickett: 27.2%
Charles Cross: 20.8%
Kyle Hamilton: 5.2%
Ahmad Gardner: 3.2%
Derek Stingley: 1.2%
Total votes: 250

William C: Carolina goes best player available with Kyle Hamilton. He will eventually move to LB, but he’s an impact defensive player. There’s no QB they are in love with to draft this high. I expect Carolina to try to trade down too.

Ben W: There’s two obvious options here for the the Panthers here. Grab their new franchise QB here (and probably regret it long-term) or give Sam Darnold one more go, draft Charles Cross, get Matt Rhule fired then grab a 2023 QB and build from there. I’d much rather the second option, but that’s clearly not going to work for Matt Rhule, so I’m guessing they take Willis (even though I prefer Pickett).
New York Giants: Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
Ahmad Gardner: 54.3%
Kyle Hamilton: 16.7%
Charles Cross: 10.5%
Jermaine Johnson: 7.4%
Derek Stingley: 7.4%
Kenny Pickett: 3.7%
Total votes: 250

William C: Carolina goes best player available with Kyle Hamilton. He will eventually move to LB, but he’s an impact defensive player. There’s no QB they are in love with to draft this high. I expect Carolina to try to trade down too.

Ben W: We’ve all heard the news about the Giants going CB. As much as I love Stingley, I reckon New York goes for the Sauce.
Atlanta Falcons: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
Kenny Pickett: 24.6%
Drake London: 18.0%
Kyle Hamilton: 15.6%
Garrett Wilson: 12.3%
Jermaine Johnson: 9.8%
Charles Cross: 6.6%
Derek Stingley: 5.5%
Jordan Davis: 5.5%
George Karlaftis: 1.9%
Total votes: 256

Thomas W: ATL’s most desperate needs are edge rusher and WR, but they have enough eneds they shouldn’t reach. I don’t like Pickett here… an overdraft that will waste years of your re-build. I went with Wilson, but Hamilton as BPA isn’t bad either.

Joey B: It best be Jermaine. Pickett makes the least sense.

Ben W: Pickett would be a huge mistake here. Atlanta need to get themselves set up first before starting the clock ticking on their future franchise QB’s rookie contract. I’d go with London, but Wilson, Cross and Stingley would all be fine.
Seattle Seahawks: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
Charles Cross: 43.7%
Kyle Hamilton: 21.6%
Derek Stingley: 13.2%
Jermaine Johnson: 6.3%
George Karlaftis: 4.7%
Drake London: 4.7%
Jordan Davis: 3.7%
Trent McDuffie: 2.1%
Total votes: 190

Rob N: The Seahawks tend to surprise with their first round picks and I had previously heard rumors linking them to Matt Corral. Could they shock us and go with the QB from Ole Miss?

Ray M: If Seattle can get Drake London at 9….and possibly trade DK Metcalf for a huge ransom..I make that trade. Seattle is in complete rebuild mode. If they don’t take London, I would suggest Jermaine Johnson to fix their pass rush which has been horrible for the past few years.

Nick V: The goal for the Seahawks now is to prepare for whoever will be starting at quarterback in 2023. Load up on players that won’t necessarily give them more wins this year, but will for next season once they have an actual quarterback. Plus, the Seahawks just lost Duane Brown, so this is a lay-up. Charles Cross, easy.

James K: I voted for Charles Cross, which matches my current mock draft (at the time of writing). I wouldn’t love nor hate Willis or Pickett at No. 9, given their big need at QB post-Wilson, but both are gone here. They reportedly like Corral, but he would be an egregious reach at No. 9 – perhaps Corral in the late 20’s via trading both 2nd rounders makes sense.

Presuming it isn’t a QB, the Seahawks could take OT or CB without criticism. I like McDuffie a lot as CB2, and although I’m cautious of Stingley in the top-12 due to his injury and tape issues since his 2019, he’s so talented that pick could be justified too. OL should take priority, though, especially if Charles Cross is on the board. The Seahawks’ current OT’s are Greg Eiland, Stone Forsyth and Jake Curhan. Ouch. If Cross is gone, I wouldn’t criticise Penning or Tyler Smith here, either. I view both as 15-25 type prospects, but their need is so horrific, and the position so valuable, a mild reach wouldn’t be the end of the world.
New York Jets: Drake London, WR, USC
Drake London: 28.7%
Kyle Hamilton: 24.9%
Derek Stingley: 17.8%
Garrett Wilson: 17.8%
Treylon Burks: 3.6%
Jordan Davis: 3.0%
Tyler Linderbaum: 2.4%
Trent McDuffie: 1.7%
Total votes: 421

Ben W: There seems to be a lot of buzz about the Jets going wide receiver here. Given they already have a small, pacy option in Elijah Moore, is seems more logical that they’d go with Drake London. Though I still like CB is viable too.

Ray M: It’s either Drake London or Derek Stingley here. Gardner was 2nd when they drafted at 5 and we voted to give them a DE. Zach Wilson needs weapons. He can’t keep throwing to the slot WR’s of the world only. Drake is the pick.

Michael C: The pick should be Garrett Wilson. He is more fluid and dynamic than Drake London. Denzel Mims still has a big question mark over him and Corey Davis has never been a 1000 yard receiver.

The surprise is that Trevor Penning is not part of this list considering the Jets do have Becton but thier RT option is a bit questionable. George Fant is slotted and serviceable, but if Zach Wilson is the key to the future, they need to protect him. Penning is the 4 of the big 4 tackles and had a great Senior Bowl.

James K: London feels like a reach in the top-5, but I’m much more comfortable with him in the 10-20 range and is my receiver 1a (Wilson 1b). Unless they change tact, the Jets seem set to take a receiver with one of the four (!) top-50 picks — No. 10 makes more sense than 4. They were willing to trade the farm for Tyreek Hill, and clearly want a No. 1 receiver for Zach Wilson’s critical 2nd year. Dark horse pick? Trevor Penning. Pauline is reporting the Jets absolutely love him (amidst a potential divorce with Becton), as do the Ravens at No. 14.
Washington Redskins: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
Kyle Hamilton: 49.2%
Derek Stingley: 18.5%
Garrett Wilson: 16.9%
Tyler Linderbaum: 3.9%
Jameson Williams: 3.9%
Treylon Burks: 3.1%
Trevor Penning: 3.1%
Tyler Smith: 1.5%
Total votes: 130

Ben W: This is the Kyle Hamilton spot. While there’s a lot of Top 5 buzz around him (which is ridiculous), ultimately Washington is the first team with a true need at safety, after Landon Collins was released. Whether Hamilton can effectively play that role is another issue entirely, but some team in the Top 15 is going to take a chance on him.
Minnesota Vikings: Derek Stingley, CB, LSU
Derek Stingley: 61.1%
Jordan Davis: 12.7%
Jermaine Johnson: 10.6%
Trent McDuffie: 8.4%
Tyler Linderbaum: 3.6%
George Karlaftis: 1.8%
Nakobe Dean: 1.5%
Devin Lloyd: 0.4%
Total votes: 275

Ben W: With Stingley falling, he’s the obvious option here to take over from the aging Patrick Peterson. I understand the Jermaine Johnson love too and he has to go soon but I have a soft spot for DJ Wonnum cos I’m crazy like that. Tyler Linderbaum is my smokie in this spot.

Riley C: Even if they bring back Patrick Peterson, corner is still their biggest need. Stingley has all pro potential and in this case is the best player available.
Houston Texans: Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State
Jermaine Johnson: 26.2%
Garrett Wilson: 24.8%
Jordan Davis: 20.9%
George Karlaftis: 6.9%
Treylon Burks: 4.6%
Trent McDuffie: 4.6%
Tyler Linderbaum: 4.4%
Jameson Williams: 3.4%
Devin Lloyd: 2.5%
Nakobe Dean: 1.8%
Total votes: 436

Ben W: The Texans are fortunate to have two Top 10 talents available to them here. I’d personally go with the impressive Garrett Wilson but I also think Jermaine Johnson is a viable option too.

Nick V: With the Texans missing out on Thibs at #3, they still have a chance to nab an elite edge rushers at #13, with Jermaine Johnson, although I’d be very ok with either Wilson or McDuffie.

Rob N: I like Jameson Williams to the Texans because he looks like a potential huge playmaker. Plus the Texans aren’t going anywhere this season so they can allow him to heal and recuperate on timeframe that can be extended if need be.

Thomas W: Texans at #13: I’d target BPA at an impact position, which I think is Wilson. McDuffie or Johnson are alternatives, but not a run-stuffing DT who has never shown to add much pass rush.

AJ H: The 2022 Texans are one of the wierdest teams that I can remember in the NFL. The Texans have fully embraced the tank, and have built a roster that is highly conducive to tanking. However, the Texans seem to have zero direction in how they are going to rebuild, and the hiring of Lovie Smith strongly indicated such. However, the Texans now have a chance to fix that. After drafting Evan Neal, the Texans can grab a top tiered reciever and fully lean into the offense build.
Baltimore Ravens: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
Jordan Davis: 28.8%
Tyler Linderbaum: 19.4%
Trevor Penning: 12.3%
Trent McDuffie: 10.7%
George Karlaftis: 10.0%
Garrett Wilson: 8.4%
Devin Lloyd: 4.2%
Tyler Smith: 2.3%
Treylon Burks: 1.9%
Jameson Williams: 1.9%
Total votes: 309

Ben W: It’s ludicrous that Wilson keeps falling, but it’s hard to see the Ravens taking a receiver. If anything, I could imagine someone jumping up in a trade. But if the Ravens pick, I’d take Linderbaum or Davis, probably Linderbaum.

Nick V: The Ravens just lost either their best or second-best O-linemen depending on who you ask in Bradley Bozeman. Luckily, the best center on the board is just sitting there at #14 in Tyler Linderbaum.

AJ H: The Consensus here says that the Ravens pick Davis, and if this is how the draft plays out, I wouldn’t be shocked. While the Michael Pierce pick up was a nice deal, it remains to be seen if he can recapture his form in Baltimore. I also wouldn’t be shocked to see if they go for O-Line help given how lethargic they looked last season protecting Lamar
Philadelphia Eagles: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
Garrett Wilson: 30.5%
George Karlaftis: 17.0%
Trent McDuffie: 17.0%
Tyler Linderbaum: 7.6%
Treylon Burks: 6.9%
Jameson Williams: 6.6%
Devin Lloyd: 5.9%
Nakobe Dean: 4.5%
Trevor Penning: 3.1%
Tyler Smith: 1.0%
Total votes: 289

Ben W: Surely the Eagles need to take Garrett Wilson here. No way he falls this far in the actual draft but WR is a big enough need that they might take best WR available.

Nick V: Jalen Hurts had no one to throw besides a rookie DeVonta Smith and a solid tight end, Dallas Goedert. When your second best wide receiver might be Jalen Reagor, mayday. Sadly the best receivers in this range (Wilson and Burks) both do their best work in the slot, and they just picked up Zach Pascal from Indy, but even still, I would get Wilson.

William C: If I’m Philadelphia, I’m looking at George Karlaftis and Tyler Linderbaum with this selection. I think it’s a lot easier for the Eagles to get Karlaftis later in the round and Linderbaum will be one of the best run blockers in the league for the next decade.
New Orleans Saints: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
Trevor Penning: 34.3%
Jameson Williams: 19.7%
Treylon Burks: 13.4%
Tyler Smith: 11.4%
George Karlaftis: 7.1%
Trent McDuffie: 4.7%
Nakobe Dean: 3.5%
Tyler Linderbaum: 3.5%
Devin Lloyd: 1.6%
Devonte Wyatt: 0.8%
Total votes: 254

Ben W: I think it’s reasonable to assume a key part of the Saints/Eagles trade was so New Orleans could get ahead of the Chargers. I’m not sure why they’d be that desperate to do that this far out but I’d have to assume it’s to get an OT as the Chargers hardly need a WR or QB. For that reason, I expect they take Trevor Penning, even though it’s a weird play.

Nick V: The Saints really beefed it by trading into the middle of the first round where none of their needs happen to be. The best receiver available is a slot receiver, and they have the best slot receiver in the league. The best O-lineman is a right tackle, and they have a top-5 right tackle that they just gave a bag to. Cornerback would be a reach here with Sauce and Stingley off the board, and same for DT with Davis off the board. I expect a trade down, but failing that, they’ll just have to bite the bullet and go for their biggest need at receiver in Treylon Burks. At least, he’s versatile enough to succeed outside as well as in the slot.

Anthony H: I am all-in on Charlie’s connection of Tyler Smith as the future LT of the Saints, but they can get him at #19. As such, I think the Saints are looking at WR’s at #16 and won’t be taking Penning there. If Jameson Williams is there, his game-breaking speed to go along with Michael Thomas’ game would seem like a great stylistic match. The Saints believe they can win now with Winston at QB.

Go to Reader 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Picks 17-32

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