It's Draft Day. Follow Sonny Weaver Jr.'s lead and do what's best for the team.
It's time for the Official Keck Thoughts 2022 Mock Draft! As always these are my predictions for where I think teams will pick players. Unlike last year, I'm not going to project any trades in this year's mock. This year's draft is already incredibly unpredictable that projecting any trades will just cause even more of a headache. That said, as a Lions fan, I will note that I think they try to trade up for someone, but we'll get to that later.
#1.) Jacksonville Jaguars – Travon Walker, Edge, Georgia
- I'm buying the hype that Jacksonville GM Trent Baalke loves Walker's measurables and potential, but there is a part of me that is expecting a surprise pick of Kayvon Thibodeaux.
#2.) Detroit Lions – Aidan Hutchinson, Edge, Michigan
- This one I've gone back and forth on all day because it seems like the local Lions beat writers are split on who Brad Holmes and Co. draft. The Athletic's Chris Burke & Nick Baumgardner and Detroit News' Justin Rogers predicted Detroit taking Kayvon Thibodeaux, while the Detroit Free Press's Dave Birkett and MLive's Kyle Meinke predict Hutchinson. My gut is telling me Thibodeaux but I'm going to follow my head and say the consensus in Allen Park is Hutchinson.
#3.) Houston Texans – Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
- Another tough pick as there's a lot of belief Houston could take Derek Stingley Jr. here, but I think they're more likely to try to trade back into the Top 10 to get Stingley later.
#4.) New York Jets – Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
- If Thibodeaux doesn't go to the Lions, I could see him landing with the Jets here.
#5.) New York Giants – Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
- New York is heavily linked to drafting a tackle. I'm guessing it's Cross.
#6.) Carolina Panthers – Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
#7.) New York Giants – Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge, Oregon
- There's been chatter in the media that the Giants were rubbed the wrong way by Thibodeaux in meetings, but I think that's a smokescreen, hoping he'd fall to them.
#8.) Atlanta Falcons – Drake London, WR, USC
- Last year the Lions had the worst WR corps in the NFL, now the Falcons hold that distinction. They badly need to draft a WR, so I'm predicting they take the guy who can best go up and get the ball. Wouldn't shock me if Jermaine Johnson or Thibodeaux winds up here either.
#9.) Seattle Seahawks – Jermaine Johnson, Edge, Florida State
- Sounds like Seattle could be a landing spot for Thibodeaux or Stingley, too. This could also be the spot where Houston trades up to take Stingley.
#10.) New York Jets – Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
- The Jets were in on the bidding for Tyreek Hill. After missing out on him, they can take a player a lot like Hill and for a fraction of the price.
#11.) Washington Commanders – Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
#12.) Minnesota Vikings – Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
- I think Hamilton is going to be a very good NFL player for a long time, so if he lands in Minnesota I won't be happy. But it makes too much sense not to happen.
#13.) Houston Texans – Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
- I have Houston getting their guy by just sitting still, a lesson Texans GM Nick Caserio can take from his long-time mentor Bill Belichick, who stayed at pick 15 last year and still got the QB he needed.
#14.) Baltimore Ravens – Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
- Seems like this is the pick most often mocked to Baltimore, so let's ride with it.
#15.) Philadelphia Eagles – Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
- The Eagles need a few things, and wide receiver is one of them.
#16.) New Orleans Saints – Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
- This is higher than I think Penning should go, but New Orleans needs to replace Terron Armstead. I could see Central Michigan's Bernhard Raimann being the pick here, too.
#17.) Los Angeles Chargers – Zion Johnson, OT, Boston College
- I have genuinely no idea what the Chargers are going to do.
#18.) Philadelphia Eagles – George Karlaftis, Edge, Purdue
#19.) New Orleans Saints – Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt
- I don't think the Saints absolutely need to take a QB in this draft, but the fit would be pretty good between them and Pickett.
#20.) Pittsburgh Steelers – Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
- Another pick that lots of people are predicting based on Mike Tomlin's apparent interest in Willis.
#21.) New England Patriots – Quay Walker, LB, Georgia
- In a little bit of a surprise I think Belichick takes Walker over Utah's Devin Lloyd.
#22.) Green Bay Packers – Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
- Green Bay needs help at WR after losing Davante Adams and Marques Valdez-Scandling this offseason, but it's also well-known they don't take receivers in the first round. I think they will this year, and I don't think they can wait.
#23.) Arizona Cardinals – Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
#24.) Dallas Cowboys – Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
- Dallas is often mocked an offensive lineman, but I think if Lloyd falls this far they can't not pair him with Micah Parsons.
#25.) Buffalo Bills – Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
- Another oft-mocked pick, which I don't understand, but sure let's go with it.
#26.) Tennessee Titans – Kenyon Green, OG, Texas A&M
#27.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia
- I think Tampa Bay could very well take a safety or corner with this pick, but Wyatt fills a need especially if Ndamukong Suh doesn't return.
#28.) Green Bay Packers – Daxton Hill, DB, Michigan
#29.) Kansas City Chiefs – Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
- I don't think Kansas City uses either of these two first round picks; I think bundle them to trade up to get a wide receiver. But since I'm not projecting trades, let's give them McDuffie.
#30.) Kansas City Chiefs – Boye Mafe, Edge, Minnesota
#31.) Cincinnati Bengals – Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa
- Cincinnati is a question mark to me, but even after addressing their porous offensive line in free agency they can still add a Day One starter like Linderbaum to it.
#32.) Detroit Lions – Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
- This pick is an even bigger question mark than what Detroit will do at #2. Does Detroit take a QB, especially if Pickett or Willis falls here like I've seen them do in some notable mock drafts? Do the Lions take Georgia's Nakobe Dean? A wide receiver? All I know is in this mock Cine is still available and he's the best marriage of need and talent.
All that said about Detroit's 32nd overall pick, as touched on earlier, if I was projecting trades I think Detroit tries to bundle pick 32 with next year's 1st they got from Los Angeles in the Matthew Stafford trade, and try to trade up for a quarterback or a wide receiver. My best guess would be they try to trade up for Malik Willis. So for funsies, my bold prediction is that Detroit trades pick 32 and next year's 1st from the Rams to the New Orleans Saints for pick 19 so they can steal Malik Willis away from Pittsburgh.
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