Here’s the second round of our 2022 NFL mock draft. 

2022 NFL Mock Draft

33. Jacksonville Jaguars: Georgia WR George Pickens

Jacksonville spent a ton of money in free agency addressing the receiver position but they acknowledged the draft is where you usually find true long-term answers. A torn ACL limited Pickens’ final collegiate season but he still flashed big-time potential. He’s the type of long receiver QB Trevor Lawrence has thrived with in the past. 

34. Detroit Lions: Penn State WR Jahan Dotson

It feels like receivers will come off the board fast in the second round if more don’t sneak into the back end of the first. Dotson would provide a deep threat with some speed, and while he’s not big he has perhaps the best hands in this class. 

35. New York Jets: Baylor DB Jalen Pitre

Jets HC Robert Saleh has prioritized safety over corner in the past. Pitre can play both, which is also a mold New York has looked to in the past couple of seasons. 

36. New York Giants: Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum

More offensive line reinforcements. Linderbaum is a center-only prospect which could cause him to slip out of the first round. 

37. Houston Texans: Washington CB Kyler Gordon

If the Texans pass on cornerback early, they can circle back late and have a chance at someone like Gordon still, who is regarded by many as a fringe first-round prospect. 

38. New York Jets: Iowa State RB Breece Hall

This might be a luxury pick but the Jets have them to spare. Building around Zach Wilson is important and Hall could team up with last year’s fourth-round RB Michael Carter as a strong 1-2 punch. 

39. Chicago Bears: Central Michigan OT Bernhard Raimann

New GM Ryan Poles has said he wants to prioritize athleticism along their offensive line. Raimann fits the bill as a converted tight end, even if he’s more of a developmental prospect. 

40. Seattle Seahawks: Pitt QB Kenny Pickett

The perfect game manager to run Pete Carroll‘s run-first attack. 

41. Seattle Seahawks: UTSA CB Tariq Woolen

The Seahawks have relaxed their measurable thresholds for cornerbacks in recent years but Woolen would be a dream fit. He’s a rangy 6-4, over 200 pounds and ran his 40 in a blazing 4.26 seconds. It’s not just long speed, his 10-yard split was 1.49 seconds and he added a 42 inch vertical jump for good measure. His SPARQ chart is almost a circle (his hands are “only” nine inches). He needs refinement obviously coming from a small school but Seattle isn’t afraid of taking on projects. 

42. Indianapolis Colts: Ole Miss QB Matt Corral

The stakes aren’t quite as high for the Colts to find a quarterback after trading for Matt Ryan. There’s still a long-term need but that meshes well with the developmental nature of this class. 

43. Atlanta Falcons: Penn State DE Arnold Ebiketie

Ebiketie is a lightning-quick speed rusher who would provide a big boost to Atlanta’s front seven, which is in dire shape. 

44. Cleveland Browns: Michigan DE David Ojabo

As for the Browns, they get in better position to draft a pass rusher. If not for a torn Achilles suffered while working out at Michigan’s pro day, Ojabo might have been a top 20 pick. Ojabo can redshirt as a rookie as he recovers and the Browns hopefully can reap the benefits of his slide starting in 2023.

45. Baltimore Ravens: Tulsa OL Tyler Smith

Smith will be one of the more intriguing players to monitor ahead of the draft. There’s been some buzz for him as a potential first-rounder, but it remains to be seen how that plays out. There’s always a lineman who gains steam late in the process. Sometimes it’s real, sometimes it’s not. He’s a lot like Penning in that he’s got athletic tools and a nasty demeanor but needs a lot of work on technique. Most teams will gamble on that because they think they can teach the technique better than the tools and demeanor.

46. Minnesota Vikings: North Dakota State WR Christian Watson

Adam Thielen isn’t getting any younger and Watson adds a different dimension as a deep threat with size. 

47. Washington Commanders: Georgia LB Nakobe Dean

Washington spent a first-round pick on Jamin Davis last year but the mental requirements for middle linebacker were a lot for him as a rookie and the team seems to view his best fit as outside. That won’t be an issue for Dean, who would be a potential top-15 pick if he were bigger. 

48. Chicago Bears: Auburn CB Roger McCreary

McCreary could slide because of his short arms but Chicago need help in the secondary and McCreary is one of the best corners available at this point. 

49. New Orleans Saints: Washington State OT Abraham Lucas

The Saints circle around to tackle after missing out on the position in the first round. 

50. Kansas City Chiefs: USC DE Drake Jackson

A former top recruit who never quite put it all together, Jackson nevertheless has some compelling traits on film that should help him come off the board on Day 2. 

51. Philadelphia Eagles: Georgia LB Quay Walker

The Eagles have traditionally de-emphasized the linebacker position but the value of Walker here is hard to ignore. 

52. Pittsburgh Steelers: Penn State S Jaquan Brisker

Penn State just churns out athletes and Brisker is one of the latest. He has the size and speed to do just about anything from the safety position. 

53. Green Bay Packers: Kentucky OL Darian Kinnard

The Packers like former tackles with positional versatility. Kinnard is a mammoth tackle who evaluators think probably projects better to the interior at the NFL level. 

54. New England Patriots: Wisconsin LB Leo Chenal

A freak athlete who wreaked havoc at Wisconsin in a role that’s all too easy to see translating to what the Patriots ask from their backers. 

55. Arizona Cardinals: UCLA OL Sean Rhyan

The Cardinals need some help on the offensive line. Justin Pugh agreed to a pay cut but his future is uncertain. They’re rolling the dice on Will Hernandez at guard to compete with Justin Murray and Josh Jones, both of whom also are trying to push Kelvin Beachum at right tackle. Rhyan has positional versatility and multiple paths to a starting job. 

56. Dallas Cowboys: Nebraska C Cam Jurgens

Jurgens has gotten some hype this week and could slot in at either guard or center for the Cowboys. 

57. Buffalo Bills: Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker

At one point last year, it felt like the only reason Bills HC Sean McDermott didn’t demand they run the ball more is because he recognized the limitations of Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. Walker would give Buffalo more options on offense. 

58. Atlanta Falcons: North Carolina QB Sam Howell

The Falcons don’t have to take a quarterback this year, they’ve already made it clear 2022 is about “taking it on the chin” to a degree. But if they like a guy, especially if they can give him time to develop behind Marcus Mariota, they could take the plunge.

59. Green Bay Packers: Cincinnati WR Alec Pierce

Should the Packers elect to take the patient route again at wide receiver, Pierce is a name to remember. He’s a big receiver who the Bearcats would use tight to the formation as a blocker, which is something the Packers put a big value on. He’s also a workout warrior with terrific athleticism and some highlight-reel catches on his tape. 

60. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Colorado State TE Trey McBride

Tampa Bay is rather barren at the tight end position at the moment and McBride is generally seen as the top prospect at the position in the class.  

61. San Francisco 49ers: Memphis OL Dylan Parham

Parham visited San Francisco for a top 30 visit and would fill the team’s biggest need right now, which is for an interior starter at either center or guard. 

62. Kansas City Chiefs: Kentucky DE Josh Paschal

A shorter, heavier rusher, Paschal has been generating some buzz in recent weeks and drawing comparisons to Dolphins DE Emmanuel Ogbah, who had success in the past with the Chiefs. Paschal has the power to hold up as a run defender and develop into an effective bull rusher. 

63. Cincinnati Bengals: Illinois S Kerby Joseph

Both of the Bengals’ starting safeties are set to be free agents after this season. Jessie Bates is on the franchise tag and Vonn Bell is in a contract year. Joseph would give the team flexibility to handle those contract situations with a replacement in hand. 

64. Denver Broncos: Montana State LB Troy Andersen

Don’t let Montana State fool you. Andersen is literally one of the most athletic linebacker prospects ever to enter the draft. He had a blistering 4.42-second 40-yard dash time at 6-3 and 243 pounds. That kind of size and range in the middle of a defense could be huge for the Broncos. 

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