The league is firmly in the second and third waves of free agency, which means the spotlight is shifting to the 2022 NFL Draft. The first round will be on April 28, just a few weeks from now. Which means it’s officially the peak of mock draft season.

Here’s our first look at how things could play out in our 2022 NFL Mock Draft, plus some additional draft resources we’ve compiled as well. 

• Complete 2022 NFL Draft Order
• List of traded picks
• 2022 NFL Draft Prospect Meeting Tracker

2022 NFL Mock Draft

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson

Jacksonville’s moves in free agency seem to be a pretty strong signal that a pass rusher is in the works with the No. 1 pick. They dedicated a boatload of money to the offensive line, among other things, but only tossed a few million to sign OLB Arden Key. 

2. Detroit Lions: Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux

There’s a lot of noise about Thibodeaux potentially slipping in the draft because teams have questions about his makeup. Perhaps that won’t make him appealing to teams like the Lions or Jets who are big on culture fits. Nailing down precisely which teams feel that way about Thibodeaux is difficult, however, and he has the talent to be a top pick in this class. 

3. Houston Texans: Alabama OT Evan Neal

The Texans finally have the picks to really kick this rebuild into gear, and landing building blocks who play high-value positions is key. Neal has flexibility playing a variety of positions at Alabama which should make it easy for Houston to find a spot for him, possibly at right tackle to start. 

4. New York Jets: Georgia DE Travon Walker

Jets HC Robert Saleh comes from the 49ers organization that has a long history of mashing defensive line in the first round, even if it’s not a pressing need. He’ll have alignment with GM Joe Douglas in that area. Walker doesn’t have the production some of the other top pass rushers but he’s an incredible athlete and should be a better pro than college player. This might actually be close to the floor for his draft slot. 

5. New York Giants: N.C. State OT Ikem Ekwonu

Odds are pretty good at least one of the top tackle prospects will slip to New York here and you can pretty much put it in Sharpie that they’ll be the pick. 

6. Carolina Panthers: Liberty QB Malik Willis

I don’t think Carolina is going to stick at this pick come draft night. My guess is they take the best offer to trade down to try and recoup more picks between No. 6 and their next pick in the fourth round. That would give them the flexibility to address quarterback and left tackle — both pressing needs. As far as which QB they like, I think Willis may stand out due to his incredible physical tools. His charisma has also been on display this draft season. 

7. New York Giants: Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner

New DC Don Martindale loves to play man coverage and blitz, making cornerback the most important position in his defense. Gardner has Richard Sherman‘s size but he tested as a better athlete and didn’t allow a receiving touchdown his entire college career. 

8. Atlanta Falcons: Florida State DE Jermaine Johnson

Johnson transferred to Florida State from Georgia to get out of the shadow of all the talent there but has found himself overshadowed somewhat among the edge rushers in this class. He excelled last year though and would fill a huge need for the Falcons. 

9. Seattle Seahawks: Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning

Seattle is embarking on a rebuild and will look to retool some key positions around whoever is at quarterback. I don’t think they’ll use a first-round pick at the position given their other options. A tackle like Penning with his nasty demeanor would be a great fit for the run-based offense the Seahawks are rededicating to. 

10. New York Jets: Arkansas WR Treylon Burks

The Jets run a version of the 49ers offense but don’t have their own Deebo Samuel as an all-purpose threat. Samuel is a unique player and Burks can’t replicate everything he does. But he can do enough as a schemed touch player to start and eventually has the ceiling to deveop into the matchup beater New York is looking for.  

11. Washington Commanders: Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson

Now that the Commanders have the quarterback they hope will solve their issues at the position, it’s time to build around him. Washington has Terry McLaurin as a No. 1 wideout but little else given Curtis Samuel couldn’t stay healthy again in 2021. Wilson provides some insurance and coincidentally an all-Ohio State receiving corps. 

12. Minnesota Vikings: LSU CB Derek Stingley

Stingley had an incredible freshman season and looked destined to be a top-three pick. Then the past two years happened. There have been injuries and inconsistencies, and Stingley hasn’t been able to work out yet while recovering from foot surgery. All that should lead to a slide but the Vikings could be the benefactor. 

13. Houston Texans: Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton

Hamilton followed up a 4.65 40-yard dash at the Combine with an even worse time at his pro day. That combined with the questionable positional value of using a high pick on a safety means that all signs are pointing to a bit of a draft day slide. Still, Hamilton is a fantastic player on tape. A month ago he would have been in consideration for the Texans’ first pick at No. 3. They should have a crack at him 10 picks later. 

14. Baltimore Ravens: Georgia DT Jordan Davis

The Ravens need to get younger up front and Davis is one of the most imposing defensive linemen in this class. He’s got the size of a true space-eating nose tackle but the athletic ability to also play three technique. He needs to develop as a pass rusher and there are stamina questions but the potential would be compelling for the Ravens here. 

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Purdue DE George Karlaftis

Karlaftis isn’t the flashiest edge rusher in this class. He’s solid, steady and productive, however, and is frequently compared to longtime Washington DE Ryan Kerrigan. Edge rusher is a big need for Philadelphia and adding Kerrigan to a group that already includes Josh Sweat and Haason Reddick would go a long way toward pushing it to a strength.  

16. New Orleans Saints: Mississippi State OT Charles Cross

There are a lot of moving parts in Monday’s big picks trade between the Saints and Eagles. But what it boils down to is New Orleans buying another pick in the first round this year, indicating a couple of possibilities. Either there are a couple of players in this range who fill big needs that they want to make sure they land, or they’re preparing for another move up the board. We’ll explore some trades in another mock, but if they sit and pick with the way the board falls now, they will surely be elated to land Cross and fill a gaping hole at left tackle. 

17. Los Angeles Chargers: Ohio State WR Chris Olave

The Chargers were able to bolster their defensive line in free agency, which is good because the dream of Jordan Davis sliding this far seems dead. They could still go for a cornerback or a linebacker here, perhaps an offensive lineman. But while they have a great 1-2 punch at receiver with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, they lack that vertical, take the top off the defense threat that can really maximize Justin Herbert‘s howitzer of an arm. Enter Olave and his 4.3 speed. 

18. Philadelphia Eagles: Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum

Jason Kelce can’t play forever and the Eagles are drafting for the future, not necessarily 2022. Linderbaum is a center-only prospect which will push him down boards but Philadelphia has the luxury of letting him sit behind Kelce for a year in a sort of apprenticeship. 

19. New Orleans Saints: Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett

The Saints paid a premium to get back into the first round this year, which suggests they have a premium position in mind. Tackle and wide receiver are their big needs but they also don’t have a long-term quarterback answer as things stand today. Pickett is widely viewed as the safest quarterback in this class and could fit with the defense-first approach New Orleans seems to be shifting toward. 

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Georgia DT Devonte Wyatt

The Saints trade shifts the calculus for the Steelers in the first round a little, as it indicates more competition for a quarterback if that’s the position Pittsburgh is eyeing. They might have to trade up, which is something they’ve only done on rare, rare occasions. If they sit and pick, Wyatt would be a great fit to inject some youth and playmaking into an aging defensive line. 

21. New England Patriots: Boston College G Zion Johnson

First of all, there’s no way the Patriots actually sit here and make this pick come draft night. They’ll trade back and acquire more picks. They might have their eye on Johnson, though, given he’s excelled nearby and fills a need on the offensive line. The trade for DeVante Parker lessens New England’s need at receiver somewhat, and this offense is going to be built around running the ball again. 

22. Green Bay Packers: Alabama WR Jameson Williams

Williams gives off strong Will Fuller vibes with his combination of height and speed. Green Bay has been interested in Fuller the past couple of seasons, who was coached by HC Matt LaFleur at Notre Dame. They need immediate help at wideout and Williams’ ACL is a complicating factor for the Packers and other teams. Then again, if he was healthy there is no chance he’d be available at No. 22. 

23. Arizona Cardinals: USC WR Drake London

Keeping up a full complement of weapons around Kyler Murray should be a priority for the Cardinals. London would be a big body who could replace A.J. Green on the outside and allow Rondale Moore to stay in the slot and move more into replacing Christian Kirk‘s responsibilities.  

24. Dallas Cowboys: Texas A&M OL Kenyon Green

Dallas is looking at some receivers and linebackers but it feels like they’re prepping to go the “boring” route and bolster the offensive line, which hasn’t been the overwhelming strength it’s supposed to be recently. Green can slot in right away at left guard and has the flexibility to play tackle as well if injuries strike again. 

25. Buffalo Bills: Iowa State RB Breece Hall

There were questions about how fast Hall was based on his college tape. He has a gliding, methodical style similar in a lot of ways to former Bears standout RB Matt Forte. But he blew by those doubts with a 4.39 second 40-yard dash time and that should put him in the mix as the rare first-round running back. The Bills obviously want someone more dynamic in their backfield as well. They tried to sign J.D. McKissic and have been linked to both Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley in trade rumors. 

26. Tennessee Titans: 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. 

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Central Michigan OT Bernhard Raimann

Tampa Bay has very few holes now that Tom Brady is back and recruited plenty of help with him. That lets them look to the future like they did last year, drafting Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to sit and learn behind Jason Pierre-Paul for a season. The Bucs could take a similar tack with Raimann, a converted tight end who is still new to playing tackle but has gobs of upside. Current LT Donovan Smith has the second-highest cap hit on the team in 2023 and will be 30. 

28. Green Bay Packers: North Dakota State WR Christian Watson

After not taking a wide receiver in the first round for years, might the Packers double up and make up for lost time?? Probably not. But Watson was too good a fit to not highlight here with the size and athletic ability the team covets. If the Packers don’t take him, don’t be shocked if another team at the end of the first round does. 

29. Kansas City Chiefs: Michigan S Daxton Hill

The Chiefs already have a pair of starting safeties in Juan Thornhill and Justin Reid. But the Chiefs use three safety packages a fair amount, Hill is versatile enough to play just about anywhere in the secondary, and he’s a damn good player. Hill has incredible range and is athletic enough to stick with receivers as a slot corner. He also always seems to find himself around the ball. Not a lot of players can replace Tyrann Mathieu‘s do-everything role. Hill fits that mold, though. 

30. Kansas City Chiefs: Michigan DE David Ojabo

If not for a torn Achilles suffered while working out at Michigan’s pro day, Ojabo would be long gone by this point in the draft. Kansas City reworked Frank Clark‘s deal which lessens their need for an edge rusher in 2022. They seem to be taking a longer view of things anyway this season. Ojabo can redshirt as a rookie as he recovers and the Chiefs hopefully can reap the benefits of his slide starting in 2023. 

31. Cincinnati Bengals: Florida CB Kaair Elam

The Bengals basically bought a new offensive line in free agency, taking their biggest need off the board. They can take more of a BPA-weighted approach now, and Elam has strong physical tools for the position at 6-2. 

32. Detroit Lions: Utah LB Devin Lloyd

This would qualify as a huge fall for Lloyd, who seems to be the consensus top linebacker in this class, although it is deep which could push teams to prioritize other positions. This would be a major coup for the Lions, however, as linebacker is a big need. 

CONTINUE TO ROUND 2