2022 NFL Draft Sportskeeda Mock 2.0: Kansas City to replace Tyreek Hill
Tyreek Hill’s departure from the Kansas City Chiefs has left the franchise needing a replacement at wide receiver, and it’s become clear that the Chiefs will use their pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to do just that.
It has been quite a whirlwind two weeks since Sportskeeda published our first Mock Draft ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, with Hill traded to the Miami Dolphins, Tom Brady coming out of retirement and the New York Jets showing their hand in talks for Hill.
These moves have had an impact on how we are assessing the upcoming draft. It is clear that a number of franchises are changing their strategy ahead of the opening night of the 2022 NFL Draft.
We still have Seattle trading up to secure Malik Willis at quarterback, but with the Atlanta Falcons signing Marcus Mariota, there is less competition for a QB in the top 10 picks.
Chris Winterburn’s Sportskeeda Mock NFL Draft 2022 2.0
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
There is no change in what the Jaguars want to do with this pick. They want to take the best player in the 2022 NFL Draft and will select Aidan Hutchinson out of Michigan. This would address a huge defensive area of concern, given their lack of real pass rush in 2021, and Hutchinson has every single natural tool to become a franchise player in Jacksonville.
2. Carolina Panthers (via trade with Detroit): Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
Sam Darnold will need to be protected in his second year with the Carolina Panthers, and while the team will take a brief look at drafting Malik Willis here, it seems to make sense to give Darnold another year ahead of the talent-filled 2023 draft class at QB. As such, taking the best offensive lineman in the class makes perfect sense here, and Ikem Ekwonu will keep Darnold upright.
3. Houston Texans: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
Deshaun Watson is no longer a member of the Houston Texans, having been traded to the Cleveland Browns, but there remain sizable holes throughout the Texans roster. Houston may well take a long-term view here and draft Evan Neal at Offensive Tackle. The Alabama star will be able to help an offensive line that allowed 44 sacks in 2021, as well as provide settled protection for when Houston either drafts a quarterback in 2023 or trades for Baker Mayfield after the 2022 NFL Draft.
4. New York Jets: Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
In negotiations with Tyreek Hill, it became abundantly clear that the Jets are very interested in adding a primary receiver to their team this offseason. I believe they will address this later in the round; however, the selection of generational cornerback Ahmad Gardner will stand at pick number four. He will thrive in an environment like New York and the Jets’ 32nd ranked defense in 2021 will get much-needed help.
5. New York Giants: Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
Travon Walker had an outstanding combine, which saw his 2022 Draft stock catapult into top-five recognition. His athleticism is almost unrivaled in this class, and he continues to be the obvious answer for a Giants defense that could only manage a lowly 34 sacks in the 2021 season.
6. Seattle Seahawks (via trade with Detroit): Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
I continue to be of the staunch belief that the Seattle Seahawks want to draft their Russell Wilson replacement in the 2022 NFL Draft rather than waiting a year. Malik Willis is a player who perfectly fits the scheme Pete Carroll runs in Seattle, and his athletic skills make him a no-doubt replacement for Wilson. With Atlanta no longer in the QB market, Seattle may not have to trade up as high as this to take Willis.
7. New York Giants: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
There is increasing talk that the New York Giants may use this pick to draft Trevor Penning out of Northern Iowa; however, Charles Cross remains too polished a talent for them to pass up in my eyes. He can play exclusively at right tackle and covers a serious need in New York.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
With Mariota now on board to replace Matt Ryan, the Falcons will select the best player on the board at number eight in the 2022 NFL Draft, and that is Kyle Hamilton. A slow combine speed has done minimal damage to his reputation ahead of the draft, with his game-tape being nothing short of sensational.
9. Detroit Lions (via multiple trades): Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
Detroit will make the judgment that they have too strong a roster to be in play for either C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young in the 2023 NFL Draft and will, instead, elect to pick Kenny Pickett to be their quarterback. The Pittsburgh product is an excellent thrower of the ball and has gained plaudits for the refined nature of his mechanics. As mentioned in my Mock Draft 1.0, this isn’t a pick that will necessarily show results until year two.
10. New York Jets: Drake London, WR, USC
Using pt value chart, #Jets offered 1,227 pts, #Dolphins offered 1,154, based on reports of what picks were offered. So it was close. #Chiefs agreed to both, left it up to Hill. Jets' contract offer was comparable to deal he rec'd from Miami, per source.
The first change from my previous mock draft has the Jets taking the best receiver in the draft. The move to try and trade for Hill showed a deep desire to secure an electric primary receiver, and London will gladly take that spot, giving Zach Wilson a reliable option on offense.
11. Cleveland Browns (via trade with Washington): Jermaine Johnson II, DE, Florida State
Pick 11 in the draft is where we start to see some of the fallout from the events of the past fortnight. With London off the board, the Commanders will take advantage of the fact receivers will still be there at pick 13 and trade with the Browns. Cleveland, all of a sudden, needed to make this trade to get ahead of the Minnesota Vikings, with David Ojabo unlikely to be drafted in round one due to a serious achilles injury. Johnson recorded 12 sacks in 2021 and will see the Jags add a player that can form a punishing pairing with Myles Garrett on either side of the defensive line.
12. Minnesota Vikings: Derek Stingley Jr, CB, LSU
With Ojabo unlikely to be healthy for the entirety of the 2022 season, the Minnesota Vikings will instead look to draft a cornerback here. The position is arguably more of a pressing need than an edge rusher, but the Vikings were taking the best player available at the time when Ojabo was healthy. Stingley is a shutdown corner and will immediately get a starting role in Minnesota.
13. Washington Commanders (via trade with Cleveland): Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
The Commanders will still take a receiver with their first-round selection, with Garrett Wilson out of Ohio State being the likely option. Wilson looked assured in receiving passes from C.J. Stroud, and his draft stock benefited.
14. Baltimore Ravens: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
NFL teams fell in love with the sheer speed and size of Georgia Bulldog, Jordan Davis, after his incredible combine performance. Teams are so enamored with him that they will overlook his fundamental weaknesses at the position and look to coach around his generational physicality. The Ravens have always had a physical defense under John Harbaugh, and Davis will fit right in.
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
Circumstances will see the Eagles change their entire draft strategy at pick 15 and take the best player available. Some may find it crazy that Kayvon Thibodeaux has fallen this far, but his commitment to football has been called into question. I suggested that he had talked himself out of the top 10 in my first mock, and I believe that still stands. The Eagles, though, will happily select the excellent edge rusher at this point in the 2022 NFL Draft.
16. Philadelphia Eagles: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
The Eagles will make another defensive selection here with Devin Lloyd, who fits the bill for a young linebacker who can make a difference. He has a sensational range of mobility and will be able to play in multiple positions in year one. He can drop in at safety, which would be incredibly useful after the Eagles signed fellow linebacker Kyzir White on a one-year deal.
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia
No changes here. The Chargers can rely on their offense led by Justin Herbert but need to improve on defense to stop Patrick Mahomes in the AFC West. Khalil Mack’s arrival makes the Chargers a serious threat on the pass rush, with Wyatt simply being another disruptive presence on the defensive line.
18. New Orleans Saints: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
Jameis Winston has now officially re-signed with the Saints and will be their QB1 moving forward. As mentioned in Sportskeeda’s Mock Draft 1.0, the Saints will offer him a receiving option in the form of Williams out of Alabama. He’s incredibly quick and could have arguably gone higher in the round had injuries not hit in 2021. After the success of Alvin Kamara, Williams perfectly fits the Saints’ modus-operandi.
19. Philadelphia Eagles: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
With Thibodeaux having been selected by the Eagles at pick 15, the franchise virtually has a free move here. Whilst they could trade down for extra capital in the later rounds to bolster their offensive line, I expect the Eagles to return to their previously mentioned receiver concerns and take Treylon Burks out of Arkansas. A reliable catcher, the Eagles will also benefit from Burks’ size which could see him fill in and block at the tight end position, fully replacing Zach Ertz.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
Despite signing Mitchell Trubisky during the offseason, the Steelers will not be able to resist drafting a quarterback in Desmond Ridder, who is rapidly rising up people’s draft boards as we get closer to the draft. While mooted as a possible answer in Seattle, Ridder will be available for the Steelers here, but it’s doubtful they will be able to risk it and wait for round two. Ridder thoroughly impressed scouts at his pro-day and had consistently respectable stats in four years with the Bearcats, throwing for a total of 81 touchdowns. Trubisky’s presence means Ridder wouldn’t have to start in week 1, but the Steelers will be able to assess what they have and coach him accordingly.
21. New England Patriots: Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
With the Patriots having a need at the linebacker position, and with my previous pick having been taken higher up. I consider it a fair possibility that the Patriots may trade down here and take Wyoming’s Chad Muma in either the late first or early second round. However, if we work on the proviso that this pick stays with Bill Belichick, he will take Nakobe Dean out of Georgia. Another member of the dominant Bulldogs defense in 2021, Dean is a tackling machine and is especially effective when defending the run, a category in which the Pats were ranked 11th last season.
22. Las Vegas Raiders: Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa
The Raiders will, once again, look to offer Derek Carr as much protection as possible, especially now that he has the best receiver in the NFL to throw to after the Davante Adams trade. Linderbaum is still the pick here, providing a quality upgrade to Andre James in terms of pass protection.
23. Arizona Cardinals: Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M
Green is, once again, a pick for the future in Arizona, with 2022 likely to see him used as a guard before being moved to his natural role at center once Rodney Hudson departs next year.
24. Dallas Cowboys: Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan
With protecting Dak Prescott and giving Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard better running lanes the priority this offseason in Dallas, Bernard Raimann is still the pick. The tackle out of Central Michigan has shown a natural intuitiveness at the position after being switched from tight end in 2020 and will only get better.
25. Buffalo Bills: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
The Bills are fine on offense and will prioritize defense in the 2022 NFL Draft. McDuffie, at cornerback, is a fine player coming out of Washington and makes it his mission to hunt the ball down.
26. Tennessee Titans: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
Despite whispers that Penning could creep up the board and be taken much earlier, I still have him going to the Titans here. The Titans allowed 48 sacks in 2021 which is a real mark against Mike Vrabel’s offensive line, but Penning has a violent edge that could make the Titans O-Line a much more resolute unit in 2022. Vrabel may well have to coach the needless unnecessary roughness penalties out of his game.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue
Tom Brady’s return immediately makes the Buccaneers a contender once more, and with Todd Bowles’ defense needing a little freshening up, especially with Ndamukong Suh still unsigned, George Karlaftis coming off the edge makes sense here. He is quick and has a dominant bull rush, something Bowles loves.
28. Green Bay Packers: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
Once again, the Packers will stick with adding a passing option here with Olave. I had them selecting the Ohio State prospect back in the 1.0 Mock Draft, and they have since traded Davante Adams away. Rodgers will welcome an offensive weapon, although don’t rule out the Packers taking a drastic move and selecting David Ojabo here in the draft and waiting a year for him to be healthy.
29. Miami Dolphins: Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky
Tyreek Hill immediately makes the Dolphins offense a real problem. The key now is to provide Tua Tagovailoa with personnel who can protect him and give him time to find Hill down field. Kinnard is a physical monster and dominates pass rushers with real enthusiasm. This is a value pick as it boosts the O-Line for years to come, especially if rumors of Tom Brady in 2023 have any substance in Miami.
30. Kansas City Chiefs: Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
The Chiefs have to throw caution to the wind and abandon hopes of drafting a defensive player. Trading Hill away has left their receiving room lacking a lot of reliability, even after adding JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Dotson had a superb 2021 season with Penn State, recording 1182 receiving yards and scoring 12 touchdowns. The Chiefs need a player with that kind of production and will move him into the first round with this choice.
31. Cincinnati Bengals: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
Defensive improvements are at the forefront of Cincinnati’s thinking ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, and Kaiir Elam is a player who is simply too good to turn down here. Elam is a genuine shutdown threat who knows exactly where the ball is going, as proven by his 11 pass deflections in 2021. Will need to improve his interception numbers though.
32. Detroit Lions: David Ojabo, DE, Michigan
David Ojabo is far too good a player to be selected this low down in the draft. Had he not already declared for the process, his torn achilles may well have forced him to consider an additional year at Michigan, although it’s unlikely he will play any football anywhere in 2022, despite optimistic initial medical reports.
A positive message from Michigan’s elite edge defender David Ojabo following his Pro Day injury 💪💙 https://t.co/pGYC5IxjOT
The Lions have needs on the defensive line, and Ojabo is a player who could become a cornerstone for them in 2023. They couldn’t have dreamed of such a talent being available here at #32 and could draft the bargain of the evening.