ESNY’s 2022 NFL Mock Draft: 4-Round Super Bowl Edition

The 2021 NFL season is officially over. Now it’s time to think draft.

Yesterday the world watched as the Rams were crowned the champions of the NFL. The Super Bowl was magnificent, but it also marks the end of the season.

Which means the attention of football fans is now squarely on the 2022 NFL Draft. Let us know what you think of your favorite team’s picks!

ROUND ONE

1. Jacksonville Jaguars
Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon

We’re 50/50 on the Jags going with the sexy edge rusher or offensive line with the top overall pick — and we’re thinking they are, too. They need to protect their franchise quarterback, but rushing the passer is too valuable in the NFL. We think they’ll come back and address their o-line later.

2. Detroit Lions
Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan

If Hutchinson is there, he should be a lock for the Lions. A Michigan product staying “home” to become the rock of the Lions’ defense is a perfect marriage for a team that needs an identity.

3. Houston Texans
Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

Houston needs everything. But now that they’ve hired Lovie Smith as their new head coach, we’re more certain they’ll address the defensive side of the ball early and often in the upcoming draft. Lovie won with defense in Chicago and he’ll look to create a strong defensive identity in Houston as well.

4. New York Jets
Ikem Ekwonmu, OL, North Carolina State

We’ve been back and forth with the Jets’ pick at No. 4 but now we’re strongly leaning to them protecting their young franchise quarterback. If all of the offensive linemen are still on the board here, they can start building a better offensive foundation and look to help Zach Wilson with weapons later.

5. New York Giants
Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

The Giants have plenty of needs, but their new head coach is going to want the offense to look and feel completely different. Based on the comments of Mr. Mara (they’ve “failed” developing Daniel Jones), we now believe they’ll look to protect him better/at all. With two picks in the top seven, they’ll come back and address other needs soon.

6. Carolina Panthers
Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh

The Sam Darnold experiment is a failure. And they should want to build around the weapons they have. Pickett is the consensus top quarterback in this year’s class and feels like an easy pick here for Carolina.

7. New York Giants (from CHI)
Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia

Here’s where the Giants start addressing the defensive side of the ball. They will have some tempting options to help their pass rush available, but they need an alpha at inside linebacker to change the entire complexion of their defense. Dean looks a lot like Roquan Smith did at Georgia and would immediately bring a game-changer to their linebacking room.

8. Atlanta Falcons
Drake London, WR, USC

The former basketball player brings size and a huge catch radius. If they are indeed shopping Calvin Ridley, they need a new No. 1 receiver. London’s numbers were insane last year but his season was cut short by injury. This is a huge (6-5) addition for their offense.

9. Denver Broncos
Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

Denver needs to address their pass rush, but their new coaching staff will want/need a quality quarterback to build around. Willis has been impressive in postseason workouts thus far and could prove his case as a top-ten pick more at the combine.

10. New York Jets (from SEA)
Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

Again, this pick is a lock for us. Hamilton is a terrific player who fills a big need for the Jets. If the top nine play out close to what we’re projecting here, this card should be in incredibly quickly.

11. Washington Commanders
Matt Corral, QB, Mississippi

Now that they have a new name, they need a new quarterback in Washington. Corral is a good prospect who could develop into a starter in the NFL. Washington will need to fix their line in front of him, but — like Denver — we think they’ll take the quarterback when they can and work on other needs later.

12. Minnesota Vikings
George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue

Most analysts believe the Vikings will look to overhaul their defense in the coming draft. With needs at every level, the Vikings could go any number of directions with this pick. But a big edge rusher who creates havoc for opponents will help the players they add at other levels of the defense.

13. Cleveland Browns
Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State

Cleveland needs to replace what OBJ was supposed to be in their offense. So a local product from up the road in Columbus who many consider the top receiver in the draft class makes sense. Wilson would be a difference maker for the Browns.

14. Baltimore Ravens
Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia

Of course the Ravens, who historically draft well, get an anchor for their defensive front. Davis is a game wrecker who makes life hell for offensive linemen. And the Ravens happen to need a defensive tackle.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (from MIA)
Travon Walker, DE, Georgia

16. Philadelphia Eagles (from IND)
Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah

The Eagles have a number of needs to work on in this draft, and will be able to do that with three picks in the first round. If they can grab an elite linebacker and a dangerous pass rusher here, their entire defense looks and feels different.

17. Los Angeles Chargers
DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M

The ability of Leal to play inside or outside makes him a valuable piece for defenses in the NFL. The Chargers need someone to augment their defensive front. This would be a terrific value for the Chargers.

18. New Orleans Saints
Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama

With Michael Thomas leaving, the Saints new coaching staff will need to replace him. Of course, they still need to replace Drew Brees as well. But looking at the value available at this stage of the draft, a No. 1 receiver makes more sense here than potentially reaching for a quarterback.

19. Philadelphia Eagles
Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson

With this pick, the Eagles will have added an impact player at all three levels of their defense. They will undoubtedly be tempted to pick a guard to help their offensive line, but considering the depth in this draft at that position we think they’ll wait to look at that later and overhaul the entire defense in the first round.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers
Tyler Linderbaum, OC, Iowa

Pittsburgh needs a quarterback. But they need to protect whomever is under center as well. Like Hamilton to the Jets, this feels like the perfect pick. If Linderbaum is on the board, he should be thrilled that his wardobe won’t have to change much moving from Iowa to Pittsburgh. He’s a potential Pro Bowl center.

21. New England Patriots
Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

The Patriots need a corner and Gardner is a potentially great player. This is the kind of pick that makes people shake their heads at how the Patriots get the perfect player to fall into their lap almost every year.

22. Las Vegas Raiders
Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

Some scouts have compared Burks to Deebo Samuel. If that’s the case, the Raiders could be thrilled to make this pick. With former top picks at receiver and corner now off the roster because of legal issues, the Raiders’ shopping list has been impacted by the police. And Josh McDaniels could love the idea of using Burks’ versatility if he wants to bring the elements that made the Patriots’ offense successful to Vegas.

23. Arizona Cardinals
David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan

This is a slide for Ojabo from our previous mocks, but that’s largely because we have more quarterbacks in the top 15 than previously. He made a lot of noise playing opposite Hutchinson at Michigan and could be a tempting prospect for teams in front of Arizona to select.

24. Dallas Cowboys
Jermaine Johnson II, DE, Florida State

The Cowboys’ defense took some big steps forward this season, but free agency is going to create needs for them. If they have Johnson and Micah Parsons rushing the quarterback for the next 4-5 years (at least), that’s a headache for the rest of the division.

25. Buffalo Bills
JJ Enagbare, EDGE, South Carolina

Enagbare was a bully at the Senior Bowl, giving the top tight ends and offensive linemen fits in position drills. For a Buffalo team that needs to improve their defensive front, this could be a big swing for a talented prospect. Buffalo has done that in the past and it’s worked well for them.

26. Tennessee Titans
Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State

The Titans have big questions after another unfulfilling postseason. Running the ball is their identity, so adding a tackle some consider the top prospect at the position in this draft class would be great value for the Titans.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Christian Harris, LB, Alabama

Tampa could have more players leaving via retirement/free agency than any playoff team this offseason. So the board is wide open for what they’ll look to add. While we don’t see immediate value to replace Tom Brady here, adding a leader at linebacker could be a smart play.

28. Green Bay Packers
Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

Aaron Rodgers’ MVP speech sounded a lot like a farewell to Green Bay, but Devante Adams also leaving via free agency creates additional headaches. They traded up to get what they feel is their future quarterback a couple years ago, so taking a really good receiver to develop chemistry with him makes sense here.

29. Miami Dolphins (from SF)
Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa

Miami needs to help their defense, but they also need to be able to move the ball. A new coaching staff and the drama that their coaching change created means they’ll need to make smart picks and win games. This feels like a relatively safe, conservative pick but Penning is a starter from Day One in Miami.

30. Kansas City Chiefs
Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn

The Chiefs need to bolster their secondary. And they could use help in a few other places, but selecting an impact corner here makes sense and brings good value. This player has good skills and fills a need.

31. Cincinnati Bengals
Daxton Hill, DB, Michigan

The Bengals’ biggest need is safety heading into the offseason. Hill’s skillset could make him a Honeybadger-like player in their defense. He fill a need for the Bengals and is a good value at the end of the first round.

32. Detroit Lions (from LAR)
Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati

We’ve been back and forth with what the Lions will do with the Rams’ pick. The emergence of Amon-Ra St. Brown as a legit threat should give them pause at using this pick on a receiver. They do, however, need to plan for the successor to Jared Goff while watching Matthew Stafford in the Super Bowl. Taking a quarterback here gives them an extra year of control to develop their next quarterback, which is smart.

33. Jacksonville Jaguars — Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State
34. Detroit Lions — Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
35. Houston Texans — Cameron Thomas, EDGE, San Diego State
36. New York Jets — Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State
37. New York Giants — Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn State
38. New York Jets (from CAR) — Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
39. Chicago Bears — Logan Hall, DL, Houston
40. Atlanta Falcons — Zion Johnson, OG, Boston College
41. Denver Broncos — Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota
42. Seattle Seahawks — Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington
43. Washington Commanders — Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan
44. Minnesota Vikings — Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
45. Cleveland Browns — Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia
46. Baltimore Ravens — Kenyon Green, OG, Texas A&M
47. Miami Dolphins — Drake Jackson, DE, USC
48. Indianapolis Colts — Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota
49. Los Angeles Chargers — Damone Clark, LB, LSU
50. New Orleans Saints — Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
51. Philadelphia Eagles — Darian Kinnard, OL, Kentucky
52. Pittsburgh Steelers — Carson Strong, QB, Nevada
53. New England Patriots — John Metchie III, WR, Alabama
54. Las Vegas Raiders — Derion Kendrick, CB, Georgia
55. Arizona Cardinals — Marcus Jones, CB, Houston
56. Dallas Cowboys — Jalen Wynermyer, TE, Texas A&M
57. Buffalo Bills — Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama
58. Atlanta Falcons (from TEN) — Myjai Sanders, EDGE, Cincinnati
59. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M
60. Green Bay Packers — Coby Bryant, CB, Cincinnati
61. San Francisco 49ers — Jaxson Kirkland, OL, Washington
62. Kansas City Chiefs — Braxton Jones, OT, Southern Utah
63. Cincinnati Bengals — Quay Walker, LB, Georgia
64. Denver Broncos (from LAR) — Darien Butler, LB, Arizona State

65. Jacksonville Jaguars — Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson
66. Detroit Lions — Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma
67. Houston Texans — Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina
68. New York Jets — George Pickens, WR, Georgia
69. New York Giants — Cade Otten, TE, Washington
70. Jacksonville Jaguars (from CAR) — Cam Taylor-Britt, CB, Nebraska
71. Chicago Bears — David Bell, WR, Purdue
72. Atlanta Falcons — Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
73. Denver Broncos — Sean Rhyan, OG, UCLA
74. Seattle Seahawks — Jamaree Salyer, OL, Georgia
75. Washington Commanders — Dontay Demus Jr., WR, Maryland
76. Minnesota Vikings — Channing Tindall, LB, Georgia
77. Cleveland Browns — Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State
78. Baltimore Ravens — Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming
79. New York Giants (from MIA) — Tariq Castro-Fields, CB, Penn State
80. Indianapolis Colts — Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
81. Los Angeles Chargers — Khalil Shakir, WR, Boise State
82. Houston Texans (from NO) — Travis Jones, DT, UConn
83. Philadelphia Eagles — Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State
84. Pittsburgh Steelers — Thayer Munford, OT, Ohio State
85. New England Patriots — Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
86. Las Vegas Raiders — Haskell Garrett, DT, Ohio State
87. Arizona Cardinals — John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas
88. Dallas Cowboys — Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
89. Buffalo Bills — Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State
90. Atlanta Falcons (from TEN) — Josh Jobe, CB, Alabama
91. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State
92. Green Bay Packers — Brandon Smith, EDGE, Penn State
93. San Francisco 49ers — Jermaine Waller, CB, Virginia Tech
94. Kansas City Chiefs — Calvin Austin III, WR, Memphis
95. Cincinnati Bengals — Andrew Steuber, OT, Michigan
96. Denver Broncos (from LAR) — Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State
97. Detroit Lions (comp) — Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA
98. Baltimore Ravens (comp) — Amare Barno, EDGE, Virginia Tech
99. Pittsburgh Steelers (comp) — Mike Rose, LB, Iowa State
100. San Francisco 49ers (comp) — Jalen Tolbert, WR, South Alabama
101. Los Angeles Rams (comp) — Kellen Diesch, OT, Arizona State

102. Jacksonville Jaguars — DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas
103. Cleveland Browns (from DET) — Marquis Hayes, OL, Oklahoma
104. Carolina Panthers (from HOU) — Lecitus Smith, OL, Virginia Tech
105. Seattle Seahawks (from NYJ) — Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State
106. Baltimore Ravens (from NYG) — Logan Bruss, OL, Wisconsin
107. New York Jets (from CAR) — Sam Williams, EDGE, Mississippi
108. Baltimore Ravens (from CHI) — Verone McKinley, S, Oregon
109. Atlanta Falcons — EJ Perry, QB, Brown
110. Denver Broncos — Jalen Catalon, S, Arkansas
111. Seattle Seahawks — Nik Bonnito, EDGE, Oklahoma
112. Washington Commanders — Justin Eboigbe, EDGE, Alabama
113. New York Jets (from MIN) — Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State
114. Cleveland Browns — Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati
115. Baltimore Ravens — PJ Mustipher, DT, Penn State
116. Miami Dolphins — Brian Asamoah, LB, Oklahoma
117. Indianapolis Colts — Ty Fryfogle, WR, Indiana
118. Los Angeles Chargers — Zachary Carter, DT, Florida
119. New Orleans Saints — Luke Goedeke, OT, Central Michigan
120. Philadelphia Eagles — Max Mitchell, OT, Louisiana
121. Miami Dolphins (from PIT) — Kevin Austin Jr., WR, Notre Dame
122. New England Patriots — Joshua Ezeudu, OL, North Carolina
123. Las Vegas Raiders — Zion Nelson, OT, Miami
124. Baltimore Ravens (from ARI) — James Mitchell, TE, Virginia Tech
125. Dallas Cowboys — Justin Shaffer, OG, Georgia
126. Buffalo Bills — James Cook, RB, Georgia
127. Tennessee Titans — Cole Rutner, TE, Nevada
128. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame
129. Green Bay Packers — Jarrett Patterson, OL, Notre Dame
130. San Francisco 49ers — Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama
131. Kansas City Chiefs — Dohnavan West, OL, Arizona State
132. Cincinnati Bengals — Mykael Wright, CB, Oregon
133. Carolina Panthers (from LAR) — Jalyn Armour-Davis, CB, Alabama
134. Baltimore Ravens (comp) — Hassan Haskins, RB, Michigan
135. Baltimore Ravens (comp) — Romeo Doubs, WR, Nevada
136. Pittsburgh Steelers (comp) — Tre Sterling, S, Oklahoma State
137. Tennessee Titans (comp) — Ventrell Miller, LB, Florida
138. Green Bay Packers (comp) — Bailey Zappe, QB, Western Kentucky
139. Cincinnati Bengals (comp) — Kyren Williams, RB, Notre Dame
140. Los Angeles Rams (comp) — Storm Duck, CB, North Carolina