2022 NFL Draft: Sam Howell on top of NFL preseason mock draft

The 2022 NFL Draft is still a long way off, but it’s never too early to look at prospects and make predictions. The latest first-round mock draft is here.

The 2021 NFL preseason is just about to get underway, which means that the college football season is also closing in. That means from here on out, 2022 NFL Draft talk is going to be continually ramping up.

It’s far too early to be making predictions for the 2022 NFL Draft as far as where NFL teams will wind up selecting and even projecting the accurate top 32 players in the class. Players will emerge, some will unfortunately decline or suffer setbacks. NFL teams will not play to the level some think they are capable of and some teams picking low in this mock draft are going to probably be far better than the masses seem to think.

That’s just the nature of the beast, so we’re going to take a crack at not just some predictions, but more so looking at players who could go high in the 2022 NFL Draft and what NFL teams they may fit on.

The order for this particular mock draft comes from the NFL Mock Draft Simulator.

2022 NFL Draft: 1st round

What are the Houston Texans and general manager Nick Caserio going to do with this roster next?

From an outside perspective, it feels like Caserio got full control over a roster and has gone way over the top when it comes to rebuilding and reloading.

The Texans have not gotten better in the 2021 offseason, and not only have they not gotten better, but they’ve also gotten older.

With so many expiring contracts and the future of Deshaun Watson very much up in the air, what is there to get excited about with this franchise in 2021?

Not a whole lot.

The Texans are as easy of a pick to earn the first overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft as the Jacksonville Jaguars were a year ago at this time, maybe even easier.

This is a roster that will be rebuilding for at least another couple of offseasons.

In this case, the rebuild really begins with the addition of North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell, a Heisman Trophy candidate and certainly one of the best passers in all of college football.

The Texans do have 2021 third-round pick Davis Mills as an option, but if they get the top overall pick, Howell or whoever emerges as the clear QB1 by that point in time will need to get serious consideration here.

Howell has drawn some comparisons in terms of his size and play style to Baker Mayfield coming out of Oklahoma.

New Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes did well from a very early point in the 2021 offseason to at least set a clear course for the Detroit Lions moving forward.

It has been evident since they were each hired that the Detroit Lions were going to take on a full-scale rebuild, and that’s exactly what they’ve done.

The Detroit Lions traded away Matthew Stafford, and they really stocked up on future NFL Draft capital. This selection here would be reflective of the Lions stinking as many expect them to in 2021 in terms of their overall record, but there are some fun pieces in place on this roster.

The Lions felt like they got an absolute steal in the 2021 NFL Draft in Penei Sewell, the former Oregon Ducks left tackle who was outstanding in his only two years on the field in college.

Here, they come away with a guy he undoubtedly went up against plenty in practices with the Ducks, Kayvon Thibodeaux.

One of the most talented players in all of college football, Thibodeaux has a chance in 2021 to establish himself as the next Bosa or Chase Young-caliber prospect coming out off the edge.

Generating a pass rush is something that the Detroit Lions have not been able to consistently do off the edge in recent years, so if they continue to press forward with the full-scale rebuild and stay patient at quarterback, Thibodeaux may be the top value here anyway.

The Cincinnati Bengals have made enough additions on both sides of the ball over the past couple of offseasons that I almost tend to think of them in 2021 the same way I did the Washington Football Team in 2020.

I don’t see how they will be picking this high in 2022 barring a complete collapse or another injury to Joe Burrow.

The Bengals, at worst, strike me as a 7 or 8 win team.

With that being said, if they are in this slot, would they make it three straight years with the best prospect from the LSU Tigers program?

In this case, they do.

Derek Stingley Jr. has had a similar arc at LSU to that of Pat Surtain II at Alabama, in that he was absolutely dominant from the moment he stepped on campus.

He wasn’t quite as good in 2020 as he was in 2019, but expectations are very high for him for a reason.

He has the size, athleticism, ball skills, quick feet, and ability to mirror receivers and stay disciplined to really earn that coveted “shutdown” label at the cornerback position.

After going Joe Burrow in 2020 and Ja’Marr Chase in 2021, I’m sure the Cincinnati Bengals would love to be able to land another big-time LSU playmaker to fill a huge hole on defense in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Robert Saleh came over to the New York Jets in the 2021 offseason and it felt at the time that they got the biggest fish on the entire head coaching market.

Saleh had done outstanding work in San Francisco well before the 49ers reached the Super Bowl with one of the league’s best defenses. He consistently had his side of the ball playing well above their means in terms of just the level of talent at each position, and then the stars started coming.

The New York Jets are certainly starting a bit from scratch when it comes to Saleh’s new personnel, but they did go out in free agency and pick up guys like Carl Lawson off the edge, Sheldon Rankins on the interior, former first-round pick Jarrad Davis at middle linebacker, and LaMarcus Joyner in the secondary.

There are pieces in New York already as well with Quinnen Williams a budding star on the defensive line and CJ Mosley hopefully back and healthy for the first time since basically he signed in New York.

In the 2022 NFL Draft, it’s not a hot take to assume the Jets will likely focus on the defensive side of the ball.

They invested heavily in the offensive side of the ball in 2021 with top pick Zach Wilson, another offensive player in round one in guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, then Elijah Moore at receiver in round two.

Drake Jackson may not have the same type of fanfare right now as Kayvon Thibodeaux, but he has a chance to really establish himself in 2021 as an elite prospect off the edge.

In his first 17 college games, he has 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, and he’s really just starting to scratch the surface.

As a freshman, he led the Trojans with 25 pressures and four passes deflected at the line of scrimmage.

The sky is the limit for this guy who would be outstanding coming off the edge for Robert Saleh.

The foundation for the Jacksonville Jaguars is in place. The Jaguars used the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Trevor Lawrence, and Lawrence will be tasked with bringing this franchise into relevance in a very tough conference in terms of star power at the quarterback position.

The Jaguars need to make sure that they do everything possible to protect their investment in Lawrence. Whether that means adding offensive linemen or elite skill players, the Jaguars cannot spare any expense and if they are picking this low in 2022, they will probably be thrilled to add a player like Alabama’s Evan Neal, one of the freakiest players in all of college football.

At 6-foot-7, 350 pounds, Neal looks like he was created in some sort of maniacal offensive lineman laboratory.

He’s as freakishly athletic as he is large, and at a place like Alabama, Neal’s pound-for-pound athletic ability and explosiveness is among the best Nick Saban has ever had.

Seriously.

It’s not hyperbole at this point to think that Neal, with a healthy 2021 season, could establish himself as the top player in the 2022 NFL Draft class overall. We talked about that being the case for Kayvon Thibodeaux as well, but Neal is a rare talent at the offensive tackle position who has also played guard, and he has a very bright future ahead.

If the Jaguars could get him to block for Trevor Lawrence? They’d probably be feeling pretty great about their future on offense.

If the Philadelphia Eagles are picking this high in the 2022 NFL Draft, there is almost no question that their quarterback position will have had something to do with it.

Will Jalen Hurts be able to show enough in 2021 to keep his gig in 2022?

If not, this scenario plays out in such a way that the Eagles and new head coach Nick Sirianni can reset at the QB position. In this case, they do so with the latest Lincoln Riley protege.

Jalen Hurts went to Oklahoma after spending his first few college seasons at Alabama, and the work he did with Riley and the Sooners resulted in his being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Here, the Eagles go for Rattler, a player who really has a lot of room to grow in 2021 and pretty much everyone is anticipating that we will see it.

Rattler has outstanding arm talent and athletic ability, and similar to Kyler Murray he’s got that ability to play out of structure and do some special things on the move.

It wasn’t all rosy for Rattler in Norman last season, though. He was benched at one point, but came back strong and finished with over 3,000 yards passing and 28 touchdowns through the air in addition to six rushing touchdowns.

If he can improve on those numbers in 2021, he will undoubtedly be a candidate for the Heisman Trophy as well as a top-10 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, possibly even QB1 status.

The Las Vegas Raiders have certainly done a lot of reloading since Jon Gruden came aboard on a 10-year contract in 2018.

The one area of the roster that remains unchanged? Derek Carr as QB1.

The team traded away Khalil Mack and has not been able to find any consistent pass rush presence since, though Maxx Crosby appears to be a heck of a find and is on his way to being that guy for the Raiders.

At the quarterback position, it feels like the Raiders just can’t convince themselves to “quit” Derek Carr, and it’s understandable given the fact that Carr is a good player.

If the Raiders end up picking 7th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, though?

Changes will need to be made.

Malik Willis has as high of a ceiling as any quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft class at this point, and he showcased his full arsenal of talents last season at Liberty.

The former Auburn transfer established himself as arguably the best dual-threat in all of college football at the quarterback position, and if he can continue to make strides from the pocket, he’s going to have a bright NFL future, no question.

The Atlanta Falcons just spent a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on a cornerback prospect out of Clemson.

Could they go back to that well again?

In this scenario, it might make some sense.

The Falcons undoubtedly expect big things out of AJ Terrell in his second season with the team after a solid rookie campaign in 2020. Terrell has always had all of the physical tools to be a top-flight cornerback, and he has shown signs of being one of the best first-round picks from the 2020 class early on.

If the Falcons are picking this high in 2022, you have to think quarterback will once again be on the table.

If they miss out on some of the top prospects, a player like Andrew Booth joining AJ Terrell at the cornerback position in Atlanta is an enticing option.

A former five-star prospect with outstanding size, Booth has only played 14 games at Clemson but the early returns on him are outstanding.

He had a couple of interceptions in 2020 as well as three tackles for loss and a sack, as well as a fumble recovery and defensive touchdown.

His star is only going to continue growing.

As the 2021 college football season goes along, it will not be surprising in the least to see Booth really emerge as a CB1-caliber prospect for the Tigers.

The New York Giants will be in a tough spot after this season if Daniel Jones doesn’t take that next step for them.

Virtually nobody is criticizing Dave Gettleman for passing on Justin Fields, despite the fact that he was the guy who moved down with the Chicago Bears so Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy could take the Ohio State star.

Jones has a lot of pressure on him in 2021, and so do both Gettleman and Joe Judge for passing on not only Fields but also Mac Jones, who went to Judge’s former team in New England.

The Giants have some talent on their roster on both sides of the ball. The key for this franchise is going to be whether or not those big-name players are able to stay healthy, starting with Saquon Barkley.

Defensively, the Giants have one of the league’s unsung stars in Leonard Williams, who has probably gotten a bit less attention than he deserves because the Jets traded him away.

With multiple first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Giants take the best player on the board here in Kyle Hamilton out of Notre Dame.

NFL defenses aren’t exactly going “positionless” so to speak, but in many ways, they are. Hamilton does not need to be limited to a “safety” designation at the next level and in fact, I think he’ll be more of a linebacker than safety.

You can probably project him pretty similar to Isaiah Simmons coming out of Clemson.

Hamilton is just always around the ball no matter where he’s lining up.

A defensive chess piece if there ever was one, Hamilton would join a very fun group of defensive backs in New York and a dynamic group if they can stay on the field together.

The Carolina Panthers have gone with defensive players atop each of the first two NFL Draft classes with Matt Rhule as the team’s head coach.

Derrick Brown and Jaycee Horn are two of the team’s cornerstone pieces, but the Panthers have really emphasized the defensive side of the ball through two offseasons with Rhule at the helm.

Jeremy Chinn has obviously been a great pick and was outstanding as a rookie in 2020, and Carolina has a chance to rebound in the 2021 season if their investment in former third-overall pick Sam Darnold can pay off.

That’s obviously a pretty huge question mark.

The Panthers need to continue to invest in the quarterback position, whether Darnold works out or not. That could mean a first-round pick at the position in 2022 or it could also mean simply investing in someone. that can help protect Darnold.

In this case, it’s one of the top offensive linemen in the 2022 class, Kenyon Green. We’ll see in 2021 if Green can make the successful transition to the offensive tackle position after earning All-American honors in 2020 as a guard.

Green will barely be 21 by the time next year’s draft rolls around, so his upside is tremendous.

He was a tackle in high school, so it will be just like getting back on a bike for the former five-star prospect. He has a chance to be one of the best of a phenomenal class coming out of Texas A&M this year.

With multiple selections early on in this 2022 mock draft scenario thanks to their big trade with the Chicago Bears, the New York Giants have a chance to really reload their roster with some talented prospects.

After going with the best player on the board just two picks ago with Kyle Hamilton falling to number 9 overall, the Giants opt for some more defensive star power here with pick 11.

George Karlaftis had an absolutely monster 2019 season for Purdue.

As a freshman, he tallied 54 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two passes batted, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

He only played two games in 2020, but had two sacks and two tackles for loss in those games and could be a perfect fit for Patrick Graham’s defense with the Giants.

Karlaftis has the look of a very traditional power defensive end in a four-man front, but he is athletic enough to move around the formation and kick inside on passing downs if need be.

Karlaftis is making a tremendous impression this offseason and putting in NFL-caliber work off the field to become a top-15 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Giants need more pass rush off the edge, and the possibility of Karlaftis coming at your offensive line right next to Leonard Williams and even a player like Kyle Hamilton coming on a blitz?

There are some fun options with these two picks the Giants have in their pocket thanks to a rare Dave Gettleman draft-day trade.

There are a lot of people in general that have moved to Arizona to retire. It feels during the 2021 offseason like that’s what a lot of NFL guys are doing as well.

The Cardinals have made a number of notable one-year or short-term additions of veteran players who are either future Hall of Fame guys or players whose best days were presumably behind them.

They are banking plenty on JJ Watt playing at a high level, AJ Green playing at a high level, Malcolm Butler playing at a high level, and just generally getting as many of these guys as they can to stay healthy, which has been elusive for a number of the players the Cardinals added this offseason.

The Cardinals currently have a whopping 21 players who are age 30 or older. This is a veteran-laden roster and general manager Steve Keim has seen the approach in recent years of the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in his own division and has really followed suit.

The one area of Arizona’s roster that is really questionable going into the 2021 season is at the cornerback position.

A player like Florida’s Kaiir Elam would be a really nice pickup for this Arizona defense, but if they finish 2021 with the 12th-worst record in the league, there might be some wholesale changes that really shake up the “needs” of this roster six months from now.

Elam is the latest in a long line of really talented Florida defensive backs with a great combination of size, explosiveness, and awareness that has led to four interceptions and 15 passes broken up in his first 20 college games.

By the time this pick is made, we’ll almost undoubtedly have a new name to call the Washington Football Team.

We may also be talking about this team as one of the most aggressive in pursuit of quarterback help next offseason.

Washington has built a tremendous defense, and they really got sent over the top in 2020 with the addition of second-overall pick Chase Young out of Ohio State.

All of the hype and hyperbole surrounding Young turned out to be under-selling him if anything. He already looks like one of the premier defensive players in all of football.

Still, Washington has had to slow-play the quarterback position after the release of Dwayne Haskins last year in addition to the borderline unexpected team success they had, winning the NFC East with a 7-9 record.

That could lead to more success in 2021 with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, but you just never know year-to-year in the NFL.

If Washington is picking this high, JT Daniels is an intriguing option. We’re projecting with many of the QBs in this mock draft because this kind of thing happens every single year. Daniels is as solid of a bet as any with his NFL tools and the situation he’s presently in at Georgia.

It was a small sample, but he did a good job last year for the Bulldogs and could be one of the top breakout candidates in all of college football this season.

If that happens, we’ll certainly be including him in plenty of mock drafts down the road.

By the time the 2022 NFL Draft rolls around, the discussion over which quarterbacks will and won’t be first-round prospects will be a fascinating one.

At this time a year ago, nobody was talking up Zach Wilson as a potential top draft choice, not even a little bit.

There are a lot of those types of guys that people have been anticipating ahead of time, players like Phil Jurkovec here out of Boston College, but he’s not alone. There are players like Ole Miss QB Matt Corral, Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder, and Nevada QB Carson Strong that are also worthy of — at the very least — the belief that they can make that Zach Wilson-like jump.

Given the fact that at least one QB goes from a day two or day three status to the top 10 every year (Baker Mayfield in 2018, Kyler Murray and Daniel Jones in 2019, Joe Burrow in 2020, Zach Wilson in 2021), we certainly won’t be alone in lofty projections that may or may not come to pass.

With a lot of NFL concepts in the Boston College offense, Phil Jurkovec could be more this year’s version of Mac Jones than Zach Wilson, but you get the idea.

With Ben Roethlisberger’s sand timer almost completely out, the Steelers have to have one eye on the future at the position.

They do have Dwayne Haskins, an intriguing reclamation project, but Jurkovec is a fit in this spot for the time being if he has the breakout season many anticipate he will.

A former Notre Dame transfer, Jurkovec has intriguing dual-threat abilities and he’s got a receiver in Zay Flowers that might jump into the first-round conversation if Jurkovec can boost his stock.

Even considering the fact that Jeff Gladney’s off-field issues and subsequent release from the team came as a major shock to everyone, the Minnesota Vikings have not had the best luck with recent first-round cornerback investments in general.

Many of them are playing elsewhere at this point.

Not only has Gladney been cut from the team completely, but Mike Hughes is gone, Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes…none of them are suiting up for the purple and gold anymore.

Patrick Peterson and Bashaud Breeland are the projected starters at cornerback for the Vikings this season, meaning cornerback will almost undoubtedly be back on the first-round radar again in 2022.

If that’s the case, they could do a lot worse than one of the top playmakers in the class, Ahmad Gardner.

This guy also may have the draft’s best nickname: Sauce.

In his first two seasons at Cincinnati, Gardner has six interceptions and 12 passes broken up. He’s got a knack for making plays on the ball but he looks the part physically, too.

At 6-foot-2, 188 pounds, he’s got some really intriguing length at the position and he’s been a shutdown player for the past two seasons.

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1362159893772455941

He could mess around and wind up as the CB1 of the 2022 class.

The Denver Broncos have assembled an impressive overall roster in 2021.

It’s taken years of work from John Elway and now new general manager George Paton to really reshape the roster, but they have done it.

The biggest question mark for the Denver Broncos heading into the 2021 season remains at the quarterback position.

Drew Lock was solid in his first five NFL starts late in the 2019 season, prompting the team to invest completely in his development in 2020. Understandably not realizing the impact the pandemic would have on the season, the Broncos stuck with that plan and rolled solely with Lock, who got hurt in the second game of the season, struggled upon his return, and then figured things out again slowly but surely over the course of the final six games.

The Broncos traded for Teddy Bridgewater, but only time will tell how significant of a need the QB position remains after 2021. The team still believes in Lock’s potential, but this year is probably his last shot to show substantial improvements.

As it stands, the defensive line in Denver looks pretty strong with Dre’Mont Jones, Shelby Harris, and Mike Purcell in the top three. McTelvin Agim has a chance to really break out this season and become a factor as well.

DeMarvin Leal may simply be too talented to pass up on here, but the general philosophy is to take the best player available. Leal would probably fit that description on most boards at this juncture.

He’s got tremendous potential as a three-down player who can come as a 5T all the way down to the deep interior.

He would fit well in Vic Fangio’s defense.

Los Angeles Chargers fans have to be absolutely thrilled with what the team has done over the past couple of years to get back into contention.

Justin Herbert is the obvious centerpiece for this team, but getting a top head coaching prospect like Brandon Staley who did incredible work last year with the Los Angeles Rams? That is a huge bonus.

It will be interesting to see how the Chargers adapt to a new offense under Joe Lombardi. He has certainly not had the greatest of success away from Drew Brees, but we’ll have to see what happens with Herbert.

For the time being, the Chargers have a really strong roster on both sides of the ball and Herbert should be expected to raise all boats.

Beyond the 2021 season, however, there could be some question marks at the wide receiver position.

How much longer will Mike Williams be a Charger?

The Chargers already said goodbye to Hunter Henry, so adding a playmaker early in the 2022 NFL Draft is definitely something to watch for.

Treylon Burks is a dynamic weapon at the wide receiver position with outstanding size, speed, body control, and after the catch abilities.

There are very few defensive backs that can out-physical Burks, and he is going to emerge in the 2021 season as a potential WR1 candidate in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The New England Patriots have been in the habit of doing things they don’t normally do in recent years during the NFL Draft and offseason as a whole.

In 2021, they not only used a first-round pick on the quarterback position (Mac Jones) for the first time ever in the Bill Belichick era, but they also opened up the bank account in free agency more than ever before.

The Patriots’ spending spree in free agency combined with the drafting of Mac Jones was a clear signal fire of the team’s displeasure with watching Tom Brady win the Super Bowl elsewhere in the 2020 season.

The Patriots also used a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on N’Keal Harry, and that was the first time they had spent a first-rounder on a receiver.

They could very well do that again already in 2022.

Harry may or may not pan out for the Patriots. His status has been firmly up in the air all offseason. Whether he does or doesn’t, a player like Garrett Wilson would be a really fun addition for this team.

Wilson has a dynamic combination of speed and competitiveness at the catch point. When he is not able to get separation, he might be better than any receiver in the class at fighting for the ball at its highest point and winning those fights.

Wilson averaged 17.6 yards per reception last season and has only scratched the surface of what he’s capable of.

The New Orleans Saints’ current group of wide receivers is not good, and it’s only in the “not good” category because when healthy, it still includes Michael Thomas.

With Thomas dealing with an injury, the Saints’ wide receiver room is arguably the worst in the entire NFL, and it’s not particularly close.

Not a bad way to open up the post-Drew Brees era, right?

The Saints desperately need wide receiver help, and they need it now.

They might not be opposed to the idea of asking the Ohio State Buckeyes about Chris Olave’s avialability if that were even a legal thing they could do.

For now, the Saints will have to wait until 2022 to make any additions at the position barring some kind of trade leading up to the 2021 season, which is very possible.

Chris Olave is known for his route running abilities, big-play abilities, and strong hands.

He may not be the biggest receiver, but he more than makes up for that by creating separation consistently and finding ways to get open. He is averaging almost a touchdown per game over his last two seasons for the Buckeyes.

Whoever is lining up under center for the New Orleans Saints going forward will love to have a weapon like Olave in the lineup. Hopefully, not at the expense of another former Buckeye, Michael Thomas, who apparently isn’t happy.

With three first-round picks in this mock draft scenario, the Philadelphia Eagles waste no time going after essential positions.

With their top pick, the Eagles selected Spencer Rattler who would take over as the team’s franchise QB in waiting.

Here, they get Ohio State pass rusher Zach Harrison, a guy who right now is more potential than production, but that’s not atypical when you’re talking about the constant stream of five-star recruits coming through the Ohio State program off the edge.

There were rumors leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft that the Philadelphia Eagles were interested in upgrading off the edge, possibly moving around the board to get a player they were targeting.

They still have veterans Derek Barnett and Brandon Graham coming off the edge for now, and that Josh Sweat breakout could be coming with 10 sacks in the last two seasons combined.

The Eagles added Ryan Kerrigan for some depth in 2021, but there is a chance they could go after a player like Zach Harrison if he falls this far in the 2022 NFL Draft.

He has outstanding size and length at 6-foot-6, 270 pounds, and with an increased role in 2021, he should find himself in the first round conversation.

The Dallas Cowboys were obviously embarrassed by the way they played defense in the 2020 season.

Not only did they bring in Dan Quinn to hopefully right the ship from the coaching perspective, but they also overhauled that side of the ball in terms of player personnel.

The Cowboys didn’t make too many big moves in free agency outside of their own roster, but they did bring in former first-round pick Keanu Neal to help transition to Quinn’s defense, and they also spent the majority of their 2021 NFL Draft class on defense.

Micah Parsons will play a versatile role for the Cowboys in 2021, including coming off the edge some, but this team undoubtedly needs more help on the defensive line in general.

Kingsley Enagbare is a fascinating study and someone who would be a really intriguing pickup for the Dallas Cowboys in 2022.

Right now, he’s not a finished product, but you could see the signs of his progression with 23 pressures and seven sacks last season.

At 6-foot-4, 270 pounds, Enagbare is perfectly designed to play the defensive end position in Quinn’s defense. If he was leaning mostly on physical tools in the 2020 season, the sky is the limit for him as he puts in more work as a student off the field.

The Washington Huskies program has been putting some really solid defensive backs into the NFL in recent years, and Trent McDuffie might be the best of them all.

He has played only 16 games for the Huskies, but he has proven himself to be a dominant CB1 when he’s healthy and able to be on the field.

This guy is a ridiculous athlete with tremendous traits at the cornerback position.

In 16 games, he has picked off a pair of passes, forced three fumbles, recovered two of them, and racked up 59 total tackles.

Right now, there’s not a ton of love for McDuffie among national pundits, but that will soon change.

The third-team All-American, in this projection, would be joining Robert Saleh’s defense and that is a situation I think he — along with many defensive backs — would thrive in.

After spending the majority of hte top of their 2021 NFL Draft on the offensive side of the ball, the Jets come out in this mock draft projection and snag two of the top defensive players in the PAC-12 in McDuffie and Drake Jackson.

For the time being, the Philadelphia Eagles project to have three first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Carson Wentz trade will net them an additional first-round pick if he plays over 70 percent of the Colts’ snaps this year and the Colts make the playoffs. So, that pick is basically top-20 protected for the Colts if you were to look at it in NBA terms.

The Eagles have already had multiple first-round picks in this mock draft scenario. Their top pick was Spencer Rattler, the intriguing playmaker at the quarterback position from Oklahoma.

Their second selection was Zach Harrison, a high-upside pass rusher out of Ohio State.

Here, they take another very interesting prospect with three-down potential at the next level in linebacker Christian Harris.

Harris had a monster 2020 season with 7.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 79 total tackles, an interception, and two passes broken up.

He was all over the field for the Crimson Tide and has been for two straight seasons.

He could be another nice building block for a rebuilding Philadelphia Eagles team.

The Tennessee Titans are a tough team to project for 2021, but if the 2020 season taught us anything, it’s that the incredible rise the Titans experienced after inserting Ryan Tannehill into the lineup in the middle of the 2019 season was no joke.

Can they do it again for a third straight season?

The Titans made one of the boldest moves of the 2021 offseason to go out and get Julio Jones from the Atlanta Falcons, for the low price of a second-round pick.

The fact that the Titans were able to add the veteran Jones to their offensive arsenal is impressive, even after the team lost Jonnu Smith in free agency.

With Derrick Henry established as arguably the best back in football, Tannehill now having both Julio Jones and AJ Brown to distribute the ball to, and perhaps an upgraded offensive line with second-round pick Dillon Radunz coming in, what’s missing?

Barring a big-time breakout from Anthony Firkser, I think tight end could be high on the Titans’ priority list in the 2022 offseason.

Jonnu Smith was excellent for them, so bringing in a strong receiver at the position like Jeremy Ruckert would be a nice replacement and long-term option.

Ruckert has just 28 receptions so far in his collegiate career, but nine touchdowns among them, and his upside is tremendous.

He should emerge as a true first-round caliber player at the position in the 2021 college season and is a nice fit here with the Titans in this scenario.

The 2021 offseason has been a really fun one if you’re a Cleveland Browns fan.

Coming off of a playoff season (with a win by the way) the Browns entered 2021 free agency and draft season with cap space and a lot of freedom in the NFL Draft.

They couldn’t have made much better use of that freedom, bringing in players like defensive backs John Johnson and Troy Hill from the Los Angeles Rams, Jadeveon Clowney, Malik Jackson, and then essentially coming away from the 2021 NFL Draft with what feels like two first-round picks.

Not only did the Browns steal cornerback Greg Newsome at the bottom of round one, but they also came out on day two with Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, one of the most intriguing defensive playmakers in the class.

Most mock drafts had both Newsome and Owusu-Koramoah gone before the Browns’ first-round pick, much less both of them landing in Cleveland without a major move up the board.

In similar fashion, the Browns land arguably a WR1-caliber prospect here near the bottom of round one of this 2022 mock draft in Clemson’s Justyn Ross.

Ross had a scary injury situation that was considered to be potentially career-threatening, but he has worked his way to medical clearance in 2021, and if he can stay healthy, the top 10 is not out of the question.

Based on what we had previously seen from Ross, he looked like he was well on his way to becoming one of the first players off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft but the injury obviously prevented that from happening.

Cleveland has a number of players at the receiver position worth investing in like Anthony Schwartz and Donovan Peoples-Jones along with Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry, but in this scenario, Ross would be very tough to pass on.

The Miami Dolphins may have gotten a little too cute in the 2021 NFL Draft regarding the potential of upgrading at the running back position.

One of the worst-kept secrets going into day two of the 2021 NFL Draft was the Dolphins’ desire to draft North Carolina running back Javonte Williams, only to be sniped by the Denver Broncos who jumped one spot ahead of the Dolphins to get him.

Williams may have even been RB1 on the Dolphins’ board as he was for the Broncos, but ultimately, Miami went other directions with their load of first- and second-round picks in this most recent NFL Draft.

Jaylen Waddle, Jaelan Phillips, Liam Eichenberg, and safety Jevon Holland were their top four picks, all in the first two rounds. They didn’t draft a running back until the seventh round when they landed Gerrid Doaks.

This is a roster full of interesting guys at the running back position, but certainly lacks an RB1 and that is exactly what Isaiah Spiller brings to the table.

From his speed to his vision as a ball-carrier, Spiller is really the total package out there and he’s borderline impossible to take down on initial contact.

With so many other foundational draft choices already in place, the Dolphins could probably afford what would seem to be a “luxury” pick at this juncture of the draft, especially if they have enough team success next season.

The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the league’s most impressive teams at running the football over the last few years, and that doesn’t figure to change as long as Lamar Jackson is under center.

Not only have the Ravens been one of the NFL’s best running teams, but they’ve also been one of the most efficient passing teams. Despite ranking near the bottom in passing attempts, the Ravens have been at or among the league’s best at putting the ball in the end zone through the air.

They certainly will need toughness and balance along the offensive line to keep that kind of success and efficiency going, and in this 2022 mock draft scenario, they are able to land arguably the premier interior linemen in the entire class.

Tyler Linderbaum has been projecting as a first-round player at the center position since his freshman season at Iowa, and he’s just continually gotten better and more impressive over the last two seasons.

Kirk Ferentz has called Linderbaum the “total package” at the center position and he’s really established himself as maybe the best overall offensive lineman in college football.

The Baltimore Ravens had tremendous long-term success with another former Hawkeye in Marshal Yanda on the interior offensive line, perhaps Linderbaum can carry that mantle.

It will be fascinating to see what goes down with the Green Bay Packers and reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers as the 2021 season progresses.

Rodgers and the Packers agreed to a restructured deal that will give the disgruntled QB some say in where he plays beyond the 2021 season. He is still under contract in Green Bay for 2022, but he can force his way out of there via trade and the Packers may be more willing to oblige with another full year of development from 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love.

If Rodgers is traded, that would obviously drastically impact the 2022 NFL Draft and the Packers’ strategy as a whole.

Rodgers is not the only star in Green Bay that is disgruntled, either. There have been some rumors and reports of Za’Darius Smith not being overly thrilled with his current pay grade, so we’ll see how that situation plays out over the course of the next six or seven months as well.

If the Packers decide to make some wholesale changes in the 2022 offseason, trading Rodgers and perhaps moving on also from Za’Darius Smith, maybe even Preston Smith as well.

Regardless, the Packers could target edge at this point of the draft if someone like Myjai Sanders is available.

Sanders has the size to play a versatile role in whatever defense he lands in at the next level, doing some work with his hand in the dirt or playing as a stand-up edge rusher.

His combination of size and speed will be lethal at the next level.

The Buffalo Bills have one of the most well-rounded rosters in the entire NFL.

Although they have talent at the running back position, they probably don’t currently have anyone quite as talented as Breece Hall in their stable.

Hall was outstanding last season with 5.6 yards per carry, 21 rushing touchdowns, and another pair of receiving touchdowns.

He was good enough to make Minnesota Vikings’ fourth-round pick Kene Nwangwu basically an afterthought in the Iowa State offense.

There are not many teams that can afford to invest a first-round pick in the running back position. The Bills are so talented from the top to the bottom of this roster that it’s probably a luxury they could easily afford.

Especially for a dynamic talent like Hall, it would be worth the price here at the bottom of round one.

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We’ll have to see what the 2021 season brings for quarterback Josh Allen. There is no question that he was the most improved player in the NFL last season, at least at quarterback, and only time will tell if that improvement really holds where it is.

Allen went from being one of the worst QBs in the league statistically to being an MVP candidate seemingly overnight.

If he can maintain that level of play in 2021, and the Bills somehow don’t win the Super Bowl, a player like Breece Hall could be the final missing piece.

The Detroit Lions may end up taking a quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft, but in this scenario, they pass altogether with two first-round picks.

With their top pick, the Lions ended up with pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, who could frankly end up as the top overall player in this entire class.

At the bottom of the first round with the selection they acquired in 2022 from the Los Angeles Rams, the Lions address arguably their biggest and most pressing offensive position need besides quarterback if they continue to roll with Jared Goff.

Wide receiver is a major issue for the Detroit Lions right now, who let go of almost their entire unit from a season ago. Quintez Cephus was the team’s leading returning receiver, and maybe the most substantial additions they made are two guys in Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman with huge injury labels attached.

As wide receivers have been flying off the board in this mock draft scenario, the Detroit Lions have a chance at the top of round two (which we won’t get into here) to go after any number of possible options at the quarterback position that would be worth the risk/reward proposition.

Here, they keep the recent streak of Alabama wide receivers going in round one alive.

John Metchie has an opportunity in 2021 to really make a name for himself after playing behind guys like Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith. He actually got to play more in 2020 due to the injury suffered by Waddle and caught 55 passes for 916 yards and six scores.

Metchie is explosive, he is strong at the catch point, and he really does an outstanding job like many of his former teammates as a route runner and getting a clean release off the line of scrimmage.

He will get to be the WR1 in Alabama this season, and in this scenario, he would be the WR1 of the Detroit Lions as well.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed almost nothing going into the 2021 NFL Draft. Now, of course, every team could use better depth, but this team truly exemplified a best player available approach all throughout the 2021 NFL Draft after their victory in the Super Bowl in Tom Brady’s first season in the Bay.

The result of that best player available approach?

Feast your eyes.

Joe Tryon coming in and joining Todd Bowles’ star-studded defense is flat-out unfair.

The Buccaneers could continue this same approach in the 2022 NFL Draft, and in this situation, they come away with an intriguing defensive line prospect.

Aidan Hutchinson was considered a possible first-round player in the 2021 NFL Draft prior to suffering an injury just three games into the 2020 season.

After the injury, it was back to the drawing board for Hutchinson, who is considered an “edge” prospect but can probably play a variety of spots on the defensive line.

A freak of an athlete, I think Hutchinson could really have a breakout campaign in 2021 for the Wolverines and show off his length, strength, and explosiveness as a pass rusher.

The reigning AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs have a roster that is absolutely locked and loaded, ready to win a Super Bowl in 2021-22.

With Patrick Mahomes at the quarterback position, the Chiefs will probably be consistent title contenders anyway. As far as players who can single-handedly raise all boats, there is probably no one better in the NFL than Mahomes.

We did, however, find out in the Super Bowl that Mahomes cannot do everything on his own.

The poor offensive line play by the Chiefs in the Super Bowl against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not go unnoticed by Kansas City’s front office, and they set out to completely revamp that unit in 2021.

Players like Orlando Brown Jr., Joe Thuney, Kyle Long, Creed Humphries, and others are coming in to hopefully fortify that unit.

The Chiefs said goodbye to a pretty prominent weapon in their offense with the departure of Sammy Watkins. Watkins’ departure, along with the drop issues of Mecole Hardman, raises some concerns about the wide receiver position long-term in Kansas City.

The team likes Cornell Powell, as they should, but a player like Jahan Dotson would be such a dynamic presence for an offense that certainly doesn’t lack in that department.

Dotson has 13 touchdown receptions over the last two seasons and has been a tremendous big-play threat whether he’s lined up at receiver or returning punts.

He seems like the exact type of playmaker at receiver the Kansas City Chiefs covet.