2022 NFL Mock Draft: Spencer Rattler still the top pick overall?

We are still about eight months away from April’s draft, but it’s never too early for a 2022 NFL Mock Draft. Is Spencer Rattler still a top candidate for the top pick overall?

With the NFL season kicking off Thursday night, now is a good time for an early look at the draft class in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft.  Obviously, the draft is still very far away, so everything is subject to change, but it’s good to see where things stand just one week into the college football season and just at the outset of the 2021 NFL season.

So, without further ado here it is with the Texans kicking it off.

2022 NFL mock draft: Picks 1-3

The Texans are in about as bad as a spot as any team has been in recent memory.  With serious off-the-field issues, Deshaun Watson won’t be playing this year and maybe not ever again.  On top of that, they just have a bad roster all around, even with Watson last season they only managed to win 4 games, so it would not surprise me if they went 0-17 this year.

If the Texans are in this first overall pick position like they are projected to be, come April there’s a very high chance they try to find their next franchise quarterback just as long as there is one worth taking.

While there are slam-dunk can’t-miss quarterbacks in this class like there has been in recent years, Spencer Rattler has the makings of a first overall pick.  He’s got good arm strength, accuracy/ball placement, and solid athleticism.

Not only does he have the natural talent as a former five-star, but he’s proven himself as a passer at Oklahoma.  While he had some rough outings at the start of last season, overall he had an outstanding year where he displayed his accuracy to all levels of the field while leading the Sooners to another Big 12 title.

The Lions did acquire Jared Goff when they dealt Matthew Stafford to the Rams, however, I think he’s going to really struggle without Sean McVay and an elite supporting cast.

Sam Howell is someone who has been in a position to be a top 5 pick ever since his freshman year at UNC.  He’s not a can’t miss prospect by any means, but he’s got the arm you can develop into a franchise quarterback and he’s proven himself in two years of starting in a Power 5 conference.

One of the biggest things to look for when projecting a quarterback transitioning to the NFL, if they can throw the ball downfield with accuracy and Howell checks that box.  He’s capable of the downfield throws that you want to see in a first-round quarterback and the numbers back that up as according to PFF he connected on 28 passes of 20+ air yards.

The Jets are in a position where they just need to add as much talent to their roster as possible, thus the best player available will likely be their approach for this draft.  So, with their first of two first-round picks in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft the Jets pick up Oregon’s superstar edge rusher.

As a former highly-rated 5-star recruit, Kayvon Thibodeaux has looked like a top-five pick since his high school days and that’s been apparent since he set foot in Eugene and registered 10 sacks as a freshman.

He possesses eye-popping talent, right when you flip on the tape you can easily tell why he was such a highly sought-after recruit.  The ceiling for him is sky-high as he has an elite blend of speed, quickness, power, and size.