Detroit Lions 2022 NFL mock draft: Is Quarterback A Guarantee?
By Evan Bachman
Scouting Report. USC. player. WR. Drake London. 2. 50. Pick Analysis
Round 2, 33rd Overall: Drake London, WR, USC
Wide receiver is an area where the Detroit Lions are lacking talent and on top of that a lot of their receivers are free agents, so it will be a priority for them this offseason.
Drake London is someone who’s flown up draft boards this season with his remarkable play this season as he’s caught 64 passes for 832 yards and five touchdowns through just six games.
London has a lot of areas to his game to really like. First off, standing at 6-foot-5 he’s excellent in contested catch situations as according to PFF he’s hauled in 18 contested catches so far this season, which is an incredible number considering it’s through only six games.
Another thing there is to like about him is his quickness and ability to force missed tackles with the ball in his hands. Usually you don’t expect tall, with a bit of skinny build receivers like London to be quick and elusive, but he is and has proven that by forcing 14 missed tackles this season so far at USC.
Henry To'o- To'o. 50. LB. Alabama. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 3. player
Round 3, 66th Overall: Henry To’o To’o, LB, Alabama
Linebacker is an area that the Detroit Lions could use help at and on top of that both of their current starters are set to be free agents next offseason, so linebacker is a need for them.
Henry To’o-To’o was a often discussed player this off season as he transferred from Tennessee and was rumored to be considering a lot of big-name schools before choosing Alabama.
Watching him at Tennessee you can quickly see why he was highly-sought after as he has good instincts, especially against the run, to go along with good speed. He lead the Vols in tackles in both 2019 and 2020 and racked up 12.5 tackles for loss over 22 games.
He does have room for improvement as he has had some struggles with missed tackles and in coverage, but I still think he comes off the board no later than day two.
WR. Minnesota. 6. 50. Scouting Report. Chris Autman-Bell. player. Pick Analysis
Round 6, 180th Overall: Chris Atman-Bell, WR, Minnesota
Minnesota’s Chris Autman-Bell is a bit of a unique prospect as he’s built like a running back (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) playing wide receiver for the Golden Gophers. The biggest thing that Autman-Bell brings to the table is contested catch ability, he isn’t an elite separator but he makes up for that by being able to come down with 50-50 balls.
This is a big year for him as he should get a lot more targets with last year’s first-rounder Rashod Bateman off to the NFL. Unfortunately, he’s missed some early season action here as he missed the first two games with an ankle injury before re-injuring his ankle on the first play of Minnesota’s fourth game against Bowling Green. Hopefully for him, he can perform well in the back half of this season and improve his draft stock.
Pick Analysis. S. player. 50. Scouting Report. Cincinnati. Ja'Von Hicks. 7
Round 7, 243rd Overall: Ja’Von Hicks, S, Cincinnati
With draft picks this late you’re trying to add depth and find guys who can make the roster. Ja’Von Hicks isn’t a superstar by any means, but he is certainly a good player for one of the best defenses in college football right now in Cincinnati.
Hicks recorded five interceptions in the 2019 season, and so far through five games this season he’s picked off one pass and has broken up three.