2-Round 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Quarterbacks Fly Off The Board Early

Kayvon Thibodeaux is on the other side of things. Thibodeaux was the No.1 player in his recruiting class, carrying an NFL physique ever since arriving at Oregon. He — by no means — was bad during his time with the Ducks, totaling 19 sacks across 30 games while constantly being the focal point of the opposing teams’ gameplan. Thibodeaux jumps off the screen and passes the eye test with flying colors, leading to the belief that he would hear his name called first at the 2022 NFL Draft.

That was, until the last couple months. Aidan Hutchinson’s Heisman-nominee campaign took a lot of the spotlight off of Thibodeaux during Michigan’s playoff run. Hutchinson’s rise, coupled with newer reports of possible “maturity & motor issues” for Thibodeaux, has resulted in a free-fall of sorts. I don’t know him personally, but off talent alone, Thibodeaux is one of the five best players in this class, making him a great value at nine in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft for the pass-rush needy Seattle Seahawks.

Speaking of Seattle, the Jets signed former Seahawks’ CB DJ Reed on the opening week of free agency. Now, with the pick acquired from Seattle in the Jamal Adams trade, the Jets take the top CB in the draft in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft — Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. Some personalities don’t mesh well with the big lights of New York, but Gardner is built for it.

As I’m sure you’ve heard before, Gardner didn’t allow a single touchdown over the course of his entire collegiate career. That is almost hard to fathom. Sure, teams would throw away from him — and a stat like that can be misleading — but all it takes is one glimpse of his tape to see that the eye test supports the numbers (or lack thereof). I’m not saying he will be a Hall of Famer, but Sauce Island is going to remind a lot of Jets’ fans of Revis Island.