3-Round 2022 NFL Mock Draft: QBs Go Early and Often

The Saints have actively been searching for a long-term answer at quarterback this offseason, and they finally land their guy by moving up to No. 9 overall in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, the Seahawks are trading down in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft. The Saints have been uber-aggressive in their efforts to find a quarterback, and after seeing both Willis and Corral come off the board, they decided not to risk waiting too long. Kenny Pickett is by no means perfect, but given the ideal conditions at the Caesars Superdome, hand size issues aren’t as glaring. New Orleans gets their man at long last.

After seeing the Saints jump all the way up to the nine, the Steelers are the last team to get in on the action. With the Commanders coming up next and Desmond Ridder still chilling on the board, Pittsburgh takes things into their own hands. Ridder is a team leader and has traits that will allow him to be a star in this league if brought along properly. He can start early, but a redshirt year behind Mitchell Trubisky would go a long way towards his development.

It’s fair to expect Jameson Williams, Drake London, or Garrett Wilson to be the pick here, but I think the “other” Ohio State wide receiver fits the best in Washington. Olave runs immaculate routes and is faster than anyone wants to give him credit for, even after clocking an official 4.39 40-yard dash. Pairing him with Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel gives the Commanders a stellar trio of Buckeyes.

If this 2022 NFL Mock Draft was a “What I Would Do” exercise, there’s no chance that Stingley would still be available at No. 12. However, the chatter has been too loud to just ignore, so I am forecasting a slight tumble for the former LSU Tiger. The Vikings become the beneficiary of teams’ overthinking and add Stingley to a cornerback room featuring veteran Patrick Peterson and youngster Cameron Dantzler.