Chiefs, Steelers and Giants make moves in 3-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft

If I was the general manager of the Carolina Panthers, I would love the idea of trading down. Without a second or a third round pick and with a roster that has multiple different holes to fill, getting some more cracks at the board would be huge.

However, Evan Neal is also huge, and a steal, to me, at pick six in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft. Neal has experience at both guard and tackle, but settled in as the left tackle for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He is as sound of a pass protector as they come and still has a mean streak in the run game.

Matt Rhule and the Carolina Panthers do need a long-term answer at quarterback, and could very well go with Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett or even trade down a bit and see how lasts, but Evan Neal is too good to pass up at this point in the 2022 NFL Mock Draft.

After grabbing versatile offensive lineman and potential franchise right or left tackle just two picks ago, the New York Giants go defense with pick seven of this 2022 NFL Mock Draft. They do need an edge rusher, but the top player on the board is Cincinnati’s Sauce Gardner.

If you’re reading this 2022 NFL Mock Draft, you’ve probably heard that Gardner did not allow a single touchdown in his college career. He is a lengthy, athletic corner who stays glued to his man. With the New York Giants potentially moving on from James Bradberry, it would be wise at this point to grab who many view as the top cornerback prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft.

We have a trade! The Kansas City Chiefs, after losing Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, use some of their newfound draft capital to go up and grab his replacement. Jameson Williams is the player in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft that could be nearly as dynamic as Hill, when healthy, and appears to be moving quickly towards being just that.

At picks 29 and 30, general manager Brett Veach and the Chiefs have no idea who will be available. There may not be a single prospect there that they have a first-round grade on. Instead, they package them together and go get their guy. It’s hard to imagine Jameson Williams NOT joining the Kansas City Chiefs after they moved on from Hill, and if it were to happen it would be a nightmare for all the other teams in the AFC.

The Seattle Seahawks have a big decision on their hands at this point in the 2022 NFL Mock Draft. Do they top the top quarterback here at pick nine? Or do they go elsewhere and fill one of many needs across their roster?

Here, the team passes on Malik Willis and adds to their extremely underwhelming offensive line. Charles Cross has been mocked all over the board, but has been trending up towards the top 10 and even the top 5. He is a sound technician with the size and power to be dominant as well.

If any of Ekwonu, Neal or Cross are on the board here, I think that would be the pick. Maybe even a cornerback if either of the top two were available. To me, a rookie quarterback likely will not thrive with such a weak offensive line, so first grab a left tackle, then look at quarterback options.

With Jameson Williams off the board, the New York Jets could look to a current NFL player to address the wide receiver position. General Manager Joe Douglas could try to pry Deebo Samuel away from San Francisco, but I think that may be unlikely at this point. Instead, they go for a big-body wideout from USC in Drake London.

London seems to be what the Jets had hoped they were getting in Denzel Mims. While Mims has struggled to see the field, 2021 rookie Elijah Moore, veteran Corey Davis and slot/special teams guy Brexton Berrios found success last year with Zach Wilson. Bringing in a guy like London who excels at the catch point and with the ball in his hands would be another important piece for the development of the young quarterback and would provide him with a reliable target for years to come.