1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

Neal has been the unanimous OT1 in the draft. With the Jaguars needing an improved offensive line to protect young quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Neal is the perfect fit.

2. Detroit Lions: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan

Hutchinson is by far my favorite pass rusher in this draft. A Heisman finalist this past season, Hutchinson proved himself on the biggest of stages (aside from his only poor performance against Georgia). With the Lions lacking in a pass-rushing threat, Hutchinson is the perfect selection.

3. Houston Texans: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon

Thibodeaux is a generational talent athlete. While his pass rushing abilities haven’t been on full display in college, in part due to injuries, the former Duck has a lot of potential to be great. Like the Lions, the Texans get a potential stud to beef up their pass rushing presence. 

4. New York Jets: Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

Fourth overall can be seen as very high for Gardner, but I believe that he is easily the best cornerback in the class. An excellent cover player, Gardner never let up a touchdown throughout his entire collegiate career. He can be physical and tackles decently well, making him a great all around player that the Jets can use to bolster their secondary.

5. New York Giants: Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa

Linderbaum is, with no doubt, the best interior lineman in the draft. With Andrew Thomas breaking out this past season, tackle is less of a priority than center and guard. Linderbaum is thus the perfect fit to give the next Giants franchise QB, potentially Mitchell Trubisky, some help. 

6. Carolina Panthers: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

All of the comments were heard about our last mock draft. Yes, Kyle Hamilton falling to 14 is absurd. I could see it happening, as historically safeties haven’t been drafted very high. In fact, the last safety to be drafted inside of the top ten was Jamal Adams in 2017. However, it is understandable that Hamilton, being a top three talent in the draft class, should not fall in the draft as much as I had him. This time, I think the Panthers scoop up the best player available, Hamilton. Their secondary gets a massive boost considering their lack of young talent at safety. 

7. New York Giants: Jermaine Johnson II, DE, Florida State

After taking a deeper dive into the defensive ends and edge rushers of this draft class, Johnson really caught my eye. The 6’5” end plays with insane athleticism and patience that brings his pass rushing and run blitzing abilities to the very next level. The Florida State product should certainly be looked at by New York with this pick in order to boost their minimal presence on the edge. 

8. Atlanta Falcons: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but Burks has such a vast amount of talent that a team like Atlanta, that is in dire need of receivers, must take him. His in-game speed is much faster than his 40-yard dash time would suggest, and he plays with a physicality that can be closely compared to Deebo Samuel. Burks very much fits the description of Deebo Samuel’s “wideback” position and he would greatly help Atlanta in bringing another player of this nature to Georgia (considering that Cordarelle Patterson probably leaves in free agency). 

9. Seattle Seahawks: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

After acquiring a boatload of picks for quarterback Russell Wilson, the Seahawks, who didn’t own a first round selection prior, find themselves with a top ten pick in this year’s draft. With a mediocre cornerback group, and apparent interest in signing a free agent quarterback, it makes sense for Seattle to take a corner here. While Stingley looks good on tape, injuries have hurt his playing time and the quality of his play. If Stingley can be as good as he was advertised during his Freshman season in college, he will be a stud for Seattle. 

10. New York Jets: Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia

I think that Dean is easily the best linebacker in this draft. He plays with a good balance of both coverage and tackling skills, making him a complete linebacker. With the Jets’ signing of C.J. Mosley being a major flop, they could use a solid linebacker to take over, making Dean the right fit.

11. Washington Commanders: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

Willis has made a sudden emergence on draft boards and many NFL scouts have stated their belief in Willis being the best quarterback in the draft class. Despite trading for Carson Wentz, the Commanders still lack a young quarterback. Wentz may not be old, but the former Colt is well past the developmental stage in his career. Banking on the raw potential of Willis could lead the Commanders to a better future.

12. Minnesota Vikings: Ikem Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State

Offensive linemen usually skyrocket in the NFL Draft, especially with quality linemen being hard to come by. I imagine that Ekwonu will go higher than twelfth, but in the off-chance he doesn’t, the Vikings will get a great run blocker in Ekwonu with lots of flexibility. 

13. Cleveland Browns: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama

As I have stated many times before, Garrett Wilson doesn’t have the potential to be a star receiver in the NFL. Williams would be a much better selection, having excellent speed, better route running, a better route tree and more explosion than Wilson. Despite an ACL injury in the College Football Playoffs, Williams has a very high ceiling and could easily turn out as the best receiver in this class.

14. Baltimore Ravens: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State

Alejandro Villenueva announced his retirement this past week and, subsequently, the Ravens must take a tackle in this draft. The former Steeler had struggled in 2021 regardless, making tackle a high position of need for Baltimore and thus making Cross, a much better pass protector, the perfect fit. 

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Drake London, WR, USC

With the Eagles top three receivers (Devonta Smith, Jalen Reagor and Quez Watkins) all being shorter in stature, the Birds must take a taller receiver. London is the perfect fit for this role. While he may be much slower than Smith and Watkins, each receiver plays their own role. London would fill a major void in the offense and bring a tall receiver to Philadelphia.

16. Philadelphia Eagles: George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue

While the Eagles have had a solid presence up front, many of the Eagles’ top pass rushers are veterans. Needing youthfulness in their pass rush, Karlaftis is the perfect fit. He brings good size, speed and athleticism on the edge and would vastly improve on Philadelphia’s defense. On top of that, many of the experienced rushers up front carry large contracts that can be reduced or cut by drafting Karlaftis.

17. Los Angeles Chargers: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida

Elam’s man to man covering skills were elite at Florida. The young corner lacks the physicality to tackle well but in the right defense, like Los Angeles’, he can still be extremely successful. Derwin James is a phenomenal safety with absurd tackling abilities that could cover up Elam’s one major flaw. Elam’s man to man defense would be a major upgrade over an aging Chris Harris Jr. 

18. New Orleans Saints: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

Michael Thomas’ return to New Orleans is still uncertain. His peers, Marquez Callaway, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Juwan Johnson, will not be enough for New Orleans to find success in the future. In dire need of a receiver, it makes sense for the Saints to take Olave, a solid receiver with great footwork. 

19. Philadelphia Eagles: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington

With three first round picks, the Eagles have the ability to create something amazing. Aside from Darius Slay, the Eagles secondary is nothing to write home about. Steven Nelson is a free agent and may not be re-signed, making McDuffie a necessity. The former Husky has CB2 (in the draft) upside and would be an amazing pick for the Eagles at 19th. 

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh

It is no secret that quarterback is easily the most valuable position in football, at least  based on contracts and draft stock. While Pickett may very well go much earlier due to the value of quarterbacks, if he is available at 20 the Steelers will certainly pull the trigger and draft him. Pickett can keep his playmaking ability in Pittsburgh as a major upgrade over Mason Rudolph.

21. New England Patriots: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah

Similarly to Philadelphia, the Patriots linebacking group is not bad. Rather, the Patriots have a solid group of experienced veterans that could use some young flair. Lloyd is arguably the best linebacker in the group, balancing amazing pass coverage skills and elite tackling. This is an absolute steal for New England.

22. Las Vegas Raiders: Andrew Booth Jr, CB, Clemson

The Raiders have swung and missed too many times on cornerbacks in recent years. While it will be hard for them to draft another, due to past failures, Booth has the ability to change that. The Clemson star played in the best college football conference against the best competition and was still extremely successful, making him an all around solid pick.

23. Arizona Cardinals: Kenyon Green, OG, Texas A&M

Kyler Murray was running for his life towards the end of 2021. Green, a guard with plenty of center and tackle flexibility, can be a plug-and-play at any position on the Cardinals line. He will be a massive upgrade over any needy position on the Arizona line and will help the Cardinals return to playoff success. 

24. Dallas Cowboys: Jordan Davis, IDL, Georgia

Jordan Davis had a phenomenal NFL Combine that has skyrocketed his draft stock. Davis has shown insane speed, strength and athleticism that propels him to the top of my interior defensive lineman rankings. With Dallas having a very complete roster, I think that they go with the best player available, Davis. 

25. Buffalo Bills: Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State

Buffalo’s defense could definitely use help, as they blew a lead with just 13 seconds left to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Ebiketie, a hard hitter that is always involved on the field, would be a good addition to the Buffalo fronts. A player with as much talent as Ebiketie would certainly make a difference this season for Buffalo as they aspire to reach a Super Bowl. 

26. Tennessee Titans: Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State

The Titans receiving core is not bad, but Julio Jones is well past his prime. The Atlanta superstar had a poor season in Tennessee, leaving the Titans in need of finding someone young that can produce alongside A.J. Brown. Dotson is the perfect fit. Brown is a tall and physical receiver but Dotson is more of a smaller speedster with the best hands in the draft class. The two, as different types of receivers, will complement each other perfectly and improve upon the Titan offense.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Matt Corral, QB, Mississippi

In last year’s draft, the Buccaneers took a shot on Florida quarterback Kyle Trask at the end of the second round. While Trask, a 2020 Heisman trophy candidate, has some upside, many sources inside the NFL do not believe that he has the ability to lead the Buccaneers to a fortunate future. As a result, Corral becomes a must here at 27. Tom Brady’s retirement has left Tampa in a swirl of confusion, but the uber-competitor that is Matt Corral would give the Buccaneers some hope for the future.

28. Green Bay Packers: Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan

After signing Aaron Rodgers to a massive 4 year $200 million contract, the Packers do not have a lot of cap space to work with. In order to keep Rodgers protected, they need to beef up their aging line. Raimann, a 6’7” stud, is the best tackle left on the board and is good value at 28th. 

29. Miami Dolphins: George Pickens, WR, Georgia

While Miami has a solid group of wide receivers, Will Fuller has constantly found himself on the injured list or suspended. Preston Williams also suffered from extremities of his own in 2021, leaving this corps very depleted. Pickens, arguably the prospect with the most potential, is a great pick for any team in this draft that could use a definite star at the wide receiver position. While injuries have hampered Pickens’ draft stock, the former Bulldog will bring a little bit of everything to Miami’s receiving corps. 

30. Kansas City: Jalen Pitre, CB, Baylor

Rashad Fenton had been a liability in coverage for the Chiefs all season. Needing a better player in the secondary, the Chiefs will take the best defensive back available, which is Pitre. Jaquan Brisker would make sense, too, but Pitre offers more cornerback flexibility that will be valuable in helping the Chiefs return to the biggest game in football. 

31. Cincinnati Bengals: Zion Johnson, IOL, Boston College

Joe Burrow exploded onto the scene this past season, leading Cincinnati all the way to the Super Bowl. However, throughout the course of the season, the Bengals found themselves in tough situations that were made worse by their struggling offensive line. Johnson, much like Kenyon Green, has a lot of flexibility on the offensive line and is another great plug-and-play addition to give Burrow more time in his pocket. 

32. Detroit Lions: Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati

Ridder, much like Malik Willis, is a raw prospect that could develop into something special. Behind Jared Goff, Ridder would learn and develop well and could blossom into a star in the post-Jared Goff era.