The 2022 NFL Draft season is nearly upon us and that means we are knowing more and more about who will go early and later. Some new guys, however, are starting to rise and bring the excitement that draft season gives us regularly. The draft order is based on Tankathon’s current draft order. With that, let’s get into our Week 11 mock draft.
No 1. Detroit Lions – Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
This is the most obvious pick as of now. Detroit should either trade out or stay and take Thibodeaux. There has been some talk of dark horse candidates for the top spot but as of now, it’s clear Thibodeaux is the best available. The Lions will now keep Jared Goff for one more year and focus on a younger quarterback in the 2023 draft.
No 2. Houston Texans – Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
Hutchinson has been arguably the best player in college football this season. He might not be as athletic as Thibodeaux but he’s given incredible production for the Wolverines this year and would fit right into Houston’s system. Hutchinson can set the edge but has become a tremendous pass-rusher, wracking up nine sacks this year.
No 3. New York Jets – Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
There may be better players on the board here for the Jets but this pick makes the most sense potentially out of any in the mock. Zach Wilson has gotten killed this year, and while the line has a lot of talent, they are still in need of more. Neal will plug into right tackle right away and instantly create one of the best young lines in the league pairing up with Alijah Vera-Tucker and Mekhi Becton.
No 4. Jacksonville Jaguars – Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
The Jaguars can go a number of ways here but in the end, they will just end up with one of the two best players on the board. There can be arguments for line help that are feasible but in the long run, Stingley can be a generational corner in Jacksonville and turn into the next Jalen Ramsey for them.
No 5. Philadelphia Eagles (via Miami Dolphins) – Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
Next in line for a near-perfect pick would be Hamilton to the Eagles. The true best player on the board here and one that would revolutionize this defense. He brings it all with elite range, excellent coverage ability, and versatility that Howie Roseman and crew will love. The Eagles still have two more selections in the top 15 and they’ve already knocked it out of the park here.
No 6. New York Giants – Kenyon Green, IOL, Texas A&M
Giants fans know that line is a necessity in this draft. Green would give them instant help here, especially with guys like Billy Price and Will Hernandez on contract seasons. Green is an uber-athletic guard who can be used on the pull for the Giants while providing a solid anchor and hopefully locking down the guard spot for years to come.
No 7. New York Jets (via Seattle Seahawks) – Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson
Booth is just the guy the Jets need to fill their second cornerback spot. As he’s been since preseasons, Booth is the second-best cornerback in this year’s draft and his play has warranted a top 10 selection. In Robert Saleh’s system, he’ll blanket receivers and can blossom into a star in this league very early on. The Jets now have a serious future with the two top 10 selections of Neal and Booth which address serious weaknesses.
No 8. New York Giants (via Chicago Bears) – George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
It seems more and more like the Giants won their trade with the Bears last year, for this year’s draft at least. The two picks in the top 10 help them secure two of their weaker positions while also getting the best player available here in Karlaftis. He is one of those guys that has drawn some top pick rumors but with other needs on the board for other teams, he falls right into the Giants’ lap here at pick eight.
No 9. Washington Football Team – Carson Strong, QB, Nevada
What on Earth does Washington do here? This will be one of the most interesting teams throughout mock draft season as they have some needs but nothing really major. Now, Chase Young‘s injury will be something to monitor over the offseason but the defense should be pretty solid going into next year as it seems they always are. The selection of Strong would slot him into a position where he can have some serious development behind Taylor Heinicke, and eventually look to take over and change an offense that has lacked a star quarterback the past few years.
No 10. Philadelphia Eagles – Sam Howell, QB, Pittsburgh
Philadelphia is done with Jalen Hurts. The team will either pick up a quarterback in free agency or take one in the draft this offseason. With the capital and luxuries, they do have, taking Howell would honestly be a great selection. He’s gotten criminally underrated this season because of the lack of weapons on the North Carolina offense and has shown time and time again that he is still a top quarterback in this draft. Now, the Eagles have their franchise guy on both offense and defense and they still have another pick remaining.
No 11. Atlanta Falcons – Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
This is a pretty interesting spot for Atlanta. We all saw Sunday how important it is for them to go after defense here following their 43-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys but the question is what position to take first. When looking a little more in-depth, Elam is the best player on the board for them here. He fits the system really well and will pair up with A.J. Terrell in what could be one of the best young duos in the league as Terrell is already budding into a superstar.
No 12. Miami Dolphins (via San Francisco Niners) – Ikem Ekwonu, IOL, N.C. State
The Dolphins’ line has been absolutely morbid. Tua Tagovailoa seems to be taking hit after hit every week and it’s no wonder that he’s constantly injured. Ekwonu could be the best lineman in this draft besides Neal. The tape is just so fun to watch as he’s constantly mauling guys, using his athleticism to his advantage, and demonstrating raw strength. A guard might not help way too much right now but with young tackles that still have time to develop, Ekwonu is a great pick here.
No 13. Minnesota Vikings – Tyler Linderbaum, IOL, Iowa
The Vikings need offensive line help, what could possibly be new here? Linderbaum is raved about on the college ranks, some even calling him the best player in college football but his measurements are what hold him back from being a generational NFL talent. He’s still got tremendous technique, absurd strength, and solid speed for a center but we’ll have to see if the length becomes an issue in the future. The initial guess is that it doesn’t just because of the raw talent alone and he’ll become a staple on Minnesota’s future line with Christian Darrisaw.
No 14. Denver Broncos – Drake Jackson, EDGE, USC
This pick will stay consistent two weeks in a row and for good reason. Bradley Chubb will most likely not return to Denver for the 2022 season and the loss of Von Miller gives the Broncos an immediate need for a 3-4 edge rusher. Jackson fits this bill to a tee. His bend and athleticism will give him the opportunity to thrive in Vic Fangio’s system (if he’s not fired) and the pass-rush should be on their way back to being a top unit.
No 15. Philadelphia Eagles (via Indianapolis Colts) – Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
With their final pick of the round, the Eagles elect to go back to defense one more time. With Fletcher Cox‘s future in total uncertainty for Philadelphia, the Eagles will have to look for a star replacement and Davis can be just that. He won’t be the serious pass-rush force that Cox has been in the past but he’ll dominate in the run game with his massive frame and do the job that he is supposed to do for his unit as a whole.
No 16. Cleveland Browns – Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
Odell Beckham Jr. is finally freed from Cleveland and we saw the need for some receiver help after the Browns got trounced by the Patriots last Sunday. Yes, Jarvis Landry and Donovan Peoples-Jones are really good players but Landry is reaching the end of his success and a new star is needed. We saw just last Saturday how big of a star Wilson can be for this team. Against Purdue, he totaled 10 catches for 126 yards and three touchdowns in Ohio State’s blowout victory. Needless to say, Wilson is a serious deep threat that will help Baker Mayfield greatly.
No 17. Cincinnati Bengals – Darian Kinnard, IOL, Kentucky
As we all know, the Bengals’ move to pass up on Penei Sewell for Ja’Marr Chase has really worked out. However, the team does still need offensive line help and Kinnard can be a really nice addition. With Kinnard plugging in here, Jackson Carman can kick out to tackle, especially with the early success that he is seeing on the inside. This will solidify the youth on the Bengals line and they should be able to protect Joe Burrow for quite some time.
No 18. Las Vegas Raiders –Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
Obviously, the wide receiver situation in Las Vegas has taken a hit for circumstances that don’t really need to be mentioned anymore. Burks is the best receiver on the board here and an instant deep ball threat. Two first-round picks on receivers in the last three years really isn’t ideal but it is the situation they’ve been dealt and Burks can be a true offensive difference-maker.
No 19. Carolina Panthers – Sean Rhyan, OL, UCLA
The Panthers are in a tricky spot. Guys who would be at the top of their board like Kinnard, Ekwonu, and Linderbaum are all gone already and now they have a big choice to make. They could go with the best player available (who we’ll see go next) or address their weakness of line. Here, they decide to go with the offensive line help. Rhyan has been very versatile for the Bruins this season and can help out a really depleted unit in Carolina.
No 20. Los Angeles Chargers – DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M
If the Chargers were able to pull this one off they’d win the first round immediately. The defensive line right now is just so bad and that spawns from the lack of size and strength on the interior. Leal will start from day one over guys like Jerry Tillery and can provide instant run help but incredible pass-rushing help as well. This would probably be the best place for Leal to end up as he can blossom alongside Joey Bosa and become a true star.
No 21. New Orleans Saints – David Bell, WR, Purdue
No one has played their way into the first round as much as Bell. The star receiver has had six games over 100 yards and two over 200 this season. The most impressive was when he went for 240 yards and a touchdown against Iowa’s elite secondary. Even in the blowout to Ohio State this week he caught 11 balls for just over 100 yards. Bell can do it all for the Saints and moves away from the big jump ball characteristics that New Orleans already has in Michael Thomas and Marquez Callaway.
No 22. New England Patriots – Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
The Patriots’ luck out here. Gardner may be the fourth cornerback in this class but he’s still a top 20 talent and fits right into Bill Belichick’s scheme. With J.C. Jackson set to be a free agent soon, and Devin McCourty near retirement, Gardner could be the future of this secondary along with Kyle Dugger, and the plethora of great role players that follow the Patriot Way.
No 23. Kansas City Chiefs – Jaquan Brisker, SAF, Penn State
Kansas City is on a roll but that doesn’t mean their defense is still set. They’re in dire need of a versatile safety who can come down into the box and make plays, basically what they envisioned Daniel Sorenson would do but actually do it. Brisker can give them this. He lacks a little bit in coverage but his athleticism and frame allow him to fly to the ball and get to the running back with a rapid pace. If they do fancy coverage overrun support here, however, they can go with Daxton Hill but it seems Brisker would just be a better fit.
No 24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
The Bucs’ biggest loss this offseason will almost definitely be Chris Godwin. With that, they’ll need a wide receiver who can come in and work the intermediate areas while having elite speed and elusiveness out in space. Olave is the perfect guy for that job and is almost lucky to have fallen this far as he’ll start to blossom with Tom Brady throwing him the ball
No 25. Pittsburgh Steelers – Derion Kendrick, CB, Georgia
Behind the big four of Stingley, Booth, Gardner, and Elam, Kendrick has pretty much asserted himself as the next best cornerback. There could be a case made for Trent McDuffie out of Washington but he’s more of a slot guy and hasn’t impressed as much this season as Kendrick has. The Steelers are searching for a corner and if they can’t tab one in free agency, this could be the route they go.
No 26. Baltimore Ravens – Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
Lots of people are really high on Cross and have him going a lot earlier than he is right here but he’s still got something to prove in our eyes. He can be a mauler for Baltimore’s powerful run game but can also improve the pass block game because of his extensive reps in Mike Leach‘s air raid system. On the other hand, don’t be surprised if Cross rises a lot higher than this over the next few months.
No 27. Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles Rams) – Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
Detroit would have loved a receiver here but there just isn’t any left with first-round talent. Drake London‘s medicals are unknown right now so he can’t be the guy here and everyone else (Wilson, Olave, Burks, and Bell) are off the board. With that, the Lions turn to the best player on the board in Lloyd. He’s a stellar playmaker at his linebacker spot and a top 15 talent in this draft. Overall, this is going to be a long rebuild for Detroit. While the offense is bad, they have many years to address it and are in no rush timewise.
No 28. Dallas Cowboys – Daxton Hill, S, Michigan
For a Cowboys team that is doing so much better than last year, defensive help is still needed. One more body in the secondary, and a talented one at that, would really go a long way in turning this team from strictly an offensive juggernaut into an all-around big-time Super Bowl contender. Hill provides really good coverage value as we mentioned earlier but is improving in getting dirty in the box.
No 29. Buffalo Bills – Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
We talked about McDuffie in a prior pick and he now comes into play with Buffalo. The Bills need both a cornerback opposite Tre’Davious White and a slot cornerback. McDuffie can be used as both of these things. Getting such a versatile defensive player this late in the first round would be an incredibly successful pick for Buffalo and McDuffie should become a staple in this secondary.
No 30. Arizona Cardinals – David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan
Ojabo would be a great fit in Arizona’s 3-4 system and can earn valuable minutes early if Chandler Jones departs in the offseason. He is one of the more favored prospects this year and one of the biggest risers in the draft. He and his Michigan counterpart, Hutchinson, are the best pass-rush duo in the country. It’s largely due to Ojabo’s significant improvement this season, one that’s gained him first-round attention. Even if Jones stays in Arizona, Ojabo can be a really solid young guy on that line and provide fresh legs and great value in pass-rush situations when called upon in his rookie season.
No 31. Tennessee Titans – Myjai Sanders, EDGE, Cincinnatti
The Titans’ defense has been a lot better than what was predicted at the beginning of the year but there are still more needs here than there is on the offensive side of the ball. Sanders is another really underrated guy and can carve a nice role into this unit and be a big factor for Titans in their future plans.
No 32. Green Bay Packers – Drake London, WR, USC
Now London does indeed get selected. Unlike Detroit, the Packers have a lot more flexibility at receiver so London doesn’t need to play right away with his health still questionable at this time. For what London can bring to Green Bay, he can very well be Davante Adams‘ replacement. London was having an insane season at USC and showed off his unique ability to go up and get the ball while being a fierce route runner.
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