2022 NFL Mock Draft | Round 1, Picks 17-32
With a few trades in the mix, the second half of Round 1 is an interesting close to this 2022 NFL Mock Draft.
17) Pittsburgh Steelers: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
The Steelers are hurting for playmakers across their offense. With offensive line as a big need, pass catcher has also vaulted to the top of their list. Sure, a quarterback is viable here, but they instead grab Chris Olave from Ohio State. Olave has a ton of skills at the catch point plus shifty routes. He immediately bolsters the Steelers’ receiving corps.
18) Baltimore Ravens: David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan
At No. 18, the Baltimore Ravens grab a talented edge rusher who would fit right into their culture. David Ojabo is that man as the Wolverines’ edge defender is as talented as he is quick. He wins as fast as anyone else in the class and has an incredibly high ceiling as he’s still adjusting to the role.
19) Minnesota Vikings: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
In a similar situation to so many others this time around, the Minnesota Vikings can draft the best player available in the first round. They grab Jordan Davis to anchor their defensive line for years to come. Davis is as big as he is talented and offers a set of incredibly nimble feet for a man his size.
20) Green Bay Packers: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
Trade: Green Bay sends pick Nos. 32, 64, and 96 to Buffalo for pick No. 20 and a 2023 third-rounder.
The Green Bay Packers give up quite a bit to grab the draft’s best linebacker. Devin Lloyd is a supremely talented sideline-to-sideline linebacker with pure power behind his hits. Lloyd adds an element to his game that rivals some safeties with how good he is in coverage. A true three-down linebacker heads north to Green Bay.
21) Miami Dolphins: Daxton Hill, S, Michigan
Daxton Hill is a thumper at safety. He joins the Miami Dolphins to pair with Jevon Holland as the two become one of the younger and better safety duos in the league. Hill and Holland are similar players, though Hill is a touch better in coverage as a box safety. This move allows Holland to play a free safety role full-time and Hill to play where he excels: closing space in the short area of the field in both coverage and against the run.
22) Los Angeles Chargers: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
He may have a limited route tree at the moment, but Treylon Burks‘ “go” route is the best in college football. Pairing Burks with the league’s best full-tree route runner in Keenan Allen is a match made in receiver heaven. Burks learning from Allen will take his game to the next level.
23) Philadelphia Eagles: Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
As strong as an ox, Nakobe Dean made play after play for Georgia this past season. He patrols the field with ease, routinely making plays in the run game and in coverage. Dean may be short in stature, but certainly not in his ability to stymie opposing offenses.
24) Detroit Lions: Drake London, WR, USC
Drake London had his 2021 season cut short yet still led the Pac-12 in receiving yards. He’s incredibly gifted at the catch point as a basketball player, using his terrific athleticism better than any receiver in recent memory. London should be fine to suit up in the fall after injury ended his college season, joining his former teammate in Amon-Ra St. Brown to form a gifted duo.
25) Cincinnati Bengals: Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State
The Cincinnati Bengals grab a tandem safety to pair with Jessie Bates III — the pick of Jaquan Brisker allows Bates to be a full-time free-roaming safety and Brisker to play in the box where he thrives.
26) Tennessee Titans: Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
With a ton of versatility, Ikem Ekwonu offers a high-upside prospect at a position of need for the Tennessee Titans. Ekwonu has dominant strength at the point of attack and can move well in the run game. His pass sets are dominant, and his durability will not be in question.
27) Arizona Cardinals: Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State
Jermaine Johnson II heads to the desert after earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He’s a talented guy when rushing the passer, excelling with a high motor and never-quit attitude. What separates Johnson from some defenders in this class is the fact that he rarely left the field yet continually played at a high level. His endurance and durability is perhaps the best of any player in this class, regardless of position.
28) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma
The Bucs can draft the best player on their board at this rate, with Tom Brady playing for at least another two decades, it appears. Perrion Winfrey is that guy who’s best available as he pairs with Vita Vea to form a scary duo of interior pass rushers. Winfrey is very athletic for his size and has a high motor. He’ll routinely find the quarterback or sniff out the ball carrier with ease in the run game.
29) New England Patriots: Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
The first running back off the board, Kenneth Walker III had quite the emergence in 2021. After setting records at Wake Forest in 2019-2020, Walker broke out on the big stage with the surging Spartans at Michigan State. Walker has great contact balance and surprising elusiveness. Both skills translate to the NFL right away, and he should be immediately able to contribute.
30) Dallas Cowboys: Kingsley Enagbare, EDGE, South Carolina
Kingsley Enagbare is as underrated as they come. Enagbare makes pass-rush moves with silky smooth precision, and Johnson has a high motor, routinely getting to the quarterback with an array of moves.
31) Kansas City Chiefs: David Bell, WR, Purdue
It could be said that David Bell has the best body control in the draft class. It could also be said that Bell is a much more polished route runner and nearly as elusive as his former teammate in Rondale Moore. Bell wins with his routes and dominates at the catch point all over the field. It’s almost unfair to give Patrick Mahomes another dominant threat like Bell.
32) Buffalo Bills: Zion Johnson, G, Boston College
Trade: Buffalo receives pick Nos. 32, 64, and 96 from Green Bay for pick No. 20 and a 2023 third-rounder.
With their first pick of Round 1 closing the day after their trade with Green Bay, Zion Johnson is the selection. Johnson is a versatile lineman in the middle for the Bills, adding high upside at a position of need. He can move in the run game and has great pass sets on the interior.