Tag: 2022 Mock Draft

Mock draft watch: Lions get WR help in latest from CBS Sports

This projection from CBS emphasizes the stark lack of depth and talent at WR

The latest 2022 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports and analyst Ryan Wilson focuses the Detroit Lions’ extra first-round pick on fixing the team’s woeful passing attack from the other side of the personnel coin. Instead of going after the quarterback with the Rams’ selection, Wilson uses the pick acquired in the Matthew Stafford trade to bolster the Detroit receiving corps.

The No. 1 overall pick remains the status quo across nearly every mock draft right now. Oregon EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux is the near-universal projection for the top pick, and the Lions still hold that No. 1 pick after the 16-16 tie in Week 10.

It’s the traded pick from the Rams where the intrigue builds. Now slotted 27th after a two-game losing streak by Los Angeles, the pick eschews QB options and instead hits with Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave. The explanation makes a lot of sense,

Ultimately, the Lions may end up moving around the draft board to target a QB (assuming they don’t land one in free agency) but since we’re not doing trades here, they take Olave 26 picks after getting Thibodeaux. As it stands, only Quintez Cephus and Amon-Ra St. Brown are under contract after this season.

As for the quarterbacks, Matt Corral (No. 9), Kenny Pickett (No. 16) and Carson Strong (No. 21) are off the board. This mock does not include Liberty QB Malik Willis or North Carolina’s Sam Howell in the first round.

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2022 NFL mock draft: Which surprise team replaces their QB?

See which team raises eyebrows by spending their top pick on a new quarterback in this first-round projection for the 2022 NFL draft

At this point in the process, we’ve already got a list of usual suspects when it comes to teams that could be looking for a new quarterback in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.

But there are still a few other clubs that could surprise on draft day, opting to replace a starter that many thought was entrenched.

That might be the case in the latest 2022 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports, which has the Cleveland Browns using their top pick in next year’s draft to replace Baker Mayfield.

This mock has the Browns spending the No. 16 overall pick on Pitt’s Kenny Pickett:

This is controversial, we get it. But if the Browns don’t want to pay Baker Mayfield north of $35 million a year on a long-term deal, they could look to the draft. Pickett has been lights out this season and has ascended from Day 3 pick to likely hearing his name called in Round 1.

Easily the fastest-rising quarterback prospect in this year’s otherwise weak class (if you don’t count Wake Forest redshirt sophomore Sam Hartman), Pickett is finding himself in the mid-first round range in most mock drafts right now, though Cleveland is certainly a surprising landing spot for the “super senior” who has put together an impressive 2021 campaign.

Pickett is one of three quarterbacks to land among the top 32 picks in this projection, joining Mississippi’s Matt Corral (No. 9 overall, Washington Football Team) and Nevada’s Carson Strong (No. 21 overall, New Orleans Saints). That leaves the likes of Liberty’s Malik Willis, North Carolina’s Sam Howell, Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder and others waiting until Day 2 to hear their names called.

To check out the full first-round projection at CBS Sports, click here.

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2022 NFL mock draft: Could weak QB class still have 5 1st-round picks?

In this 2022 NFL mock draft, a lackluster quarterback class still manages to land five passers among the top 32 picks

It’s no secret that the 2022 NFL draft features a lackluster quarterback class, with no prospect anywhere near worthy of the No. 1 overall pick.

Even so, could we see a run of quarterbacks later in the first round, and end up with a handful of passers selected among the top 32?

That’s the scenario that plays out in the latest 2022 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports, which has five quarterbacks coming off the board in the first round.

Mississippi’s Matt Corral is the only one who sneaks into the top 10, landing with the Washington Football Team at No. 9 overall, while Pitt’s Kenny Pickett heads to the Denver Broncos at No. 14 overall. Liberty’s Malik Willis is next at No. 19 overall to the Carolina Panthers, followed by Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder (No. 25 overall, Pittsburgh Steelers) and North Carolina’s Sam Howell (No. 27 overall, Detroit Lions).

That list doesn’t even include Nevada’s Carson Strong, who could also find his way into the first-round conversation.

Pickett is easily the fastest riser in this year’s quarterback class, while Howell and Willis have slipped a it after being considered potential top-10 picks in the preseason. Corral does feel like the current leader in the clubhouse, assuming Wake Forest redshirt sophomore Sam Hartman doesn’t declare after this season.

Other intriguing picks in this mock include Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean and Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum leaping into the top 10, as well as five wide receivers hearing their names called in the first round.

To check out the full first-round projection at CBS Sports, click here.

Mock draft watch: Lions score two popular prospects in Draft Wire’s latest

The Lions land both Kayvon Thibodeaux and Malik Willis in the latest set of projections from Draft Wire

The latest mock draft from our friends at Draft Wire is one that should bring smiles to a lot of Lions fans. Draft Wire editor Luke Easterling loads up the Lions with two very popular prospects with the team’s first-round picks.

At No. 1 overall is Oregon EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, who continues to be the near-unanimous projection for the top spot in current mock drafts. Quite frankly, it’s hard to find mock drafts where Thibodeaux to the Lions isn’t the top pick right now.

The pick acquired from the Rams brings in one of the most intriguing prospects in the class. Liberty QB Malik Willis earns the nod at No. 30 overall.

This is where the Lions need to take a swing on a quarterback, and there are a handful of worthy candidates. Willis still has the highest ceiling of any passer left on the board here, regardless of any questions about his level of competition.

That’s lower than Willis is generally projected, but his unimpressive performance in Saturday’s showdown with Ole Miss and QB Matt Corral (who goes. No. 13 overall here) leaves it a real possibility that Willis could fall.

2022 NFL mock draft: Surprise QB prospect rises to the top

It’s a very interesting mock overall, with an unheralded QB going in the top 10 and several usual suspects from the top 15 (including Willis) sliding down farther than expected.

Dolphins take offensive lineman in first round of CBS’ most recent mock draft

The Dolphins will certainly be interested in beefing up their line in the draft.

The Miami Dolphins have struggled mightily nine weeks into the 2021 season. That’s obvious.

How bad have they been? So bad that three of their lineman (Liam Eichenberg, Austin Jackson, and Jesse Davis) are tied for the most pressures given up all season with 37 each.

There are some tweaks they can make this season, like potentially subbing Greg Little in for Jesse Davis, but, for the most part, this group is what it is this season. They will need to address the issues in the offseason.

With the Dolphins currently owning the 49ers’ first-round selection, they are projected to pick ninth at this point. CBS has the Dolphins targeting Texas A&M junior offensive lineman Kenyon Green in their most recent mock draft.

Green, at 6-foot-4 and 325 lbs, has spent time at both right tackle and left guard, the two positions that Miami is struggling with the most. If they are willing to move on from the Jackson experiment or willing to let Green slide in and be the right tackle, they could vastly improve the line.

Here’s what CBS’ Ryan Wilson had to say about the selection.

“Yes, the Dolphins have used a ton of draft capital in recent years on the offensive line but the unit still lacks cohesiveness. Assuming Tua Tagovailoa is the answer and the team doesn’t target a QB here, it makes sense to do whatever it takes to improve the O-line. Green can play either tackle or guard and he has the ability to be a Day 1 starter.”

The issue here would be if the talent covers up for an obvious coaching issue. Miami has had four offensive coaches in four years, and Lem Jeanpierre, who currently holds the position, has never been an offensive line coach before.

Miami should absolutely attack offensive line in the draft, but they also need to evaluate their coaching staff including positional coaches.

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2022 NFL mock draft: Fast-rising QB prospect crashes 1st round

Which quarterback prospect is flying up the draft board, and could land in the first round?

The 2022 NFL draft is desperate for a quarterback prospect to rise up the board and take control of this year’s weak class, and it looks like Pitt’s Kenny Pickett might just be that guy.

He may not be in the top-10 conversation just yet, but Pickett is starting to find his way into most first-round mock drafts, such as this latest projection from CBS Sports.

This mock has Pickett landing with the Detroit Lions at No. 28th overall pick as the eventual replacement for Jared Goff, making him the third and final quarterback to be selected in the first round.

Mississippi’s Matt Corral is the first quarterback off the board in this projection, landing with the Washington Football Team at No. 7 overall, while Nevada’s Carton Strong heads to the Carolina Panthers with the No. 13 pick.

That leaves the likes of Liberty’s Malik Willis and North Carolina’s Sam Howell waiting until Day 2 to hear their names called.

The Lions’ first pick in this mock isn’t surprising, as they opt for Oregon edge defender Kayvon Thibodeaux at No. 1 overall. The No. 2 pick is a bit more of an eyebrow-raiser, with the Houston Texans taking Michigan edge defender Aidan Hutchinson over other top prospects like LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal and Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton.

To check out the full first-round projection at CBS Sports, click here.

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2022 NFL mock draft: Would the Lions really take a QB at No. 1?

The Detroit Lions would be much better off going elsewhere at No. 1 overall, and targeting a QB with one of their other early picks

If the 2021 college football season has taught us anything so far, it’s that there’s not a quarterback prospect worthy of taking with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

Sure, there are some intriguing passers who will warrant first-round consideration, but nobody worth passing up the likes of Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux, LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. or Alabama’s Evan Neal with the top selection.

That doesn’t stop the latest 2022 NFL mock draft from Pro Football Network from sending a quarterback to the Detroit Lions at No. 1, though. In this latest first-round projection, PFN indeed has the Lions passing up those blue-chip prospects for Mississippi’s Matt Corral.

Corral is a solid prospect, and it’s true that the quarterback position is just too important in today’s NFL. That said, it’s highly likely the Lions could land a prospect of similar caliber to Corral with their additional first-round pick (from the Matthew Stafford trade, courtesy of the Los Angeles Rams), or even their early second-round selection.

Passing up a stud defender like Thibodeaux or Stingley, or a franchise tackle like Neal, for a quarterback prospect who probably belongs 10-15 picks later in the first round isn’t exactly a sound team-building strategy.

Liberty’s Malik Willis is the only other quarterback to land in the top 10 in this projection, heading to the Washington Football Team at No. 7 overall. Nevada’s Carson Strong also cracks this first-round mock, giving the New Orleans Saints a new quarterback of the future at No. 23 overall.

To check out the full projection at Pro Football Network, click here.

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Lions 7-round mock draft for the bye week

It’s time for the first full Detroit Lions 2022 NFL mock draft!

The Lions are off on Sunday, giving us a little break from the excitement of the game and the unfortunate losing streak that dates back almost a full calendar year. That can only mean one thing…

It’s time for the first full Detroit Lions 2022 NFL mock draft!

Here’s the first projection for each Lions pick in the next draft. The draft order is the current order as of November 6th.

The first few picks are taken from the 2-round mock draft I composed for RealGM this week. Use that as a reference for what players were available for each of the Lions picks, too.

2022 NFL mock draft: QB pair leaps into the top 10

See which quarterback prospects jump into the top 10 in this 2022 NFL mock draft

The 2022 NFL draft class pales in comparison to last year’s group when it comes to top talent and overall depth at the game’s most important position.

Even so, teams that are desperate for a franchise quarterback will still be willing to invest premium draft resources in finding that future star, which could still lead to multiple passers coming off the board in the top 10.

That’s what happens in the latest 2022 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports, which projects a pair of top quarterback prospects to land in that range.

Mississippi’s Matt Corral is the first to hear his name called in this mock, heading to the Washington Football Team at No. 7 overall, while Liberty’s Malik Willis ends up with the Atlanta Falcons two picks later.

Ryan Fitzpatrick’s future in Washington will obviously be determined by his recovery from a scary hip injury earlier this season, and while Taylor Heinicke has shown flashes of potential, his presence isn’t likely to dissuade Washington from spending a top pick on a quarterback, should they fall in love with a prospect like Corral.

In Atlanta, Matt Ryan’s contract will likely keep him the starter for at least one more season, but if the Falcons are enamored with Willis’ dynamic skill set, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to grab him now and let him sit behind one of the NFL’s most productive passers for a season.

The only other quarterback to crack this first-round projection is Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, who ushers in a new era for the New Orleans Saints at the No. 22 overall pick.

To check out the full mock draft at CBS Sports, click here.

2022 NFL mock draft: Which QB prospect jumps into the top 5?

See which quarterback prospects lands among the top five picks in this latest first-round projection for the 2022 NFL draft

The 2022 NFL draft class is likely to feature a fairly weak quarterback class, but could we still see a couple of signal-callers land among the top 10 selections?

That’s what happens in the latest 2022 NFL mock draft from Mike Renner at Pro Football Focus, who has a pair of this year’s top quarterbacks climbing into the top 10.

Mississippi’s Matt Corral is the first one off the board, landing at No. 5 overall to the Washington Football Team.

“The first quarterback comes off the board, and it’s the one who’s faced the toughest slate of defenses in 2021,” Renner explains. “Corral is an athlete first with all the tools to be a franchise guy at the position. It’s a tad worrisome he’s been banged up already at only 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, but he’s also earned an 88.9 overall grade in the SEC.”

Four picks later, Renner sends Liberty’s Malik Willis to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 9 overall.

“The Eagles aren’t short on draft capital, so they might as well buy one lottery ticket at the quarterback position,” Renner says of the Eagles, who are on track to own three top-10 picks in next year’s draft. “And in that analogy, Willis would be the Powerball of the draft class. He possesses the kind of tools evaluators dream about with his size, arm strength and running ability. Willis is having an outstanding 2021 season, recording a 93.6 overall grade to lead all Group of Five quarterbacks and rank second overall in the country.”

Two more quarterbacks crack Renner’s first-round projections, as Pitt’s Kenny Pickett lands with the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21 overall, while Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder heads to the Detroit Lions with the No. 30 overall pick.

To check out Renner’s full first-round mock draft at PFF, click here.

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