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Cletis Cutts releases his 2022 NFL mock draft.
Cletis Cutts presents our latest NFL mock draft of 2022. Sound off on social media to let us know your thoughts, and be sure to check our 2022 NFL Draft Central page to keep track of all of the offerings.
Round 1 updated mock for the 2022 NFL Draft
A recent trade has shaken up the middle of the 2022 NFL Draft’s opening round. The swapping of picks warranted an update a week sooner than planned, so I took the opportunity to fully revisit each pick from the top down in this Round 1 mock draft. While many picks did not change, a few intriguing adjustments atop the draft created a ripple effect throughout. You can check out the first iteration, if you so please.
Be sure to check our NFL Draft Central page to keep track of all of the offerings. We’ll have multiple new and updated mocks throughout the month of April, along with player scouting reports and post-draft analysis of every key pick relevant to fantasy football.
The Cowboys have a definite draft need on the edge, but what round will they scratch the itch? @TimLettiero provides a look at a list of prospects for each draft weekend day.
The Dallas Cowboys have employed some of the game’s best sack artists across their storied careers. Harvey Martin and Charles Haley are legendary staples of some of the greatest teams in franchise history. While it was a shock that DeMarcus Ware didn’t make the Hall of Fame this past February, his name will likely be called soon.
Young phenom Micah Parsons certainly helps this however his dynamic ability in multiple facets raises questions if he should be pigeon holed into one role. Dallas re-signed veteran DE DeMarcus Lawrence, who has consistently graded out as one of the game’s best edge rushers despite only two seasons of double-digit takedowns. There are question marks beyond those two, though, and as Parsons will primarily play off-ball linebacker, there’s a need to grab a young edge player in the draft later this month.
Dorance Armstrong is an intriguing re-sign, but his career high in sacks happened last season at five. Watching DE Randy Gregory walk out the door after a breakout year undoubtedly hurts.
Tarell Basham, Chauncey Golston and recently signed veteran DE Dante Fowler round out the current group and while it’s enough to go into a season with, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn loves to rotate players, so the more the merrier. Here are some names who would be good additions and potential long-term starters.
Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Minnesota edge defender Boye Mafe
An explosive, high-upside edge rusher with impressive tools, Minnesota’s Boye Mafe will hope to prove himself as one of the top edge defenders in a deep 2022 NFL draft class.
Here is everything you need to know about the Golden Gophers’ promising pass rusher:
The Vikings add even more firepower to their defensive front this week
These mock drafts have been a really fun exercise in trying to figure out what options the Vikings have in April. This one is going to focus on two elements: a realistic trade down in gaining a second-round pick and fortifying the edge group.
Fortifying edge is an interesting proposition. The Vikings just restructured Danielle Hunter and signed Za’Darius Smith, but from a long-term perspective, there are still question marks. Answering those questions in a deep edge class with two of the best to learn from should be considered a high and likely priority.
Previous mock draft versions:
Which prospects made themselves the most money at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday?
The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine continued Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, as the defensive linemen and linebackers took the field in front of all 32 teams.
Here are a handful of prospects who helped their draft stock during Saturday’s testing and on-field workouts:
We look at a post-Super Bowl seven-round mock draft for the Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens will look to bolster their roster in many areas during the 2022 NFL draft. The team is currently slated to have 10 draft picks, with nine of them coming in the first four rounds.
Baltimore has some very big needs as they continue to navigate through the offseason. They will have many swings through the draft to fill the holes on their roster, and a very talented 2022 draft helps matters tremendously.
Below we put together a post-Super Bowl seven-round mock draft for the Ravens.
Perfect early/late-round edge rusher fits for #Philadelphia #Eagles in #NFLDraft2022
With the Super Bowl now in the rearview mirror and the 2022 offseason set to begin with fury, all 32 teams around the league are preparing for the NFL draft.
Philadelphia will have three first-round picks and four of the first 55 picks overall, setting the Eagles up for a monumental reload if Howie Roseman can land the talent needed to upgrade Jonathan Gannon’s defense.
The Eagles build from the inside out, and they prefer to stock the roster with talented pass rushers. The 2022 NFL draft class is stacked with pass-rushing defensive ends, defensive tackles, and jack of all trade pass-rushing outside linebackers.
The Birds will have the opportunity to land multiple edge rushers, and we’ve highlighted the perfect group of early/late-round fits.
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez and Cole Topham break down the 2022 NFL draft prospects who made themselves money at the Senior Bowl.
Now that the 2022 Senior Bowl, the most premier all-star game for NFL draft prospects is over, it is time to reflect back on the meaning of the week.
Which players on the defensive side of the ball helped themselves the most throughout their time in Mobile?
Let’s dive in with our winners and risers.
Our winner(s): Perrion Winfrey (Oklahoma) and Devonte Wyatt (Georgia)
Winfrey entered this week with a mixed bag of reviews, as the tape showed immense flashes but it was on an inconsistent basis. That wasn’t the case down in Mobile. Winfrey consistently lived in the backfield with his get-off, remarkable power, and lengthy arms. His electric energy throughout the sessions really stood out, too. Winfrey was named the Senior Bowl MVP after pairing three tackles for a loss with two sacks in the game.
Jordan Davis drew nearly all the attention for the Bulldogs, but Wyatt was just as impactful and he showed that when the spotlight was on him. In one-on-ones, Wyatt won with first-step quickness, lateral agility, and power at the point of attack. Reminiscent of Kenny Clark coming out of UCLA, Wyatt could find himself as a first-round pick when all is said and done.
Our biggest riser: Travis Jones (UConn)
If the Chargers pass up on Davis, who many are projecting to them, Jones is a nose tackle that can provide excellent value on Day 2. A straight-up bulldozer in one-on-ones, Jones consistently walked offensive linemen back to the quarterback with pure power and burst. In team drills, Jones was collapsing the pocket and stopping ball carriers at or behind the line of scrimmage. There’s plenty of excitement surrounding Jones now.
Our winner(s): Jermaine Johnson (Florida State)
Entering the week, I had Johnson a fringe first-round pick, but he stamped himself as a top-20 selection. Offensive tackles had no rebuttal for his power and length, as well as some hand counters and agility when working either inside or outside of them. Further, Johnson looked good when defending the run. With the edge defender position set to be near the top of the Chargers’ priority list this offseason, Johnson is a strong candidate at pick No. 17.
Our biggest riser: Boye Mafe (Minnesota)
In a deep edge defender group, Mafe flew under the radar coming into the week. However, he made sure his presence was known coming out. All but unblockable, Mafe won with his wingspan to lockout and power to push blockers into the backfield, as well as great lateral agility and body flexibility to keep himself clean. He carried that over to the game, finishing with a strip-sack, a second sack, and a tackle for loss. An athletic specimen, Mafe’s stock is only going to continue to rise when he tests at the Combine.
Our winner(s): Damone Clark (LSU)
Utah’s Devin Lloyd and Georgia’s Nakobe Dean are the consensus top linebackers and behind them are a few candidates vying for the spot. Clark made a strong case to be LB3. Leading the pack in run stops during practices, Clark was explosive when attacking downhill. He was just as effective blitzing, especially in a one-on-one rep against one of the top pass-protecting running backs in Alabama’s Brian Robinson, as Clark shrugged him off with ease. Another thing going for Clark is that he should test out well athletically at the Combine.
Our biggest riser: Troy Andersen (Montana State)
There were many eyes on the small-school standout who made the conversion from quarterback/running back/wide receiver to linebacker, and his play raised their eyebrows. With his impressive athleticism, Andersen looked comfortable dropping back and making plays in coverage. His speed and range enabled him to move freely from sideline to sideline and make stops on opposing ball carriers. Andersen also showed plenty of special teams upside, as he was consistently the first guy down the field on coverage units.
Our winners: Coby Bryant (Cincinnati) and Roger McCreary (Auburn)
The 2022 Thorpe Award winner was by far the highest-profile player in the National group of defensive backs. Bryant demonstrated why he earned that accolade by blanketing receivers in one-on-one matchups with patient press coverage and rising to the catch point to bat away passes using rare ball skills. A consistent performer across all three days of practices, Bryant’s small hiccups in the Senior Bowl game should not be what NFL scouts remember from watching him perform in Mobile.
Another player who surprised with his measurements was McCreary with his 29” arms, which is significantly below average the target threshold for outside cornerbacks. But McCreary looked like the same player on the practice field as he did on tape, staying in the hip pocket of the receiver and smothering the throwing window. McCreary posted six interceptions and 30 pass breakups in his college football career. The shorter reach obviously did not hamper his production much.
Our biggest riser: Damarri Mathis (Pittsburgh)
Mathis flew under the radar in the National team group, but the Pitt cornerback left an impression on many as a scrappy cover man in isolation reps. Mathis was diligent in combating receivers off the line and did not bite on any ornamental moves during the release. He kept receivers close down the stem and consistently put himself in position to contest for the ball.
Our winner(s): Jalen Pitre (Baylor) and Leon O’Neal (Texas A&M)
A hybrid defender that played the safety, linebacker, and slot cornerback positions at Baylor, Pitre was deployed in a similar “star” role at the Senior Bowl. Pitre struggled on the first day guarding some of the more physical tight ends like Colorado State’s Trey McBride, but showed growth over the rest of the week in coverage and as a box defender. In interviews, he expressed his belief that the NFL is transitioning toward positionless defense and is confident his variety of talents and versatility will benefit any team.
O’Neal played both free and strong safety positions and was a tough defender to slip past in the run game. An aggressive player that does not hesitate to lay the hammer on opponents, O’Neal also showed he had the quickness to stick with receivers in man coverage. His closing speed and physicality make him a desirable tone-setter.
Our biggest riser: Kerby Joseph (Illinois)
Joseph took all four years to grow into the player that competed in Mobile, and the case can be made that he has yet to reach his ceiling as a prospect. Joseph is instinctive and ball-hungry, zooming around the field with urgency to disrupt the play. His athleticism and raw potential were on full display at the Senior Bowl and just needs refinement to become a key cog in secondaries at the next level.
In @TheDraftWire’s post-Senior Bowl 3-round mock draft, the #Chiefs opted for improvements on the defensive side of the ball.
The Kansas City Chiefs are hard at work on draft evaluations following the conclusion of college football all-star game season. They’ve still got several stops in the pre-draft circuit with the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine and player pro day workouts coming up.
With the conclusion of the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl, our friends at Draft Wire have released brand new three-round mock draft projections. This is the first mock draft they’ve released since the Chiefs’ playoff exit in the AFC title game, so we do get accurate draft picks now. However, don’t expect to see the team’s third-round compensatory pick from the Ryan Poles hiring listed until the NFL releases an official draft order.
In this mock draft, Kansas City opted for improvements on the defensive side of the ball. They started with a standout from the Senior Bowl in the trenches and worked their way out to improve the defensive secondary.
