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In our latest mock draft for the Panthers, we activate Scott Fitterer Mode and see how much a trade-down from the No. 6 pick can get us.
Suppose the draft’s top targets for the Carolina Panthers are picked clean before they even hit the clock. No Evan Neal, no Ikem Ekwonu, no Charles Cross and no Malik Willis.
What then? Well, it might be time to get crazy and activate Scott Fitterer Mode.
Here, while using the Pro Football Focus Mock Draft Simulator, is what a trade-down from the sixth overall pick could bring the Panthers in a week’s time.
Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Georgia linebacker Quay Walker
Yet another stud from the nation’s best defense, Georgia’s Quay Walker enters the 2022 NFL draft as one of the most promising linebacker prospects in this year’s class.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Bulldogs’ versatile defender:
Walker is an appealing prospect for the Lions with their picks at 32 or 34 overall, though he might not last that late
With pre-draft visits wrapping up this week, the Detroit Lions are cramming in the final visitors to team headquarters in Allen Park. Georgia linebacker Quay Walker added his name to the list of 30 official pre-draft visits with the Lions on Tuesday.
Walker projects to be the first of the talented trio of Georgia Bulldog LBs to be drafted. His exceptional tackling and impressive coverage ability have him in potential play for the Lions with their picks at No. 32 and 34 overall, though Walker might not last that long in next week’s draft. At 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds, Walker tested impressively at the scouting combine and has the proven game film to back it up.
The Lions previously met with Walker’s LB mate, Nakobe Dean, on another pre-draft visit. Detroit’s staff coached the third Bulldogs LB, Channing Tindall, during Senior Bowl week. All three are expected to be selected well before the end of Day 2 of the 2022 NFL draft.
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The Cowboys don’t have much depth at linebacker, but the talent is well regarded. Tyler Browning (@DiabeticTyler) looks to see if the Georgia product is worth the add.
Nakobe Dean has been the headliner of the back seven for the national champions this draft season, but he isn’t the only top-end talent. Not by a long shot. Quay Walker isn’t the most decorated, but has been productive in his time at Georgia. In his career with the Bulldogs, he tallied 137 total tackles and 11 tackles for loss. While those numbers may not be eye-popping, it is important to keep in mind all the NFL talent he was around at Georgia.
Walker got on the field at an early age for the Bulldogs, seeing action in all 14 games his freshman year. He is not the most decorated player, bringing in zero national awards for recognition other than a couple of player of the week honors. but does he fit with the Cowboys? Is his pro projection better than his collegiate career?
It’s a fantastic LB draft class, arguably the deepest crop of talent at any position in this entire draft
The next position in the “prospect for every round of the 2022 NFL draft” series for the Detroit Lions is a popular one: Linebacker. And it’s a fantastic draft class to need one, arguably the deepest crop of talent at any position in this entire draft.
With the team’s all-time leading tackler, former starting LB Chris Spielman, as part of the decision-making team in the front office, it’s easy to see the Lions looking intently at the linebacker class. An upgrade to the corps would certainly be a welcome addition.
There isn’t much room on the roster, however. The Lions brought back Alex Anzalone, Josh Woods and Shaun Dion Hamilton and also signed free agents Chris Board and Jarrad Davis. They join Barnes, who the team is counting on to make a big step forward in his second season. For a team that will primarily have just two LBs on the field, that’s a lot of investment for 2022 already. And the coaching staff sincerely likes them all, too.
Lions 2022 NFL draft: A safety for every round
Lions 2022 NFL draft: A quarterback for every round
Lions 2022 NFL draft: A wide receiver for every round
Lions 2022 NFL draft: A tight end for every round
Note: These are off-ball LBs, not players whose primary role will be rushing the passer. Think of them as inside LBs, though in the new-look 4-man front they will also be charged with making plays outside the tackle box and covering tight ends and RBs near the line of scrimmage.
As with the rest of the entries in this series, the purpose here isn’t to advocate for any one player. Instead, it’s designed to show the relative talent level that should be available in different rounds of the draft. The Lions do not currently have a fourth-round pick, so consider that entry here as the team’s pick at No. 97 at the end of the third round.
By now you’ve seen the same old scenarios hashed out for the Kansas City Chiefs in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL draft. Every year there are a few prospects who surprise and sneak into the first round when the consensus believed they’d go on Day 2 or …
By now you’ve seen the same old scenarios hashed out for the Kansas City Chiefs in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL draft. Every year there are a few prospects who surprise and sneak into the first round when the consensus believed they’d go on Day 2 or later. With two picks at the end of the first round, the Chiefs find themselves in that surprise first-rounder territory.
Here’s a quick look at six of those players who could potentially surprise Chiefs fans at picks No. 29 and No. 30:
7 Dawgs go in McShay’s two round mock, including one at No. 2 and one to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 43.
Georgia set a school record in the 2021 NFL draft when it had nine players selected.
This year, Georgia is looking to shatter that number with potentially as many as 15 players selected.
ESPN’s Todd Mcshay released his two round NFL mock draft for this year’s event, and the analyst sees seven Georgia players being selected within the first 64 picks.
This includes Travon Walker, who has been rising on draft boards since the NFL combine, going No. 2 overall to the Detroit Lions. It also includes the Atlanta Falcons taking the defensive MVP of the national title game.
Georgia LB Quay Walker has a Day 2 grade on him and the Jags could use his help on defense. They met with him on Friday to kick off his busy tour schedule.
With a little less than a month until the 2022 NFL Draft, prospects are busy meeting with a flurry of franchises. No prospect may be busier than Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Quay Walker this month. He is scheduled to visit 13 teams in 19 days.
NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero tweeted that the Jacksonville Jaguars were the first team on his tour as he met with them on Friday.
It’s a busy month for NFL Draft prospects, and few will be busier than Georgia LB Quay Walker, who visited the #Jaguars on Friday — the first of 13 team visits over 19 days, per source. Walker is in the conversation to be the first linebacker drafted.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 3, 2022
As mentioned, NFL draft experts believe Walker is in the conversation to be the first linebacker taken. He helped Georgia win its first national championship since 1980 this year when the Bulldogs beat the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18 back in January. Walker posted 63 combined tackles, two pass deflections, and 1.5 sacks last season.
Here is what NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein had to say when he scouted him.
Walker had to wait his turn at Georgia, but he has become a well-schooled, instinctive linebacker ready for the NFL game. He has good size and clear eyes from the second level, with a talent for recognizing play design. He plays disciplined, team-oriented football but is unlikely to become a top-level playmaker as a pro. His chase speed and body control are just average when ranging to tackle or covering in space. Walker is dependable and consistent and projects as a good backup with eventual starter potential at inside linebacker.
Jacksonville could use some help at the linebacker position because it released Myles Jack after signing former Atlanta Falcon Foyesade Oluokun. And with former Tampa Bay Bucs assistant Mike Caldwell now serving as the defensive coordinator, many believe the Jags will look to get prospects who can duplicate the play of Devin White and Lavonte David.
Walker is viewed as a second-round prospect at the moment and NFL Mock Draft Database has him ranked as the draft’s 50th best prospect. That means he could be in play for the Jags’ second-round pick and they would be lucky if he’s around for their third-round pick.
#NFLDraft2022: 15 prospects to watch if the #Eagles trade down in the first round
The Eagles will be the team to watch during the 2022 NFL draft and if Howie Roseman really is unsure about the future of Jalen Hurts, then Philadelphia could look to push a first round pick back into 2023.
The Eagles will pick at 15th, 16th and 19th overall, and even if they use two of the those picks, Philadelphia truly could choose to trade back, while still able to accumulate top notch talent.
The draft’s first round will continue to fluctuate as teams around the league jockey for quarterback arm talent and dynamic pass rushers.
We’ve identified 15 players Philadelphia could target if they trade down in round one.
The Dawgs dominated the NFL combine.
No school had more players at the 2022 NFL combine last week than the Georgia Bulldogs, who sent 14 guys from their national championship winning team to Indianapolis for the pre-draft workout.
Georgia dominated; players turned heads in almost every category. Big days from Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, George Pickens, Lewis Cine, James Cook, Zamir White, Travon Walker, Quay Walker and even punter Jake Camarda showed how special the 2021-22 UGA football team really was.
Here are the results from all 14 Dawgs in attendance.
