Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Several projected trades influence the top half of Round 1.
Harley Schultz 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.
* represents projected trade
Many NFL draft scenarios could turn the New Orleans Saints into contenders. Which of these two-round mocks propels their 2022 outlook best? via @RossJacksonNOLA:
As the 2022 NFL draft draws near, draft experts are getting greater clarity on the shifting landscape of this year’s prospects and where they might land on draft day. Two of USA Today’s own, Luke Easterling and Doug Farrer, released multi-round mock drafts recently that projected some highly-touted names to join the New Orleans Saints. Easterling, of Draft Wire, went three rounds while Farrer, of Touchdown Wire, simulated two rounds. Here are how each draft’s first two rounds fell for the Saints, how they would impact the team, and which is the better scenario:
The Ravens built up their depth in the trenches early in the latest seven-round mock draft by CBS Sports
The Baltimore Ravens have done an extremely solid job of upgrading certain parts of their roster during the 2022 offseason. They added safety Marcus Williams, offensive tackle Morgan Moses and defensive lineman Michael Pierce while also bringing back fullback Patrick Ricard, inside linebacker Josh Bynes and defensive lineman Calais Campbell. However, with the 2022 NFL draft coming up there are other areas that Baltimore can shore up with the 10 projected picks that they have.
In his latest full seven-round 2022 mock draft, Josh Edwards of CBS Sports utilized all of the Ravens’ 10 selections to address some of the holes remaining on their roster, including in the trenches. Edwards goes very offensive line and defensive line heavy on the first two days of the draft, starting off with University of Northern Iowa offensive lineman Trevor Penning at No. 14. Edwards explains that there has been buzz that Penning won’t make it past Baltimore’s selection.
“Baltimore traded away Orlando Brown Jr., and Ronnie Stanley has battled injuries of late. Considering the ground game is the foundation of the Ravens offense, the franchise would be wise to invest in the position and have some options down the road. There is a lot of buzz that the Northern Iowa product is not going to make it beyond this pick.”
Penning is a very powerful player, but many view him as a trade-back candidate for the Ravens due to his lack of refined technique that could be a problem at the next level. He’s still a first-round prospect, but he might not be one that the team considers if they make a selection at No. 14.
On day two of the draft in the second and third rounds, Edwards selects Connecticut defensive lineman Travis Jones at No. 45, Oklahoma edge rusher Nik Bonnito at No. 76, and UCLA offensive lineman Sean Rhyan at No.100.
Day three of Edwards’ draft has Baltimore filling out the rest of their needs, starting in the fourth round where the team selected cornerback Martin Emerson out of Mississippi State at No. 110, Mississippi State wide receiver Makai Polk at No. 117, tight end Charlie Kolar out of Iowa State at No. 128, cornerback Alontae Taylor out of Tennesee at No. 139, and BYU running back Tyler Allgeier at No. 141. Finally, with the 196th overall pick the Ravens round out their draft with inside linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel out of North Carolina.
Positionally, Edwards valued the trenches early while filling out the rest of the draft with other needs. Emerson and Taylor make for a nice mid-round cornerback duo, while Kolar, Allgeier and Gemmel represent smaller needs with good value in the later portion of the draft.
The players selected by Edwards would also give the Ravens some flexibility for other free agent signings after the draft. Edwards only selects on edge rusher for Baltimore, so a potential free agent such as Jadeveon Clowney could be in the cards for this scenario.
Should the New Orleans Saints trade up in the 2022 NFL draft in this scenario? via @DillySanders
Everyone has their own mock draft these days, but recently, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer shared his take on the first dozen picks of the 2022 NFL draft based on what he has heard from sources around the league. And that tees up the New Orleans Saints for a really fascinating decision on the outside looking in, with three of the top-10 prospects from our Saints big board still available just three selections away from New Orleans’ top choice at No. 16.
Would you trade up to make sure you get one of those elite prospects? Or stand pat, cross your fingers, and hope one of them falls to you? With a second first-round pick hanging back at No. 19, the Saints have created some real flexibility for themselves. Let’s take a deeper look at this scenario and decide what the Saints should do with their selections if this were to happen:
Ryan Dodson projects an interesting trade scenario in this 2022 NFL mock draft.
Ryan Dodson 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.
* represents projected trade
If the Panthers move off the draft’s No. 6 pick, here’s a handful of prospects they could target following a potential trade-down.
The magic words for Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer have now been spoken. Trade-down!
On Wednesday, Mike Giardi of the NFL Network reported that the team has spoken with numerous front offices regarding a possible move off the 2022 draft’s sixth overall selection. So if that indeed ultimately ends up being the case—and it very well could—who would Carolina target later on in the first round?
Here are six intriguing options if Fitterer and the Panthers maneuver on down.
Jameson Williams landing with the Saints is becoming a common pick in the latest ESPN expert mock drafts:
There aren’t many teams that act less predictably than the New Orleans Saints when it comes to the NFL draft, but some consensus on what the Saints are planning could be building among those in the know. ESPN draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Jordan Reid recently published 2022 mock drafts keying in on New Orleans. While they disagreed on which prospect the Saints will spend their first draft pick on at No. 16 (Kiper likes Northern Iowa left tackle Trevor Penning, whereas Reid sees Mississippi State blindside blocker Charles Cross making it to New Orleans), both analysts are predicting that the Saints choose Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams at No. 19.
It’s easy to like that matchup. Williams broke out in a huge way for the Crimson Tide in 2021, dominating every opponent he lined up against while facing some of the toughest coverage assignments in the nation. He’s a big-play threat on every down and would add a couple of different new dimensions to the Saints offense – once he’s healthy. Williams is also recovering from ACL surgery in January and hopes to be cleared to play early as a rookie, maybe even getting some reps in training camp. And the Saints have an inside scoop on his recovery after hiring Alabama’s sports science director Matt Rhea, though by now every team should have a good idea of Williams’ medicals.
But what do these analysts have to say about Williams’ fit in New Orleans? Here’s what Kiper had to say about the match:
“Even if Michael Thomas comes back healthy, the Saints should address wide receiver with one of their two first-round picks. Williams would have been in the discussion to be the No. 1 wideout in this class, but he tore the ACL in his left knee in the national title game in January and could miss a little time in 2022. He could be a superstar once he’s healthy; he has explosive speed and was uncoverable for the Crimson Tide last season. ACL injuries aren’t even close to career-ending anymore, so I don’t see this as a risky pick. Williams is worth it.”
And here is the view on Williams joining the Saints from Reid:
“Williams would have been in contention to be the top wide receiver before he tore his ACL in the national title game in January. He has tremendous vertical speed that places stress on defenses. In need of a wide receiver, the Saints could bet on him overcoming the injury as he said at the combine that the injury will take “five to seven months” to overcome. Pairing Williams with Michael Thomas gives the team a dynamic outside duo.”
So what’s the deal here – is the Saints’ interest in Williams that obvious? Or is this just a coincidence? It’s clear that New Orleans needs an upgrade at receiver, and while the first round is flush with options this injury to Williams could push him down to their pick at No. 19. It’s probably just happenstance that both of these mock drafts from ESPN have the Saints picking Williams there, but if that helps speak it into existence you won’t hear me complaining about it.
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Laying out an offensive tackle for the Los Angeles Chargers in each round of this year’s draft.
The Chargers have a few positions that need to be addressed in the upcoming draft, but offensive tackle sits near the top.
Luckily, this year’s crop has starting-caliber talent from the first day of the draft until Day 3.
With that being said, here’s a tackle from each round that could fit in Los Angeles:
Mississippi State’s Charles Cross would be the guy slotted here, but I am trying to also keep this as realistic as possible with players that will still be on the board when the Chargers are on the clock, and I believe that Cross will likely be gone within the first 15 selections.
Penning checks off on the measurables, hovering at 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds with arms longer than 34 inches. Along with that, he possesses the athleticism, having run an elite 40 yard dash time of 4.89 seconds and 7.25 seconds in the three-cone drill.
On the field, while he needs to clean up his leverage and hand usage to avoid penalties in the NFL, Penning has the size, movement skills to match, and a nasty temperament in the run game to start opposite Rashawn Slater right off the bat.
I could easily post a bunch of Trevor Penning's pancake blocks – some of them are truly impressive – but these ones mean more to me watching him drive a defender several yards off the ball to create a crease for running back to explode through. pic.twitter.com/vn6tTjn8Kf
— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) April 7, 2022
Petit-Frere made 19 career starts with the Buckeyes, with seven coming at right tackle in 2020 and 12 at left tackle in 2021. During his college career, he allowed 36 pressures and three sacks while earning PFF run-blocking grades of 72.7 and 84.3 in his final two years.
At 6-foot-5 and 316 pounds with 33 5/8-inch arms, Petit-Frere looks the part of an NFL offensive tackle, and he plays with athleticism, flexibility and lower body explosion, controlling rushers in pass protection and moving bodies in the run game, but he will need to develop his anchor.
The most casual snatch by Nicholas Petit-Frere (LT) pic.twitter.com/yAfzxWdScP
— Steven Haglund (@StevenIHaglund) January 19, 2022
Mitchell led all FBS tackles with a 94.8 PFF grade, as he allowed only 13 pressures and three sacks last season while racking up the third-most big-time run blocks. In addition, he never committed a penalty or missed an offensive snap.
While he did not test very well at the Combine and will need to continue to get stronger, Mitchell is a tough-minded tackle, with the positioning and foot quickness to mirror and match, great hand techniques to keep rushers at bay, and run-blocking consistency at the first and second levels.
In what basically becomes a down block, Max Mitchell (RT) does a great job getting his hands to the LB's side and rides his momentum to the other side of the hash, creating a cutback lane for a TD. pic.twitter.com/Dxwcxq1KR4
— Matt Holder (@MHolder95) April 12, 2022
Jones started 30 games, primarily at left tackle en route to earning First-Team All-American in his final two seasons.
He has outstanding size and length at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds with 35 3/8″ arms coupled with above-average athleticism, as evident with a 4.97 40 time and 4.84 short shuttle.
Jones will need to continue to get stronger, but he has solid foundation traits, with flexibility, footwork, and hand placement to be effective as a tackle at the next level.
Thomas was a three-year starter for the Aztecs at left and right tackle. At his best as a run-blocker, Thomas had a 90.1 grade on that front in 2020, fourth-best among FBS tackles, and an 89.6 grade in 2021.
Thomas shows functional athleticism, quality strength/leverage, comfortability as a reach and second-level blocker, and a high level of intelligence as far as picking up stunts/blitzes goes. Further, he has the potential to play some guard at the next level.
Delance possesses the ideal measurables and resume for an NFL offensive lineman at 6-foot-5 and 303 pounds with over 36-inch arms coupled with 37 SEC starts under his belt, playing both tackle and guard.
Delance was a key member of Gator’s starting five, keeping rushers at bay with his athleticism and vine-like arms, all while paving the way in the run game, as they ranked No. 4 in the SEC in rushing offense in 2021.
Tennessee’s reported meeting with Penning is scheduled for next week.
The Tennessee Titans have multiple positions they could address with the No. 26 overall pick, and one of those positions is offensive tackle.
So it comes as no surprise that the team is set to meet with Northern Iowa offensive tackle, Trevor Penning, according to The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler, who notes the meeting will occur on the 19th.
Penning is someone we’ve seen mocked to the Titans in the first round on several occasions; however, as the draft approaches it’s looking more and more like he may not be on the board at that point.
If he is, the Titans should strongly consider him, as he’s one of the better offensive linemen in the 2022 NFL draft.
Penning is a scheme-versatile lineman who has the right level of nasty for the NFL and has experience playing at both tackle spots, although his best fit figures to be on the right side.
For more information on Penning, check out the scouting report our own Shaun Calderon did on him last month.
At this point, if the Titans really want Penning it looks like they’ll have to trade up to get him. I tend to believe Tennessee will stay put in their spot and draft the best available wide receiver, guard, or tackle.
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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.
