The National Football League has officially taken over Las Vegas for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Franchises across the country will be looking to enhance their rosters with young talent who excelled in their collegiate careers. With the selections kicking off in mere hours, this is my final attempt at predicting the 32 picks in the first round Thursday night.
Here is how the evening could potentially play out.
1. Jacksonville (3-14): NC State OT Ikem Ekwonu. Ekwonu is a load to handle both in the run game and in pass protection. He’s powerful, athletic, versatile and very aggressive. He should have a nice, long pro career.
2. Detroit (3-13-1): Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson. Getting Hutchinson would be huge for a team looking to improve on its sack total (30) from 2021. Despite concerns about his arm length, he is a solid, sound overall player who should provide this defense with some tenacity off of the edge.
3. Houston (4-13): Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Texans need to get to the quarterback on a more consistent basis and have not yet replaced J.J. Watt, so getting the quick and versatile Thibodeaux is a wise move.
4. New York Jets (4-13): Alabama OT Evan Neal. He was not the first offensive lineman taken No. 1 overall since 2013 nor the first Crimson Tide player since Harry Gilmer (1948) to be selected No. 1 overall, but Neal falls to a team that needs a player of his caliber to protect a young QB.
5. New York Giants (4-13): Mississippi State OL Charles Cross. The G-Men need help along the offensive line and have a chance to get a very athletic big man with both balance and power.
6. Carolina (5-12): Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett. The Panthers desperately need to fix the offensive line in addition to addressing the QB position. If a move isn’t made with this selection, though, grabbing a potential fix under center could be the play.
7. N.Y. Giants (via trade with Chicago): Georgia DE Travon Walker. After getting help up front on offense, the Giants can grab Walker to aid the other side of the ball. He performed very well in Indianapolis and has a high ceiling to eventually develop into a strong edge rusher.
8. Atlanta (7-10): USC WR Drake London. The Falcons need help in several areas, but an additional issue they didn’t see coming was replacing WR Calvin Ridley, who was suspended for betting on games. Kyle Pitts needs someone to take a little attention off of him, and London is a tough and speedy pass-catcher who can be used both inside and out.
9. Seattle (7-10, via trade with Denver): Liberty QB Malik Willis. The Seahawks entered the Top 10 after trading their franchise quarterback. The team could play it safe and avoid making a decision under center with Drew Lock in the fold, but Willis has a big arm, very good mobility and huge upside.
10. N.Y. Jets (via trade with Seattle): Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner. The franchise could go with a big-play receiver here, but the opportunity to get a defender that can make plays all over the field and lock down opposing receivers cannot be passed up.
11. Washington (7-10): Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson. The Commanders need to give new QB Carson Wentz some weapons. Wilson has incredible body control, is a good route runner and boasts electric speed.
12. Minnesota (8-9): LSU CB Derek Stingley, Jr. The Vikings need help at corner, and passing up a player as talented as Stingley is too big of a risk. The concern is whether or not he can stay healthy and get back to the form we saw in his freshman season in Baton Rouge.
13. Houston (via trade with Cleveland): Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton. One of the best defenders in this draft, Hamilton could slip because of his 40 time. That is a big win for Lovie Smith and Co., who get a steal at 13.
14. Baltimore (8-9): Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning. The Ravens really need help at OT, and Penning is a strong big man with a high ceiling. He also has good mobility for his size.
15. Philadelphia (9-8, via trade with Miami): Alabama WR Jameson Williams. The explosive Williams is coming off of a torn ACL in the national championship game, so his availability remains a major question mark for 2022. But he averaged nearly 20 yards per catch and had 15 TDs last year, and he projects to be a force when healthy again.
16. New Orleans (9-8, via trade with Philadelphia): Ohio State WR Chris Olave. The Saints could land a receiver who had 35 career scores for the Buckeyes and can be a legit threat on the outside at the pro level.
17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-8): Georgia DT Jordan Davis. The Chargers need to address their porous run defense, which allowed 4.6 yards per carry last season, so Davis could become a key cog in their 3-4 scheme. His very large frame would do wonders up front for this squad. Brandon Staley will fall in love with this huge yet athletic defender.
18. Philadelphia (via trade with New Orleans): Utah ILB Devin Lloyd. Getting the rangy and speedy Lloyd would be a nice selection for the Eagles, who could also look at Georgia’s Nakobe Dean here as well.
19. New Orleans (via trade with Philadelphia): Ole Miss QB Matt Corral. With Jameis Winston still being a bit of a question mark, the Saints add Corral, who had a very strong ‘21 campaign. He’s a dual-threat, but there will be a steeper learning curve compared to some other QBs in this class. But he has the arm and is tough.
20. Pittsburgh (9-7-1): Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum. The Steelers get one of the better recent center prospects to address a problem area on their O-Line.
21. New England (10-7): Washington CB Trent McDuffie. Bill Belichick and the Pats have to be ecstatic that McDuffie, who did not allow a touchdown in coverage over the last two seasons, is still on the board here. Steal of a pick.
22. Green Bay (13-4, via trade with Las Vegas): Arkansas WR Treylon Burks. Aaron Rodgers gets a big, physical receiver who can rack up YAC after recording 1,104 yards and 11 TDs for the Razorbacks last season.
23. Arizona (11-6): Georgia DT Devonte Wyatt. The Cardinals need help in multiple areas, and perhaps giving QB Kyler Murray another toy will be the move. But Wyatt impressed at the Senior Bowl and comes from a program that boasted one of the nastiest defenses in college football history.
24. Dallas (12-5): Florida State DE Jermaine Johnson II. Johnson recorded 12 sacks and 45 pressures in Tallahassee last season after transferring from Georgia, impressed at the Senior Bowl and performed very well in Indy.
25. Buffalo (11-6): Boston College G/C Zion Johnson. The Bills could look to a player whose 32 reps on the bench press led all O-Linemen at this year’s Combine. He is a versatile and strong interior presence who did not allow a QB pressure last fall.
26. Tennessee (12-5): Central Michigan OT Bernhard Raimann. The Titans allowed 47 sacks last year and have a lot of expiring contracts across the line after 2022. Raimann is a former tight end who excelled in 2021 and is solid in pass protection and run blocking. He’s raw but has a high ceiling.
27. Tampa Bay (13-4): Clemson CB Andrew Booth, Jr. This corner has very good ball skills and can fit in multiple schemes. Injury issues could have him slide down boards, so this is a potential steal.
28. Green Bay: Georgia ILB Nakobe Dean. Another standout from UGA, Dean offers the Packers a speedy, rangy defender who can cover and snuff out the run.
29. Kansas City (12-5, via trade with Miami): Michigan S Daxton Hill. After his impressive 4.38-second 40-yard dash in Indy, Hill projects at either a free or strong safety.
30. Kansas City: Minnesota OLB Boye Mafe. The Chiefs need to improve their edge rushing, and the strong, versatile Mafe is coming off of a strong Senior Bowl performance.
31. Cincinnati (10-7): Texas A&M G Kenyon Green. The Aggie may not have had the best Combine, but Green offers some versatility along an O-Line that really needs more talented bodies.
32. Detroit (via trade with Los Angeles Rams): Georgia S Lewis Cine. The Lions miss out on grabbing the in-state safety prospect Hill, but the rangy Cine had 73 tackles and nine pass breakups last year and was defensive MVP of the College Football Playoff national championship game.
Franchises without a first-round pick:
Chicago (6-11)
Denver (7-10)
Cleveland (8-9)
Indianapolis (9-8)
Miami (9-8)
Las Vegas (10-7)
San Francisco (10-7)
Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
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