2022 NFL Mock Draft | 17-32
Defense dominated the first half of this 2022 NFL Mock Draft. The back half of this Round 1 mock, however, kicks off with four offensive linemen coming off the board.
17) Philadelphia Eagles (from Indianapolis): Trevor Penning , OT, Northern Iowa
The Philadelphia Eagles are back at it with their third pick in Round 1. After going with defensive players at picks 11 and 12, they go to the offensive line to help tighten up their pass protection.
With Jordan Mailata emerging as one of the league’s best tackles, the need to eventually replace Lane Johnson is a glaring one. Trevor Penning will fill in for Johnson when the time comes, but don’t rule out him starting from Day 1.
18) Pittsburgh Steelers: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
A run on tackles! Charles Cross heads north to the Pittsburgh Steelers after a dominant career at Mississippi State. He handles all sorts of pass rushers well and is great in the run game — although we didn’t see that a ton in Mike Leach’s Mississippi State offense.
Cross has incredible hands and great upright strength that comes from his legs. He’s a starter for the Steelers for years to come.
19) Miami Dolphins (from San Francisco): Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa
The Miami Dolphins certainly have turned heads as of late in the 2021 NFL season. With pieces coming together and the offense starting to believe, they grab the oft-labeled “generational talent” at center in Tyler Linderbaum.
It’s true what they say about Linderbaum, but if I may, let’s go to the infomercial. Paraphrasing the old Ronco commercials, Miami can SET IT AND FORGET IT after drafting Linderbaum and inserting him at center for the next 10 years.
20) Washington Football Team: Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A&M
The Washington Football Team has a great track record of elevating interior offensive linemen over the past few years. Kenyon Green needs little elevation — he just needs a position. With Washington, Green can play all across the line, but he could pay dividends next to Ereck Flowers and Brandon Scherff as WFT’s center.
21) Buffalo Bills: Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
A sticky cover corner, Ahmad Gardner locked down an entire side of the field for Cincinnati this season. The Buffalo Bills grab Gardner as the fourth cornerback selected in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft. But don’t sell Gardner short. He literally was avoided in coverage this season for Cincinnati, paving the way for his teammates to have career years. His level of lockdown play rarely comes along, and the Bills make the smart choice of securing him.
22) Cincinnati Bengals: Daxton Hill, S, Michigan
The Cincinnati Bengals are but a few pieces away from competing at the highest level in the AFC. As noticed this past Sunday, coverage is certainly one of those issues. Daxton Hill can cover ground in a fashion similar to Kyle Hamilton. What Hill lacks in Hamilton’s size, however, he makes up for in speed. Hill will close the gap in zone coverage faster than you can say Queen City.
23) Los Angeles Chargers: Kingsley Enagbare, EDGE, South Carolina
A pure pass rusher off the edge, Kingsley Enagbare improves the Los Angeles Chargers defensive line from great to elite. Gone are the days you need just one pass rusher — the Chargers become elite by putting Enagbare opposite Joey Bosa and wreaking havoc on opposing tackles. Enagbare has elite pass-rush tools and can even drop back in coverage if necessary.
24) Detroit Lions (from LA Rams): Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
Finally, another quarterback off the board! The Detroit Lions select the 2021 college football season’s best quarterback despite his projected hand measurements. Kenny Pickett has proven time and time again that he is one of the toughest, gutsiest, and most accurate quarterbacks in the class.
And no hand-size measurements are going to stop him from continuing to smash doubters. Detroit officially moves on from Jared Goff as Ford Field becomes Pickett’s Place.
25) Dallas Cowboys: Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State
Making incredible use of the college football transfer portal, Jermaine Johnson II transferred to FSU from Georgia a year ago. As such, Johnson transformed his draft stock and the Seminoles defense in the process. A true game wrecker, no player had the impact on his defense more than Johnson did on FSU’s in 2021. He’ll smash through any tackle while drawing double teams and winning all the same.
26) Kansas City Chiefs: Drake London, WR, USC
The Kansas City Chiefs give Patrick Mahomes one of the draft class’ biggest steals at No. 26. Pairing Drake London with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce almost seems unfair. London is, however, coming off a fractured ankle he sustained at USC this season, so his slide to the bottom of Round 1 does make sense. Still, his raw ability to high-point the football and come down with contested catches will make him an easy favorite for Mahomes.
27) Baltimore Ravens: Ikem Ekwonu, OL, NC State
The Baltimore Ravens have some holes on their offensive line, and that’s putting it nicely. With injuries taking their toll, they go to the versatile Ikem Ekwonu with their first-round pick.
Ekwonu is a left tackle at NC State but projects inside for Baltimore. He’ll be able to play a bevy of positions on the interior. Ekwonu possesses great strength and balance as he handles all sorts of defensive linemen with ease.
28) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will certainly have a lot of rebuilding to do when Tom Brady retires. Fortunately for Bucs fans, that seems to be at least a decade away, as Brady is going to play into his 50s at this rate. Until then, they can continue to tighten up all their needs and dominate the action on offense.
Perrion Winfrey would shore up a need for a pass rusher on the interior of Tampa Bay’s defensive line. Winfrey is a great athlete and — with some honing of his craft — can become a true three-down threat at defensive tackle.
29) Tennessee Titans: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
Some may question his ability to run a full route tree, but no one is questioning Treylon Burks himself. Burks runs the best “9 route” (go route) in college football. As he continues to refine his route tree, Burks can rely on his blazing speed to run by NFL defensive backs. He also has terrific hands and great contested-catch skills to rely on.
30) Green Bay Packers: Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
The Butkus Award winner for the top linebacker in college football heads north to the Green Bay Packers. Nakobe Dean is as strong as he is compact and lays the lumber more often than not. He may not have the coverage ability of a Devin Lloyd, but Dean has the ability to travel sideline to sideline with ease. A terrific athlete, Dean can match up against bigger tight ends both in coverage and in the run game with ease.
31) New England Patriots: Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
The first running back taken may come as a surprise to the uninitiated. But to those in the know, Kenneth Walker III heading to Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots wouldn’t be that big of a surprise.
Walker exploded onto the national stage with Michigan State this season after dominating ACC defenses for two years at Wake Forest. He’s a great mixture of contact balance and elusiveness with speed and agility. If he were to have shown more in the pass-catching game, he’d be a higher pick.
32) Arizona Cardinals: Derion Kendrick, CB, Georgia
With the final pick of this 2022 NFL Mock Draft, the Arizona Cardinals grab Round 1’s fifth cornerback. Derion Kendrick also made great use of the transfer portal after leaving behind some baggage at Clemson. He’ll have to answer those off-field questions during the offseason circuit, but there is no denying his talent on the field. If teams clear his off-field issues, pick No. 32 could absolutely be his floor.
2022 NFL Mock Draft | Teams without a Day 1 pick
Several teams do not have a first-round pick. As such, here’s who the PFN Mock Draft Simulator selected for each of those teams’ first picks of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Chicago Bears: Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
Indianapolis Colts: Romeo Doubs, WR, Nevada
Los Angeles Rams: Ricky Stromberg, C, Arkansas
San Francisco 49ers: Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
Seattle Seahawks: Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State