2022 3-Round NFL Mock Draft: Round 2 | Picks 47-64
There are still many great football players left, including all the running backs. When will the first back hear his name called?
47) Washington Commanders: Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State
The Commanders could take Hamilton at 11 if he’s available. Still, Jaquan Brisker projects better as a true free safety. While he often played around the line of scrimmage for PSU, his athletic profile is more akin to a free safety who can come downhill and deliver hits.
It will be interesting to see what weight Brisker plays at in the NFL. He looked smaller on tape than he did at his pro day, and he weighed seven pounds more at his pro day than at the Combine. He also provides unquestionable leadership on the defensive side.
48) Chicago Bears: Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound receiver from Cincinnati is a nice piece to add for Justin Fields to complement Darnell Mooney. Alec Pierce is good off the line and has shown flashes of sharp route breaks in the intermediate areas of the field where Fields thrives.
Again, the Bears go a bit developmental here. However, Pierce’s rawness is partially due to not being asked to run a complex route tree in college. He must get with an individual coach to work on route pacing and gearing down to get in and out of breaks more efficiently. But despite testing with poor agility numbers, he posted a 9.82 RAS.
49) New Orleans Saints: Ed Ingram, G, LSU
The Saints’ defense remains flush with talent. And while both Cesar Ruiz and Andrus Peat appear likely to be on the depth chart heading into 2023, Ed Ingram could usurp one in the starting lineup as a rookie.
Peats’ contract is onerous, but if New Orleans can swallow their pride, Ingram would fit nicely into a left side strengthened by him and Cross. Ingram is an explosive and aggressive blocker who could stand to play more reserved instead of over his toes. However, if he becomes a tad more technically proficient, he’ll be a solid starter for years to come.
50) Kansas City Chiefs: Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Oklahoma
Nik Bonitto‘s game is reminiscent of Haason Reddick, but at 20 pounds heavier. He still struggles to consistently set a firm edge given his lack of length and functional strength, but he makes up for that with splash plays against the run and a ridiculous burst as a pass rusher.
The Chiefs need help for Chris Jones like the human body needs water. Without it, they might not survive. Bonitto can also play as an off-ball linebacker or be used in coverage from the edge to replace a blitzing linebacker, which should get Steve Spagnuolo smiling at this 2022 NFL Mock Draft.
51) Philadelphia Eagles: Quay Walker, LB, Georgia
The Eagles added Kyzir White to the roster and have T.J. Edwards on a one-year deal, but adding more athleticism and violence is never a bad idea at linebacker. Quay Walker brings both in droves. He has great strength throughout his frame, plus the length and technical ability to remain a high-end tackler at the next level.
Walker must improve on his instincts. Playing behind the Georgia defensive front allowed him the freedom to be a bit slow or take a misstep. With great size, length, and athleticism, he can be a high-end man-coverage linebacker.
52) Pittsburgh Steelers: Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan
Bernhard Raimann is living his best life. As a freshman tight end, you could tell in his individual team photos that living the cut life was eating away at him. As he transitioned to offensive tackle, his mood transitioned from admonishment to jubilation.
Since he is so new to the position, Raimann still has much to learn as a blocker. However, he’s one of the more athletic tackles we’ve seen in recent history. As he transitions his frame, he needs more core and lower body strength to deal with the rigors of anchoring against NFL pass rushers. While he’s an upside pick, his upside is exciting because he is so new to the game.
53) Green Bay Packers: Christian Harris, LB, Alabama
Christian Harris feels like the forgotten man in the 2022 linebacker class, much like Jackson does among the EDGE class. He possesses a compact frame that holds a lot of power. But, like most modern linebackers, he leans on the finesse side of the coin.
Although the Packers don’t often blitz with linebackers, Harris excels at getting after the quarterback. The junior linebacker has 9 sacks over the past two seasons. But what’s even more impressive is that he started at Alabama as a freshman linebacker.
While Harris doesn’t have the quickest downhill trigger, that is partially due to Alabama’s two-gapping defensive front, which forces patience from their linebackers. Despite that, he had 12.5 tackles for loss in 2021.
54) New England Patriots: Sean Rhyan, G, UCLA
Sean Rhyan is a powerful blocker who fits the Patriots’ downhill style in the run game. While he was a college tackle, his lack of length and questionable range projects him inside, which is fine given his densely-packed lower body. Power will never be in question for him as a blocker.
Despite not being an overwhelming athlete, Rhyan takes fantastic angles at the second level to secure blocks on linebackers from his tackle position. On the interior, he will need to learn the timing and leverage aspect of coming off help to climb with a center, but he could help ease New England’s pain of losing Shaq Mason for a fifth-round pick. The Patriots needed a guard in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft, and they got one that perfectly fits their attack.
55) Arizona Cardinals: Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama
Phidarian Mathis has been around the Alabama program for five seasons, and he finally got a chance to prove himself in 2021 as a redshirt senior. He posted 9 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, which is impressive considering Alabama interior defenders rarely make that sort of splash as pass rushers. Even Quinnen Williams and Christian Barmore never topped 9 sacks.
Mathis has sledgehammer hands and arms that could practically reach out and touch a quarterback lined up in the shotgun. But the most underrated part of his game is how cerebral he is as an interior blocker. Nick Saban sang his praises late in the Crimson Tide’s season.
56) Dallas Cowboys: David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan
The Cowboys love taking risks in Round 2 more than Russian roulette players like taking risks with their own lives. It’s just what they do. If Dallas feels they can get “value” because of injury or off-field concerns, they’ll jump on it.
David Ojabo had arguably the highest pass-rush upside of any EDGE in the 2022 NFL Draft class. He got the “raw” tag because his play strength needed improvement, while his play against the run was inconsistent. But he was not raw as a pass rusher. He flashed and executed many high-level pass-rush moves, and it was clear that he was becoming more and more comfortable each week.
Michael Jordan’s “the ceiling is the roof” was meant for Ojabo. The sky is the limit if he remains explosive after returning from his Achilles tear.
57) Buffalo Bills: Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
Kenneth Walker III‘s 4.38 speed in Indianapolis was an eyebrow-raiser, but it may have been necessary so that he wasn’t outdone by Breece Hall’s 4.39. The battle for RB1 should favor Walker, but Hall has more experience catching passes — which is, coincidentally, something the Bills need from a running back.
However, Walker has the edge in vision, balance, explosiveness, and workload heading into the NFL. He’s a missed-tackle machine, and that translates to the NFL level. Walker doesn’t need to be Christian McCaffrey lined up in the slot for Buffalo. He simply needs to be a screen and leak threat.
58) Atlanta Falcons: Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
The Falcons did a great job not forcing their hand at a quarterback early in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft. They have no shot of competing for relevancy in 2022. But having Sam Howell gracefully fall into their laps at 58 is a fantastic turn of events for the franchise.
Howell possesses good arm strength and mobility. In 2021, he was forced to use his legs often, and he had success doing so. While his lower body mechanics are a mess, he acknowledged that shortcoming while in Mobile for the Senior Bowl, assuring media members he was working on it with his private coach.
If Atlanta can show a little patience with him, Howell could round into a solid NFL starter.
59) Green Bay Packers: DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M
After receiving high praise heading into the 2022 collegiate campaign, DeMarvin Leal finds himself in a weird spot as a “tweener.”
Luckily for him, those players are beginning to find homes in defensive schemes that run odd or even fronts with three down linemen. Leal can live his life between the 3- and 5-techniques, keeping him away from more double teams than a traditional under tackle.
In Year 1, he can rotate in with Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry as he continues to build his frame to handle the power of the NFL.
60) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Logan Hall, DT, Houston
Logan Hall also finds himself in that peculiar situation. While Leal is universally seen as an undersized defensive tackle, the jury seems out on whether Hall is a DT or an EDGE. He best projects in the same role Leal will find himself in with Green Bay, but the Buccaneers’ defense doesn’t align with the Packers’.
Therefore, Hall will probably be asked to gain 10-20 pounds and play beside Vita Vea, who is large enough to make up for Hall’s 285-pound frame. Hall can get skinny through gaps and drive low through blockers, lifting as his pad level rises so they cannot find their anchor.
61) San Francisco 49ers: Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
Roger McCreary routinely got his hands in passing lanes despite lacking ideal size or length at the position. He notched 37 pass defenses and 6 interceptions over the past three seasons. He’s a cerebral cornerback who mirrors through route recognition and twitch rather than high-end speed or explosiveness. He splashed in 2020 with 7 tackles for loss, as well.
He won’t recover downfield like some of the other cornerbacks going later in this class. Still, McCreary consistently faced the best of the best in the SEC, putting together impressive tape in the process.
62) Kansas City Chiefs: Kingsley Enagbare, EDGE, South Carolina
Your eyes do not deceive you. This is another pass rusher coming on board for the Kansas City Chiefs. Kingsley Enagbare is almost the antithesis of Bonitto. He is long, strong, and not super explosive or flexible. He allows the Chiefs to slide him inside on pass-rushing downs as Bonitto and Clark take the edges and Jones rushes on the interior.
While Enagbare could become more technical as a defensive end, he has all the tools to set a firm edge. He doesn’t have Bonitto’s sack upside, but he offers a different skill set at a position where Kansas City lacks talent.
63) Cincinnati Bengals: Jalyn Armour-Davis, CB, Alabama
While he must play with more confidence at the next level, Jalyn Armour-Davis spent four years learning how to play in the secondary from arguably the best defensive backs coach in football history. He’ll also need to remain healthy, as injuries troubled him during his time at Alabama.
Armour-Davis has all the recovery speed and reactive athleticism in the world. While he’s not the loosest athlete, his direction changes are violent and explosive. Cincinnati has their two starters on the roster for 2022, but Armour-Davis is a nice piece to have in reserve for life beyond Eli Apple.
64) Denver Broncos: Coby Bryant, CB, Cincinnati
Coby Bryant isn’t the biggest, fastest, or strongest athlete for the position, but he has the mental ability to survive at the NFL level. While he doesn’t possess the ideal recovery speed, he is cerebral enough not to get himself out of position downfield. He also has clean footwork and the attitude and mentality to be a gnat to receivers.
Bryant fits right into the group that Denver currently has on the outside. Ronald Darby has two more years left on his contract, but the Broncos could get out of it with $10 million in cap savings heading into 2023 if Bryant can prove himself a starting-caliber cornerback.