2022 Consensus Mock Draft #2

The Houston Texans are struggling to sell season tickets. In other shocking news, the sky is still blue!

Texans fans better get used to sarcastic japes like the one mentioned above because it's looking like Houston is going to be the butt of most jokes throughout the 2021 NFL season. Nobody is predicting that the Texans will be a good team this year. This is due in large part to the sudden exodus of two of the team's biggest stars in Deshaun Watson, and JJ Watt though under entirely different circumstances.


David Culley has been given a most un-fortuitous job of having to not only be a first-time head coach in the NFL but also inherit a roster that still needs so much help in many key areas. Chief among them being the QB position. As of right now, Watson is accused of sexual misconduct by 22 women in a case that has yet to be resolved. A short while ago Watson was a hero to the Houston natives. Now, he's the creep with a massage fetish who is still requesting to be traded even amidst his numerous controversies.

One good thing to note is that the new coach isn't intimidated by the task ahead of him. He knows he was brought into coach an NFL team and that's exactly what he's intent on doing!

- Cody Lachney, Texans Analyst

I'll be totally honest here, with Detroit selecting two interior defensive linemen in this year's draft (Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill), I'm not entirely sold on taking an edge rusher with the #2 selection unless that player is an absolute game changer. Given the team's depth at the position with the Okwara Bros., along with Trey Flowers and Michael Brockers, the d-line may just be a position of strength come season kickoff. Therefore, I don't necessarily see d-line as a position of need right now. However, Thibodeaux can be one of those guys that knocks people's socks off as he's already getting comparisons to Demarcus Ware and may be too good to pass on at #2 for Detroit.

Which brings me to something we Lions' fans have been talking about for a long time since the Stafford trade, will Detroit draft a QB? I thought they should've heavily considered it in last year's draft, even wide receiver, but ultimately Penei Sewell was too good to pass up on. With QBs like Spencer Rattler and Sam Howell available here, would this be the time Detroit takes the QB of the future since they avoided it last year? or do they truly believe that Goff is their guy throughout the rebuild? If Holmes passes on an early QB two drafts in a row, I think we'll know our answer of what he really thinks. Given the unknown right now, I'd like to continue to mock Detroit as addressing other positions here at #2 until the season begins. Since the QB is currently in place, still has something to prove, has shown capability to function as a solid NFL starter and has the full confidence of the GM and coaching staff, let's have Goff direct our future mocks for Detroit.

At this early juncture, what do you think the Lions should do in the 2022 draft?



Doug Hyde, Lions Analyst

Joe Douglas continues to improve the roster with the addition of offensive tackle Morgan Moses on a cost effective 1-year deal. Moses will earn a base of $3.6M, which could rise to a touch over $5M if he hits his playing incentive bonus. The signature further cements the emphasis the Franchise has placed on protecting their new Rookie QB, Zach Wilson, a refreshing change from the last regime and its handling of Sam Darnold.

While there is still time to potentially land a vet, the CB position still appears the weakest area on the roster. Yes the Jets have some nice young guys who will hopefully develop over the coming season, and they will certainly be put to the test. But even if someone steps up and takes one of the CB spots and makes it his for the future, I would still take Derek Stingley Jr here. If you don't have a Superstar CB, you don't pass on one in the Draft and Stingley has that kind of potential.

Rich Tinley, Jets Analyst

To say that expectations are low for Philadelphia entering 2021 feels like an understatement. Not only were Eagles players shut out of PFF's Top 50 players list, but CBS Sports couldn't even find a spot for a Philly player in their Top 100. NFL Analyst Chris Simms had a more specific slight for starting QB Jalen Hurts leaving him off a preseason ranking of the Top 40 QBs. While these lists have no actual bearing on how players or teams will fare in a coming season, it should make for solid bulletin board material for an Eagles team hoping to rise from the ashes of last season's dumpster fire.


With Zack Ertz' departure finally nearing fruition the Eagles will be looking to forge a new identity under Head Coach Nick Sirianni. Philadelphia has just enough intriguing young talent and veteran leadership that they could surprise people if the cards fall just right, especially in the up-for-grabs NFC East. Much of the burden for success will be placed on the shoulders of Hurts as it is for all QBs. If Hurts proves his doubters wrong Philadelphia could look to trade back as the did in 2020. If questions remain the Eagles could use they top pick to add some competition in the form of a top rookie QB

Angst concerning team weaknesses for the 2021 season (and 2022 NFL draft targets) surround the same position groups as prior to April's draft, sans the WR squad that added Kadarius Toney (RD1 of the draft) and Kenny Golladay (Free Agency). GM Dave Gettleman drafted Azeez Ojulari to generate pass rush from somewhere other than the interior defensive line. But drafting edge rushers outside the first half of RD1 has always been a crap shoot. Realistically Ojulari wouldn't be expected to meaningfully contribute until his second or third years.

Offensive line - tackle in particular - also got lots of draft buzz following a flop of a year from rookie 4th-overall pick Andrew Thomas. But PFF thinks Thomas is the Giants' most underrated player heading into the 2021 season; he quietly improved during the 2nd-half of 2020.

In this way early mock, the Giants grab uber-Safety Kyle Hamilton to replace free agent Jabrill Peppers, though this is contingent upon two things. First, how 2020 draftee Xavier McKinney performs after missing his rookie season, and second, will there be any dominant NCAA edge prospects behind prototype Kayvon Thibodeaux?

Big Cat Country did a review on the Jaguars' most improved position group for 2021 - here. All the skill position groups were significantly upgraded with the additions of Trevor Lawrence (QB), Travis Etienne (RB) and Marvin Jones and Phillip Dorsett to the to the WR group.


The offensive line added OT Walker Little in the 2nd round of the draft. Could Little supplant Jawaan Taylor at RT in his rookie season? Taylor was among the NFL's "leaders" in some ignominous categories. Taylor lead the league in pressures allowed with 58 (including 8 sacks) - something T-Law doesn't want to hear.

The Tight End group improved with the addition of two pass-blocking TEs by adding Chris Manhertz in FA and Luke Farrell in the draft, but lacks the pass-catching threat.

Left Tackle Cam Robinson was franchised for the 2021 season, despite placing 51st of 63 in PFF's grading of OTs with over 500 snaps. A repeat of this performance by Robinson will brand LOT as a prime draft target in April of 2022.

The Cincinnati Bengals decided to add Wide Receiver Ja'Marr Chase with the fifth overall pick in 2021 instead of offensive line help but did add two OL later in Jackson Carman who is slated to play inside at guard, and D'Ante Smith who will provide depth at OT. Riley Reiff was signed to man the RT spot and Jonah WIlliams remains the starter at left tackle. The offensive line should be improved which is beneficial for Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon. The defense ranked toward the bottom of the league in 2020 but in the two years under Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo, the Bengals have actually improved in terms of overall ranking.

However, after finishing dead last with only 17 team sacks and allowing over five yards-per-carry in 2020, the front office drafted four defensive players in 2021 and all four play around the line of scrimmage. Joseph Ossai and Wyatt Hubert will be two rookies who could be effective in getting to the Quarterback while Cameron Sample and Tyler Shelvin are reputable run stoppers. Looking forward to 2022, the offensive line will need to be addressed but pass rushers could be the top priority.

Drake Jackson is one of college football's most prolific defensive players. His 2019 freshman year he accounted for 11.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks. 2020's shortened season hurt his numbers but with number one overall high school recruit Korey Foreman now also at USC to play opposite of Jackson, the 6'4, 255-pound Corona, CA native could be in line for an All-American season.

Talon Graff, Bengals Analyst

The 2021 NFL season will begin with much more excitement for the Carolina Panthers and their fans!

Moving from Cam Newton to Teddy Bridgewater was a tough pill to swallow for many Panther fans before the start of last season, myself included. Things don't feel that way this year. Sam Darnold may not have impressed very many people in his short tenure with the New York Jets, but he certainly has the supporting cast around him now to have a more than decent shot at success!

Not only does Sam Darnold have the benefit of calling Joe Brady his new offensive coordinator, but the Panthers added even more receiving weapons for Sam Darnold by adding Terrace Marshall Jr out of LSU. Marshall being familiar already with Joe Brady's offense.

Apparently news of the Panther's potential has started to reach the mainstream pundits as well! Dan Orlovsky seems to think should be a sneaky contender this year with a bunch of high-level young talent on both sides of the football for Carolina. All eyes are now officially on the Carolina Panthers!

Don't forget to check out the C3 Carolina Cat Chronicles podcast Tuesday nights at 9 PM and 30 minutes after every game to hear us discuss all the latest in Panther Nation

- Cody Lachney, Panthers Analyst

The New England Patriots often draft defensive linemen on Day1/Day2, it's their comfort zone and they do it well. The Raiders safe space is the secondary. Despite drafting S Johnathan Abram in RD1 of 2019 and Damon Arnette in RD1 2020, GM Mike Mayock again expended heavy draft resources toward the secondary in the 2021 draft: the 2nd (Moehrig), 3rd (Deablo), 4th (Gillespie) and 5th (Hobbs) round picks all went into the defensive backfield.

As a former Safety himself, is Mayock "collecting" DBs (Depth Chart)? Much like some women collect shoes (way more than they need) and dudes amass Jordans (me I have 10 pairs of running shoes), is Mayock distracted by the shiny features that his targeted DB prospects possess? When the Raiders picks come up, does Mayock, in a stressful time-sensitive situation, default to what he knows versus the uncertainly of guys at the positions that he is less familiar with?

Looking at the Raiders' upcoming Free Agency situation, defensive linemen Johnathan Hankins, Solomon Thomas and Quinton Jefferson are out of contract following the 2021 season, making IDL a high priority need for the 2022 draft. WR is also a need at this time, until Heny Ruggs can prove the he's the #1 that he was drafted to be. Ruggs counterpart Bryan Edward, a fellow 2020 draftee, is listed as a starter despite limited playing time as a rookie.

Training camp is right around the corner, but I'm sure if you asked any Broncos fan what they want if Denver is picking in the top ten again next year, they will tell you a quarterback. Let's be honest, if the Broncos are picking this high next April, it's safe to say Drew Lock didn't have a good year.

Yes, this defense still has holes and this offensive line has still yet to prove it can be a model of consistency. However, the weapons are there for this offense to thrive. We may not even make it halfway through the season with Lock in place if he struggles. The Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers situations aren't going away, and with Teddy Bridgewater already in Denver, they have a trustworthy backup. Still, until that position is resolved, be it by Lock or someone else, it has to be at the top of the priority list.

~Austin Smith, DraftTek Senior Analyst

Since our last mock, the Vikings signed Cornerback Bashaud Breeland and Defensive Tackle Sheldon Richardson which really strengthens the defense. The only spot that could be a concern would be the Defensive End opposite Danielle Hunter. The team is set up to really be improved on defense over last season. The one catch is that all of the defensive free agents they signed are on one-year deals.

The Vikings have about 13.5M in cap space right now and only have 5.4M in cap space for 2022. They likely will extend Brian O'Neill, Harrison Smith, and adjust Danielle Hunter's deal in an extension. This would lower the current 13.5M and might create some cap room in 2022. The team could have a tough time keeping the one-year free agents next year. Since three of the free agents are Cornerbacks and Jeff Gladney has some serious legal issues, Cornerback could once again be high on the draft day shopping list.

Kaiir Elam is one of the top draft prospects heading into the 2021 season. He measures 6'2" 193 and, in 2020, accumulated 39 tackles, 2 interceptions, 11 pass deflections, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 fumble recoveries. As a result, Elam was given first-team All-SEC recognition. Mike Zimmer would be happy as a pig in slop if he got himself another first-round Cornerback.

Mark P, Vikings Analyst - DrafttekVikings@Gmail.com

Please visit our Vikings team page where you can see all the team's picks in the 7-round mock and more.

By the time you read this, Washington owner Dan Snyder may be suspended. Don't fret, though, folks-er...celebrate I guess would be more accurate-Dan has now named his wife, Tonya, co-CEO of the franchise! For the three fans that like Dan Snyder, rejoice! For the millions of the rest of us; sorry, we ain't gettin' rid of him!

In actual Football Team news, many beat reports believe that a bulked-up Taylor Heinicke really does have a shot at the starting QB role, but only if Fitzmagic turns to Fitztragic in training camp. By all accounts, Heinicke looked better than Fitz in the offense in minicamp, but the 39 year-old was picking it up quickly. I would expect the Harvard-grad to be on-point when camp comes. I'll put it this way; if the over/under on games started in 2021 for Ryan Fitzpatrick is 15, I'm taking the over, which is good news for fans of the Burgundy & Gold.

What's the next step for Washington? I am hearing that DT Jonathan Allen is a massive priority for the organization, as he is a 'Rivera guy' through and through. Both sides want to get it done, but if Allen wants $20+ million/the top of the market, he may start the season without a new contract, as Washington reportedly won't go that high-nor should they. Allen's 17 career sacks over 4 seasons doesn't illustrate the impact he has both on the field and in the locker room, but one simply must have more of an impact on the quarterback to be paid with the likes of Aaron Donald. Look for Allen and Rivera to find a place that appeases both parties, probably in the $18m/yr range. Regardless, this is the first offseason I can remember since RGIII's 'all in for week one' in which national optimism of any kind was pointed towards the DC football team. I hope you guys are enjoying it!

-Kennedy Paynter, Senior Draft Analyst (@Kennedy_Paynter on Twitter)

In his rapid ascension during the 2021 "draft season", Kyle Pitts was frequently mocked to the Giants though the buzz ultimately pushed Pitts into the top-10, finally peaking at #4 where he was picked by Atlanta.


Tight end will be a big hole when Evan Engram hits free agency. If you can replace Engram with a total package like Jalen Wydermyer, it's worth the investment. Engram ranked 29th of 39 TEs in terms of blocking grades (over 250 blocking snaps).

Wydermyer is described as a poor-man's Pitts, but let's hold the phone on that talk until after his junior season. At 6'5" and 265, he's an inch smaller but 20 lbs. heavier than Pitts. He's athletic enough to snag one-handed grabs, and beefy enough to be a force along the line.

And so the era of arguably the greatest Falcon of all time comes to an end. The trade of Julio Jones seems somewhat inevitable in retrospect and certainly justifies the pick of Kyle Pitts with the fourth overall pick. It's unfair to expect Pitts to immediately replace Jones' production, but he certainly has the tool kit to replicate what Jones brought to this offense.

Perhaps the most important camp battles revolve around the offensive line, with competitions at left guard, center and perhaps right tackle. This fall's defensive effort will largely be determined by whether Dean Pees is the genius he's reputed to be. Even so, Atlanta's last effective edge rusher was a single season from Vic Beasley in 2016.

The Colts's 2021 roster is mostly set, though there are still rumblings that Indianapolis is still in the running for some stragglers in the free agency market in terms of wide receivers. It certainly wouldn't hurt to get newly acquired quarterback Carson Wentz some weapons to help out in his first season with the team.

Besides Golden Tate, Alshon Jeffery has also been mentioned as a possible pick-up late in the offseason for the Colts. The 31-year-old receiver is still a free agent and has a history with Wentz, spending the last four seasons together in Philadelphia, where Jeffery accumulated 2,237 yards and 20 touchdowns. With a solid history between the two - and the fact that both are looking for a resurgence after a down 2020 season - it could be the perfect marriage.

Sticking to the offensive line for this mock draft, and Zion Nelson remains a solid choice until proven otherwise. He has seen action his first two years with Miami, playing in 10 games and starting seven in 2020. He is expected to be the left tackle from the outset in the new season and comes in with a lot of expectations. Nelson has shown remarkable development since he was an undersized three-star recruit,. If he continues his ascendence to the upper echelon of NCAA tackle talent, he'll be a great candidate to step in and start for either Eric Fisher or Braden Smith, both who are slated fro Free Agency.

The Saints will have a new starter at QB for the first time since Drew Brees became the face of the franchise back in 2006... which is, not coincidentally, also the same year Sean Payton became head coach. Given an underwhelming list of free agent QBs available and very little trade equity to move up in the 2021 draft, Payton has opened up competition for Brees' backups to win the starting job.

Although he's not a traditional QB, Taysom Hill went 3-1 in the games he started in Drew Brees' absence last season. Meanwhile, former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston threw for over 5,100 yards and 33 TDs during the 2019 season. A huge risk factor is also associated with both the QBs competing for Brees' spot. Hill only has 134 career passing attempts on his resume and may be better used in the versatile-weapon role he's been playing. Winston has a turnover problem. He's thrown 88 INTs in his five seasons of football.

Even without a Hall of Famer under center, this is a team that should have playoff expectations. Yet, without an established QB, it will be an uphill battle. Payton can espouse confidence overflowing for Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston; but, we all know the truth - these guys are stop-gaps. It is time to invest in the QB of the future. Desmond Ridder has great footwork, moves well in the pocket, throws accurate darts to his receivers. Click here for a nice analysis of his Peach Bowl performance.

~DatBudMan, Saints Analyst