NFL Mock Draft 2022 - Round 1

The Jaguars have been locked into taking the best defensive player available for a while and that won't change as they go after the cornerstone for their new-look defense under coordinator Mike Caldwell, formerly of the Buccaneers. They've been setting up the relentless, explosive and sometimes dominant Hutchinson being the anchor

The Lions also feel like they're going for defensive impact and the decision for Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn will come down to Hamilton, edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux or versatile 3-4 hybrid playmaker. Hamilton is the safest, can't-miss option here because he will continue to make a ton of plays on the back end vs. the pass and also clean up like an extra linebacker vs. the run.

The Texans are holding on to Laremy Tunsil for left tackle but now they can look at Neal to dominate the right side and provide powerful bookends for Davis Mills or whoever is their starting quarterback in 2022. They have a big void at the other tackle and Neal can flip a massive weakness into a big strength.

The Jets should be thrilled if Thibodeaux slips here to become the explosive cornerstone pass-rusher for coach Robert Saleh, which will remind him of having Nick Bosa powering his defense in San Francisco. This makes great sense as the follow-up high first-rounder to quarterback Zach Wilson.

The Giants, as expected, removed the hefty contract of right tackle Nate Solder from the books and here's their direct replacement for him opposite Andrew Thomas New GM Joe Schoen needs to upgrade the offensive line well for new coach Brian Daboll and started with adding center Jon Feliciano and right guard Matt Glowinski in free agency. Ekwonu can easily start over fellow newcomer Matt Gono, who makes sense as a strong swing backup.

The Panthers will not be taking a quarterback early while settling on starting Sam Darnold again and instead should address their biggest offensive weakness overall. Cross is a similar strength-power prospect to Ekwonu with his own mean and nasty blocking style. He has untapped upside with his footwork and agility.

The Giants need a young alpha playmaker on the back end of their defense and Schoen has given serious consideration to move the hefty contract of James Bradberry before or during the draft. Stingley makes a lot of sense in that regard, edging out a pass rusher early given the depth at that later position.

The Falcons addressed cornerback in free agency with Casey Hayward Jr to complement rising star A.J. Terrell. They should be thrilled to stay in the state to land Walker, an ideal explosive disruptor in front of Dean Pees' pressure 3-4 scheme.

Willis proved he can be a top-10 upside pick for a QB needy team, which the Seahawks are after the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade that yielded this pick in return. Willis can develop into their new version of Wilson with strong arm, fine athleticism and overall toughness.

Saleh, should Thibodeaux land in New York to be his next Bosa, can also get his version of Richard Sherman on the field in this nasty, fearless and now extremely speedy cover man to complement free-agent addition D.J. Reed.

The Commanders need to give Carson Wentz and Terry McLaurin some help at wideout and getting a true speedy No. 1 outside would be a great decision for Scott Turner's offense. Olave has a little more all-around appeal for his explosiveness than former teammates Garrett Wilson and Jameson Williams.

The Vikings brought back fading Patrick Peterson because of hurting depth but they still need to address corner to get the ideal complement to well-rounded Cameron Dantzler. Booth is aggressive in coverage and should maintain the big playmaking in the NFL.

The Texans got a strong season from Jonathan Greenard but are pretty weak getting to the quarterback from the outside otherwise. Johnson has been rising fast because of some freakish qualities and has the potential to give them their new J.J. Watt playing end in Lovie Smith's 4-3.

The Ravens are looking for an interior stud and should focus on center with Kevin Zeitler serving well as right guard and Bradley Bozeman gone in free agency. Linderbaum, who has been working with former Iowa star turned Ravens legend Marshal Yanda, would be ideal inside.

The Eagles have been showing increasing affinity for Pickett's more traditional pocket passing skill set (along with his athleticism) as an upgrade from Jalen Hurts with arm, accuracy and efficiency more in mind. Pickett working with Wilson, Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert behind a still sturdy line is a bold idea, but it's not crazy at all.

The Saints should be in the market for plenty of wide receiver depth as there's not much behind Michael Thomas beyond Marquez Callaway, given Tre'Quan Smith leads the rest of the bunch. Now that New Orleans has two first-rounders this year after a trade with Philadelphia, it can also address the offensive line concern here or three spots later at No. 19.

The Chargers need to upgrade their run defense big time. Their entire front three struggled in that capacity. Coach Brandon Staley was used to having Aaron Donald as his 3-4 linchpin with the other Los Angeles team. Davis is a massive player who disrupts plays with great quickness for his size.

The Eagles also need to reinforce their defense as part of their three first-rounder, Dean would be more of an immediate-impact choice than going for depth at either end or tackle. Dean was the active playmaking leader of the Bulldogs' national championship defense and can fit anywhere with T.J. Edwards given free-agent splurge Haason Reddick is more of an edge rusher and Kyzir White is just a place-holder.

The Saints look like they're fine bridging at quarterback for another season with the combination of Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton after losing out on Deshaun Watson but they do need to replace left tackle Terron Armstead opposite Ryan Ramczyk. Penning has similar smaller-school big body traits to Armstead with his blend of power and athleticism.

The Steelers cannot mess around with Mason Rudolph or limited bridge options such as Mitchell Trubisky. They could think offensive line here, but Ridder's experience, leadership, strong arm and sometimes dazzling athleticism provides the ideal makeup for Mike Tomlin's next playmaking leader to replace Ben Roethlisberger.

The Patriots, should Wilson and Olave be gone, shouldn't hesitate to pair Williams with another Alabama product in Mac Jones, who didn't get to play with him in college. Williams is a big playmaker with the technical route-running skills and hands the Patriots like.

The Packers should feel confident they can land a strong wide receiver of choice to replace Davante Adams with the pick acquired from trading him. London may not last this long, but his recent rise ensures that Green Bay will get great value here, and should get either Wilson or Williams if not him. London has the size, speed, hands and quickness to be Aaron Rodgers' trusty new outside No. 1.

With one fewer letter in his last name, J.J. Watt just turned 33 and fellow 3-4 end Zach Allen has been a disappointment in the final year of his rookie contract. Wyatt's versatile explosiveness would be ideal to be disruptive in Vance Joseph's front.

The Cowboys needed to let Connor Williams leave in free agency and Green would be the ideal strong and athleticism replacement for their scheme to support Tyler Biadasz and Zack Martin inside.

The Bills lost good No. 2 corner Levi Wallace in free agency and No. 1 Tre'Davious White will be coming off a torn ACL for his Age 27 season. With limited weaknesses as Super Bowl contenders, they should look for a direct replacement for Wallace outside. McDuffie can offer great explosiveness and quickness for Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier.

The Titans had great success stashing defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons for their 3-4 under GM Jon Robinson and despite Ojabo coming off a recent torn Achilles', they can add him to provide more relentless energy in getting to the quarterback behind Harold Landry.

The Buccaneers haven't re-signed one-time athletic freak Jason Pierre-Paul and both Anthony Nelson and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka are better contributors as situational players. They should welcome the development of landing this different kind of "Greek freak" to put opposite Shaquil Barrett for promoted defensive-minded coach Todd Bowles.

The Packers should think about doubling up on wide receiver in the first round. London looks the part of an outside No. 1, while Dotson can be the speedy vertical threat for Rodgers to replace free-agent departure Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

The Chiefs added JuJu Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling after trading Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins but they also lost Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson in free agency and the jury's out on Mecole Hardman beyond return duties. They might as well replenish the cupboard with someone who profiles better as the outside No. 1 given his size and speed with Smith-Schuster working as the big slot and MVS providing the complementary deep threat.

Mafe has been an astronomical riser because of recent showcases of his explosiveness as a pass rusher with top-flight athleticism. With Melvin Ingram and tackles Jarran Reed left in free agency, the Chiefs are set to need more support for Chris Jones and Frank Clark.

The Bengals lost reliable C.J. Uzomah in free agency and did sign former Falcon Hayden Hurst, but they are still considering adding another receiving weapon to help Joe Burrow find another athletic mismatch to complement his top wideouts.

The Lions, after getting Hamilton to upgrade safety in their back seven, can get another dynamic playmaker. Lloyd can line up well in the middle or the strong side and they should be thrilled if Lloyd lasts this long because of the position he plays. Lloyd is a good run defender but his impact calling card comes in the passing game as both a blitzer and cover man.