Zack Dietzs Final NFL Round 1 Mock Draft

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After months and months of games, playoffs, combines, pro days, and everything in between, the culmination of the next entry of profe sional football prospects will take place this Thursday to Saturday at the 2022 NFL Draft in Las Vegas. So that only means it is only right to crank out one final mock draft before we move on to 2023.A couple of footnotes: this is a PREDICTIVE mock, meaning some picks may not be exactly what I would do personally, but what makes the most sense based on whatever criteria are present, i.e., positional need, value, prior history, etc.Secondly, I will be mocking a few trades in this draft. It is absurdly difficult to predict player and team fits, to begin with, and adding these transactions makes it even more difficult.Scroll to ContinueOn the flip side, I like to have fun. So with that being said, lets dive into my final 2022 NFL Mock Draft. 1) Jacksonville JaguarsTravon Walker, ED, GeorgiaGoing back to what I said in the introduction to this mock draft, this isnt what I would do. As much as I love Walker for his traits and versatility along the defensive line, he is not the top edge rusher in this cla s. Or the second. Or, even in my opinion, the third. However, his combine testing showcased he is truly a generation athlete, and there have been reports of Jaguars general Russ Grimm Jersey manager Trent Baalke wanting to pa s on Aidan Hutchinson due to the formers tarnished relationship with Michigan head Deshazor Everett Jersey coach Jim Harbaugh. Throw in the fact that new Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson likely would prefer an offensive lineman with this selection, this is the perfect Jaguars pick: One that doesnt make much sense, but makes all the sense in the world (if you know what I mean). 2) Detroit LionsAidan Hutchinson, ED, MichiganOne thing Ive said throughout this entire draft proce s is how much sense Kayvon Thibodeaux makes sense for this Lions team, and while that still rings true and hes still on the board, I would be very surprised to see Detroit pa s on a local talent of nearly equal value.The Lions have done a very nice job of building their team inside out--they've created a very good offensive line and they po se s an abundance of young interior defensive line talent.The franchise still needs a quarterback, but I dont see a guy like Malik Willis being the pick here. Hutchinson has all of the tools to be a franchise star and building block for an ascending Lions team. 3) Houston TexansEvan Neal, OT, AlabamaThe Texans have arguably the most depleted overall roster in the NFL, so this should be a true "best player available" selection. Several names are very enticing, such as cornerback Sauce Gardner and other offensive linemen like Ikem Ekwonu and Charles Cro s, but my gut is telling me Neal will be the pick here. While it appears that many people around the NFL itself expect Ekwonu to be the first offensive lineman off the board, the Texans could use the player with the most experience at Logan Thomas Jersey right tackle. Theyve tried Tytus Howard over there in the past, but he is much more serviceable as the teams left guard. Neal is a gifted athlete who has improved in pa s protection throughout his collegiate career, and this selection would give Houston two bookend tackles to support Davis Mills or whichever top quarterback prospect they would likely select a year from now. 4) New York JetsKayvon Thibodeaux, ED, OregonThibodeaux winds up staying in green, even though he has to travel acro s the country as a result. With general manager Joe Douglas in tow and Robert Saleh as the teams head coach, those are two individuals who have shown in years past that they dont value secondary players as much as the dudes in the trenches.Thibodeaux is the clear-cut best player available at this spot--and my top rated player in this entire cla s--so this would be a home-run selection for Gang Green.Thibodeaux is a freaky athlete with an ascending pa s-rush skillset, high motor, and defensive line versatility. He reminds me a ton of Brian Burns from a few years out, and the scary thing is the ceiling might even be higher. 5) New York GiantsCharles Cro s, OT, Mi si sippi StateThe Giants have been rumored to being open to moving either of their first round picks, but in this mock, they decide to stay at this spot and select the top remaining offensive tackle on their board. As I mentioned earlier, the league mostly seems to favor Ekwonu as the top offfenisve lineman in this cla s, but the fact that the Giants basically sent everyone to the Mi si sippi State pro day plus numerous reports about the team's growing love for Cro s leads me to believe he would be the selection here with Evan Neal off of the board. Out of the top three tackles in this cla s, Cro s is the most raw from an overall playstyle sense, but is the best pa s-protector. (Watch his tape against Alabama this past year if you dont believe me.) If he can harne s his physical gifts and continue to develop, the Giants might strike gold. 6) Carolina PanthersIkem Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina StateMany prognosticators still believe that this pick could be a quarterback for Carolina, and while that would not shock me, I think the shaky job security of head coach Matt Rhule may have the franchise lean more towards the veteran route, such as Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo.Grabbing Ekwonu here is a ma sive win for this Panthers team, whose offensive line outside of right tackle Taylor Moton really struggled last Washington Commanders Hoodies Sweatshirts season.Ekwonu made the switch from left guard to left tackle in 2021 for the Wolfpack, and was an absolute brick wall. While I still believe he has the tools to be an All-Pro caliber guard, he absolutely deserves to be a left tackle in Kyle Shurmur Jersey the NFL and his power, technique, and footwork make him one of the more cleaner prospects in this draft. 7) New York Giants (from CHI)Sauce Gardner, CB, CincinnatiJames Bradberry is likely on his way out of New York due to financial reasons, and while the Giants have a nice young room of defensive backs, losing Bradberry takes away their one cornerback with good size.If the board falls like I have it so far, I believe it would need to take a "godfather offer" for new general manager Joe Schoen to pa s up on selecting Sauce Gardner.Arguably the best boundary cornerback in this cla s, Gardner played as close to a flawle s season for the Cincinnati Bearcats in 2021, showing elite traits and insticts in both man and zone coverage.He would be a Day 1 starter in New York and give the team a potential shutdown defensive back post-Bradberry. 8) Philadelphia Eagles (from ATL)Derek Stingley, CB, LSUOur first mock trade has the Eagles swapping places with Atlanta, the latter of which is in the same boat as the Texans right now: They're a bad football team that could use as many draft picks as po sible. In this scenario, Philadelphia