2022 NFL Draft: College football midseason mock draft

Halfway through the college football season and just over six months away from the 2022 NFL Draft, the options are becoming more clear for every NFL team. 

On Wednesday, PFF’s Trevor Sikkema provided a first-round mock draft with the intention of “giving those who are already ‘on to next year’ an early peek at where their team stands in the draft order and a handful of names to know as the college football season starts to wind down and 2022 NFL Draft season starts to heat up.”

PFF 2022 NFL mock draft:

1. Detroit Lions: Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
2. Philadelphia Eagles (via Miami): CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Evan Neal, Alabama
4. Houston Texas: S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
5. New York Giants: Edge Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
6. New York Jets: CB Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati
7. New England Patriots: OT Ikem Ekwonu, NC State
8. Philadelphia Eagles: OL Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa
9. Philadelphia Eagles (via IND): WR Chris Olave, Ohio State
10. New York Jets (via SEA): WR Treylon Burks, Arkansas
11. Washington Football Team: QB Malik Willis, Liberty
12. Atlanta Falcons: IDL Jordan Davis, Georgia
13. Miami Dolphins (via SF): WR Drake London, USC
14. Denver Broncos: DL DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M
15. Carolina Panthers: IOL Kenyon Green, Texas A&M
16. New York Giants (via CHI): OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State
17. Cleveland Browns: Edge Drake Jackson, USC
18. Kansas City Chiefs: Edge Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina
19. Minnesota Vikings: CB Kaiir Elam, Florida
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Matt Corral, Ole Miss
21. New Orleans Saints: WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State
22. Buffalo Bills: CB Trent McDuffie, Washington
23. Tennessee Titans: CB Andrew Booth, Clemson
24. Dallas Cowboys: S Jordan Battle, Alabama
25. Las Vegas Raiders: LB Devin Lloyd, Utah
26. Los Angeles Chargers: OT Darian Kinnard, Kentucky
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Roger McCreary, Auburn
28. Detroit Lions (via LAR): QB Sam Howell, UNC
29. Cincinnati Bengals: OT Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
30. Green Bay Packers: WR John Metchie III, Alabama
31. Baltimore Ravens: WR George Pickens, Georgia
32. Arizona Cardinals: Edge George Karlaftis, Purdue

SEC draft dominance likely to continue

The SEC continues to churn out NFL Draft picks at the highest levels. There are 15 SEC players listed here, with five each from the Big Ten and Pac-12, three from the ACC, two from the independent schools and one each from the Group of Five and FCS Northern Iowa. Notably absent is the Big 12. Zero Big 12 players were taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft as well.

There are 17 offensive players and 15 defensive players in this mock first round. Last year’s draft was quarterback heavy, as the first three picks and five of the first 15 picks were signal callers. There were eight quarterbacks taken in the first three rounds, the most in the history of the NFL Draft.

Few QBs and RBs likely to be taken early

This season, quarterbacks likely will not dominate the draft. PFF has three in the first round, and the first signal caller is not taken until the 11th selection. Offensive linemen and defensive players dominate the Top 10 in this simulation. 

Noticeably absent as a position group are running backs. It is becoming less and less common to draft a running back in the earliest rounds, but there has been at least one taken in the first round each year since 2015. 

The top running backs in college football this season are largely younger players. True freshmen TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State) and Jarquez Hunter (Auburn) headline the newest class, and redshirt freshman Bijan Robinson (Texas) has also quickly become a Heisman contender. The nation’s leading rusher in terms of total yards is Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III, who is eligible to enter the NFL Draft this year.