Former NFL GM predicts plenty of surprises in his first-round NFL mock draft

Every is getting in on mock draft season ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. The latest to do so is former NFL GM turned ESPN analyst, Mike Tannenbaum. With the NFL Draft a little less than a month away, the picture is becoming less blurry, and the first round is getting easier to see with every passing day.

However, Tannenbaum isn’t doing a traditional mock draft, as he prefaced.

“This isn’t your traditional mock draft,” wrote Tannenbaum. “I’m leaving the actual Round 1 predictions to my colleagues. This isn’t what I’m expecting or what I’m hearing. Instead, what follows is how I’d make each first-round pick if I was representing each of the 24 teams with at least one Day 1 selection. It’s based off my own evaluations and preferences, along with what I believe makes the most sense for every team on the board.”

As you’ll see, Mike Tannenbaum makes plenty of interesting picks throughout his 2022 NFL mock draft. Here’s who he believes should be drafted in the first round, and which teams they’ll end up with.

Former GM first-round NFL mock draft:

1) Jacksonville Jaguars — Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
2) Detroit Lions — Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
3) Houston Texans — Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
4) New York Jets — Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
5) New York Giants — Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
6) Carolina Panthers — Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
7) New York Giants (via Chicago Bears) — Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
8) Atlanta Falcons — Drake London, WR, USC
9) Seattle Seahawks (via Denver Broncos) — Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
10) New York Jets (via Seattle Seahawks) — Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State
11) Washington Commanders — Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
12) Minnesota Vikings — Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
13) Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns) — Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
14) Baltimore Ravens — Tyler Linderbaum, IOL, Iowa
15) Philadelphia Eagles (via Miami Dolphins) — Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
16) Philadelphia Eagles (via Indianapolis Colts) — Kenyon Green, IOL, Texas A&M
17) Los Angeles Chargers — Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
18) New Orleans Saints — Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
19) Philadelphia Eagles — Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
20) Pittsburgh Steelers — Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
21) New England Patriots — Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson
22) Green Bay Packers (via Las Vegas Raiders) — Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
23) Arizona Cardinals — David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan
24) Dallas Cowboys — Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
25) Buffalo Bills — Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington
26) Tennessee Titans — Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
27) Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Jordan Davis, IDL, Georgia
28) Green Bay Packers — Zion Johnson, IOL, Boston College
29) Kansas City Chiefs (via Miami Dolphins via San Francisco 49ers) — Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
30) Kansas City Chiefs — Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn State
31) Cincinnati Bengals — Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
32) Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles Rams) — Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss