Mel Kiper reveals his top 25 prospects in 2022 NFL Draft

The 2022 NFL Draft is set to begin with the first round on April 28 in Las Vegas. With college football season in the books and more clarity now here on the full draft class, rankings and mock drafts have been drastically impacted. ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper just revealed his top 25 prospects for the upcoming draft.

Kiper’s top 25 prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft

1. Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson
2. Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux
3. Alabama OT Evan Neal
4. Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton
5. NC State OT/G Ikem Ekwonu
6. LSU CB Derek Stingley Jr.
7. USC WR Drake London
8. Utah LB Devin Lloyd
9. Michigan DE David Ojabo
10. Georgia LB Nakobe Dean
11. Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner
12. Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum
13. Mississippi State OT Charles Cross
14. Alabama WR Jameson Williams
15. Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson
16. Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett
17. Liberty QB Malik Willis
18. Penn State LB Arnold Ebiketie
19. Georgia DE Travon Walker
20. Purdue DE George Karlaftis
21. Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning
22. Penn State WR Jahan Dotson
23. Ohio State WR Chris Olave
24. Arkansas WR Treylon Burks
25. Ole Miss QB Matt Corral

Kiper’s rankings include some surprises

For much of the season, Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was viewed as the likely top pick. But Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson’s monster season, that saw him finish as a Heisman finalist, has propelled him into the top spot. Either defensive end could become the top pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars on draft night. Kiper ranks Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal just behind Hutchinson and Thibodeaux. Some mocks have the Jaguars opting to help protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence by selecting Neal.

As with most drafts, the quarterback carousel could have major impacts on the draft. Kiper lists three quarterbacks within his top NFL Draft prospects: Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett (No. 16), Liberty’s Malik Willis (No. 17), and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral (No. 25). Corral is viewed by many as a potential QB1 in this draft class, but Kiper has him barely cracking his top 25.

There are multiple quarterback needy teams in the NFL. Some potential landing spots for the top quarterbacks available include the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Washington Football Team, Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New Orleans Saints, among others.

Kiper’s top 25 NFL Draft prospects contain 14 offensive players and 11 defensive players. How the top ten shakes out could seriously change the outlook for the rest of the first round. Teams are bound to make trades prior to and during draft night, so many more changes to rankings and mock drafts are likely to come.