2022 NFL mock drafts
Was looking through a number of 2022 mock drafts (too early, I know). A few general observations:
QB's are all over the place. Spencer Rattler (OU), JT Daniels (Georgia), Tyler Shough (Oregon), Kedon Slovis (USC), Jayden Daniels (ASU), Sam Howell (UNC), and Malik Willis (Liberty?) all make appearances in various orders.
Top overall athletes right now appear to be Derek Stingley (CB, LSU), Kayvon Thibodeaux (DE, Oregon), and Evan Neal (OL, Alabama).
For OSU: Chris Olave, Garrent Wilson, and Zach Harrison are more or less consensus 1st rounders. Haskell Garrett, Jeremy Ruckert, Sevyn Banks, and Thayer Munford all make appearances.
Rasheed Walker (OL, PSU) and George Karlaftis (DL, Purdue) are consensus 1st rounders.
For UM: Aiden Hutchinson appears on most lists (as high as #2 overall at Walter Football). Chris Hinton made one list as a first rounder (albeit by mentioning a lot of projection).
Personal guesses for UM: Aiden goes in the top 10, Gemon Green is a 2rd rounder, Mike Barrett 4th if he declares, Andrew Steuber 6/7th, and Jake Moody 6/7th as well. Roman Wilson, Erik All, and many OL and DL (including Hinton) start to look like solid picks in 2023 and beyond.
Zach Harrison is having a very Rashawn Gary-esque career.
Olave is definitely a top-15 pick next year.
Cumong, man. You know the universal rule of existence is that everything always works out for OSU.
Whoever their QB is, maybe he has one clunker of a game, but otherwise he's going to light the world on fire and somehow be better than the QB who came before him.
Feels like a lot of projection to expect anyone but Hutchinson and Hill to go on Day 1 or 2. Best guess is something like this with the older guys plus Dax (with the caveat that it's really difficult to predict how players and coaches will treat the potential COVID exception year moving forward):
Day 1: Hutchinson
Day 2: Hill (with Day 1 upside, but the hype needs a little more productivity than I'm ready to project)
Day 3: Bell, Stueber, Haskins
UDFA: Jeter, Filiaga, Vastardis, Ross, Hawkins
Hayes and Hinton probably have the most draft upside of the other early entry candidates and could absolutely play themselves into Day 2 types with strong seasons. Wouldn't rule out Barrett, Johnson, or (Gemon) Green but barring a major breakout their play to date doesn't indicate anything better than Day 3/UDFA range and would likely benefit from another season in AA.
What's important is that we have more draft picks than MSU so we have something to tweet about in the offseason. "LOL @ Sparty, they are so talentless they barely even beat us on the field. Losers!!!"
How about we beat MSU and make OSU a game first?
The Covid season really fucked up my knowledge about up and coming players for next year's draft. I mean we've known about Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields for a couple years, but there really doesn't seem to be any QBs in this next class that stand out the way they did.
I mean, there are "Way Too Early" mock drafts and then there is "Damnit, at least let this class get a game or two in" mock drafts. They seem to appear earlier every year.
My personal favorite is the "Way Too Early" Top-25 college basketball rankings from ESPN that come out right as One Shining Moment concludes.
Hutchinson is a beast and Hinton is going to break out. I really wanted Karlaftis and Harrison was obviously a take. Imagine if we'd gotten those two as well....
Hutchinson is awesome, but no way he goes top 10. Realistically he’s looking at somewhere between 20-45. Which is most likely about where Hill will end up. The top 3 safeties this draft went 35, 40, 43. The top 3 safeties in 2020 went 36, 37, 44. In 2019 top 3 went 21, 27, 47. You’re probably looking at:
Hutchinson Late first - Early 2nd
Hill - Late first-late second
Bell - 4th round - Undrafted
Hassan Haskins - 4th round - Undrafted
Brad Hawkins - 4th round - Undrafted
Michael Barrett - 5th round - Undrafted
Ross - Undrafted free agent
Green could eventually become a 3rd-4th round pick. Hayes can play his way all the way up to a 1st round pick. But currently he’d probably project to a 2nd or 3rd round guy. Guys like Haskins and Hawkins could both go middle of the draft on projection and special teams. Barrett will most likely come back for another year.
Dax hill second round or better.
The way, way, way too early Mock Draft.