2022 NFL Mock Draft: Ole Miss QB Matt Corral shoots up the board
By Jason McIntyre
FOX Sports Betting Analyst
We’ve crossed the midway point of the college football season, and a few trends are emerging about the 2022 NFL Draft.
Quarterback play has been surprisingly down, it’s a stacked year for receivers, and a very promising cornerback crop has emerged. There isn’t a running back in my latest first-round mock, but five QBs made it in, though that seems very likely to change.
Last year at this time, the New York Jets were on the clock … but they didn’t end up getting Trevor Lawrence and the No. 1 pick.
Let’s get to the 2022 midseason mock draft.
1. Detroit Lions: Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
It has been a disastrous year for 2022 QBs due to injury (JT Daniels), benching (Spencer Rattler) and an unimpressive supporting cast (Sam Howell). Corral, who turns 23 in January, has started two-plus years and before this season was best known for transferring high schools after getting in a fight with Wayne Gretzky’s son. Corral is going to smash the NFL interview process and is a born leader.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
At 6-foot-7, 360 pounds, Neal has the measurables to be a longtime anchor in front of Lawrence. The Jaguars going with a left tackle seems like the only lock this early in the process.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (via Miami Dolphins): Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
Do the Eagles give QB Jalen Hurts another season to make his case to be the starter? If they do, the pick has to be Thibodeaux, who might have a Myles Garrett-like impact for Philadelphia, taking over for nearly 33-year-old Brandon Graham.
4. Houston Texans: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
I wasn’t a believer last summer, based on just 10 games, but Willis has looked like a slam-dunk first-round pick so far this season. The Auburn transfer has explosive running ability that will remind some of Deshaun Watson. He turns 23 in May.
5. New York Giants: Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
This will hinge on what happens to the GM-coach combo in New York, but after two-and-a-half seasons of QB Daniel Jones, it seems unlikely that he’s long for the Big Apple. There are plenty of ACC jokes to be made here if the Giants go from Jones (Duke) to Howell (UNC). Howell’s numbers across the board have sagged considerably from last season, but the three-year starter is still firmly in the first-round mix.
6. New York Jets: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
One of the best cornerbacks in college football the past three years, Stingley will almost certainly be the best cover corner the Jets have had since Darrelle Revis.
7. New England Patriots: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
The Patriots are getting pushed around the trenches and are desperate for a left tackle with Trent Brown on IR and Isaiah Wynn still not panning out. But the hulking Hutchinson is the pick here, providing help for a defense that ranks 28th in pressure rate with Bill Belichick refusing to blitz (26th).
8. Philadelphia Eagles: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
Hamilton is probably a top-five talent in the draft, but there is some concern about drafting a non-essential position this high. Hamilton, an All-American with the size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) and speed to defend elite tight ends, can do it all at safety.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (via Indianapolis Colts): George Karlaftis, Edge, Purdue
Karlaftis has been on NFL radars since he popped as a freshman with 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He was a four-star recruit with offers from Alabama and Clemson but stayed in West LaFayette. Now, he’s Purdue’s best defensive pro prospect since Rod Woodson.
10. New York Jets (via Seattle Seahawks): Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa
Linderbaum is the highest-graded interior lineman in the country, according to Pro Football Focus. The Jets have dramatically upgraded their line and are one star prospect away from laying the groundwork in the trenches for a decade. This might be too high for a center, but Linderbaum projects that highly in the pros.
11. Washington Football Team: Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
Ryan Fitzpatrick is hurt. Taylor Heinicke is … Taylor Heinicke. And the draft isn’t loaded with great prospects. The 6-foot-4 Ridder is a four-year starter who sort of reminds me of Alex Smith, who was a dual-threat QB coming out of Utah.
12. Atlanta Falcons: Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson
Assuming the Falcons don’t go QB here, they must improve their defense, whether at CB, safety, LB, or on the line. They seem to have a winner in former Clemson CB A.J. Terrell. Perhaps they pair him with another Tiger.
13. Miami Dolphins (via San Francisco 49ers): Kenyon Green, OT, Texas A&M
The Watson rumors persist. But if Miami is unable to trade for him (or Tua Tagovailoa turns it around and is given another season), the QB options remain slim. The offensive line continues to be a huge need despite significant investments.
14. Denver Broncos: Carson Strong, QB, Nevada
This is where the QB situation in the draft gets murky. There’s a glut of very good college QBs, but is any of them worthy of a first-round pick? Based on his play, Strong has made a push for the first round. But a significant knee injury in high school could flag some medicals that might have him slide out of the first.
15. Carolina Panthers: Drake London, WR, USC
The highest-graded receiver in college football through seven weeks, London is on track to surpass his combined freshman and sophomore season stats (72 catches, 1,069 yards, eight TDS) before the calendar turns to November. Between London, DJ Moore and Christian McCaffrey, there will be no excuses left for Sam Darnold.
16. New York Giants (via Chicago Bears): Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
The Giants' defense has young talent everywhere, and there’s a chance that by season’s end the needs change, but the team sorely lacks a CB opposite James Bradberry. Adoree' Jackson is always hurt, Jabrill Peppers is a natural safety, and former Notre Dame corner Julian Love continues to struggle.
17. Cleveland Browns: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
The 6-foot-2 Ohio State transfer opened the season with a 94-yard TD against Miami and has been dominant, torching Texas A&M for 10-146-2. He also has TD catches of 75 and 81 yards. Given that Odell Beckham Jr. might not be long for Cleveland, you have to wonder if the Browns look at WR here.
18. Kansas City Chiefs: DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M
The Chiefs are desperate for defensive help at all three levels, and they might spend all their picks on that side of the ball.
19. Minnesota Vikings: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
The Vikings put a Band-Aid (Patrick Peterson) on a gaping wound, and now he’s on IR. The secondary remains a big problem. McDuffie has only two interceptions in his three-year career, but that’s mostly because nobody throws his way.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
The guess here is that if Jimmy Garoppolo goes anywhere, it’s to the Steelers. As such, Pittsburgh won’t draft a QB in this spot and will try to continue a Super Bowl push. The Steelers must fix their offensive line, but also top cornerback Joe Haden turns 33, and that’s a position of need.
21. Tennessee Titans: Derion Kendrick, CB, Georgia
With such an incredible defense, it’s tough to tell if Kendrick has made a leap or if he just has less work to do for the Bulldogs. But so far this season, he has allowed only five catches on 16 targets, per PFF.
22. New Orleans Saints: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
The Michael Thomas situation has been ugly for more than a year, and the Saints are totally devoid of playmakers on the outside. Wilson’s 4.4 speed would look nice indoors.
23. Las Vegas Raiders: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
The Raiders must bolster the offensive line, which has been considered a bottom-five unit for much of the season.
24. Dallas Cowboys: Drake Jackson, Edge, USC
Jackson burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2019, with team highs of 11.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks. After a down 2020 season, he’s once again leading the Trojans in both categories. He does, however, need to improve against the run to cement his first-round status.
25. Los Angeles Chargers: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
The Chargers' run defense has been embarrassingly bad through the first third of the season and needs a space-eating run-stopper. Enter Davis, who is one of the key cogs in the nation’s best defense.
26. Cincinnati Bengals: Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
Emerging as one of the best cornerbacks in the country this season with the Tigers, McCreary is making a strong case to be one of the first defensive backs off the board. He was exceptional in 2020 against future Jets pick Elijah Moore, and he more than held his own against Penn State’s Jahan Dotson and Burks of Arkansas in 2021.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
Lavonte David turns 32 in January, and his play has fallen off this season. Lloyd is rapidly rising thanks to a monster season with the Utes, as he’s 20th in the country in tackles with 13 TFL and five sacks.
28. Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles Rams): Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
On the heels of K.J. Hamler’s great run in Happy Valley, Dotson is another explosive WR prospect. The concerns about his size — 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, maybe — are legit, given the punishment receivers take, but Dotson is always getting open: He’s 11th in the country with 7.2 receptions per game.
29. Buffalo Bills: Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky
The Bills have bolstered the defensive line significantly and now must do the same in front of Josh Allen. Rookie right tackle Spencer Brown has struggled, and depth at tackle is an issue. Kinnard was slated to start at guard at Kentucky, but a starter’s injury led him to tackle. He has been crushing it there ever since.
30. Green Bay Packers: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
Wouldn't it be something if the year Aaron Rodgers is expected to leave Green Bay, the Packers finally draft a receiver in the first round? Burks has been a revelation for the Razorbacks, among the SEC leaders in receptions, yards and TDs. At 6-foot-3 and 230, he's a matchup problem for most CBs. If he can run a 4.4, there’s a chance he’s the first receiver taken.
31. Baltimore Ravens: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
Six receivers in the first round seems about right. The Ravens went with a WR in the first round in 2019 and 2021. But if the point is to help Lamar Jackson’s air attack, keep taking those wideouts.
32. Arizona Cardinals: Kingsley Enagbare, Edge, South Carolina
The arrow is pointing straight up for the senior, who has had impactful games against Kentucky and Georgia, which feature future NFL offensive tackles. PFF has graded Enagbare as the No. 3 edge rusher in college football through seven games.
Jason McIntyre is a FOX Sports betting analyst, and he also writes about the NFL and NBA Draft. He joined FS1 in 2016 and has appeared on every show on the network. In 2017, McIntyre began producing gambling content on the NFL, college football and NBA for FOX Sports. Before arriving at FOX, he created the website The Big Lead, which he sold in 2010.