The NFL is coming off one of its most exhilarating seasons that I can remember that was followed by an equally entertaining postseason. The excitement was kicked up a notch this offseason with some of the sport’s biggest names on the move.

This year’s free agency looked more like an NBA offseason with the abundance of blue-chip players finding new homes for the 2022 season. This offseason has been a very expensive game of musical chairs that is headlined by a pair of elite signal callers.

The quarterback carousel started when George Paton went all in on Russell Wilson, giving up a haul of picks and players to bring the nine-time Pro Bowler to Denver. It’s no secret the Broncos have been a revolving door of underperforming QBs since Peyton Manning retired and with the AFC West being stacked at the position, Denver needed a massive upgrade.

The Broncos have as good a roster as anyone in their division with a great defense and promising young weapons, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were able to end Kansas City’s streak of division titles. Recent history has shown that bringing in a high caliber veteran under center generally works out well, just ask the Buccaneers and Rams. Wilson probably has another decade of high-level production left in him and he will have a supporting cast capable of making a deep playoff run for the first time since his first few years in Seattle.

On the other end of this trade is Seattle which is staring at a lengthy rebuild. Trading away Wilson along with releasing Bobby Wagner signals the end to the greatest era in franchise history. Seattle got plenty of compensation in the trade which makes up for the lost draft capital from the Jamal Adams trade. The question is where do the Seahawks go from here? Drew Lock serves as a bridge option for a year, but GM John Schneider still needs to find his long-term successor to Wilson. While Seattle now has the ninth overall pick, I believe they wait until next year to draft a quarterback as they will likely have a top five pick in a better QB class.

Denver wasn’t the only team to go all in on a franchise quarterback, Cleveland gave up their next three first round picks and then some to land Deshaun Watson. This concludes a yearlong saga after Watson was cleared of all criminal charges related to the sexual misconduct allegations from the past 12 months. There are still 22 civil suits ongoing, and it is very likely that Watson will be suspended for a good amount of the 2022 season.

While this move is a risky one with Watson’s availability in question, there is no denying that the Browns got an elite talent at the most important position.  Watson will certainly be compensated like an elite QB after signing a five-year deal worth $230 million fully guaranteed, the most guaranteed money for a player in NFL history.

Like the Broncos, Cleveland has everything in place to be a Super Bowl contender with the best running back tandem in the NFL, an elite offensive line and a true number one receiver in Amari Cooper. Should Watson miss time due to a potential suspension, Cleveland has a capable backup in Jacoby Brissett who can keep the Browns afloat in the AFC North. I don’t expect the Browns to be a serious threat in 2022 however long term, the Browns are set to be a perennial contender in January with Deshaun Watson as their quarterback.

Free agency has been so chaotic and intriguing that we are forgetting that the draft is less than a month away. The first round looks a lot different after several trades impacted the top 32 picks. My first mock draft from a few weeks back feels ancient as so much has happened since then. Teams have different needs than they did a month ago and several prospects had their stock rise or fall due to the combine. We have a much better idea of where each team stands entering draft weekend in Vegas now that free agency is mostly behind us.

With the draft closing in, here is my second mock for the 2022 NFL Draft.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars – Aidan Hutchinson, DE Michigan – The Jags addressed their offensive line by franchise tagging Cam Robinson and bringing in Brandon Scherff. Jacksonville instead uses the first pick to get Hutchinson who will give them a dominant pass rushing duo alongside Josh Allen for the next decade.
2. Detroit Lions – Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE Oregon – The Lions defense was awful last season and with Hutchinson off the board, Detroit takes Thibodeaux to provide much needed help for their pass rush. Thibodeaux isn’t as safe a pick as Hutchinson, however he has an incredibly high ceiling and has the potential to be a perennial Pro Bowl edge rusher.
3. Houston Texans – Kyle Hamilton, S Notre Dame – A safety hasn’t gone in the top five since Eric Berry in 2010, however Hamilton is the best player in this draft and will immediately make any team that drafts him better. Houston has a ton of needs so they may as well take the best player available especially since they lost Justin Reid in free agency.
4. New York Jets – Ahmad Gardner, CB Cincinnati – In my first mock I had the Jets waiting until their second pick to take “Sauce” Gardner however with the top two edge rushers off the board, New York gets the best lockdown corner in this class early. Cornerback is the Jets biggest need and Gardner is the guy you want lining up against Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill twice a year.
5. New York Giants – Evan Neal, OT Alabama – The Giants appear to be committed to Daniel Jones, so they get him better protection. Neal has experience at left and right tackle and alongside Andrew Thomas, the G-Men will have a pair of young tackles to keep Danny Dimes upright.
6. Carolina Panthers – Malik Willis, QB Liberty – The Panthers missed out on the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes and Willis has been rising draft boards after a strong combine and pro day. Willis is a project, however, throws with elite velocity and is just as dangerous when scrambling. Several teams in need of a QB will likely be picking ahead of Carolina next year so they get their franchise guy this April.
7. New York Giants (from Chicago) – Ikem Ekwonu, OT NC State – New York takes advantage of their draft capital to get the two best linemen available. Ekwonu will likely move to guard at the next level and will give the Giants much needed help on the interior of their line.
8. Atlanta Falcons – Garrett Wilson, WR Ohio State – This pick makes even more sense than before with Calvin Ridley being suspended for the entire 2022 season. Atlanta waits until next year to get Matt Ryan’s successor but whoever that is, will inherit Kyle Pitts and Garrett Wilson for the foreseeable future.
9. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver) – Charles Cross, OT Mississippi State – Like Atlanta, the Seahawks wait until next year to get their franchise signal caller. Instead, the Seahawks use the first pick from the Russell Wilson trade on a pro ready left tackle that Seattle desperately needs after letting Duane Brown walk this offseason.
10. New York Jets (from Seattle) – Travon Walker, DE Georgia – Walker has skyrocketed up mock drafts after a stellar combine and while several Georgia players put on a show in Indy, none helped their draft stock more than Walker. Robert Saleh gets an explosive edge rusher to pair with Carl Lawson as he looks to find the same defensive success he had in San Francisco.
11. Washington Commanders – Drake London, WR USC – The Commanders are rolling the dice on Carson Wentz and are going to do everything they can to make it work. London is a physically dominant weapon on the outside that can bail Wentz out of trouble and is a great addition to an already talented WR core.
12. Minnesota Vikings – Derek Stingley Jr., CB LSU – With Patrick Peterson officially a free agent, Minnesota replaces him with another LSU corner. Stingley has elite ball skills and is a corner you must be very cautious about targeting as a quarterback.
13. Houston Texans (from Cleveland) – Jermaine Johnson, DE FSU – This pick is courtesy of the Deshaun Watson trade and Houston uses it to further improve the defensive side of the ball. Johnson had a breakout 2021 season and has potential to be the steal of the first round.
14. Baltimore Ravens – Treylon Burks, WR Arkansas – Baltimore didn’t address their need at WR in free agency so they do so here by selecting Burks. Burks is the most versatile receiver in this class as he can be lined up on the edge, in the slot or even in the backfield. Burks is a great fit in Greg Roman’s offense and reminds me a lot of Deebo Samuel.
15. Philadelphia Eagles (from Miami) – Andrew Booth Jr., CB Clemson – Philly uses the first of their three picks in round one to get a physical corner to line up alongside Darius Slay. The Eagles have lacked a solid CB2 ever since losing Jalen Mills last offseason, so they grab Booth out of Clemson.
16. Philadelphia Eagles (from Indianapolis) – Chris Olave, WR Ohio State – DeVonta Smith showed plenty of promise as a rookie however Philly could use another weapon for Jalen Hurts. Olave is a great route runner who ran a blazing fast 40 at the combine.
17. Los Angeles Chargers – Jordan Davis, DT Georgia – LA upgraded their pass rush and secondary with Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson, however they didn’t fix their abysmal run defense in free agency. They do that here as they take the best interior defensive lineman in the draft, Jordan Davis. Davis anchored Georgia’s dominant defensive line and will provide much needed run support for the Chargers.
18. New Orleans Saints – Trevor Penning, OT Northern Iowa – New Orleans brought back Jameis Winston on a two-year deal so they are good at quarterback for now. After losing star LT Terron Armstead to the Dolphins, the Saints get their next franchise blindside blocker as Penning falls to them.
19. Philadelphia Eagles – Devin Lloyd, LB Utah – With corner and receiver already addressed, Howie Roseman uses his third pick on Lloyd who is widely viewed as the best linebacker in this class. Lloyd gives the Eagles an elite off the ball linebacker in the middle of their defense.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers – Kenny Pickett, QB Pittsburgh – Despite signing Mitch Trubisky, Pittsburgh is still in need of a long-term answer under center. Pickett is the most pro-ready QB in this year’s batch of signal callers and will be able to keep the Steelers viable in a tough division with great young quarterbacks.
21. New England Patriots – Zion Johnson, OG Boston College – After losing Ted Karras and Shaq Mason, New England needs interior offensive lineman. Johnson had a strong combine and has entered the conversation as a first-round pick. The Pats address receiver in the later rounds with this class being deep at the position.
22. Green Bay Packers (from Las Vegas) – Jameson Williams, WR Alabama – The Packers were already thin at receiver before losing Davante Adams and with Adams gone, they use one of the picks they got in return to draft his replacement. I originally had Williams being selected here to the Raiders, but the pick still makes sense for Green Bay who needs a true number one option in Adams’s absence.
23. Arizona Cardinals – George Karlaftis, DE Purdue – Chandler Jones left in free agency and J.J. Watt isn’t getting any younger so Arizona revamps their pass rush with Karlaftis. The NFC West is stacked, and a young edge rusher is exactly what the Cardinals need to keep up with the division.
24. Dallas Cowboys – Nakobe Dean, LB Georgia – Dallas could go offensive line here but they tend to add on to their strengths in the first round. Dean was the most productive player on Georgia’s National Championship winning defense and will keep offensive coordinators from focusing in on Micah Parsons.
25. Buffalo Bills – Devonte Wyatt, DT Georgia – The top two interior defensive lineman off the board is Bulldogs as Buffalo grabs Wyatt who improved his stock at the combine. The Bills pair Wyatt with Ed Oliver to solidify the inside of their D-line.
26. Tennessee Titans – Tyler Linderbaum, C Iowa – Tennes see re-signed Ben Jones on a two-year deal however Linderbaum is too good to pass up. The Titans could use some interior offensive line help and Linderbaum is easily the best interior lineman in this class.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Matt Corral, QB Ole Miss – Yes Tom Brady just led the league in passing yards and touchdowns but he did retire for six weeks and is only under contract for one more season. I’m not convinced that Kyle Trask is the answer and with Corral falling to them, Tampa gets Brady’s eventual replacement. Corral has above average arm strength and athleticism along with having the toughness you want out of a franchise quarterback.
28. Green Bay Packers – Bernhard Raimann, OT Central Michigan – Green Bay could double down at WR but they choose to address the right side of the offensive line. The Packers have had a need at right tackle since losing Bryan Bulaga and Raimann fits Matt LaFleur’s zone run offense.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (from Miami) – Jahan Dotson, WR Penn State – After trading away Tyreek Hill for a wagonload of draft picks, Kansas City uses the first rounder they got from Miami to get another deep threat. Dotson isn’t the biggest WR, but he has elite speed and will be a nice replacement for Hill as the Chiefs’ top deep target.
30. Kansas City Chiefs- David Ojabo, DE Michigan- Ojabo suffered a torn achilles during Michigan’s pro day, but I could still see him going on the first day of the draft. Frank Clark and Chris Jones are due for contracts in a couple of years and the Chiefs are likely losing at least one of them. In a division with Russell Wilson, Justin Herbert and Derek Carr, Ojabo will be incredibly valuable as a long-term edge rusher.
31. Cincinnati Bengals – Trent McDuffie, CB Washington – Cincinnati loaded up on the offensive line however Eli Apple is still a starting cornerback for them. McDuffie has sneaked into many first-round mocks, and he makes it here as the Bengals look to upgrade their secondary.
32. Detroit Lions (from LA Rams) – Daxton Hill, S Michigan – My mock begins and ends with Michigan Wolverines as the Lions stay in state with the 32nd pick. Detroit improves their secondary with Hill who gives them a free safety they have been looking for ever since losing Quandre Diggs.