The 2022 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 28 and there is a ton of talented football players looking for their next home. The NFL Draft is where franchisees can be turned into dynasties, making every teams’ selections incredibly important to their future. This upcoming Thursday can be a turning point for teams like the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Houston Texans if they have a great draft. The Draft can also serve as a boost to the already more talented rosters in the NFL like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Rams, three of the top teams in the NFL. Let's take a look at some of the best prospects these teams have been looking at for the past couple of months.
While there is not actually a clear-cut number one overall pick, like there was in last year’s NFL Draft, there is plenty of talent that could be taken with the Jacksonville Jaguars' first overall pick. After finishing the 2021 season with a record of just 3-14, the Jags could really use help at any position, besides quarterback after drafting generational prospect Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick in last year's draft. Since the Jaguars are in need at multiple different positions, this puts them in a situation where they can’t really go wrong. In the eyes of many NFL analysts, the Jaguars will either go with a defensive line or an offensive line prospect. Some of the names that are most likely being heavily considered by the Jaguars are Aidan Hutchinson, an edge rusher from Michigan, Kayvon Thibodeaux, an edge rusher from Oregon, Ikem Ekwonu, an offensive tackle from North Carolina State, Evan Neal, an offensive tackle from Alabama, or Travon Walker, a defensive lineman from Georgia. This is clearly a fairly large selection of players for just one pick, but I really don’t think that the Jaguars can go wrong with any of these guys.
The Detroit Lions at the number two overall pick are definitely going to be looking at either Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux. Their selection will be dependent upon who the Jaguars end up taking with the first overall pick, but if I’m a Lions fan, I would be happy with either Hutchinson or Thibodeaux. The Lions could also potentially look to go with an offensive lineman, but most people believe that defense is a higher priority for the Lions.
With the third overall pick, the Houston Texans are pretty much in the same boat as the Jaguars in terms of their needs. The Texans should be looking to get the most talented guy, in their eyes, that ends up falling to them at the third pick. Houston’s selection could be an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman, but either one will be beneficial for the franchise. A lot of mock drafts have Travon Walker as the best fit for the Texans.
The New York Jets have the fourth pick in the draft and are pretty much looking to draft defensively at any position, but especially the defensive line. If the top three defensive line prospects happen to go in the first three picks, it is possible that the Jets go after Kyle Hamilton, a safety from Notre Dame, or Ahmad Gardner, a cornerback from Cincinnati.
Finally, we’ll take a look at the New York Giants who have the fifth pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Giants will be pretty strictly looking to take an offensive lineman since they had one of the worst offensive lines in the league last year. Alabama’s Evan Neal should probably still be available for the fifth pick, which is probably the ideal pick for the New York Giants.
