2022 NFL Mock Draft: Is Kenny Pickett the future in Carolina?

Picks No. 11 through 14

Pick No. 11 in this mock draft belongs to the Philadelphia Eagles, who have the luxury of holding plenty of valuable draft capital in 2022. At pick No. 8, they added George Karlaftis in this mock, and here, they continue to bolster the defensive line, selecting DeMarvin Leal from Texas A&M.

The thought of both Karlaftis and Leal joining the Eagles should bring chills down the spine of every signal-caller in the NFC East moving forward. Controlling the line of scrimmage is the most crucial thing in football at any level, and this duo would be tough to handle.

The Carolina Panthers brought back Cam Newton two weeks ago, and so far, the returns have been good, even though they lost this past weekend against the Washington Football Team. Newton is getting the job done with his arm, and his legs, and even if they want to bring him back in 2022, they should still look at a quarterback here.

There is a lot of buzz beginning to grow around Kenny Pickett, a strong-armed quarterback from Pitt, who some feel could be the first quarterback off the board. At No. 12, it would make too much sense for Carolina to select him, let him grow behind Newton in 2022, and possibly take over as the full-time starter in Year 2.

Pick No. 13 belongs to the Denver Broncos, who have had a roller coaster of a year in 2021, and likely will end up close to the cellar of the AFC West. The Broncos have Teddy Bridgewater as their starting quarterback right now, and a young guy behind him in Drew Lock, but they could decide to hit the reset button at the position in April.

That could mean selecting Liberty’s Malik Willis with their first-round selection, and possibly bringing back Bridgewater and letting him learn behind a seasoned professional. There is a lot of good that Teddy B can bring to a franchise, and a rookie like Willis would benefit greatly from playing behind him.

The Miami Dolphins hold the San Francisco 49ers’ first-round pick in 2022, and in this mock draft, that selection would come at No. 14 overall. With the pick, the Dolphins continue to try and get it right up front along the offensive line, selecting Charles Cross from Mississippi State to man the left tackle spot moving forward.

Cross is an outstanding offensive tackle prospect, and after missing so many times at the position, the Dolphins need to take another swing at it. They still need to figure out if Tua Tagovailoa is their guy at quarterback moving forward, but no matter who is under center, they need help in front of them.