2022 NFL Mock Draft: Giants, Jets get serious upgrades early

Picks No. 11 through 14

The Atlanta Falcons picked up a much-needed win against the Jacksonville Jaguars this past weekend, putting together one of their better efforts in recent memory. Still, a lot of changes are likely coming to this franchise moving forward, and that could mean the end of the Matt Ryan era in Atlanta.

If that is the case, then the Falcons need to make sure they land a quarterback in the first round, and they do in our mock by selecting Kenny Pickett. Some feel Pickett could be the first quarterback off the board, and that could certainly be the case, but here, the Falcons find their next franchise guy at No. 11 overall.

The Minnesota Vikings are a team that has to kick it into gear if they hope to make the playoffs, as they suffered a tough loss this past weekend against San Francisco. That was on the heels of a tremendous victory against Green Bay, but if they are going to be so inconsistent, they could be looking at major changes this offseason.

With pick No. 12 overall, I like the Vikings to target their secondary, bringing in an elite talent in Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. This kid is a flat-out playmaker, and the Vikings defense certainly needs all the help they can get in the defensive backfield.

The New Orleans Saints have become a laughingstock since the injury to Jameis Winston, and it is being reported that Taysom Hill will replace Trevor Siemian as the team’s starting quarterback. The losers of four straight, the Saints are headed towards a top-10 pick, but here, they select at No. 13 overall.

With this selection, the Saints get Winston a legitimate weapon for when he returns next season in Garrett Wilson from Ohio State. Wilson is an incredible talent, possessing the ability to go up and make the big grabs, as well as go over the middle, and should be a star at the next level.

With their third and final first-round pick in 2022, the Philadelphia Eagles turn their attention to the offensive side of the ball, adding a weapon in the passing game for Jalen Hurts. Hurts looked terrible this past weekend against the New York Giants, but also suffers from not having enough players to target outside of DeVonta Smith, a 2021 first-round pick.

At pick No. 14, the Eagles add a legitimate playmaker next to Smith in Chris Olave, who joins teammate Garrett Wilson here in the top-15. Jalen Reagor has been atrocious since being a top pick of the franchise, dropping two touchdown passes against New York, so Olave becomes the No. 2 wideout from Day 1.