2022 NFL Mock Draft: Buccaneers, Steelers draft Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger successors
By Brad Weiss
The 2021 NFL season is coming to an end, as the Super Bowl will kick off on February 13, but first, let us take a look at our latest 2022 NFL Mock Draft.
On Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams punched their tickets to the Super Bowl with stunning victories over the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, respectively. It will be a matchup between two No. 1 overall picks in quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford, making this an incredibly exciting matchup.
Here, we look forward to April and see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers replace a legend at quarterback.
2022 NFL Mock Draft: Tampa Bay replaces Tom Brady
Picks No. 1 through 3
. Offensive Tackle. Jacksonville Jaguars. Evan Neal. 1. player. 52
For the second year in a row, the Jacksonville Jaguars will hold the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Last year, the Jaguars were able to land the No. 1 player in the draft class in Trevor Lawrence, a franchise-changing quarterback from Clemson.
This year, the No. 1 overall player is not so clear, and it could be several different guys hearing their name called first in late April. Here, the Jaguars decide to pass on the two top edge rushers in this draft class, landing a left tackle for their prized quarterback in Evan Neal from Alabama.
Edge. Detroit Lions. Aidan Hutchinson. 2. player. 50.
The Detroit Lions are a team that could be in the market for a quarterback this offseason, as Jared Goff was so-so in his first year in Detroit. However, he did play better down the stretch, and with no real top-prospect at the position group this year, they decide to bring in one of the elite edge rushers in this class.
While it is a coin-flip between Kayvon Thibodeaux and Aidan Hutchinson right now, we like the Lions to stick with the player who played his college ball in the state of Michigan. That player is Hutchinson, who is the kind of hard-working player that Dan Campbell loves.
Safety. Houston Texans. Kyle Hamilton. 3. player. 10.
The Houston Texans are still looking for their next head coach, so it remains to be seen what the priority for the new regime will be heading into the draft. No matter who is leading the way in 2022, this team has major holes on both sides of the ball and would be wise to start stacking elite talent no matter the draft need.
In this draft class, there are very few can’t-miss prospects, but I believe that Notre Dame star safety Kyle Hamilton is just that. He has incredible range, outstanding hands, and in a secondary that struggled mightily last season, he instantly slides in as a leader back there.