This will be a recurring theme throughout the fall and even into next spring: This quarterbacks class looks considerably deeper than last year's version, when only Kenny Pickett was among the first 32 picks, and the next passer didn't hear his name called until Round 3.
This time around, the issue won't be if we see a quarterback in the first round, it's which quarterback has the best chance of going first overall. The media love Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, and for good reason, but through the first month of the season, some NFL teams are higher on Will Levis and Anthony Richardson, two QBs with vastly different levels of experience. A lot can change between now and late April but that's why we're here, right?
In other news, five edge rushers and offensive linemen, four wide receivers and defensive backs, and two(!) running backs make their way into the top 32.
There are only 31 selections in this mock draft because the Dolphins were stripped of their first-round pick because of tampering.
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One other thing, and this is important: The draft order below was determined using SportsLine's Super Bowl odds, but in reverse order. We know folks are going to be very angry about why we have their team picking so high, but it's not our fault. These are your team's odds of winning a Lombardi Trophy this season.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
Will Levis
QB
Kentucky
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 229 lbs
Geno Smith has been good over the first month of the season but if the Seahawks are in position to take a franchise QB they'll give it serious consideration. Levis is coming off a tough loss vs. Ole Miss, but NFL teams are much higher on how Levis' skills translate to the next level than the media.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Will Anderson Jr.
EDGE
Alabama
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 243 lbs
Quarterback could be in play here, too, but Davis Mills has a chance to be a good NFL starter. If Texans stay with Mills, Anderson is a layup. He's the best defensive player to come out of Alabama in the Nick Saban era, and possibly No. 2 all time behind only Derrick Thomas.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Florida
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 244 lbs
Richardson is raw -- he attempted just 68 passes in 2021 -- and through four games this season we've seen the highs (Utah, Arkansas) and the lows (Kentucky, South Florida). But what's important to remember is that he's going to get better -- likely a lot better, and he's already doing things with the football that very few people on this planet would even consider.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Jalen Carter
DL
Georgia
• Soph
• 6'3"
/ 314 lbs
The Jets have one of the NFL's worst defenses, and while this could be a prove-it year for Zach Wilson, it's more likely the team addresses needs elsewhere with a high pick. Enter Carter, who has been hobbled by an ankle injury early in the Bulldogs season, but he was arguably the best player on the '21 Georgia defense, a group that had eight players drafted.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Kelee Ringo
CB
Georgia
• Soph
• 6'2"
/ 207 lbs
The Georgia-to-first-round pipeline continues. A year after five Bulldogs went in Round 1, expect a handful this time around, too. Ringo is a long, physical corner who has matched up against some of the best players in the country. The Bears beefed up the secondary with early picks last spring, and perhaps offensive line or wide receiver would be better targets, just not this high.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
C.J. Stroud
QB
Ohio State
• Soph
• 6'3"
/ 218 lbs
If you told us Sam Darnold was wearing a Baker Mayfield mask to start the season we would believe you because the results have been the same. And maybe that's more a knock on the offense, in general, and not the QB. Either way, it's hard to imagine owner David Tepper doesn't finally address the position this offseason, and if C.J. Stroud is available, it's easy to imagine him being the pick.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Northwestern
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 313 lbs
This offensive line class isn't deep but Skoronski has gotten off to a strong start to the '22 season. He was dominant vs. Nebraska in the opener and has continued to dominate throughout September. Washington's O-line has struggled at times and if the team is happy with Carson Wentz, protecting him should be a priority.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Myles Murphy
EDGE
Clemson
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 275 lbs
Murphy won't be 21 until next spring and while we'd like to see him play with more consistency ... he won't be 21 until next spring. On top of that, when he's on, he's hard to stop, which makes him such an interesting prospect. The Steelers defense has been stuck in neutral since T.J. Watt went down, and adding more depth to the position seems prudent here, especially if there isn't an O-line target they like on the board.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Cam Smith
CB
South Carolina
• Soph
• 6'1"
/ 180 lbs
Jeffrey Okudah is healthy for the first time in his NFL career and looks every bit like a top-5 selection. There's still room to add a another top-flight corner as the Lions go about reshaping their defense around young players Aidan Hutchinson, Malcolm Rodriguez and Jeff Okudah at all three levels.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Ohio State
• Soph
• 6'0"
/ 197 lbs
Whichever wide receiver you like best, put him here. The Patriots did draft Tyquan Thornton in Round 2 but he's missed the start of the season with an injury. Maybe he returns and transforms an offense that lacks downfield playmakers. But even if that does happen, Mac Jones would no doubt still welcome the chance for more dynamism in the passing offense.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Tyree Wilson
LB
Texas Tech
• Soph
• 6'6"
/ 275 lbs
We get Boogie Basham vibes watching Wilson, who is long and thick. He's a high-motor player who consistently finds his way into the backfield, and in Las Vegas he'll beef up a defense that has been exposed during the first four weeks of the '22 campaign.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Bryce Young
QB
Alabama
• Soph
• 5'10"
/ 204 lbs
Young would be in the running for the No. 1 overall pick if he was, say, two inches taller and 20 pounds heavier. There's a lot to love about his game but some NFL teams are concerned about his size and durability. But as the old saying goes, it only takes one, and Young is undoubtedly a first-round talent who could easily find his way into the top 10.
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From
New Orleans Saints
Round 1 - Pick 13
Texas A&M
• Soph
• 6'3"
/ 195 lbs
The Eagles have few holes but perhaps they could use some depth at the safety position. Johnson flies around the field like he's shot out of a cannon, looks to run through the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage, and is a wrap-up tackler in space. He can line up in deep center field or near the line of scrimmage and that versatility makes him one of the best defensive backs in this class.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
LSU
• Soph
• 6'0"
/ 197 lbs
The Titans miss A.J. Brown. Rookie Treylon Burks (who was injured on Sunday) has been good, but he could use a running mate. Boutte put up impressive numbers in '20 and '21, despite the lack of consistent QB play in LSU, but make no mistake: he's one of the best wideouts in this class.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Texas
• Soph
• 5'11"
/ 215 lbs
Is a running back worth a top-half-of-the-first-round selection? Yeah, we think so, especially when that player is Robinson and he's going to an offense like Arizona's, where he could take some of the pressure off Kyler Murray, who spends most Sundays running for his life. Robinson is part Adrian Peterson, Derek Henry and Shaun Alexander, but he's also a threat as a receiver.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Notre Dame
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 265 lbs
Hey, look at that, the Jags are really good! And paying Christian Kirk and Zay Jones those big-money deals appear to be the right call. Adding Mayer gives Lawrence another downfield weapon, especially with Evan Engram currently playing on a one-year deal.
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From
Cleveland Browns
Round 1 - Pick 17
USC
• Soph
• 5'11"
/ 175 lbs
The Texans bolstered the defense by taking Anderson with the No. 2 pick above, and here they give Mills some much-needed help at wide receiver. Addison is off to a strong start for the Trojans, and it's easy to see him having early success in the NFL, too.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Oregon
• Soph
• 6'2"
/ 205 lbs
Gonzalez, a Colorado transfer, is a big-time athlete who is still growing into the position. He has the size, strength and speed to line up against NFL wide receivers, who needs to improve in run support.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Brian Branch
CB
Alabama
• Soph
• 6'0"
/ 203 lbs
Branch isn't the first name you hear about when the conversation turns to Alabama's defense, but maybe he should be. He left Saturday's win over Arkansas before halftime because of an injury, but when he's healthy, he's on the field for just about every snap. He's a sure tackler, can blitz off the edge, and is solid in coverage, and if Saban trusts him, that's all you need to know about his NFL prospects.
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From
San Francisco 49ers
Round 1 - Pick 20
BJ Ojulari
EDGE
LSU
• Soph
• 6'2"
/ 248 lbs
Ojulari, whose brother played at Georgia and plays for the Giants, is off to a strong start for the Tigers. He has 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss in his last two games against Mississippi State and Auburn, and he has many of the same explosive qualities that made his brother so hard to block for the Bulldogs. Ojulari could end up being better than his brother, and that's saying something.
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From
Denver Broncos
Round 1 - Pick 22
Nolan Smith
EDGE
Georgia
• Soph
• 6'2"
/ 238 lbs
Seattle found its franchise QB at the top of the draft and here it adds edge rusher Smith. Smith is listed at just 235 pounds so he'll need to add weight, but he's also scratching the surface on what he'll be able to do at the next level.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
Florida
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 347 lbs
Torrence transferred from Louisiana and didn't miss a beat. He's been dominant for Florida and in Cincinnati, the Bengals should make fixing the O-line an offseason priority until they get it right.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Ohio State
• Soph
• 6'6"
/ 313 lbs
Johnson is a consistently good run blocker, but his pass protection needs refinement. That said, his athleticism jumps off the screen and it's not every day you find a 6-foot-6 offensive lineman who can move the way he does.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Clemson
• Soph
• 6'2"
/ 238 lbs
Simpson's athleticism is what immediately gets your attention, and in today's NFL, where sideline-to-sideline speed coupled with the ability to blow up the ball carrier is at a premium, Simpson is easy to like.
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 26
Siaki Ika
DL
Baylor
• Soph
• 6'3"
/ 335 lbs
After addressing the secondary earlier in this mock draft, the Lions beef up the defensive line here with Ika, who is a one-man pocket collapser. Related: We're now living in a world where the Lions have legit playmakers at the skill position, a really good offensive line, and a QB they trust. If they can shore up a few of the holes on defense, this feels like a playoff team in the near future.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Georgia
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 311 lbs
Jones is a former five-star who is off to a strong start this season for the Bulldogs. The Ravens have had injuries along their O-line but either way, Jones has the talent to be a longtime starter in the league.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Penn State
• 6'6"
/ 317 lbs
Fashanu is short on experience but it's hard not to love the potential based on what we've seen so far. The Packers could be a team in transition if Aaron Rodgers retires in the offseason but whoever ends up under center in '23 will benefit from the addition of Fashanu.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Jahmyr Gibbs
RB
Alabama
• Soph
• 5'9"
/ 200 lbs
Two running backs went in the first round in 2021 (Najee Harris and Travis Etienne) so it has happened recently, but that '21 class feels more like an anomaly than a trend. Whatever happens, you can't ignore what Gibbs, a Georgia Tech transfer, has done for Alabama. Look no further than Saturday's game against Arkansas, where Gibbs took over after Bryce Young left with a shoulder injury. When it was over, Gibbs rushed for more than 206 yards (with two runs of more than 70 yards) and two scores.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Isaiah Foskey
EDGE
Notre Dame
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 265 lbs
The Eagles double-down on defense in this mock draft, first adding a big-hitting safety in Johnson and here getting an edge rusher in Foskey. He can line up all over the field, from a seven technique to weakside linebacker to middle linebacker in subpackages. Foskey is a high-end athlete and chess piece who is still learning the position.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
TCU
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 215 lbs
Johnston has gotten off to a slow start in '22 but he's an above-the-rim playmaker whose athleticism and contested-catch abilities reminds us of Chase Claypool.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Drew Sanders
LB
Arkansas
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 234 lbs
Sanders is a former five-star who transferred from Alabama after the 2021 season and all he's done is dominate for the Razorbacks. He was an edge rusher for the Crimson Tide but he lines up all over the defense for Arkansas and he's been a one-man wrecking crew when he's on the field.
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