Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Locked On Titans Presents: Tyler Rowland's 2022 NFL Mock Draft

Episode Date: April 28, 2022

It is DRAFT DAY folks and that means it is time to unveil Tyler's 2022 NFL Mock Draft. For the third year in a row Tyler will go from pick one to pick 32 predicting what he thinks WILL happen. There are some surprises along the way and some trades! Enjoy the mock draft and HAPPY DRAFT DAY!!!Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked on Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to a Locked On Titans special edition. I am your host, Tyler Rowland. Ladies and gentlemen, it is draft day, and that means it's time to unveil my yearly first round mock draft. I'm going to be going from pick one all the way to pick 32. I got a couple of surprises in there. I got a couple of trades as well, and of course, a controversial selection for your Tennessee Titans.

So I'm excited to dive into my 2022 first round mock draft on a special draft day edition of the Locked On Titans podcast. Let's mock it. You are Locked On Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. It is a special draft day edition of the Locked On Titans podcast. Ready to dive into my first round mock draft. Now, I've been making a mock draft for about the last five years. Been putting it out the day of the draft on the podcast for the last two.

So this would be my third year putting it out officially into the airwaves. But the way that the mock drafts are scored, it's by thehuddlereport.com. They do a great job. You get one point for having a player in the first round. You get two additional points if it's a perfect match player to team. So a potential of three points per selection. Just for some reference, last year, Josh Norris of Underdog Sports actually set the mock draft record with 59 total points.

The five-year champion, the best five-year average over the last few years is Brandon Donahue of Sharp Football Analysis. Evan Silva of Establish the Run has really high grades in this remark. So that's how I grade the mock draft so that there's some accountability there and not just, you know, like most mock drafters and just making the mock draft and then moving on and not actually checking for accuracy. So that's the way I like to grade it upon that scale from the huddle report.com. Last year, for example, my mock draft scored a 42, which would have been top 50 in the world and their rankings actually beat Daniel Jeremiah. You know, no big deal, no big deal, no big deal or anything. But the point is I do take it seriously. I'm not trying to do what I think the team should do. I'm trying to do what I think will happen. So with that in mind, we're going to dive into my 2022 NFL mock draft. Got some trades, got some, maybe some prizes to some people. And of course the Tennessee Titans pick, but diving in here, here we go. It's that time of year again, folks, and I'm so excited to unveil my annual mock draft. Last year, I ranked top 50 in the world based on the huddle report scoring system. Before we get to the picks, I want to point out a few things. First,

values are all over the board this year, and with teams not quite sure how other teams value players, I think we could see massive positional runs. Second, this is not considered a very strong draft. Not a lot of top talent and not super deep at most positions. With that in mind, I believe teams will focus on the trenches. Linemen don't always need top tier traits to pop in the league. Last, I think trade packages will be considerably less expensive this year compared to others. Without top-tier talent, teams will want a quantity of picks.

Enjoy the mock draft. Number one, the Jacksonville Jaguars select Trevon Walker, edge rusher, out of Georgia. Throughout the majority of the draft process, most people had Aiden Hutchinson pegged as the top pick, but everything about this comes down to Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke. For starters, Baalke loves athletic traits and length. He's on record talking about how important length is. Walker looks like he was built in a lab. He's got elite length and twitchiness.

Secondly, Baalke built his best teams with the San Francisco 49ers around a dominant edge in Alden Smith, who Walker has actually been compared to. Some production concerns aside, Walker has all the tools to be a freak pass rusher. Jacksonville gets a bookend to Josh Allen. What a tandem. Number two, the Detroit Lions select Aiden Hutchinson, edge out of Michigan. Hutchinson is just a perfect fit for the Lions.

Hometown kid. He's a kneecap biting personality. Fills a position of Michigan. Hutchinson is just a perfect fit for the Lions. Hometown kid. He's a kneecap biting personality. He fills a position of need. If the Jaguars don't take Hutch, I think the Lions sprint to the podium. Hutchinson may not be the shiniest toy, but he has better than people realize athleticism with a nonstop motor. He should be a productive player for around a decade. Number three, the Houston Texans select Ikem Mekonwu, offensive tackle out of NC State. The Texans are one of the X factors out of the early picks.

The buzz around them right now has Derek Stingley. That's increased quite a bit, but it still feels a bit too high. Again, the trenches I think will be a priority. I can also see Kayvon Thibodeau being here if the questions surrounding him are overblown. I know it's a little cloudy right now, but if you look, the Texans just need solid players that they know are going to succeed as they rebuild that roster. Taking the best linemen in the draft is a good way to get those. Titus

Howard can stay at guard, which I think is a better position for him. Akema Kanwu out of NC State. The New York Jets at pick number four. Sauce Gardner, cornerback out of Cincinnati. I think the pick comes down to Ekwunu or Gardner. There's a lot of buzz about Jermaine Johnson, but I don't see it at four. So Gardner instantly becomes the best corner

on one of the worst cornerback groups in the NFL. He's long, physical with the line of scrimmage, and is a perfect fit for Robert Sala's defense. Big Apple Sauce is what I put in there. You're going to see some headlines right there. The Big Apple in New York adding some sauce. I think that's a perfect combination. At five, the New York Giants select Charles Cross,

offensive tackle out of Mississippi State. This one was hard because this pick is either Evan Neal or Cross, and I've heard rumors that the Giants like both, but the reports that I believe more say that Cross is risen on New York's draft board as of late. They repeatedly had him, reportedly had him in workouts to see if Charles Cross could play right tackle. And I heard that he did pretty well. Excuse me.

Even if not, Cross could go to left tackle. They could kick Andrew Thomas to right tackle. Either way, giving Daniel Jones time to operate and to get the ball to their talented pass catchers is paramount. Number six, the Carolina Panthers. Evan Neal, offensive tackle, Alabama. Consider the top tackle in the draft at one time. Neal finds himself at offensive tackle number three. The Panthers would rejoice if that was the case. Carolina needs help on the offensive line desperately. Neal can play any spot outside of center on the offensive line. He can play right tackle right away.

He can move to guard. He can play left tackle. If Carolina finds him more suitable at tackle, then they can do that there and build up the rest of the roster. Carolina wants to trade down, but they don't have many mid-round picks, and it makes sense. They need the value to match up, and with Neal being there, he's too good for them to pass on and move down.

Number seven, the New York Giants, Jermaine Johnson, edge rusher, Florida State. Johnson is versatile. He's an athletic edge. He can do anything that he's asked to do. He'll set the edge in the run. He can drop back a little bit in coverage. He'll get after the quarterback. I think he's a perfect fit in the New York Giants' new defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale's defense. Wink came over from Baltimore. He had an aggressive and confusing blitzing scheme. A lot of guys moving around.

You need players who not only can rush, but can drop back as they run some fire blitzes. who not only can rush, but can drop back as they run some fire blitzes, leaving with premier players on each of the lines with Jermaine Johnson and Charles Cross. I think that's a great way to start the new regime in New York. Number eight, the Atlanta Falcons take Kayvon Thibodeau, edge out of Oregon. So from what I've heard, the Falcons are the last possible spot for Thibodeau. That's what the rumors are saying right now, that he's kind of a parachute pick. Thibodeau shouldn't drop any further. I wouldn't be surprised if he went even higher.

Thibodeau may be the most talented player in the entire draft class, but he did rub some teams the wrong way in the pre-draft process, according to reports. All the advantage to Atlanta, who scoops them up happily at their biggest position of need. If Thibs is gone, Atlanta probably goes Drake London. But with two second round picks, I think the Falcons can add a receiver later on in the draft. And honestly, I think edge rusher is a bigger position of need for Atlanta when you look at their roster. Number nine, the Seattle Seahawks. Derek Stingley, cornerback, LSU.

Stingley could go even higher. I could see him going at pick No. 3 to the Texans or pick No. 7 to the Giants. But trench play rules the day, as I've said all along. And Stingley slides to No. 9. Seattle needs to rebuild the team in a major way. Yes, they do need a quarterback. But with two picks in the early 40s, 40 and 41,

they can find a way to get the guy that they want at the end of the first or the top of the second. Stingley has a chance to be a multi-time All-Pro, and Seattle would be pretty grateful if he fell to No. 9. No. 10, the New York Jets select Drake London, wide receiver out of USC. I think there's a good chance that the Jets trade for Debo Samuel and skip on a wide receiver, but that's so unpredictable.

I can't factor that into my mock draft right now. I believe the Jets would prefer to get an edge rusher or an offensive tackle with one of these picks, but with the way that the board fell, it just couldn't happen. If it does go this way, they can add a big-bodied receiver to pair with the quicker and smaller Elijah Moore. It's a solid pairing for the next five seasons and maybe more. With Corey Davis, it gives Zach Wilson a chance to actually succeed in New York. Number 11, our first trade. The Kansas City Chiefs trade up to number 11 and take Jamison Williams, wide receiver

Alabama. I've been hearing that the Chiefs and all the rumors point to the fact that the Chiefs are smitten with Jamison Williams. They love the guy. He could give them a little bit of what Tyreek Hill did, but he's 6'1", and he's going to be way cheaper for the next 4-5 years. Yes, Jamison Williams is coming off an ACL tear, but he could be able to contribute this season. The Chiefs are a good enough team anyways to let him heal. Everybody was burying the Chiefs halfway through the year last year

until we got to November when they were near 500. So just imagine them getting Jamison Williams back at that time. So I think they can wait on them. You have Jamison Williams. You have Marquez Valdez-Scantling. You have Juju Smith-Schuster. That's a solid group. The Chiefs would give up pick 29.

They have picked 29 and 30. So they give up pick 29. They give up pick 50. And they give up pick 94 on the trade value charts. That's about 1,260 points. They're going to trade that for pick 11 and pick 189 from Washington. And that's about 1,264 points. So four point difference on the trade value scale.

I think that's an even deal. The Chiefs trade up and get Jamison Williams. Pick number 12. We have another trade. I think there's going to be a lot of trades in the early teens and right after the top 10. And there's another one right here. Pick number 12, the Los Angeles Chargers trade up and select Trevor Penning, offensive tackle from Northern Iowa. Multiple teams like Penning. There's a massive drop-off in talent at offensive tackle after he's selected.

Whether it's the Saints, the Packers, the Chargers, someone is going to come up for him. I think it's going to be Los Angeles. They have a huge need at offensive tackle, and I feel like, and they probably feel like, they're a few pieces away from being a real contender. They have a great young QB. They got good weapons on offense, some nice additions

on defense. They've set them up to be in a spot where they can do something like this. Not to mention, they have 10 picks in the draft. A lot of them are sixth and seventh rounders, but that allows them to move around and get about five to six guys. They're going to trade pick 17 and pick 79 for pick number 12. It's a short, cheap jump. Like I said earlier, I think trade ups are going to cost less than normal years because this isn't a great draft class and the values are all over the board, so you never know where these guys are rated to other teams.

So the Vikings trade out with the Los Angeles Chargers and the Chargers select Trevor Penning, offensive tackle. Number 13, the Houston Texans select Garrett Wilson, wide receiver out of Ohio State. I truly considered having the Texans make a jump up into the top 10 for Derek Stingley. Some rumors say that they're going to take him at number three, but ultimately Seattle decided to stay and not take a trade at number nine from the Texans. They wanted to take the generational talent that could potentially be there in Stingley. I don't think Houston will be upset either way, though.

Yes, they signed Brandon Cooks to an extension. But outside of that, the Texans have no dynamic threats. Wilson and Ekwanu together give the Texans a potential offense that could really put up some points, whether it be with Davis Mills at quarterback or a new quarterback in 2023, the Texans need to give some support and let a defensive coach in Lovey Smith handle that side of the ball. Number 14, the Baltimore Ravens select Jordan Davis, interior defensive lineman from Georgia. I'm personally a little skeptical about taking a two-down interior defensive lineman this high in the draft, but Baltimore knows the impact a guy like Davis can have from their time with Helody

Nada at nose tackle. If Davis is his best self in BMOAR, he can be a Vita Vea-like presence against the run and a pocket collapser against the pass. Davis should go either here or 15 to Philly. At pick number 15, the Philadelphia Eagles select Trent McDuffie, cornerback out of Washington. The Eagles have one of the worst groups of cornerbacks in the league. Yes, they have Darius Slay, and he's great.

But they're also starting some dude named Zech. McDuffie is versatile. He's a physical weapon. He can be deployed in John Gannon's defense. He can play outside. He can play some slot. He can be deployed in John Gannon's defense. He can play outside. He can play some slot. He can play some safety as well. He just feels like an eagle.

Not only like a Philadelphia eagle, but like a literal eagle as well. Pick number 16, the New Orleans Saints select Chris Olave, wide receiver out of Ohio State. This is just a perfect fit between player and team. Yes, the Saints won an offensive tackle, but they would have to trade up to get one that could start day one. They already gave up their 2023 first rounder

to get two picks in this draft. I don't see them giving up more capital to move up further. Olave is a deep speed threat to pair perfectly with the big physical style of Michael Thomas. No. 17, the Minnesota Vikings. They traded back with the Los Angeles Chargers, so they're at 17 now, and they select Kyle Hamilton, the safety out of Notre Dame.

Hamilton falling this far would be a complete shock early in the process. Hamilton's big 6'4 safety. He has a ton of different skills. Unfortunately for him, he ran a 4.740-yard dash at his pro day, and it's pushed him down the board. Personally, though, I think Hamilton is a player, and boy does Minnesota need help next to Harrison Smith at safety. I think Minnesota would take Hamilton at 12 if they stick.

McDuffie would also make some sense if Hamilton goes earlier than this. Number 18, the Philadelphia Eagles select Devin Lloyd, linebacker out of Utah. I'm well aware that the Eagles don't draft linebackers in the first round, but everything just matches up too well here. The Eagles love the trenches, but there's no value at edge or interior defensive lineman right now. Karloftis, Moffay, Ajabo would be reaches, and Devontae Wyatt slipping due to all field issues. So Lloyd is super rangy. He can be a true three down linebacker. You let Lloyd replace TJ Edwards next to newly signed Kazir White

and the Eagles are on to something. Number 19, the New Orleans Saints select Kenny Pickett, quarterback out of Pittsburgh. No lie. I don't feel very confident with this one. The Saints were left without options at tackle. I don't see any good fits for them on the defensive line.

Simply put, the Saints traded their first round pick to have two first rounders this year. That limits their ability to get a quarterback next year via draft or trade. With their pick of passers, they grab the most pro-ready who will be ready to be a full-time starter in 2023. No. 20, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Malik Willis,

quarterback out of Liberty. The Steelers have done way too much homework on quarterback not to pull the trigger here. We all know that Mitch Trubisky isn't it. And word is, the Steelers desperately want a mobile quarterback in Matt Canada's system. is, the Steelers desperately want a mobile quarterback in Matt Canada's system. Also, the Steelers have been pretty public about their interest in quarterbacks,

and the Steelers are a team known for not disguising their preferences. No. 21, the New England Patriots select Zion Johnson, interior offensive lineman out of Boston College. As a Titans fan, this makes me sad. Zion would be the perfect fit, but that's exactly why he's going to go at 21. The Patriots could use a linebacker or someone in the secondary,

but Bill Belichick knows the game is won in the trenches. The Patriots currently have a good set of tackles, but they're surprisingly slim at guard. Johnson is a reliable player for the foreseeable future. Number 22, the Green Bay Packers select Traylon Burks, wide receiver out of Arkansas. Devontae Adams asked out of Green Bay, and now the Packers have a major need at the position. Yes, there are concerns about Burks. He needs to watch his playing weight and learn more about playing the boundary wide receiver spot. However, he is great at making adjustments to the ball.

He's great at winning on back shoulder fades. He's also great on quick screens, and he can turn simple throws into big yards after catch plays. Sounds like a perfect fit for Aaron Rodgers to me. Pick number 23, the Arizona Cardinals select George Karloftis, edge rusher out of Purdue. Karloftis may not be the most explosive guy, but he is strong and relentless with advanced handwork.

Honestly, he's somewhat like a lesser athletic J.J. Watt. Now, Karloftis can learn from him directly. Watt is always hurt these days, so grooming a successor would be smart. Not to mention, the Cardinals need to replace the production of Chandler Jones. Love this team player match. Number 24, the Dallas Cowboys select Kenyon Green, interior offensive lineman out of Texas A&M. Dallas has to get back to consistently winning the line of scrimmage. They also need depth up front. Green can start right away and have pro bowl potential at guard, or he can do as he did in college and kick out to tackle

and help replace L. Collins. Even if Green plays guard, which I think he will, Tyron Smith seems to be hurt often, and Green could help there in a pinch as well. Green is mean, road-grading lineman who will fit what Dallas wants to be. Pick number 25, the Buffalo Bills select Jahan Dotson, wide receiver, Penn State. Some folks have been talking about the Bills drafting running back Brees Hall, and I see the fit, but I am not buying

it. Brandon Bean is one of the smartest general managers in the business, and I just refuse to believe that he would take a running back in the first. Rumor is Buffalo sees this as a luxury pick, and I agree, but use that luxury on a position with first-round value. Dotson has an elite catch radius for a smaller player, which fits perfectly with Josh Allen. He can be an electric replacement for Cole Beasley.

Number 26, the Tennessee Titans select Desmond Ritter, quarterback, Cincinnati. First, this is a tough way for the board to fall. Six wide receivers are gone. Six offensive linemen are gone. Heck, even Carl Loftus is gone, who I think makes sense in certain situations. I don't want to overdraft Tyler Smith or Bernard Raymond at offensive line.

Tyler Linderbaum is a center only and won't play while the Titans have Ben Jones. So that's not an impact player in year one anyways. Pickens, George Pickens, Sky Moore, Christian Watson, they all feel like reaches at wide receiver right now. There's not many options for the Titans. Second, Ryan Tannehill has the biggest cap hit of any quarterback in the NFL this year. He threw three picks and sabotaged the Titans' great team effort against Cincinnati in the playoffs. Nine sacks, 140 rushing yards, 200 total yards from A.J. and Julio. You can't pay that much for a guy of his skill level.

However, the Titans want to win now. Also, as they do have a very good roster Ritter isn't perfect but he can sit for a year in 2022 he can take over in 2023 the Titans can part ways with Tannehill and save nearly 18 million dollars do you want hooker back do you want Nate Davis back do you want to be able to keep A.J. Brown?

I digress. The Titans can use the cap savings to retain the roster or even make improvements for the roster. If Desmond Ritter can beat 80% as good as Ryan Tannehill with a much better roster, does that give the Titans a better chance at a Super Bowl? I think it does.

Mike Frabel was the best man in Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickle's wedding. All the connections are there. Pick 27. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Louis Seen, safety, out of Georgia. Seen is the perfect fit as a replacement for Jordan Whitehead in the Bucs secondary, playing next to Antoine Winfield Jr. as a downhill enforcer would give receivers nightmares. Also, worth pointing out, Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay's new head coach, was a safety during his time in the NFL,

and has drafted a safety at every team the moment he took over. Tyron Matthew in the third round in Arizona. He got Jamal Adams and Marcus May in the first two rounds of the draft when he was with the Jets. Dax Hill is the favorite to be the second safety off the board behind Kyle Hamilton. But I think Seen is a better fit for Tampa. Number 28, the Green Bay Packers select Quay Walker, linebacker out of Georgia.

Walker is a linebacker built in a lab. He's 6'4", 240 pounds. He can play sideline to sideline. He'll be effective in space. He'll be effective against the pass with the ability to play man coverage on tight ends and running backs. Devondre Campbell isn't getting any younger, despite having a good season in space. He'll be effective against the pass with the ability to play man coverage on tight ends and running backs. Devondre Campbell isn't getting any younger despite having a good season in 2021. I think Quay Walker has a chance to be the best linebacker in this class

and a true playmaker over the middle. Number 29, Washington. They select Kier Elam, cornerback out of Florida. Washington traded down for pick 11 with the Kansas City Chiefs. And I love how this plays out for Washington. They address their biggest position of need, which is cornerback, while also collecting picks to fill out the rest of their roster with all the needs they have.

Washington could use a safety. They could use some offensive line depth. Then another receiver dropping back to 29 and now having four picks in the top 100 while getting Elam is a coup. Elam is a 6'2", long press corner. He has strong hands to disrupt receivers at the line of scrimmage and a ton of SEC experience to prove what was on tape was real. No. 30, the Kansas City Chiefs select Boye Moffay, edge rusher out of Minnesota. The Chiefs simply can't go into next season with Mike Dana as their starting edge rusher across from

Frank Clark. They don't want to use Chris Jones at edge. That didn't go well last year. They want him on the interior. Moffay is an older prospect at 23 years of age, but that means he'll be ready to contribute right away as a rotational rusher. A combination of twitch, explosion, and motor make Mothay a pretty good get this late. Yes, he needs to develop as a run defender, and he's only got 13 starts in college, but Kansas City can ask him to play a specific role early and give him time to progress. Number 31, the Cincinnati Bengals select Andrew Booth, cornerback out of Clemson. Booth is a strong physical corner with quick feet, played a ton of different schemes and

techniques at Clemson. He can play in any system that you want him to. The most important thing here is the Bengals no longer need to rely on Eli Apple. Booth will do the job much better and with much less drama. I could also see the Bengals taking Logan Hall here. The rusher out of Houston couldn't commit to it though. Number 32, another trade. The Seattle Seahawks trade up.

The Detroit Lions trade back and the Seahawks trade up. The Detroit Lions trade back. And the Seahawks come up and select Matt Corral, quarterback out of Ole Miss. Seattle needs a young quarterback. Geno Smith and Drew Locke may be the most depressing quarterback room in the NFL. While I don't think that Seattle would take a quarterback at pick nine, using one of their two second round picks to get back into the first round does make great sense. The Seahawks do have pick 40 and pick 41. So you prevent by doing this, you prevent your guy from being stolen before pick 40, which is a lot of picks from 32.

And you get a fifth year team control with fifth fifth-year option for first-rounders. The Seahawks are reportedly high on Corral, and that doesn't surprise me because I compared Corral's style to a more reckless Russell Wilson. This could be any team or any quarterback, but I think a team comes up to 32 from the second round to do it. Seattle gives up pick 40 and pick 100 and jumps eight slots. Detroit still has pick 34 so they can grab a guy they need like maybe N'Kobe Dean. But that's going to do it for

my 2022 first round NFL mock draft. I hope you guys enjoyed an additional bonus 30 minutes of content for you guys, but that's going to do it for me. I'm going to be going live on YouTube, on Facebook, on Twitter, an hour before the draft kicks off at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time for about 30 minutes to get you guys primed and ready for the draft. I'm going to be going live for about 10 minutes, or I'm going to be going live for 30 minutes directly after the draft concludes and after the Titans pick. So I'm so excited for everything that's about to go down.

I hope you guys enjoyed my mock draft. I'm going to be scoring. Let me know down below on YouTube, all the picks you think I'm wrong about what trade you expect to see all of that. Make sure you guys subscribe to the locked on Titans podcast. Thank you for making the locked on Titans podcast. Your first listen every day.

It's draft day, ladies and gentlemen, we made it. Hope you guys enjoy. I'll be with you all weekend here on the Locked on Titans podcast.