Inaugural 2022 SimFBA NFL Mock Draft

[kwheele]

It is an exciting time to be in the SimFBA and NFL Amateur Selection Draft process with this being the inaugural season. The hype is real and we are just days from the first ever picks for all 32 teams. History is in the making and the excitement is building.

 

 

First of all, I would like to thank the eight coaches (one from each division) that participated in this mock draft of the first round. Coaches chose players in their cross-conference rivals (AFC East picked NFC East) and no trades were allowed in this mock. All eight coaches had lively discussion on team needs, potential picks and how they thought various factors would play into the team selections.

 

 

All picks and analysis were conducted with the utmost of professionalism and tried to anticipate what they thought were the needs and draft strategies of the teams they selected for. Shenanigans and tomfoolery were kept to a minimum.

 

 

Thank you to Subsequent, Kirby, Tsweezy, Pumph, SyndaKat, Kgreene, Bingo, and Kwheeler for taking time out of your draft preparations to conduct this mock draft.

 

 

Inaugural 2022 SimFBA NFL Mock Draft

 

1. Cincinnati Bengals

 

Needs: DE, WR, TE, OG, DL, OLB, CB, FS

Pick: Tommy Marimon, DE, Ohio State

 

Sitting at #1, and with essentially no activity in free agency, the Bengals have needs at basically all positions aside from QB. Sporting a roster of no above-average Defensive Linemen, the Bengals opt here for DE Tommy Marimon, the top-rated Speed Rusher in the draft. His B overall and A- potential are more than enough to make up for the slight worry of an F injury tag. Exceptional speed, size, and pass rush rating at the Combine make this an uninspiring-but-solid first ever selection in the SimNFL Draft.

 

2. New York Jets

 

Needs: OL, CB, OLB,

Pick: Elijhaa Rader, OT, Illinois

 

How can you go wrong with the only overall A+ rate player and address a need within your scheme? You can’t when you are selecting the best overall offensive linemen in the game. Rader gives the J-E-T-S bookends along the offensive line and will elevate the power running game they are tooling themselves around in New York.

 

3. Carolina Panthers

 

Needs: RT, DT, ILB, OLB, QB, FS, CB, SS

Pick: Jehu Ginn, ILB, Baylor

 

The Panthers front office was non-existent in the free agency feeding frenzy giving them a lot of flexibility with their salary cap and allowing them to build through the draft. As with most teams the secondary must be addressed as well as the gut of their defensive line and a right tackle.

 

With their pick of the litter, the Carolina Panthers select one of, if not the best, player in the game regardless of position with the selection of Baylor ILB Jehu Ginn to address their need for a clear-cut leader on their defense.

 

4. Chicago Bears

 

Needs: RB, DE, CB

Pick: Bruce Dawson, RB, Tulsa

 

If you asked a random fan on the street right now, the number one undisputed pick of this draft class and future HOF lock is Tulsa RB Bruce Dawson. However, NFL execs are much smarter than that and do not blindly follow the hype. However, the hype is REAL. Edge in my mind is a more valuable position at this stage of the draft, but the freaky Buckeye DE, Tommy Marimon is long gone. The Heisman winner is a good fit for the Bears as they have invested in a full offensive line, protecting their weapon X. Dawson can line up in the slot at times as a receiving threat as well, stretching opposing defenses thin. In a division with weak IDL, he will be golden.

 

 

5. Denver Broncos

 

Needs: SS, CB, OG, OLB

Pick: Angel Loe, OG, Temple

 

The Denver Broncos biggest need is DB’s but there are none worthy of the 5th overall pick and may trade down, but since this mock was done with no trades, I picked their second biggest need which was IOL OG Angel Loe. Denver has a good center and two good tackles but don't have good guards.

 

Angel Loe is a good pass blocking guard that can also run block with A/B pass block and run block respectively. He has the ability to get back and block well with A strength, agility, and speed. Also, what may get overlooked is how well he understands the game with an A football IQ he will be able to slot in week 1 knowing the playbook and making the correct reads.

 

Denver looks like they would be a pass first offense with their strength across the board on offense which Loe will excel in. Angel Loe is a great guard across the board, is the second-best O-Lineman in the class and would start immediately.

 

 

6. Los Angeles Rams

 

Needs: RB, DE, ILB, CB, FS, SS

Pick: Stacy Moton, RB, Illinois

 

The Rams sit in a great spot at 6, with many of their big needs matching the best players available in the draft. With the likes of Marimon, Rader, and Dawson off the board, they select Moton, a blazing runner with good hands, that has shown an affinity to also run between the tackles, to build their offense around.

 

7. Seattle Seahawks

 

Needs: QB, RB, OG, C, DT, FS

Pick: Dekoda Link, QB, Oregon State

 

The Seahawks did not add a single free agent to their roster, so the building starts here. Where better to start that foundation, than with the player that many consider the top quarterback available?

 

8. Cleveland Browns

 

Needs: CB, SS, WR, OL, DL

Pick: Ramon Newton, CB, Arkansas

 

The draft could go in several directions, depending on what the Rams do at #6. In this Mock, Cleveland looks up at #8 and sees the best CB in the Draft still on the Board. The Browns SPRINT to the podium to select CB Ramon Newton. Relatively high-floor and high-ceiling exist for this can’t-miss Man Coverage savant, who also brings a physical edge to the position in run support. The Browns do need to solve the Safety positions as well, but Newton provides an opportunity to remove one half of the field from play.

 

9. Baltimore Ravens

 

Needs: C, WR, S, OLB, DE

Pick: Alex Williams III, WR, Wisconsin

 

The Ravens have arguably the best QB in the League and at least one above-average WR on the roster already. They are essentially set for starter-level talent at key positions on the offense outside of Center, but #9 seems a bit early for that position. If RB Stacy Moton falls to #9, might be tempted to make him a Raven for life. Also desperate for a pass rushing OLB, the Ravens consider OLB Mark Soto here before finally realizing that WR Alex Williams III is just too enticing to pass up. Stellar across the board, Williams’ Combine and Pro Day were juicy enough to keep him in the Top 10 and easily be the first WR off the board.

 

10. Detroit Lions

 

Needs: FS, QB, TE

Pick: Matt Perez, FS, Akron

 

The Lions are trying to mimic the attitude of the city: mean as hell and biting off kneecaps. In order to do so, they partner veteran S Daniel Ortiz with the best MAC product, Matt Perez. QB is a possible choice, but why stop a good thing in more defense? Link is gone and Perez is the BPA. Perez can cover both TEs and WRs with A/A Man and Zone Coverage. The guy can come downhill and stick RBs on run plays. He displays promising traits and matches their defensive playstyle; They may not score 7 but it will be hell before they let others score 6.

 

11. Philadelphia Eagles

 

Needs: DE, ILB, OG, C

Pick: Michael Dyson, DE, Northern Illinois

 

Range of options to choose from here but DE is a position the Eagles desperately need to fill and who better than Dyson, who is super fast, and has immense potential. Has a very high ceiling.

 

 

12. Arizona Cardinals

 

Needs: DE, ILB, FS, CB

Pick: Phillip Calhoun, DE, Virginia

 

In my opinion, the Cardinals are in a prime spot to trade down. The board right here does not really match their needs without them reaching just a bit. Nathan Burke would be a solid pick for them here, as they have no middle linebacker, but they can't take him this early. The Cards also lack a defensive end, on either side, so Calhoun makes good sense for them here. He's well-rounded, allowing them to work him into various schemes, and while there seems to several other defensive ends in relatively the same tier as Calhoun, it is not likely they can wait until the draft flips around to Round 2 (Pick 53) to land an impactful defensive end.

 

13. Miami Dolphins

 

Needs: OL, CB, OLB

Picks: Andrew Martin, CB, Rutgers

 

Miami had a stellar free agency allowing them, like Arizona, can pick from a position of luxury versus desperation. With the propensity to air it out in the AFC East, having a shutdown CB will allow Miami to make a concerted push to winning it all this year. They could go with local hero, QB Matt Howard, yet the need to lock down the secondary may prevail.

 

14. Houston Texans

 

Needs: Secondary, QB, WR, LB

Pick: Ryan Reininger, SS. Oklahoma State

 

Houston needs quite a bit of help across the board. They're going to need to do quite a bit of trading to get the team ready for the season, but secondary is definitely the most pressing. They have a good line on both sides of the ball and adding an elite SS to their ranks should help keep the team from spiraling too much in games. Ryan Reininger is the best SS on the board with a 4.41 sec 40 yd dash and a B+ OVR. He wasn't super flashy in college, registering 48 tackles, but 4 of those were for a loss and he also forced a fumble.

 

15. Dallas Cowboys

 

Needs: CB, DE, ILB, OG, WR, RB

Pick: Amara Rodriguez, CB, Fresno State

 

Easiest selection of the whole NFC East. Dallas has no corners, and Rodriguez looks like a home run pick. Watch this space, if he's on the board while Dallas are picking, I'd be putting the pick in within seconds.

 

16. Atlanta Falcons

 

Needs: OT, OLB, OG, QB, WR, SS, TE

Pick: Ultick Phillips, OT, TCU

 

It was almost a meme in the making here with ATL, like in real life, needing a QB of the future here, and with several mid-2nd round quarterbacks available. Several quarterbacks from Matt Howard to Rashaan Lyons to Chris Frazier were discussed. In the end the Falcons go with one of the best left tackles in the game with TCU OT Ultick Philips.

 

17. New England Patriots

 

Needs: DT, ILB, WR, CB

Pick: Nathan Burke, ILB, LSU

 

After Ginn, Burke is the next best interior defender on the board. An easy choice to make considering the drop off in ILB talent after Burke and will solidify the Patriot linebacker corps for the next several years. With the lack of depth of quality ILB types and the very deep DT class it was an easy choice for the Patriots to take Burke.

 

18. Indianapolis Colts

 

Needs: QB, secondary, C

Pick: Matt Howard, QB, Florida State

 

Matt Howard, a Heisman finalist last year, is one of the best QBs in the draft. He threw for an NCAA leading 4982 yards and had a fantastic 37:11 TD to INT ratio. He's got great vision and rarely makes mistakes, taking Florida State one drive from a National Championship. Howard is not the fastest QB in the draft, but he makes up for it by being surprisingly agile.

 

19. Jacksonville Jaguars

 

Needs: OT, OG, OLB

Pick: Steven Humphries, OT, USC

 

Jacksonville have done an incredible job in the free agency this off season and honestly have pretty much every gap filled. They're expected to trade out of the first round in the inaugural draft, but if they were to make a pick, USC's OT Steven Humphries would be it. Humphries is probably the one of the 3 best offensive line men on the board. He's strong, smart, and will do a great job protecting presumed starter Steven Connolly.

 

20. Washington Commanders

 

Needs: WR, DT, OT, FB

Pick: Ray-Ray Thompson, WR, Tennessee

 

The Commanders look like a serious contender in year one, but I do feel they will go after another weapon with their first rounder. Of the receivers available at this stage, it's Ray-Ray Thompson who I grade the highest. He is one of the quickest receivers in the draft and has the potential to match it.

 

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

 

Needs: ILB, WR, TE, C, OG, FS, CB

Pick: Devontae McKinney, TE, Purdue

 

The Steelers have entered the Draft with very few starter-level holes in the roster. The big free agent signing of RB Tamayo means that the passing game may take a backseat to a power run game for the near-term, making a Tight End with a profile as an in-line blocker necessary. While the Steelers could also have opted for a Safety like Ryan Reiniger or hope that ILB Nathan Burke falls to them, the A+ potential rating for McKinney make him the selection here. Potential overdraft, but you can’t quibble with the high-ceiling and balanced skill set.

 

22. Los Angeles Chargers

 

Needs: RB, C, OLB, DT

Pick: Ryan Johnson, FB, Texas State

 

The LA Chargers at 22 pick FB Ryan Johnson. In the actual draft I doubt he will fall this far but, in this mock, we tried to make the picks make sense by position and most other teams had bigger holes than RB. The Chargers biggest need is RB and Ryan Johnson looks like a guy who could make the switch. The best part of Johnson is his versatility; he could play FB and RB for sure and could make a decent WR in a pinch.

 

This dude is a straight up athlete who is the type of guy you draft and then figure out what to do with him later. I have heard other scouts calling him the best athlete in the class. One GM said it was as if “Lorenzo Neal and LT had a baby” and another said “Ryan Johnson is a more athletic Bo Jackson. Even if the exact numbers are off in this sim for combine output, he's quicker, stronger, more explosive, and smarter, comparatively to almost everyone else, but all in the same package.” and with B- potential he has room to grow.

 

But now debate time Ryan Johnson vs David Ross who would win in a fight and also who is the better player on the field.

 

23. New York Giants

 

Needs: ILB, OT, WR

Pick: Mark Soto, OLB, UNLV

 

It's hard to see the Giants going for anything other than an OT here. They have literally no OT's on the roster worth starting. But I feel the depth of OT's is higher than that of Linebackers, and in Soto they get one of the very best in the draft. This is a BPA pick imo, though I wouldn't be surprised if Soto is gone before NYG even get on the clock.

 

 

24. Tennessee Titans

 

Needs: FS, OLB, CB, SS, WR

Pick: Bruce Puello, FS, Northwestern

 

Like Jacksonville, Tennessee has a pretty solid foundation to build off of. Their defense could be one of the best in the league and is really just missing a few key pieces. One of those could be Bruce Puello. He is a sure-fire defender and will come up to put down some big hits. Expect Puello to round out a pretty great Titans defense.

 

25. Minnesota Vikings

 

Needs: ILB, SS, CB

Pick: Matt Bass, SS, Arkansas

 

SKOL! The Vikings were not playing around in FA, obtaining top ten talents in WR Matthew Madden and OT Charles Seay. The premier ILB prospects in Ginn and Burke have been selected, and CB is a deep class. The rationale was they grab the much scarcer SS position and grab a corner at the top of the 2nd. Arkansas SS Matt Bass is probably so busy celebrating with teammate and best friend Ramon Newton because that is how selfless he is. Bass is a team player that provides versatility in rushing the passer, playing in the box, and covering receivers. He provides much needed security for the Vikings looking to make a playoff push.

 

26. San Francisco 49ers

 

Needs: QB, OL, DL, CB, S

Pick: Chris Frazier, QB, CONN

 

The 49ers have a lot of ways they can go here, but they have another pick in the not-too-distant future, (Pick #39), and can easily plug another hole there. What they can't do at any other time, is draft the only quarterback in this draft class with "A" potential, "A" arm strength, "A" passing accuracy, and "A" football IQ. He may not be as heralded as some of the other passers in this class, but the talent is there and too good to pass up this late in the first round. Maybe his floor is not as high as some of the other quarterbacks, but his ceiling appears to be higher. This is a risk you can take at #26.

 

27. Green Bay Packers

 

Needs: CB, RB, DT

Pick: Kolton Hayes, CB, Clemson

 

The Lambeau faithful have been scratching their heads with the dormant free agency period that Green Bay has passed on. There are a slew of RB prospects still available at the end of the 1st as well as IDL being yet to be selected but CB is their weakest position by far. In a passing league, they will make even the most Smashmouth teams, hang 300 yard passing performances and multiple TDs on their head. Every team in their division has 2 WRs, so the CB is a premium. Despite Clemson’s poor performance, Hayes pressed and stressed the best ACC WRs, causing opposing OCs headaches. Kolton Hayes is a cornerstone that the Packers will hopefully build upon.

 

28. Kansas City Chiefs

 

Needs: QB, WR, ILB

Pick: Rashaan Lyons, QB, Kentucky

 

The Chiefs are in desperate need of a QB and are good candidates to trade up for one but since we were not doing trades I had them picking QB Rashaan Lyons with the 28th pick. Lyons is talked about as the 3rd best QB in the class behind Dekoda Link and Matt Howard, but the race is much closer than a lot of people make it. I can see the Chiefs going with many different QBs with this pick and the closest was Russell Latimer. The decision came down to Latimer being a scrambling QB with D stamina which I did not see as a good mix.

 

But enough about his competition, what makes Lyons so great. Well Lyons has the power of a mortar mixed with the accuracy of a Tango 51 sniper rifle. Not only this but Lyons scored a 35 on the Wonderlic making him the second smartest QB in the class. Lyons is also a good fit on this offense being a pocket QB which is not a big problem for KC who has one of the best offensive lines in the league. Lyons is a great QB who will be a great fit for the Chiefs and push them to the next level. The QB is the most important position in football, and it is almost impossible to win without one.

 

29. Buffalo Bills

 

Needs: QB, TE, LT, CB, WILB

Pick: Yusei Asencio, QB, Ohio University

 

This was the one of the easiest picks to make considering the galring hole at quarterback for the Bills Mafia. The Bills front office was able to address a lot of needs along their offensive and defensive lines. With the lack of ILB and CB2 depth, I could see the Bills making a strong move out of the first round, acquiring draft capital along the way.

 

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

Needs: CB, DE, FS, WR, OT, OLB, ILB, QB

Pick: Kendal Shaffer, CB, GAST

 

Where do we go with the most active team in free agency? The Bucs were aggressive and highly intelligent in their free agency pick-ups, so the draft is a luxury pick in some ways. Being that the NFC South is shaping up to being a very pass happy conference, ChizDippler jumps on a shutdown corner with Kendal Shaffer from Georgia State.

 

31. Las Vegas Raiders

 

Needs: RB, TE, OT, OG, OLB, ILB, FS

Pick: Diego Johnson, OG, Florida

 

The Raiders need a couple of different things like DB and LB, but in my opinion, there are no 1st round worthy players at those positions at pick 31. With those positions out of the question their biggest need is to improve the O-Line.

 

Diego Johnson is the second best IOL in the class and to be able to get such a great lineman this late is great for the Raiders. With A/B run and pass block respectively he can block no matter what you want to do and with A speed, strength, agility, and football IQ he has all the traits to be a great lineman. Diego Johnson also has A- potential so he has so much room to grow and develop.

 

32. New Orleans Saints

 

Needs: OLB, OT, OG, TE, NT

Picks: Marquez Allen, OT, Kansas State

 

The New Orleans Saints front office addressed an area of need they were not able to meet during free agency by picking up OT Marquez Allen who can play either tackle position. Not the sexiest of picks but addresses a huge need. Key will be following up with the next pick (#33 overall) addressing another position of need. Ideally, they would like to pick up some OLB pass rush, but the depth in the OLB ranks is thin at best.

Edited April 20, 2022 by kwheele

[rabidsnowman]

We still haven't picked a pass rusher, and haven't locked in to 3-4 or 4-3, so our draft is wide open. But if Ryan Johnson or Matt Howard are on the board when we pick, they won't be after.

[Minnow]

Man I was looking forward to pick 29

[Pumph]

More comments needed. We toiled over this for weeks.

 

Ryan Johnson to the Chargers getting 4 times the writeup as any other pick. He's going at #21 now, isn't he?

[TuscanSota]

Huge disagreement on Dekoda Link, but I appreciate the mock.

 

If there's anything I know from my previous draft experiences, it's that the talent I hope to draft is always swiped a pick or two beforehand.

[Pumph]

The pick was made in our mock. It is just an oversite in the posting. I'll keep you in suspense until we flag @kwheele down to edit the post.

[Rocketcan]

The Bengals Trust really can't make a wrong move with that top 5. I am surprised we don't see a QB until pick #7 though, and I do think Lyons is better than the #28 pick. He could be the Lamar Jackson of this draft if that happens.

[subsequent]

Interestingly enough, I think I agree that more QBs will go early, but I feel like we went more "logical" instead of "emotional" if that makes sense.

[PoopyRhinoPickle]

Bruce at 4? ?

[Bingo415]

This was a little debate in the Mock as well. Who's the best RB--Bruce or Moton? Is RB hyper-valued currently until rosters fill out a bit? I think it's probable the first RB taken goes before 4, and that MANY 1st round RBs are selected.

 

Whatever the Rams do at 6 is the hinge of this Draft.

[kgreene829]

This comes from the fact that we didn't do any trades. Most of the QB needy teams are later in round 1 so I do expect teams to move up and draft QBs

[Piercewise1]

Lyons as the 4th QB off the board (behind Frazier) surprises me after a stellar combine and the 2nd best TD-INT ratio in college.

 

See also: Calhoun over Easton at DE, Martin over Pressley at CB

 

No huge issues with the top 10, though I could see Moton falling. I doubt McKinney or Johnson last into the 20s.

 

I think either the 3rd RB/FB or 2nd QB could be a big shakeup if they go early, especially if someone trades up to do so.

[kgreene829]

Yeah I agree with everything you said here Lyons being 4th comes down to some people having different opinions on the QB ranking. As for the rest we based it mainly off of needs and BPA was if there were no good options at that pick to fill a hole, so Johnson fell because we were prioritizing bigger needs than RB on the teams in front. The way we went about it was to identify needs and what teams would look for more than trying to make a 100% accurate prediction of the draft.

[Minnow]

Honestly I wasn't even prepped to take a QB 1st round. My whole plan has been to run the ball.

[VerifiedThing]

Everybody's mock is gangsta until someone makes a trade...

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and say 2 Top 5 picks and 6 of the first round picks in total are going to move around some. There are some risk loving owners out there and we saw that with FA. Should be a wild 2 nights

[kwheele]

This mock was actually a really good exercise. It was interesting listening to all the discussion about how each of us approached the draft. Not a perfect science and very tilted to not tip anyone's hands etc. Not having trades in this mock did change things as did only doing one round. I believe that having a two round mock next year will give us an even better look at things.

 

And next year we will drop a random selection and not post it in our write up.

[Weeze]

I'm still not sure which direction we are gonna go. at 19 i think the 18 previous picks are really gonna decide just what we do. There are several players we like, but who knows who is actually there. I wouldn't complain at 19 if we got the guy from usc however. I think he would be an excellent addition.