Mel Kiper reveals his top 25 prospects in 2022 NFL Draft
The 2022 NFL Draft is set to begin with the first round on April 28 in Las Vegas. With college football season in the books and more clarity now here on the full draft class, rankings and mock drafts have been drastically impacted. ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper just revealed his top 25 prospects for the upcoming draft.
Kiper’s top 25 prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft
- Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson
- Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux
- Alabama OT Evan Neal
- Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton
- NC State OT/G Ikem Ekwonu
- LSU CB Derek Stingley Jr.
- USC WR Drake London
- Utah LB Devin Lloyd
- Michigan DE David Ojabo
- Georgia LB Nakobe Dean
- Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner
- Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum
- Mississippi State OT Charles Cross
- Alabama WR Jameson Williams
- Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson
- Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett
- Liberty QB Malik Willis
- Penn State LB Arnold Ebiketie
- Georgia DE Travon Walker
- Purdue DE George Karlaftis
- Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning
- Penn State WR Jahan Dotson
- Ohio State WR Chris Olave
- Arkansas WR Treylon Burks
- Ole Miss QB Matt Corral
Kiper’s rankings include some surprises
For much of the season, Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was viewed as the likely top pick. But Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson’s monster season, that saw him finish as a Heisman finalist, has propelled him into the top spot. Either defensive end could become the top pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars on draft night. Kiper ranks Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal just behind Hutchinson and Thibodeaux. Some mocks have the Jaguars opting to help protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence by selecting Neal.
As with most drafts, the quarterback carousel could have major impacts on the draft. Kiper lists three quarterbacks within his top NFL Draft prospects: Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett (No. 16), Liberty’s Malik Willis (No. 17), and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral (No. 25). Corral is viewed by many as a potential QB1 in this draft class, but Kiper has him barely cracking his top 25.
There are multiple quarterback needy teams in the NFL. Some potential landing spots for the top quarterbacks available include the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Washington Football Team, Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New Orleans Saints, among others.
Kiper’s top 25 NFL Draft prospects contain 14 offensive players and 11 defensive players. How the top ten shakes out could seriously change the outlook for the rest of the first round. Teams are bound to make trades prior to and during draft night, so many more changes to rankings and mock drafts are likely to come.