With NFL Draft order set at the top, Todd McShay, ESPN shake up the top-five picks

As Week 18 came to a close, the NFL Draft order has been officially set — excluding playoff teams. With the drama of wondering who gets the first five picks out of the way, ESPN’s Todd McShay shook up his top-five projections.

Throughout the season, multiple different stars have been projected to go No. 1 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Still, two names have stood above the rest time and time again — Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux and Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson.

However, McShay threw a curveball in his first predictions since the end of the season. With Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars starting things off, McShay gave us his first five picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.

NFL Draft: Todd McShay’s Top-Five

1) Jacksonville Jaguars — OT Evan Neal, Alabama Crimson Tide. For the first overall selection, McShay has the Jaguars taking his top offensive lineman available. Evidently, the ESPN analyst believes Jacksonville’s biggest need is keeping the franchise quarterback upright.

2) Detroit Lions — DE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan Wolverines. Even with some late season victories, the Lions still land the player they would’ve selected at No. 1. Hutchinson would come to Detroit and instantly become the star of their defense, his attitude matching that of his head coaches in Dan Campbell.

3) Houston Texans — DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon Ducks. While the Ducks star was hoping to go No. 1, the Texans will be over the moon with Thibodeaux at No. 3. The Oregon pass rusher would provide Houston with their most ferocious defensive end since J.J. Watt.

4) New York Jets — CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU Tigers. There’s numerous ways the Jets could maneuver the NFL Draft, but grabbing Stingley Jr. would be a huge coup. In doing so, New York would land their top corner since the days of Darrelle Revis.

5) New York Giants — OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State Bulldogs. Giants fans may not love the pick of Cross with Iowa’s Tyler Lindebaum and NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu on the board. Still, Cross would be a huge upgrade along their offensive line — providing them with an anchor across from Andrew Thomas for years to come.