bama alum
Member
McShay had Evan Neal going to the Jags, which would have given Coach Saban his first NFL #1 draft pick. Kiper sees it differently though. Jamo has dropped, but if this holds true, then he goes to the Pats, and that will be a good thing!
When the Steelers were looking at missing the playoffs, they were #12 in McShay's mock draft, and he had them taking the Pitt QB. Now they're drafting later...Matt Corrall? Lord...
www.espn.com
At this time last year, the Jags were starting a rebuild under a new coach and ... they're back at the same spot. Urban Meyer didn't even last a full season. I wrote last January that this wasn't going to be a quick fix, and they're not much closer to contending, hence back-to-back No. 1 picks. I do think they have their quarterback, even though Trevor Lawrence had a mostly abysmal rookie season.
So if the Jaguars get first dibs on any prospect in this draft, I'd go with Hutchinson; I have him ranked slightly ahead of Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. Hutchinson, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, is a dominant and consistent pass-rusher who can put up double-digit sacks as a rookie. He's a safe No. 1 pick. They can play him on the other side of Josh Allen, who is a really nice player. Now, there could be some talk about the Jags taking a left tackle here, but I'm not buying that over the value of having a truly great edge rusher. Yes, left tackle might be more of a "need," but they should take the best prospect, not fill the biggest need.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
The Lions finished with the same number of wins (three) as the Jaguars, but doesn't it feel as if they're in a much better position? Well, maybe not so fast. The defense allowed the second-most points in the league (27.5 per game), and the offense had major consistency issues, which led to coordinator Anthony Lynn's firing. This is a roster that could use talent upgrades at several positions.
That's why it's a no-brainer to take Thibodeaux or Hutchinson here, whoever is still on the board. Thibodeaux, who was a No. 1 overall high school recruit, has elite upside. His get-off at the snap is lightning-quick, and though he's still developing secondary pass-rush moves, he doesn't need them when he can blow by offensive tackles before they're out of their stance. Thibodeaux had half as many sacks (seven) as Hutchinson this season, but he had the second-best pressure rate in the country (17.8%). Charles Harris, who led Detroit with 7.5 sacks this season, is a free agent, which makes this even more of a problem position.
Houston just fired coach David Culley after one season, and studying the roster he had and the numbers they put up on both sides of the ball, it's a wonder this team won four games. Here are five stats that caught my eye:
ESPN Illustration
The Jets had big defensive issues in Robert Saleh's first season as coach, from the front seven to the secondary. They didn't get after quarterbacks, and they couldn't cover pass-catchers, which is a recipe for another top-five draft pick. Hamilton would fill a void at safety, especially if Marcus Maye leaves in free agency. Six-foot-4, 220-pound Hamilton has rare traits for his size, and he can play in the box or as a center fielder (he had eight career interceptions for the Fighting Irish). He was one of the most versatile defenders in college football for the past three seasons. Hamilton played in only seven games in 2021 because of a knee injury, but I'm told he'll be ready to work out at the NFL combine in March. The Jets also pick at No. 10, and they could get help on offense there.
There has been a lot of recent buzz around Ekwonu, whose stock is rising. He dominated at left tackle for the Wolfpack this season after playing some guard earlier in his career. Based on the 2021 tape, there's not much separating Ekwonu from Evan Neal, and I wouldn't be surprised if Ekwonu was the top tackle off the board in April. He has All-Pro potential as a run-blocker and as a pass-blocker.
For the Giants -- who haven't yet replaced coach Joe Judge or general manager Dave Gettleman -- this would be top-five tackles in two of the past three drafts, but even though Andrew Thomas played better this season, the right tackle spot is far from settled. They just have to get better up front, and taking Ekwonu is a step toward that. Like the Jets, they have two top-10 picks, and they could go offense with the No. 7 selection.
This is an easy call based on Carolina's biggest weakness: It has to get a better left tackle. The Panthers ranked last in the league in yards per play (4.6) and 28th in sacks allowed (52). They went into the season with journeyman Cameron Erving manning the spot and finished with rookie third-rounder Brady Christensen filling in. Taylor Moton is a really solid right tackle, but they can upgrade the left side with this pick.
Cross took a big leap in 2021, allowing just a single sack while playing in a pass-happy Mike Leach offense. He can be a big-time NFL left tackle. This isn't a reach pick. The Panthers need to hit here because they don't have second- or third-round picks due to trades for quarterback Sam Darnold and cornerback CJ Henderson. This is a massive draft for coach Matt Rhule, who fired his offensive coordinator and might have to make the playoffs in 2022 to keep his job.
It's always tough to project for teams that haven't hired new general managers, so here's my thinking for this pick, which comes from the Bears in the Justin Fields trade up last year: The Giants have some solid options on defense, but it's fair to say they underperformed as a unit in 2021. The best way to get better as a whole? Pressure the quarterback, which helps every level of the defense. Rookie second-round pick Azeez Ojulari had a nice season, leading the team with eight sacks, but they don't have another top-tier edge rusher on the other side.
Ojabo can help the pass rush immediately. He had an incredibly impressive season, racking up 11 sacks and five forced fumbles while playing opposite my projected No. 1 pick, Aidan Hutchinson. He doesn't have Hutchinson's all-around game -- he has to get better against the run -- but as a pure pass-rusher, he has a very high ceiling. With these two top-seven selections, New York can get high-end starters on both sides of the ball.
play
1:09
This was one of the toughest calls of the entire mock. I thought hard about a quarterback. My buddy Chris Mortensen, though, says the Falcons are committed to Matt Ryan for 2022, which means this might be too high to take a QB who's not going to play right away. This is not a class full of surefire starting QBs. If David Ojabo was still on the board, I probably would have gone with him because the Falcons finished last in the league in sacks (18) this season. But there's a little bit of a drop-off in the edge-rush tiers, and my next guy doesn't have a top-10 grade.
So how about a cornerback to play on the other side of rising star A.J. Terrell? Stingley looked like a potential No. 1 pick when he was dominating as a true freshman on LSU's national title team in 2019, but he was inconsistent in 2020 and then played just three games this season because of a foot injury. A team is going to have to take a little bit of a leap of faith with Stingley because he hasn't played great for two seasons. The draft is all about upside, though, and he has the potential to be a superstar. I'm hoping he can work out at the combine to ease some concerns.
The Broncos need a quarterback, of course, but the feeling I get is that they're more likely to try to add a veteran in either the trade or free-agent market. They have a solid roster, and a veteran could help them win right away. This could change as we get closer to the draft -- and they hire a coach -- but I'm going to stay away from quarterback here for now.
Denver could be a great spot for the draft's best off-ball linebacker, Dean, who was the leader of the spectacular Georgia defense. He makes tackle after tackle and can run sideline to sideline to make plays, and he has three-down potential because of his ability to cover tight ends and running backs. He'll also help as a blitzer -- he had six sacks in 2021. The Broncos have the Rams' second- and third-round picks from the Von Miller trade, so general manager George Paton has a real chance to get this team back to the playoffs if he can nail a few early selections, as he did with Pat Surtain II and Javonte Williams last year.
Quarterback Zach Wilson had a rough rookie season, as the Jets finished near the bottom in most offensive statistics. So if I'm giving them defensive help with the No. 4 pick, let's give Wilson a target here, because his best pass-catchers in 2021 are all better out of the slot. Elijah Moore, Jamison Crowder and Braxton Berrios are good players, but they're never going to be down-the-field aerial threats.
London -- who is 6-foot-5 and also played on the USC basketball team -- has a chance to be a special outside receiver. He caught 88 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games this season. His record-breaking year ended in late October because of a fractured right ankle, but he is expected to be ready for the 2022 season. He can be Wilson's top target, giving the Jets a huge red zone threat. The Jets, by the way, also have an extra second-round pick from the Sam Darnold trade, and they could address the offensive line on Day 2 of the draft.
Time for the first quarterback off the board. You might be surprised that it's Willis, but you really shouldn't be. He was in the QB1 mix all fall before he faded a little bit in the last stretch of the regular season. The more tape I watch of his past two seasons and the more I talk to evaluators in the league, the more I like him. Put simply, Willis is the most talented quarterback in this class. He didn't always get to show that at Liberty, which didn't have much NFL talent around him. (He was sacked an astounding 51 times in 2021.) This is a dual-threat signal-caller -- he rushed for 1,822 yards and 27 touchdowns over the past two seasons -- with a powerful arm. I'm really excited to see him compete against the other top QBs in the Senior Bowl in a couple weeks.
Like Denver, Washington could be in the veteran QB market, but I like the fit with Willis. Washington can't go into the season with Taylor Heinicke as the starter.
Since 2013, the Vikings have drafted four cornerbacks in Round 1 ... and not a single one of them is still on the roster. Coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman are out, and the new regime will inherit a good, not great, roster with a couple of significant voids, particularly at corner. Veteran Patrick Peterson was signed to a one-year deal last offseason, so he's a free agent, and I'm not sold that Cameron Dantzler is a quality starter.
They should jump at the chance to take Gardner, a lockdown corner who presented problems for opposing offensive coordinators in 2021. He was targeted just 31 times as the nearest defender in coverage, and he allowed only eight catches for 60 yards. With Kirk Cousins not locked in long term, I thought about a quarterback here, but Gardner is too good to pass up for a team in glaring need.
This was a pretty easy pick for me, because the Browns should take the best receiver left on the board. If they really are committed to Baker Mayfield for 2022 (and beyond), they should get their quarterback some help, because this is now two straight seasons in which they've trotted out a subpar receiving corps for the second half of the season.
Wilson, who caught 70 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021, can play outside or in the slot. He's a great route runner who can also run away from defensive backs after the catch. And the Buckeyes star doesn't have to go too far if Cleveland takes him.
Injuries decimated the Baltimore roster in 2021, but center Bradley Bozeman had a solid season. The problem? He's now a free agent and could get more money on the open market. The Ravens could turn to the draft for his replacement, and if Linderbaum is on the board at No. 14, they would upgrade. Linderbaum is pro-ready right now -- he already has great technique and is already a great run and pass-blocker. This one makes a ton of sense.
Barring significant injuries again, Baltimore is well-positioned for another playoff run in 2022. It needs to keep Lamar Jackson clean in the pocket, and Linderbaum will certainly help there.
This is the first of three Eagles picks in the next five, this one coming from the Dolphins in last March's order-busting trade. And I know that some folks are going to connect Philly with a quarterback, but I'm not buying that; Jalen Hurts earned the 2022 job by his play down the stretch, even if he didn't have a great playoff game. This team needs more talent on defense, so that's where I'm going with the first two of these picks.
I had to dive deep back into my research to find the last time the Eagles took a linebacker in Round 1, going all the way back to Jerry Robinson in 1979. I was 18 years old at the time of that draft. This is both a need and value pick, as Lloyd is coming off a tremendous season. I've compared him to Tampa Bay's Devin White -- he's an off-ball linebacker with speed, versatility, range and run-and-hit ability. He had eight sacks and four picks last season. This would be a major boost to the Philly D.
The Eagles finished the regular season with wins in six of their final eight games powered by their running game, but again, this defense showed several holes. One of those was the pass rush -- they finished 31st in the league in sacks with just 29, 11 of those coming from the tackle duo of Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox. I see edge rusher as a priority, even if 2017 first-rounder Derek Barnett, a free agent this offseason, returns to the team. He has never quite put together a consistent season, and he had just two sacks in 2021. So let's use the pick from the Carson Wentz trade on a rising pass-rusher.
Ebiketie, a transfer from Temple, is coming off a stellar season for the Nittany Lions. He had 9.5 sacks, 19 total tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. He has long arms and is explosive at the snap, and he's strong enough to set the edge in the run game. I'm a big fan.
When the Steelers were looking at missing the playoffs, they were #12 in McShay's mock draft, and he had them taking the Pitt QB. Now they're drafting later...Matt Corrall? Lord...

Debuting Mel Kiper's first 2022 NFL mock draft: Expect quarterback surprises in Round 1
Mel Kiper Jr. projects Round 1 of April's draft, filling needs for every team. Where will the first quarterback land?
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
Aidan Hutchinson, DE, MichiganAt this time last year, the Jags were starting a rebuild under a new coach and ... they're back at the same spot. Urban Meyer didn't even last a full season. I wrote last January that this wasn't going to be a quick fix, and they're not much closer to contending, hence back-to-back No. 1 picks. I do think they have their quarterback, even though Trevor Lawrence had a mostly abysmal rookie season.
So if the Jaguars get first dibs on any prospect in this draft, I'd go with Hutchinson; I have him ranked slightly ahead of Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. Hutchinson, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, is a dominant and consistent pass-rusher who can put up double-digit sacks as a rookie. He's a safe No. 1 pick. They can play him on the other side of Josh Allen, who is a really nice player. Now, there could be some talk about the Jags taking a left tackle here, but I'm not buying that over the value of having a truly great edge rusher. Yes, left tackle might be more of a "need," but they should take the best prospect, not fill the biggest need.

2. Detroit Lions
Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
The Lions finished with the same number of wins (three) as the Jaguars, but doesn't it feel as if they're in a much better position? Well, maybe not so fast. The defense allowed the second-most points in the league (27.5 per game), and the offense had major consistency issues, which led to coordinator Anthony Lynn's firing. This is a roster that could use talent upgrades at several positions.
That's why it's a no-brainer to take Thibodeaux or Hutchinson here, whoever is still on the board. Thibodeaux, who was a No. 1 overall high school recruit, has elite upside. His get-off at the snap is lightning-quick, and though he's still developing secondary pass-rush moves, he doesn't need them when he can blow by offensive tackles before they're out of their stance. Thibodeaux had half as many sacks (seven) as Hutchinson this season, but he had the second-best pressure rate in the country (17.8%). Charles Harris, who led Detroit with 7.5 sacks this season, is a free agent, which makes this even more of a problem position.

3. Houston Texans
Evan Neal, OT, AlabamaHouston just fired coach David Culley after one season, and studying the roster he had and the numbers they put up on both sides of the ball, it's a wonder this team won four games. Here are five stats that caught my eye:
- 27th in total sacks (32)
- 30th in offensive points per game (15.5)
- 31st in yards per play allowed (5.9)
- 32nd in first downs per game (15.6)
- 32nd in rushing yards per game (83.9)
ESPN Illustration

4. New York Jets
Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre DameThe Jets had big defensive issues in Robert Saleh's first season as coach, from the front seven to the secondary. They didn't get after quarterbacks, and they couldn't cover pass-catchers, which is a recipe for another top-five draft pick. Hamilton would fill a void at safety, especially if Marcus Maye leaves in free agency. Six-foot-4, 220-pound Hamilton has rare traits for his size, and he can play in the box or as a center fielder (he had eight career interceptions for the Fighting Irish). He was one of the most versatile defenders in college football for the past three seasons. Hamilton played in only seven games in 2021 because of a knee injury, but I'm told he'll be ready to work out at the NFL combine in March. The Jets also pick at No. 10, and they could get help on offense there.

5. New York Giants
Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC StateThere has been a lot of recent buzz around Ekwonu, whose stock is rising. He dominated at left tackle for the Wolfpack this season after playing some guard earlier in his career. Based on the 2021 tape, there's not much separating Ekwonu from Evan Neal, and I wouldn't be surprised if Ekwonu was the top tackle off the board in April. He has All-Pro potential as a run-blocker and as a pass-blocker.
For the Giants -- who haven't yet replaced coach Joe Judge or general manager Dave Gettleman -- this would be top-five tackles in two of the past three drafts, but even though Andrew Thomas played better this season, the right tackle spot is far from settled. They just have to get better up front, and taking Ekwonu is a step toward that. Like the Jets, they have two top-10 picks, and they could go offense with the No. 7 selection.

6. Carolina Panthers
Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi StateThis is an easy call based on Carolina's biggest weakness: It has to get a better left tackle. The Panthers ranked last in the league in yards per play (4.6) and 28th in sacks allowed (52). They went into the season with journeyman Cameron Erving manning the spot and finished with rookie third-rounder Brady Christensen filling in. Taylor Moton is a really solid right tackle, but they can upgrade the left side with this pick.
Cross took a big leap in 2021, allowing just a single sack while playing in a pass-happy Mike Leach offense. He can be a big-time NFL left tackle. This isn't a reach pick. The Panthers need to hit here because they don't have second- or third-round picks due to trades for quarterback Sam Darnold and cornerback CJ Henderson. This is a massive draft for coach Matt Rhule, who fired his offensive coordinator and might have to make the playoffs in 2022 to keep his job.

7. New York Giants (via CHI)
David Ojabo, OLB, MichiganIt's always tough to project for teams that haven't hired new general managers, so here's my thinking for this pick, which comes from the Bears in the Justin Fields trade up last year: The Giants have some solid options on defense, but it's fair to say they underperformed as a unit in 2021. The best way to get better as a whole? Pressure the quarterback, which helps every level of the defense. Rookie second-round pick Azeez Ojulari had a nice season, leading the team with eight sacks, but they don't have another top-tier edge rusher on the other side.
Ojabo can help the pass rush immediately. He had an incredibly impressive season, racking up 11 sacks and five forced fumbles while playing opposite my projected No. 1 pick, Aidan Hutchinson. He doesn't have Hutchinson's all-around game -- he has to get better against the run -- but as a pure pass-rusher, he has a very high ceiling. With these two top-seven selections, New York can get high-end starters on both sides of the ball.
play
1:09
Will the Eagles or Giants draft a QB in the first round?
Mel Kiper Jr. explains why he doesn't predict that the Giants and Eagles will draft Daniel Jones' and Jalen Hurts' replacements in the first round of the NFL draft.
8. Atlanta Falcons
Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSUThis was one of the toughest calls of the entire mock. I thought hard about a quarterback. My buddy Chris Mortensen, though, says the Falcons are committed to Matt Ryan for 2022, which means this might be too high to take a QB who's not going to play right away. This is not a class full of surefire starting QBs. If David Ojabo was still on the board, I probably would have gone with him because the Falcons finished last in the league in sacks (18) this season. But there's a little bit of a drop-off in the edge-rush tiers, and my next guy doesn't have a top-10 grade.
So how about a cornerback to play on the other side of rising star A.J. Terrell? Stingley looked like a potential No. 1 pick when he was dominating as a true freshman on LSU's national title team in 2019, but he was inconsistent in 2020 and then played just three games this season because of a foot injury. A team is going to have to take a little bit of a leap of faith with Stingley because he hasn't played great for two seasons. The draft is all about upside, though, and he has the potential to be a superstar. I'm hoping he can work out at the combine to ease some concerns.

9. Denver Broncos
Nakobe Dean, ILB, GeorgiaThe Broncos need a quarterback, of course, but the feeling I get is that they're more likely to try to add a veteran in either the trade or free-agent market. They have a solid roster, and a veteran could help them win right away. This could change as we get closer to the draft -- and they hire a coach -- but I'm going to stay away from quarterback here for now.
Denver could be a great spot for the draft's best off-ball linebacker, Dean, who was the leader of the spectacular Georgia defense. He makes tackle after tackle and can run sideline to sideline to make plays, and he has three-down potential because of his ability to cover tight ends and running backs. He'll also help as a blitzer -- he had six sacks in 2021. The Broncos have the Rams' second- and third-round picks from the Von Miller trade, so general manager George Paton has a real chance to get this team back to the playoffs if he can nail a few early selections, as he did with Pat Surtain II and Javonte Williams last year.

10. New York Jets (via SEA)
Drake London, WR, USCQuarterback Zach Wilson had a rough rookie season, as the Jets finished near the bottom in most offensive statistics. So if I'm giving them defensive help with the No. 4 pick, let's give Wilson a target here, because his best pass-catchers in 2021 are all better out of the slot. Elijah Moore, Jamison Crowder and Braxton Berrios are good players, but they're never going to be down-the-field aerial threats.
London -- who is 6-foot-5 and also played on the USC basketball team -- has a chance to be a special outside receiver. He caught 88 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games this season. His record-breaking year ended in late October because of a fractured right ankle, but he is expected to be ready for the 2022 season. He can be Wilson's top target, giving the Jets a huge red zone threat. The Jets, by the way, also have an extra second-round pick from the Sam Darnold trade, and they could address the offensive line on Day 2 of the draft.

11. Washington Football Team
Malik Willis, QB, LibertyTime for the first quarterback off the board. You might be surprised that it's Willis, but you really shouldn't be. He was in the QB1 mix all fall before he faded a little bit in the last stretch of the regular season. The more tape I watch of his past two seasons and the more I talk to evaluators in the league, the more I like him. Put simply, Willis is the most talented quarterback in this class. He didn't always get to show that at Liberty, which didn't have much NFL talent around him. (He was sacked an astounding 51 times in 2021.) This is a dual-threat signal-caller -- he rushed for 1,822 yards and 27 touchdowns over the past two seasons -- with a powerful arm. I'm really excited to see him compete against the other top QBs in the Senior Bowl in a couple weeks.
Like Denver, Washington could be in the veteran QB market, but I like the fit with Willis. Washington can't go into the season with Taylor Heinicke as the starter.

12. Minnesota Vikings
Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, CB, CincinnatiSince 2013, the Vikings have drafted four cornerbacks in Round 1 ... and not a single one of them is still on the roster. Coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman are out, and the new regime will inherit a good, not great, roster with a couple of significant voids, particularly at corner. Veteran Patrick Peterson was signed to a one-year deal last offseason, so he's a free agent, and I'm not sold that Cameron Dantzler is a quality starter.
They should jump at the chance to take Gardner, a lockdown corner who presented problems for opposing offensive coordinators in 2021. He was targeted just 31 times as the nearest defender in coverage, and he allowed only eight catches for 60 yards. With Kirk Cousins not locked in long term, I thought about a quarterback here, but Gardner is too good to pass up for a team in glaring need.

13. Cleveland Browns
Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio StateThis was a pretty easy pick for me, because the Browns should take the best receiver left on the board. If they really are committed to Baker Mayfield for 2022 (and beyond), they should get their quarterback some help, because this is now two straight seasons in which they've trotted out a subpar receiving corps for the second half of the season.
Wilson, who caught 70 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021, can play outside or in the slot. He's a great route runner who can also run away from defensive backs after the catch. And the Buckeyes star doesn't have to go too far if Cleveland takes him.

14. Baltimore Ravens
Tyler Linderbaum, C, IowaInjuries decimated the Baltimore roster in 2021, but center Bradley Bozeman had a solid season. The problem? He's now a free agent and could get more money on the open market. The Ravens could turn to the draft for his replacement, and if Linderbaum is on the board at No. 14, they would upgrade. Linderbaum is pro-ready right now -- he already has great technique and is already a great run and pass-blocker. This one makes a ton of sense.
Barring significant injuries again, Baltimore is well-positioned for another playoff run in 2022. It needs to keep Lamar Jackson clean in the pocket, and Linderbaum will certainly help there.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (via MIA)
Devin Lloyd, ILB, UtahThis is the first of three Eagles picks in the next five, this one coming from the Dolphins in last March's order-busting trade. And I know that some folks are going to connect Philly with a quarterback, but I'm not buying that; Jalen Hurts earned the 2022 job by his play down the stretch, even if he didn't have a great playoff game. This team needs more talent on defense, so that's where I'm going with the first two of these picks.
I had to dive deep back into my research to find the last time the Eagles took a linebacker in Round 1, going all the way back to Jerry Robinson in 1979. I was 18 years old at the time of that draft. This is both a need and value pick, as Lloyd is coming off a tremendous season. I've compared him to Tampa Bay's Devin White -- he's an off-ball linebacker with speed, versatility, range and run-and-hit ability. He had eight sacks and four picks last season. This would be a major boost to the Philly D.

16. Philadelphia Eagles (via IND)
Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn StateThe Eagles finished the regular season with wins in six of their final eight games powered by their running game, but again, this defense showed several holes. One of those was the pass rush -- they finished 31st in the league in sacks with just 29, 11 of those coming from the tackle duo of Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox. I see edge rusher as a priority, even if 2017 first-rounder Derek Barnett, a free agent this offseason, returns to the team. He has never quite put together a consistent season, and he had just two sacks in 2021. So let's use the pick from the Carson Wentz trade on a rising pass-rusher.
Ebiketie, a transfer from Temple, is coming off a stellar season for the Nittany Lions. He had 9.5 sacks, 19 total tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. He has long arms and is explosive at the snap, and he's strong enough to set the edge in the run game. I'm a big fan.