2022 NFL Draft discussion

[Matches Malone]

Interesting visiting the Falcons.... after picking Kyle Pitts at #4 last year

Woods is a developmental prospect. If they teach him to be a complete TE, they can trade him (or Pitts!).

I'm not a fan of taking a developmental prospect who will be 24 in October

Age could definitely drop his stock a bit.

Speaking of age, it's one of the reasons I think I'm out on Wyatt in the 1st round. He'll be nearing 30 by the end of his rookie deal, assuming he makes it to his 5th year option. That kind of worries me.

[ReasonablySober]

Did a three round mock that would make heads explode:

22 - Trevor Penning - OT
28 - Bernhard Rainmann - OT
53 - Nik Bonito - EDGE
59 - Jalen Tolbert - WR
92 - Khalil Shakir - WR

But I think I'd kinda love it.

[MVP2110]

Woods is a developmental prospect. If they teach him to be a complete TE, they can trade him (or Pitts!).

I'm not a fan of taking a developmental prospect who will be 24 in October

Age could definitely drop his stock a bit.

Speaking of age, it's one of the reasons I think I'm out on Wyatt in the 1st round. He'll be nearing 30 by the end of his rookie deal, assuming he makes it to his 5th year option. That kind of worries me.

100% agree. Stay away from anyone who is 23 or 24 in the first 2 rounds imo

[ReasonablySober]

I'm not a fan of taking a developmental prospect who will be 24 in October

Age could definitely drop his stock a bit.

Speaking of age, it's one of the reasons I think I'm out on Wyatt in the 1st round. He'll be nearing 30 by the end of his rookie deal, assuming he makes it to his 5th year option. That kind of worries me.

100% agree. Stay away from anyone who is 23 or 24 in the first 2 rounds imo

The class is all basically older than normal because of the pandemic.

[MVP2110]

Age could definitely drop his stock a bit.

Speaking of age, it's one of the reasons I think I'm out on Wyatt in the 1st round. He'll be nearing 30 by the end of his rookie deal, assuming he makes it to his 5th year option. That kind of worries me.

100% agree. Stay away from anyone who is 23 or 24 in the first 2 rounds imo

The class is all basically older than normal because of the pandemic.

There are plenty of older players and day 3 guys I don't care much about since they are crapshoots anyway but there are plenty of 21 or 22 year olds at positions of need for us that will be available in Round 1 or 2

Off the top of my head

WR: Olave, Pickens, Watson, Burks
Oline:Penning, Tyler Smith, Rhyan, Faalele
Dline: Winfrey, Leal
Edge: Karlaftis, Logan Hall, Drake Jackson
S: Dax Hill, Cine

I'm sure there are others as well, these are just the ones off the top of my head who are 21 or 22

[DrWood]

Woods is a developmental prospect. If they teach him to be a complete TE, they can trade him (or Pitts!).

I'm not a fan of taking a developmental prospect who will be 24 in October

Age could definitely drop his stock a bit.

Speaking of age, it's one of the reasons I think I'm out on Wyatt in the 1st round. He'll be nearing 30 by the end of his rookie deal, assuming he makes it to his 5th year option. That kind of worries me.

Why? DT don't have great longevity anyway. You pay them on their rookie contract and get their peak, and you let them go unless they've outperformed your expectations.

[Matches Malone]

I'm not a fan of taking a developmental prospect who will be 24 in October

Age could definitely drop his stock a bit.

Speaking of age, it's one of the reasons I think I'm out on Wyatt in the 1st round. He'll be nearing 30 by the end of his rookie deal, assuming he makes it to his 5th year option. That kind of worries me.

Why? DT don't have great longevity anyway. You pay them on their rookie contract and get their peak, and you let them go unless they've outperformed your expectations.

That's certainly one strategy, but not the rule. There's plenty of interior DL on second deals with their teams. It's just personal preference, but I'm not saying that's what will happen. Gute could take him #22 for all I know. I tend to lean towards liking the younger prospects in the 1st.

[Treebeard]

Age could definitely drop his stock a bit.

Speaking of age, it's one of the reasons I think I'm out on Wyatt in the 1st round. He'll be nearing 30 by the end of his rookie deal, assuming he makes it to his 5th year option. That kind of worries me.

Why? DT don't have great longevity anyway. You pay them on their rookie contract and get their peak, and you let them go unless they've outperformed your expectations.

That's certainly one strategy, but not the rule. There's plenty of interior DL on second deals with their teams. It's just personal preference, but I'm not saying that's what will happen. Gute could take him #22 for all I know. I tend to lean towards liking the younger prospects in the 1st.

You know, the used car line: It's not the years, it's the mileage. How much mileage is there on those comparatively older guys? Remember all the hooha about Jonathan Taylor million carries at Madison? Some guys age well, some don't

I'm not advocating one way or the other. It's an open question in my mind.

[LikeABosh]

Did a three round mock that would make heads explode:

22 - Trevor Penning - OT
28 - Bernhard Rainmann - OT
53 - Nik Bonito - EDGE
59 - Jalen Tolbert - WR
92 - Khalil Shakir - WR

But I think I'd kinda love it.

I'm a big believer in a tackle early on. Bakh is getting older, Jenkins is coming off an injury and might be better at LG anyways.

That being said, we'd never take two in the first round

53 - Nik Bonito - EDGE

I've been hesitant to pick him in my mock drafts because Packers in the Gute era have gone for plump in their EDs (260 lb. at least). But he does seem like a Clay Matthews type playmaker, doesn't he? RAS profiles are basically the same too. Should be able to plug him in on passing downs right away

[DrWood]

Did a three round mock that would make heads explode:

22 - Trevor Penning - OT
28 - Bernhard Rainmann - OT
53 - Nik Bonito - EDGE
59 - Jalen Tolbert - WR
92 - Khalil Shakir - WR

But I think I'd kinda love it.

Tolbert and Shakir are reasonable values where you picked them, and are a position of need.
Nick Bonito is 248#, too small for the pack as an edge rusher.
I would be greatly irked at either of the two OT (unless they somehow drop 10 picks later than you picked them and we had acquired such a pick. I have my doubts about Raimann, and he's 24.)

[ReasonablySober]

The age thing is really being overblown, but especially if you're talking about offensive lineman. If they're good, they're not going to fall off at age 29. Trent Williams is one of the best ever and is 33.

[ReasonablySober]

Barnwell has two mock trades. One to get the Packers into the top ten, another top get the Packers Claypool.

9. Seattle Seahawks (via DEN)
Seahawks get: 1-28, 2-59, QB Jordan Love
Packers get: 1-9

I pitched an opportunity for the Seahawks to trade up earlier in the top 10, but we know general manager John Schneider's philosophy is usually to trade down and take extra selections in the first three rounds. Seattle could use a left tackle such as Evan Neal (Alabama) if one is on the board at No. 9, but this would be a chance to add an extra pick in the top 60 and go after a quarterback prospect.

Schneider cut his teeth under Ron Wolf in Green Bay, so my suspicion is that he and Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst at least share some thoughts about scouting quarterbacks. Trading for Love would give the Seahawks a passer with two years left on his rookie deal and an essentially blank slate, given that his career to this point has consisted of garbage time and a spot start against the Chiefs. This deal values Love as being worth the 52nd pick in a typical draft, which is about fair given that half of his rookie deal is in the books.

We've seen the Packers trade up in the first round in recent years for Love and Darnell Savage, but jumping all the way from No. 28 to No. 9 would be a more significant move than the ones Gutekunst has made. Then again, given their need at wide receiver after trading Davante Adams, they are in a more desperate spot at a key position than they've been in years past.


Getting into the top 10 would get the Packers ahead of the Jets, Commanders, Eagles and Saints, all of whom could consider a wide receiver. Trading Love would hurt, but when Green Bay signed Aaron Rodgers to a massive extension this offseason, it closed the book on Love becoming the starter of the future. The Packers would still be in the market for a backup, but their first priority needs to be finding a significant weapon for the reigning MVP.

22. Green Bay Packers (via LV)
Packers get: WR Chase Claypool (from Steelers), 4-114 (from Falcons)
Steelers get: 1-8, 6-190 (from Falcons)
Falcons get: 1-20 (from Steelers), 1-22 (from Packers)

It's the first three-team trade here! There are other ways for each of these teams to accomplish their goals, but this gets all three organizations what they want have coming out of this draft.

Let's start with the Packers, who add a valuable young receiver set to make just $2.7 million combined over the next two seasons. Claypool didn't take a leap forward in his second season, but he has the size and physical tools to win at all levels of the field, and he'd get a massive upgrade at quarterback when it comes to deeper routes. The Packers have been rewarded for their patience in the past; remember that Davante Adams himself was seen as a disappointment after his second season and didn't post a 1,000-yard campaign until his fifth year. Claypool's early success makes him a slightly better bet than the average rookie being drafted in the 20s.

The Falcons need to amass draft capital. If they aren't going to draft a quarterback at No. 8, they're better off trading down and getting an extra first-rounder. Even with fourth- and sixth-round picks, this deal is a net victory for Atlanta on the Johnson chart. It is in a position to target the best prospect available, which could be a quarterback at this point of Round 1.

For Pittsburgh, this is using what the organization does well to replenish its biggest weakness. The organization has an incredible track record of finding receivers in the middle rounds, with Claypool the latest member of a group that includes Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson. The latter is due for a massive extension, which would make it difficult for the Steelers to then offer Claypool a similar deal the following offseason. There was at least a little friction between Claypool and the organization last season, and while I don't think it was enough to force a trade, this would be a chance for Pittsburgh to get a significant draft pick in return.


In this scenario, the Steelers sacrifice Claypool and the No. 20 pick to move up and get their quarterback of the future. They can use their second- or third-round pick to draft Claypool's replacement, sign Johnson to an extension and move forward with a transitioning core on offense. This deal values Claypool as being worth something in the ballpark of the No. 34 pick in a typical draft.

I don't love trading all that draft capitol in either trade for WRs. The second trade is especially bad.

[MVP2110]

Barnwell has two mock trades. One to get the Packers into the top ten, another top get the Packers Claypool.

9. Seattle Seahawks (via DEN)
Seahawks get: 1-28, 2-59, QB Jordan Love
Packers get: 1-9

I pitched an opportunity for the Seahawks to trade up earlier in the top 10, but we know general manager John Schneider's philosophy is usually to trade down and take extra selections in the first three rounds. Seattle could use a left tackle such as Evan Neal (Alabama) if one is on the board at No. 9, but this would be a chance to add an extra pick in the top 60 and go after a quarterback prospect.

Schneider cut his teeth under Ron Wolf in Green Bay, so my suspicion is that he and Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst at least share some thoughts about scouting quarterbacks. Trading for Love would give the Seahawks a passer with two years left on his rookie deal and an essentially blank slate, given that his career to this point has consisted of garbage time and a spot start against the Chiefs. This deal values Love as being worth the 52nd pick in a typical draft, which is about fair given that half of his rookie deal is in the books.

We've seen the Packers trade up in the first round in recent years for Love and Darnell Savage, but jumping all the way from No. 28 to No. 9 would be a more significant move than the ones Gutekunst has made. Then again, given their need at wide receiver after trading Davante Adams, they are in a more desperate spot at a key position than they've been in years past.


Getting into the top 10 would get the Packers ahead of the Jets, Commanders, Eagles and Saints, all of whom could consider a wide receiver. Trading Love would hurt, but when Green Bay signed Aaron Rodgers to a massive extension this offseason, it closed the book on Love becoming the starter of the future. The Packers would still be in the market for a backup, but their first priority needs to be finding a significant weapon for the reigning MVP.

22. Green Bay Packers (via LV)
Packers get: WR Chase Claypool (from Steelers), 4-114 (from Falcons)
Steelers get: 1-8, 6-190 (from Falcons)
Falcons get: 1-20 (from Steelers), 1-22 (from Packers)

It's the first three-team trade here! There are other ways for each of these teams to accomplish their goals, but this gets all three organizations what they want have coming out of this draft.

Let's start with the Packers, who add a valuable young receiver set to make just $2.7 million combined over the next two seasons. Claypool didn't take a leap forward in his second season, but he has the size and physical tools to win at all levels of the field, and he'd get a massive upgrade at quarterback when it comes to deeper routes. The Packers have been rewarded for their patience in the past; remember that Davante Adams himself was seen as a disappointment after his second season and didn't post a 1,000-yard campaign until his fifth year. Claypool's early success makes him a slightly better bet than the average rookie being drafted in the 20s.

The Falcons need to amass draft capital. If they aren't going to draft a quarterback at No. 8, they're better off trading down and getting an extra first-rounder. Even with fourth- and sixth-round picks, this deal is a net victory for Atlanta on the Johnson chart. It is in a position to target the best prospect available, which could be a quarterback at this point of Round 1.

For Pittsburgh, this is using what the organization does well to replenish its biggest weakness. The organization has an incredible track record of finding receivers in the middle rounds, with Claypool the latest member of a group that includes Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson. The latter is due for a massive extension, which would make it difficult for the Steelers to then offer Claypool a similar deal the following offseason. There was at least a little friction between Claypool and the organization last season, and while I don't think it was enough to force a trade, this would be a chance for Pittsburgh to get a significant draft pick in return.


In this scenario, the Steelers sacrifice Claypool and the No. 20 pick to move up and get their quarterback of the future. They can use their second- or third-round pick to draft Claypool's replacement, sign Johnson to an extension and move forward with a transitioning core on offense. This deal values Claypool as being worth something in the ballpark of the No. 34 pick in a typical draft.

I don't love trading all that draft capitol in either trade for WRs. The second trade is especially bad.

I would absolutely do both of these deals. Part of it is I'm really high on Claypool, but adding Claypool, a top 10 pick but then GB would still have a 2nd, 3rd, and 3 4ths to play with. Sign me up

[ReasonablySober]

If the Packers are trading all the way up to #9, I would hope it would be for a guy at a premium position (edge rusher, CB, OT). Pickens and Dotson may end up being just as good as Garrett, London, or Olave.

[Profound23]

Did a three round mock that would make heads explode:

22 - Trevor Penning - OT
28 - Bernhard Rainmann - OT
53 - Nik Bonito - EDGE
59 - Jalen Tolbert - WR
92 - Khalil Shakir - WR

But I think I'd kinda love it.

Tolbert and Shakir are reasonable values where you picked them, and are a position of need.
Nick Bonito is 248#, too small for the pack as an edge rusher.
I would be greatly irked at either of the two OT (unless they somehow drop 10 picks later than you picked them and we had acquired such a pick. I have my doubts about Raimann, and he's 24.)

If this gets us out of that Bakhtiari contract, I'm all for it. LOL

[Frank Nova]

Did a three round mock that would make heads explode:

22 - Trevor Penning - OT
28 - Bernhard Rainmann - OT
53 - Nik Bonito - EDGE
59 - Jalen Tolbert - WR
92 - Khalil Shakir - WR

But I think I'd kinda love it.

Maybe the consensus of the fan base would feel differently but I find it very hard to believe that we go this route after everything that’s transpired since the end of last season. It would be a real hard sell to Rodgers to essentially disrespect him in that regard. Maybe that’s irrelevant and moot and whatever to the fans, but I feel like that’s a pretty blatant aspect that would be tossed around a lot behind closed doors.

I would assume it would be highly insulting to tell Rodgers at this point here’s Sammy Watkins Randall Cobb Allen Lazard and 2 day 2 rookies go win us a super bowl.

Your draft is fantastic tho. 2 stout OL is a super necessity and a nice edge to compliment P and G is a great start to a draft. I even really like the 2 guys you picked for WR. Shakur can return punts and will/would have a role immediately and Tolbert looks like he has the ceiling of a WR1 if it all pans out for him. I do like it.

My bold prediction would be the polar opposite. I think we trade up for either 1 of the “unhappy” star WRs (Aj Brown, DK, McLaurin) or even trade up for Drake London or Chris Olave.

I think this is a “go big” draft now that we’ve basically put our backs to the wall. Trust me anything is possible and we could go WR-less and wait on another Amari Rodgers 3rd round guy and figure it out later but I’d like to think we won’t piss our superstar QB off that much considering what he’s done for the franchise lately and the power they handed him not that long ago..

1 last thought, I think this WR craze is being overblown in general. Not about the Packers huge need but I don’t see why everyone is so confident all these WRs just fly off the board. 5 in the top 20 is an “expert” consensus and I just find it baffling. Perennial contenders like Packers and Chiefs have needs they created for their rosters so it makes sense to try and predict they’ll draft a WR. Teams that have some of the worst OLs and DLs and 2ndarys in the league still being mocked WRs always cracks me up. Some of the teams have **** QBs to boot and wonder why they’re teams are run of the mill bottom feeders for decades at a time…. Teams continuing to think a dynamic college WR will turn around an offense with a bad OL and lackluster QB should all be unemployed.

[ReasonablySober]

The reason why I don't think we trade for a WR is because the Packers just let a WR they didn't want to pay walk out the door. If you're spending a 1st on Brown, DK, Deebo, or McLaurin, you're just going to have to give them a new deal too AND you've used up draft capitol that could have nabbed a WR on the cheap.

[Treebeard]

I have to admit, that I have no feel where the Packer draft will go next week. There's 12-15 guys I think I'd be happy with right now at #22 and #28, but it won't surprise me one bit if they trade up or stand pat. Given the very narrow SB window, trading back seems less likely, as instant results are required (your mileage may very on what pick gets you there). By that same narrow SB window measure, I'm coming around to the idea that the draftee age issue may not be as much of a factor to Gute this time. There's different logic in play here.

I'd be surprised if they trade for a vet WR, unless it's a guy with a couple of years left on his contract, and isn't **** crazy. The WR contract chaos is going to cause problems for teams.

I think I'll be happy if they get at least one of a topflight WR, DL, OL in the first two rounds. I won't cry if there's an value Edge, CB, SS or ILB in those top two rounds. Wishy-washy? Absolutely, but with this crazy list of prospects and the Pack's situation, thats the best I got.

[JimmyTheKid]

The reason why I don't think we trade for a WR is because the Packers just let a WR they didn't want to pay walk out the door. If you're spending a 1st on Brown, DK, Deebo, or McLaurin, you're just going to have to give them a new deal too AND you've used up draft capitol that could have nabbed a WR on the cheap.

What you meant to say was that the Packers strained the relationship with Davante so badly that even a hail mary offer, one that actually trumped the Raiders' largest-WR-contract-in-NFL-history, wasn't enough to change his mind. They tried to keep him. But the damage was already done. Thanks to their ineptitude. I think the Packers would pay another receiver for sure. That said, I'd prefer to go the Claypool route. Love both of those Barnwell trade ideas.

[ReasonablySober]

The reason why I don't think we trade for a WR is because the Packers just let a WR they didn't want to pay walk out the door. If you're spending a 1st on Brown, DK, Deebo, or McLaurin, you're just going to have to give them a new deal too AND you've used up draft capitol that could have nabbed a WR on the cheap.

What you meant to say was that the Packers strained the relationship with Davante so badly that even a hail mary offer, one that actually trumped the Raiders' largest-WR-contract-in-NFL-history, wasn't enough to change his mind. They tried to keep him. But the damage was already done. Thanks to their ineptitude. I think the Packers would pay another receiver for sure. That said, I'd prefer to go the Claypool route. Love both of those Barnwell trade ideas.

I love that you're simply assuming ineptitude rather than the plainly obvious reason of a guy wanting to play with his best friend in a city where he owns a house.