2022 NFL mock draft: KC Chiefs stay and address needs in first round

The Bills are allowed to make a luxury pick if they so choose. They have done a great job of roster building this offseason. Pound for pound, they may have the most talented team in the NFL. With all of that in mind, they have a small need at cornerback outside of Tre’Davious White. Trent McDuffie would make for a great slot cornerback at the professional level.

If McDuffie is the pick here, he would immediately lift the defense to an even higher level. Although they were very good last season, having another coverage corner opposite of White would make them even better. While some mock drafts have him going much higher, I would anticipate this being the correct range in which he is taken. He has shorter arms and does not have the same ceiling that other cornerbacks taken to this point have. With that in mind, he will make a very nice pick at 25.

As aforementioned, the Bills could take a luxury pick because of how good their roster is. Treylon Burks is sitting there and would make for a scary combination with Stefon Diggs. McDuffie, however, addresses a need that can improve an already good defense.

The Titans are sitting pretty in this draft with a ton of options at pick 26. With Julio Jones out and Robert Woods in, the Titans are hoping to give Ryan Tannehill every chance to guide the team to a Super Bowl. While Burks did not put up staggering numbers at the combine, his tape shows how impressive he can be.

Burks would make a good fit in Tennessee. Like AJ Brown, Burks is a bigger receiver with a large catching radius. While Burks has not developed his ability to release and create separation on a consistent basis, he is very good in the slot or when he is given manufactured touches. As the third option in the Tennessee offense, Burks would make a ton of sense and could make an immediate impact in that setting.

The Titans could go a lot of different directions with this pick. There are talented defensive players on the board. Interior offensive linemen are still sitting there as well. Tennessee has to push all of their chips to the middle of the table on weapons and blocking if they believe that Ryan Tannehill is their guy.

Tom Brady is back; Who knows if this is for another couple years or for one final dance. How do you keep your old man quarterback happy? Keep defensive tackles out of his lap. Lucky for him and the Tampa Bay Bucs, Zion Johnson is still on the board at pick 27. Johnson could step in an start immediately at left guard.

Johnson is big and quick with an excellent anchor. His technique is good and he has powerful hands right out of the gate. Tampa Bay could use him immediately and he could make a difference from day one. Johnson is a very good value pick at 27.

Tampa Bay saw their lives flash before their eyes when Tom Brady retired and then un-retired. Perhaps they take a replacement or back up quarterback in Desmond Ridder or Matt Corral here. With Brady, they likely are still going to build for “win-now” mode. Johnson would make the most sense if the board fell this way, but they would take anyone to boost themselves into the Super Bowl conversation.

(PROJECTED TRADE FROM GREEN BAY PACKERS)

If you are the general manager of the Baltimore Ravens, what do you do? You have a powerful running back, mobile quarterback, and have invested draft capital in receivers in the last couple of seasons. The answer is clear: bulk up the offensive line. Tyler Linderbaum out of Iowa would immediately fill their need at center and upgrade their offense as a whole.

Linderbaum may be the best interior lineman in the class. With not many teams being in search of a center, trading back and nabbing Linderbaum at 28 is an absolute home run for the Ravens. He is a powerful blocker and a leader on the field. With adequate quickness in pass sets, he will likely be very good at the NFL level.

The Ravens could go a couple of directions here. They could look at Nakobe Dean or another defender to set the new defensive mentality with “Wink” Martendale out of the picture. In this case, the Ravens would be wise to build up their lines on both sides of the ball.