We are just a month and a half or so away from the 2022 NFL Draft and things are really getting interesting with the Detroit Lions, especially with the Jacksonville Jaguars electing to use the franchise tag on Cam Robinson.
Does the Jaguars using the tag on Robinson mean they have decided to go with Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft or will they still go with an offensive lineman?
Well, Kyle Meinke of MLive just released his Mock Draft 1.0 and he has the Jaguars taking OT Evan Neal No. 1 overall and the Lions then selecting Hutchinson with the No. 2 overall pick.
With the No. 32 overall pick, Meinke has the Lions taking Georgia LB Nakobe Dean.
Here is some of what Meinke had to say about Hutchinson and Dean.
To see his full Mock Draft 1.0, please click here.
2. Detroit Lions: Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson
This league is all about passers and pass rushers, and the Lions haven’t had a playmaking pass rusher in way, way too long. Short of finding a quarterback — which I don’t believe they will — adding a big-time pass rusher should be their top priority. And Hutchinson is the best this class has to offer. He set the Michigan single-season sack record last year (14), racked up 73 total pressures overall and had a killer pass-rush win rate of 25.4%. His motor also never turns off, which is important for a team that is trying to rebuild its culture as well as the roster. That’s why the Lions prized Penei Sewell in the top 10 last year, and it’s why Hutchinson — a physical player who just never stops comin’ — makes more sense than, say, Kayvon Thibodeaux.
32. Detroit Lions: Georgia LB Nakobe Dean
