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This April, the NFL stars in: "The Multiverse of Draft Madne s."By now you've probably heard the Kipers and Jeremiahs of the world say something along the lines of this: The 2022 NFL Draft doesn't have the top talent, but it sure is deep. That lends itself to a Doctor Strange-esque 14,000,605 different scenarios in which any number of outcomes are po sible.Jacksonville finds itself in a very intriguing position: With no slam-dunk, surefire, No. 1 overall Jason McCourty Jersey prospect this year, the Jaguars' pick could set off a tremendous ripple effect through the top five, even the top 10.Alabama's Evan Neal, NC State's Ikem Ekwonu, Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson and Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux could all find their names called at No. 1 overall come April 28.Here's how it could all come together barring the inevitable trades:MORE NFL DRAFT: | Scenario 1PickTeamPlayerPositionSchool1Jacksonville JaguarsEvan NealOTAlabama2Detroit LionsAidan HutchinsonEDGEMichigan3Houston TexansKayvon ThibodeauxEDGEOregon4New York JetsIkem EkwonuOTNC State5New York GiantsSauce GardnerCBCincinnati6Carolina PanthersMalik WillisQBLiberty7New York Giants (via CHI)Travon WalkerEDGEGeorgia8Atlanta FalconsGarrett WilsonWROhio State9Seattle Seahawks (via DEN)Kyle HamiltonSNotre Dame10New York Jets (via SEA)Jermaine JohnsonEDGEFlorida StateNo. 1: It's simple for the Jags:They need to protect the franchise quarterback, and they take the playerthey may feel is the best offensive tackle at No. 1, Alabama's Evan Neal.No. 2:The Lions are perfectlywith Jared Goff for the time being. There's no need to reach for a quarterback in this spot when they have the No. 32 pick, where other pa sers may be waiting, if that's the route they want to go. Instead, they keep Aidan Hutchinson in Michigan. Dan Campbell will love him for his motor (and maybe his incisors).No. 3:The Texans are going to do what they can to help build an offense around Davis Mills, but for now, they take the second-best pa s-rusher off the board in Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux.No. 4:With Mekhi Becton a question mark entering Year 3 and the Jets needing to continue to protect and build around Zach Wilson, Gang Green opts for a pricy insurance policy with NC State tackle Ikem Ekwonu. At best, Ekwonu and Becton would Lynn Bowden Jr. Jersey pair as bookend tackles for the foreseeable future. At worst, Becton ends up as trade bait before the start of the 2022 NFL season.No. 5:The Giants are still shopping CB James Bradberry, but taking Sauce Gardner, one of the top cornerbacks on the board, will only help the secondary moving forward. If the Giants are serious about giving Daniel Jones a fair shake, then no offensive talent they take here that isn't one of the top two tackles is going to help.No. 6:The Panthers specifically Matt Rhule know that they have to figure out the quarterback spot at some point after the Sam Darnold experiment set the laboratory on fire. In this scenario, they choose to swing for the fences here with Malik Willis. The Liberty star has all the tools to be an electric NFL quarterback, but may need time to develop at the next level.No. 7:The Giants are double-dipping on defense here to help strengthen their pa s rush. Travon Walker has all the tools of a top pa s rusher, but has to put them together. Azeez Ojulari had a solid rookie season, and if he continues to ascend, then a Walker-Ojulari pa s-rush tandem could be a young, top-tier pairing.No. 8:Kyle Pitts is great, but the Falcons are dangerously thin at wide receiver, and they'll have to do something to replace a suspended Calvin Ridley. They take Garrett Wilson here, whose game is similar to Ridley's in a lot of ways.No. 9:If there's anything Pete Carroll loves, it's good safety play. The Seahawks, who got middling returns from Jamal Adams in his second year in Seattle, would pair the do-it-all Kyle Hamilton with Adams and hope to recreate the Legion of Boom at least one more time.No. 10:For however much the Jets understand they need to keep building around Zach Wilson, they can't ignore their bottom-of-the-barrel defense. Jermaine Johnson has all the tools to become a top-flight pa s rusher at the next level.Scenario 2PickTeamPlayerPositionSchool1Jacksonville JaguarsIkem EkwonuOTNC State2Detroit LionsAidan HutchinsonEDGEMichigan3Houston TexansKyle HamiltonSNotre Dame4New York JetsKayvon ThibodeauxEDGEOregon5New York GiantsMalik WillisQBLiberty6Carolina PanthersKenny PickettQBPittsburgh7New York Giants (via CHI)Travon WalkerEDGEGeorgia8Atlanta FalconsDrake LondonWRUSC9Seattle Seahawks (via DEN)Charles Cro sOTMi si sippi State10New York Jets (via SEA)Garrett WilsonWROhio StateNo. 1:While Evan Neal seemed like a slam-dunk OT1 off the board, Ikem "Ickey" Ekwonu's freakish athleticism and positional versatility get him the top selection in this scenario.No. 3: Michael Palardy Jersey The Texans have a load of needs. Safety is a luxury pick. Kyle Hamilton didn't test well at his Pro Day. It doesn't matter tape over everything. There's a reason people are calling Hamilton a generational talent, and the Texans could benefit from some overthinking positional value.No. 4:There was a world when Kayvon Thibodeaux was the de-facto No. 1 overall pick. Some rumors coming out of the pre-draft cycle say Thibodeaux hasn't interviewed well, whatever that means. Who cares? The talent is legitimate and it shows on tape, and the Jets are thrilled the get the Duck here at No. 4.No. 5 uarterbacks are a lot like finding "The One:" When you know, you know. The Giants clearly still don't know. With a new head coach and GM, they'd like to find their own guy, too, and that guy is Malik Willis. Brian Daboll's bombs-away offense finds its own athletic freak at the position, with the cannon-armed Willis hoping to be the next Josh Allen in the new-look Giants O.No. 6 ittsburgh's Kenny Pickett is the most pro-ready QB of any in this draft. Pickett also once committed to Temple University, where Matt Rhule was his potential head coach. Connect the dots.No. 8:The Falcons have to deal with Austin Jackson Jersey Mike Evans twice a year, so why not draft the guy who gets Evans comps? Drake London is vying for the title of WR1 in this draft cla s, and he's the first off the board for Arthur Smith.No. 9:The Seahawks need to find a way to build the offensive line, and picking the silky-smooth Charles Cro s would go a long way to fixing that, either for Drew Lock or whoever their future QB is.No. 10:The Jets lost out on the Tyreek Hill sweepstakes and are prepared to jump in the wide receiver market again, if the situation arises. In this scenario, they make it to the draft and select the hyper-athletic Garrett Wilson, who is tailor-made for the LaFleur-designed offense.Scenario 3PickTeamPlayerPositionSchool1Jacksonville JaguarsAidan HutchinsonEDGEMichigan2Detroit LionsKyle HamiltonSNotre Dame3Houston TexansIkem EkwonuOTNC State4New York JetsSauce GardnerCBCincinnati5New York GiantsEvan NealOTAlabama6Carolina PanthersKenny PickettQBPittsburgh7New Jesse Davis Jersey York Giants (via CHI)Travon WalkerEDGEGeorgia8Atlanta FalconsJermaine JohnsonEDGEFlorida State9Seattle Seahawks (via DEN)Malik WillisQBLiberty10New York Jets (via SEA)Drake LondonWRUSCNo. 1:The Jaguars take Aidan Hutchinson, who some believe is the best player in this year's draft, with the top selection. Jacksonville has put a lot of resources into the offensive line this offseason, so working on a pa s rush that definitely needs help is and should be priority 1A in the draft.No. 2:Simply put, the Lions are devoid of talent, especially in the back end. Adding a talent like Kyle Hamilton to the fold makes things easier for Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.No. 3:With the Laremy Tunsil trade rumor mill churning, the Texans opt to take a left tackle of the future in Ikem Ekwonu. If Tunsil ends up on the Week 1 roster, then Ekwonu can slide inside until it's time to kick out to the tackle spot.No. 4:The Jets signed DJ Reed to lock down one corner spot, but there still seems to be some hesitance over the second cornerback spot. While Bryce Hall and Brandin Echols could both start come Week 1, the Dolphins trading for Tyreek Hill forces the Jets hand to shore up the secondary with Sauce Gardner.No. 5:The Giants really like Andrew Thomas at left tackle, but drafting Evan Neal would give them the hog-mollies that Dave Gettleman never got the opportunity to put together.No. 8:The best way to help Grady Jarrett is to get him some outside help. Locking in Jermaine Johnson would give the Falcons an edge rush presence they've lacked for |
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