The teams picking first and second in the 2022 NFL Draft have been set but not which order yet as it will be the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions. If the Jaguars lose Sunday at home vs. the Indianapolis Colts as 15.5-point underdogs, they will get the first pick for the second year in a row and most likely the choice between star pass-rushers in Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson (-110 favorite to be picked first) and Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux (+110). The Jags also would pick first if they tie the Colts or if the Lions lose at home to Green Bay.
Jacksonville's defense definitely needs a lot of help as after the Jags allowed 50 points in New England on Sunday, they rank second-to-last in scoring defense at 27.9 ppg. The team ranks bottom third in the NFL with 31 sacks and adding either Hutchinson or Thibodeaux to young linebacker Josh Allen would be a nice foundation.
Hutchinson's stock might have taken a small hit when the Wolverines were dominated by Georgia in the Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal as the Heisman runner-up was not a factor with four tackles and no sacks. He had just one quarterback pressure and a season-low 62.5 pass-rush grade across 32 pass-rush snaps. Thibodeaux skipped Oregon's bowl game.
While nearly every mock draft out there has either Hutchinson or Thibodeaux going first, a new CBS Sports mock has Jacksonville taking Alabama offensive lineman Evan Neal. Not sure I agree with that – although offensive line is a major Jags need, too -- and Neal is +1000 on the first player chosen prop.
Jacksonville would become the sixth franchise to have back-to-back No. 1 overall picks and first since Cleveland took Myles Garrett at No. 1 in 2017 and then Baker Mayfield at that spot in 2018. The Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks have never had the first overall pick.
The Jaguars will pick in the Top 10 of the draft for the 14th time in the last 15 years. Here is where the Jags' top pick has fallen, overall, in the last 14 years: 8, 8, 10, 10, 5, 2, 3, 3, 5, 4, 29, 7, 9, 1. Detroit's last top-two pick was Ndamukong Suh at No. 2 overall in 2010.
Current Top 16 NFL Draft Order
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14)
2. Detroit Lions (2-13-1)
3. Houston Texans (4-12)
4. New York Jets (4-12)
5. New York Giants (4-12)
6. Carolina Panthers (5-11)
7. New York Jets (from Seattle 6-10)
8. New York Giants (from Chicago 6-10)
9. Washington Football Team (6-10)
10. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
11. Denver Broncos (7-9)
12. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
13. Cleveland Browns (7-8)
14. Philadelphia Eagles (from Miami 8-8)
15. New Orleans Saints (8-8)
16. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
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