2022 Eagles 7-Round Mock Draft

Apr 27, 2022

After what has felt like an eternity, the 2022 NFL Draft is finally here. The Eagles entered the offseason with one of the most substantial amounts of draft capital in recent memory thanks to two 2021 trades that each netted them an extra first round pick this season. Howie Roseman then made a huge pick swap with the Saints three and a half weeks ago. In a nutshell, the Eagles essentially received pick #101 and a 2024 second-round pick in exchange for kicking one of their three firsts down to the 2023 Draft. Realistically, the allegedly strong 2023 quarterback class likely played a role in this trade, but that is a conversation for another time. For now, the Eagles still possess very strong 2022 draft capital, including two top-20 picks. Let’s take a stab at what I would do at all 10 Eagles draft slots if I was not allowed to trade (in reality, Roseman will almost certainly move around multiple times this weekend). I will use The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine to simulate the other 31 teams (highlight reels linked in pick titles).

ROUND 1, PICK 15 – Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama (#1)

Unfortunately for the Eagles, no quarterbacks were taken in the top 14 in my simulation, but luckily a premier talent still made it to my selection in Jameson Williams. Williams would probably be the consensus WR1 and a guaranteed top 10 pick if he didn’t tear his ACL during the National Championship Game in January. Word appears to be that his recovery is going well and that he might even be ready for Week 1 of the season, and this helped minimize how much his stock fell during the pre-draft process. There were other receivers on the board here who I would have preferred over Williams a couple months ago, such as Chris Olave and Treylon Burks, but if he truly has a good chance of being 100% to start the season, Williams has the highest ceiling of any receiver in this class.

Williams’ game is all about speed and explosiveness. He is an absolute blur in the open field, and if he gets behind the secondary it is game over. In his lone season at Alabama, he had 79 catches for 1572 yards and 15 touchdowns in 15 games. He won’t always catch a ton of passes in a game, but he tends to make the ones he gets count. I have seen a lot of Tyreek Hill comparisons, but Williams is taller and lankier, and gets way more of his yards through the air than Hill does. To me he is more like a taller DeSean Jackson.

But should the Eagles take a receiver in the first round for the third straight year? Sure! Who cares? They still need multiple of them. Drafting Jalen Reagor in 2020 should not be a reason to pass on someone who can help them, and Williams can certainly do that. Additionally, he just turned 21 years old, so he is very young for an NFL Draft prospect. Whether Jalen Hurts is in Philadelphia for the long haul or not, a trio of Williams, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert has the potential to be a very fun and explosive receiving corps for the next several years.

ROUND 1, PICK 18 – George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue (#5)

Malik Willis and Trevor Penning were the two picks between 15 and 18, which is fine because I was not really interested in either of them. I was strongly considering Devin Lloyd here, but there were still several solid linebackers available, so instead I took the only great pass-rusher left (in my opinion) in George Karlaftis out of Purdue. Like Williams, the “Greek Freak” of football (he was born in Athens) just turned 21 years old, and while the production is not really prevalent, he played hard and powerful in a conference with a lot of good offensive lines. Karlaftis has not been talked about as much as some of the other first-round pass-rushers, but I think he has the tools and youth to develop into a great starter over time, and the Eagles need both pass-rushing depth and a long-term replacement for Brandon Graham.

ROUND 2, PICK 51 – Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor (#8)

Pitre is a versatile defensive back who won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year last season. Playing both safety and linebacker at Baylor (he will be a safety in the NFL), Pitre was well-regarded as a high-IQ and high-character leader in college. The Eagles need talent at the safety position, and Pitre can potentially become what they had hoped K’Von Wallace would be.

ROUND 3, PICK 83 – Troy Andersen, LB, Montana State (#15)

Andersen is such a fascinating prospect because he played quarterback, running back and linebacker at different times during his career at FCS’s Montana State. He eventually settled at linebacker, and it appeared to be the right call as he won Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year last season with 147 tackles (14 tackles for loss), 2 sacks, and 2 interceptions. He is inexperienced at the position and played against a lower level of competition, but the athleticism and production speak for themselves. I think he is a very interesting project with a high ceiling.

ROUND 3, PICK 101 – Zach Tom, OL, Wake Forest (#50)

Tom mostly played left tackle at Wake Forest, but he will play center in the NFL. Tom is undersized, but very athletic and a great pass protector. Remind you of anyone? The Eagles love versatile offensive-linemen, and Tom can be a backup at multiple positions during his rookie year while Jeff Stoutland develops him into Jason Kelce’s eventual replacement.

ROUND 4, PICK 124 – Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Alabama (#4)

Robinson was Alabama’s lead back last season, and he had pretty good production with 1343 yards on 5 yards per carry and 14 touchdowns. He also displayed some receiving chops with 296 yards and 2 touchdowns on 8.5 yards per catch. While he probably isn’t going to burn secondaries in the open field (4.53 40 yard dash), he is a big and powerful halfback (6’1”, 225 pounds) who can hold his own in the passing game. The Eagles could use a younger replacement for Jordan Howard who can pick up those third and shorts.

ROUND 5, PICK 154 – Charlie Kolar, TE, Virginia Tech (#88)

Kolar has fantastic size (6’6”, 252 pounds) and good production (62/756/6 in 12 games), but is thought of as a terrible run-blocker who doesn’t play physically or get yards after the catch (sounds like Zach Ertz to me). Still, the Eagles need another receiving threat at the tight end position behind Dallas Goedert, and they should not be banking on J.J. Arcega-Whiteside to be that guy.

ROUND 5, PICK 162 – Bailey Zappe, QB, Western Kentucky (#4)

Zappe had comical statistical production at Western Kentucky, completing 69.2% of his passes for 5967 yards, 62 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 14 games. Zappe is smart and accurate, but his mobility is limited and his arm strength is severely lacking, so there is very little in the way of physical traits that NFL teams can work with. Still, despite the limited ceiling, I think he is a guy that can stick around as a backup for many years. He can be the third-string in the short-term while making Gardner Minshew more expendable in the long-term should the opportunity present itself.

ROUND 5, PICK 166 – Matt Araiza, P, San Diego State (#2)

A punter? That’s right, but Araiza is not your typical punter prospect. Araiza averaged a ridiculous 51.2 yards per punt, including 18 of 60+ yards and 2 of 80+ yards. Watch the highlight reel, I promise it is worth it. He can hit too!

That type of leg is very uncommon, and he is a rare punter prospect that could actually be fairly sought after this weekend. The Eagles need a new punter, as Arryn Siposs was shanking left and right by the time the playoffs rolled around. In a draft where they have 10 picks and three 5th-rounders, why not?

ROUND 7, PICK 237 – Tariq Castro-Fields, CB, Penn State (#5)

Castro-Fields is a lanky and experienced corner with great speed (4.38 40 yard dash). He needs a lot of development, but there are appealing physical traits there to work with, and the Eagles love taking low-risk dart throws at the cornerback position.

2022 Eagles 7-Round Mock Draft

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