2022 NFL Mock Draft: Curran, Perry, Bean project every first-round pick

Draft week has officially arrived.

The 2022 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night in Las Vegas, and this year's event should be quite the spectacle. There's already talk of potential trades both up and down the board, while several top-flight wide receivers could be taken in the first round.

Our Phil Perry has been all over the draft beat with several first-round mock drafts, Patriots-specific mock drafts and crowd-sourced mock drafts. But with the event right around the corner, Perry got some help from his friends, teaming up with fellow Patriots Insider Tom E. Curran and NBC Sports Boston analyst D.J. Bean for a three-person, first-round mock draft on a new episode of the Next Pats Podcast.

Next Pats Podcast: Live NFL mock draft! How a STUD could fall to Bill Belichick and the Patriots | Listen & Follow | Watch on YouTube

The trio alternated picks for the first round: Curran picked first, Bean second and Perry third, then back to Curran at fourth, and so on. We followed that format until the New England Patriots' selection at No. 21, where Perry took the reins for the remainder of the first round.

Check out the full results below, and check out the Next Pats podcast to watch the trio break down their picks in real time.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan

The Jags can’t go wrong at No. 1. The 6-foot-7, 260-pound Hutchinson is freaky athletic and productive and hits a bigger need spot than the OL guys. -- Tom E. Curran

2. Detroit Lions: Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia

The Lions have the easiest job at this year’s draft: Wait to see which of the top two defensive ends falls to you and turn in the card ASAP. -- DJ Bean

3. Houston Texans: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

Neal is a freak athlete and offensive cornerstone. Nick Caserio will feel good about dipping back into the Alabama pipeline here as he did for so long in Foxboro. -- Phil Perry

4. New York Jets: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon 

Long, strong, fast and violent off the ball, the 6-foot-5, 254-pound Oregon product immediately becomes a focus of Mac Jones’ attention every time New England plays the Jets. -- Curran

5. New York Giants: Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State

The Giants have swung and missed on the offensive line in the past, but if they’re really going to stick with the skill position players they’ve got in place, they need to give those players some support. -- Bean

6. Carolina Panthers: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State

The Panthers could go with a quarterback here but instead opt for one of the top tackles on the board with an extensive resume as a pass protector hailing from an Air Raid offense. -- Perry

7. New York Giants: Jermaine Johnson, EDGE, Florida State

He’s a tad raw, but the upside for the 6-foot-4, 254-pound edge player from Florida State is through the roof. Ripped it up at the Senior Bowl and fills a yawning need for G-Men. -- Curran

8. Atlanta Falcons: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty       

A year after passing on the position with a top-five pick, Atlanta grabs the top QB in the class to replace Matt Ryan. -- Bean

9. Seattle Seahawks: Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

Gardner is long, strong, stingy in coverage. Seattle lands its next Richard Sherman here. -- Perry

10. New York Jets: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State

The strength, suddenness and elusiveness after the catch make the 6-foot, 183-pound Ohio State product the latest in a line of would-be wideout stars in New York. -- Curran

11. Washington Commanders: Drake London, WR, USC

Loading up at receiver will either help Carson Wentz return to stardom or make Washington an attractive destination for quarterbacks in the coming years. They can’t go wrong here. -- Bean

12. Minnesota Vikings: Derek Stingley, CB, LSU

A top-10 (maybe top-five) talent falls to Minnesota and their new analytically-driven front office here. -- Perry

13. Houston Texans: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

Color the Texans giddy -- GIDDY -- to find a plug-and-play, 6-foot-4, 220-pound safety with speed, versatility, character, brains and room to grow staring at them. Notre Dame product has Pro Bowl potential at the very least. -- Curran

14. Baltimore Ravens: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa

A year after trading away a top offensive lineman, the Ravens get one back as they try to return their offense to what it was in the recent past. -- Bean

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Davis, DE, Georgia

Speaking of analytically-driven front offices... Howie Roseman won't be able to pass up Davis' incredible size (341 pounds) and the test numbers he posted this offseason. -- Perry

16. New Orleans Saints: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama

Great get for a team that needs wideouts badly. The Alabama stud dropped in part because of his torn ACL in the national championship game and that becomes a boon for the Saints. -- Curran

17. Los Angeles Chargers: Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A&M

Davis would have been the perfect fit and Williams would have been a luxury, but with the Raiders continuing to add to their pass rush, protecting Justin Herbert is the move. -- Bean

18. Philadelphia Eagles: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington

Philly needs a starter opposite Darius Slay, and McDuffie is ready to go. Versatile, tough, fundamentally sound. He would be a good fit in Foxboro, and may be worthy of a trade up from No. 21 overall. -- Perry

19. New Orleans Saints: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt

The Saints were lucky to get Williams a couple picks back, now they have a chance to get him his future quarterback with the mini-pawed Pittsburgh quarterback. Has experience but is not a “wow” prospect. But in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. -- Curran

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

The Steelers haven’t drafted a receiver in the first round since 2006 (that was also an Ohio State guy in Santonio Holmes), but they don’t have a star quarterback anymore. They need all the help they can get. -- Bean

21. New England Patriots: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah

Lloyd isn't for everyone. His athleticism is good but not freaky. He's a productive tackler but not an explosive hitter. Still, he looks like he could be a Fred Warner type as an impact player in coverage who has a nose for the football.

Lloyd among Perry's "Prototypical Patriots" draft fits at OLB

For a team that is looking to get more speed on the field, he'd certainly be an upgrade at the second level. -- Perry

22. Green Bay Packers: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

Aaron Rodgers needs weapons, and the Niners-related coaching staff in Green Bay gets a supersized Deebo Samuel in Burks. -- Perry

23. Arizona Cardinals: Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State

Christian Kirk ended up getting a massive deal in Jacksonville, but the Cardinals are able to replace him here with an undersized-but-acrobatic slot option. -- Perry

24. Dallas Cowboys: Zion Johnson, OL, Boston College

Dallas isn't afraid to go boring in the first round, believe it or not. Johnson may qualify, but when you're talking about a guard, that's not a bad thing. He'll be an easy plug-and-play starter for the next decade. -- Perry

25. Buffalo Bills: Dax Hill, S, Michigan

The Bills could use an infusion of youth at safety, and they may have to address the contracts of the vets at some point in the near future. Hill gives them the versatility to give them insurance here. -- Perry

26. Tennessee Titans: Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan

Mike Vrabel knows his team's identity. It's in the trenches offensively. It's having a dominating running game. Raimann's power off the line would help them maintain that style they prefer. -- Perry

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia

A running mate for Vita Vea, Wyatt is a tremendous talent. If Jason Licht views him as a character fit, they will have added one of the top defenders in the class. -- Perry

28. Green Bay Packers: Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa

More help for Rodgers here. Linderbaum is a tremendous athlete and the top true center in this year's class. -- Perry

29. Kansas City Chiefs: George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue

The Frank Clark deal never really worked out for Kansas City. Karlaftis will give the Chiefs some much-needed juice at a premium position, at a fraction of what it cost them to acquire Clark. -- Perry

30. Kansas City Chiefs: Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State

Did someone say "juice?" That's Watson, who at 6-foot-4 might be the best athlete in this year's entire wideout class. His rare traits should have Patrick Mahomes itching to get back on the field. -- Perry

31. Cincinnati Bengals: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida

After getting torched through the air in the Super Bowl, Cincinnati adds one of the top man-to-man corners in this year's class. -- Perry

32. Detroit Lions: Lewis Cine, S, Georgia

Looking for players willing to bite kneecaps? Cine fits exactly what head coach Dan Campbell wants. He's tough. He's an aggressive tackler. And he's a ridiculous athlete. More than worth of a first-round investment. -- Perry