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NFL Draft 2022 – 1st Round Mock Draft – March, 2 2022

   Pre-NFL Combine Mock Draft
        * Underclassmen –   Selection order after Super Bowl         

All underclassmen had until Jan. 17th to declare for the NFL Draft 2022. Players had three days to rescind their decision and return to school and still retain their college eligibility. No underclassmen rescind their decision.

1st Round

   #   Team              W/L   St Sch            Player                 Pos          Ht/Wt             School
1 Jacksonville             3-14      .512           Evan Neal                  OT           6-7/350             Alabama
2 Detroit                     3-13-1   .528         Aidan Hutchinson     DE         6-6/265             Michigan
3 Houston                   4-13      .498         Ikem Ekwonu            OT          6-4/320             N. Carolina St
4 NY Jets                    4-13      .512         Kyle Hamilton             S            6-4/220             Notre Dame
5 NY Giants                4-13      .529         Kayvon Thibodeaux    DE       6-5/260             Oregon
6 Carolina                   5-12      .512          Derek Stingley            CB        6-1/195             LSU
7 NY Giants (Chicago) 6-11      .524          Charles Cross           OT        6-5/310             Mississippi St
8 Atlanta                     7-10      .476          Drake London            WR       6-5/210             USC
9 Denver                     7-10      .484          Kenny Pickett            QB       6-3/220             Pittsburgh
10 NY Jets (Seattle)       7-10      .519          George Karlaftis        DE       6-4/275             Purdue
11 Washington              7-10      .529          Malik Willis                QB       6-1/220             Liberty
12 Minnesota                8-9        .507          Ahmad Gardner         CB        6-3/200             Cincinnati
13 Cleveland                 8-9        .517          Garrett Wilson           WR       6-0/190          Ohio State
14 Baltimore                 8-9        .528          Tyler Linderbaum      C          6-3/290             Iowa
15 Phil (Miami)              9-8        .464          Jermaine Johnson     DE       6-5/265             Florida State
16 Phil (Indianapolis)     9-8        .495          Devin Lloyd               ILB       6-3/235             Utah

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17 LA Chargers             9-8        .510          Travon Walker           DE        6-5/280             Georgia
18 New Orleans             9-8        .512          Matt Corral                QB       6-1/205          Ole Miss
19 Philadelphia             9-8        .472          Treylon Burks            WR       6-3/225           Arkansas
20 Pittsburgh                9-7-1     .521          Trevor Penning          OT        6-7/320          Northern Iowa
21 New England            10-7      .481          DeMarvin Leal           DT        6-4/290             Texas A&M
22 Las Vegas                10-7      .510          Jahan Dotson            WR       5-11/185            Penn State
23 Arizona                    11-6      .490         David Ojabo              DE       6-5/250          Michigan
24 Dallas                      12-5      .491        Kenyon Green           OG       6-4/325            Texas A&M
25 Buffalo                    11-6      .472          Andrew Booth           CB        6-0/195             Clemson
26 Tennessee                12-5      .472          Chris Olave               WR       6-1/190             Ohio State
27 Tampa Bay              13-4      .460          Jameson Williams      WR       6-2/190             Alabama
28 Green Bay                13-4      .479          Nakobe Dean            ILB       6-0/225             Georgia
29 Miami (San Fran)      10-7      .500       Bernhard Raimann     OT      6-6/305       C. Michigan
30 Kansas City              12-5      .538          Jordan Davis             DT        6-6/340             Georgia
31 Cincinnati                 10-7      .472          Perrion Winfrey         DT        6-4/305             Oklahoma
32 Detroit (LA Rams)     12-5      .483          Roger McCreary        CB        6-0/190             Auburn

NFL Draft Yearbook Sample Scouting Report

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NFL Draft Yearbook Scouting Report – 2020

* Justin Jefferson #2 – 6-1, 200, LSU – Sp. 4.45
                 NFL Comparison: Calvin Ridley      Rating 90
Big agile junior has been a key part of the Tigers’ deep receiving corps over his two starting seasons while earning All-American and SEC honors in 2019. Smooth wideout with long arms and strong hands. Fast developing skills to become an NFL playmaker within a short time and very productive over his career operating with QB Joe Burrow. Deceptive gliding running style with soft reliable hands and excellent use of his body to shield off defenders. Combines good size and speed with top hands to be one of the most intriguing prospects at this position. Shown fine improvement on the key points and nuances of the game, especially route running and overall defensive awareness. Amazing production vs top ten talent. Wiry high cut receiver with very good ball skills to start immediately. Savvy ability to separate in the deep game, though he lacks elite top end speed. Highly developed as a route runner with the ability to change speeds and use multiple moves on a defender. Eats up a cornerback’s cushion and comes out of his cuts well for a lanky receiver to create separation. Finds holes in coverage and is especially dangerous on the short and intermediate crossing routes. Precise route runner with the ability to recognize coverage and zone schemes to make fast adjustments. Size and agility to fight off the jam and separate in coverage with very good run after the catch ability. Shows development to adjust nicely and catch outside the box. Especially dangerous on the fade pattern with the developed hands to make the tough catch. At the sidelines, he uses his height, reach and leaping skills to create matchup problems. Learning to use his hands better to avoid the jam and stay on routes. Disciplined footwork at the breakpoint with very good body control to adjust and track the ball. As a route runner, he shows the ability to make cuts and retain his speed. Earned 1st team SEC honors. Scored 24 TDs over his final two seasons as one of the best red zone threats in the country. At the NFL Combine, he came in over 6’1” and 202 lbs. with 33” arms and 9’1/8” hands.  Did not lift. Ran an impressive 4.43 time and added a 37.5” VL and a 10’6” BJ. Performed very well in positional drills showing sure hands and good radius to complete an excellent overall performance. Similar to Calvin Ridley and Adam Thielen in size, speed, AA and playmaking ability. Developed polished receiver with early NFL starting talent. This fast riser developed almost as quickly as his QB Burrow. High LOD to play in multiple sets day one. Player with the athleticism to become a solid #1 receiver and big play NFL performer. Marginal top 25 prospect with talent to continue to improve and become an impact weapon.
Draft Projection: 1st Round

NFL Top Quarterbacks – post Super Bowl LVI

   Top 22 NFL Quarterback Rankings following 2022 postseason

Draft Insiders’ staff

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1. Tom Brady – Goat retires after unparalleled brilliant career
2. Aaron Rodgers – Rare back to back MVP awards
3. Patrick Mahomes – Magic Man just entering his prime
4. Josh Allen – Might be the best in the league going forward
5. Justin Herbert – Terrific passer looks to refine his game
6. Joe Burrow – Brilliant young leader could be best with better protection
7. Matthew Stafford – Tough veteran finally got with playoff team and results were great
8. Lamar Jackson – Talented scrambler needs to refine his passing game to rank in top five
9. Derek Carr – Cagey vet carried his club to the playoffs through a very difficult season
10. Russell Wilson – Veteran leader hoping a change of scenery to a playoff contender
11. Matt Ryan – Wiry veteran can still perform and hopes to land with a legit contender
12. Kyler Murray – Young playmaker blew up in the postseason with horrible performance
13. Ben Roethlisberger – Tough veteran retires after brilliant career as a two-time SB champ
14. Dak Prescott – Overrated starter comes up short consistently in big spots
15. Kirk Cousins – Highly productive vet with marginal results in critical games
16. Jimmy Garoppolo – Moving on after solid performance and capable of helping a contender
17. Ryan Tannehill – Manages a game well, though dependent on power ground game and defense
18. Mac Jones – Terrific rookie season and the talent to continue to improve
19. Trevor Lawrence – Super talented rookie passer paid his dues with a terrible offensive line and major coaching upheaval
20. Deshaun Watson – Major legal issues hang out his head, but a top 5 player here when right
21. Baker Mayfield – Tough vet slide back after erratic performance and ongoing injury concerns
22. Jalen Hurts – ROP performer has improved each season, but needs to prove he can win from the pocket

Super Bowl LVI MVP – Rams’ Cooper Kupp
Completes Generational Performance
Eighth Wide Receiver to be named MVP

Rams’ Cooper Kupp capped off a breakout season with an MVP performance in Super Bowl LVI. Kupp’s 1-yard TD reception with 1:25 left became the winning score in the Rams’ 23-20 victory over the Bengals. He was justifiably named Super Bowl MVP after catching 8 of 10 targets for 92 yards and two TDs. He became only the eighth receiver to win Super Bowl MVP. QB Matthew Stafford finished 2^nd in the balloting while DT Aaron Donald finished 3^rd in the award. Stafford threw 3 TD passes and orchestrated a brilliant game plan with savvy throwing and good decision making. Donald was invisible the first three quarters being regularly double teamed, but came on late with two big sacks to close the victory.

Draft Insiders’ predicted a Rams Super Bowl victory prior to the start of the 2021 season in our 2021 forecast

On the game winning drive, Kupp also converted a fourth-and-1 with an 8-yard run on a jet sweep with five minutes left. It was probably the critical play of the game. He caught four passes for 34 yards on the Rams’ game-winning drive. Earlier, he also caught an 11-yard TD reception early in the second quarter gave the Rams a 13-3 lead.

Kupp won by the NFL’s most prolific offensive player off a rare generational 2021 triple statistic performance of receptions, yardage and TDs. He recently became the first wide receiver to receive a regular season MVP vote since Randy Moss in 1998. He finished third behind Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, the latter of whom won his fourth MVP award and 2nd in a row. rd.

The veteran 28 year-old receiver led the NFL in catches, receiving yards and TD receptions during the regular season. His 147 receptions and 1,947 receiving yards were the second-highest regular-season totals in league history. He became the first receiver in league history to surpass 2,000 receiving yards in a season during the Rams’ win over the Cardinals in the wild card round of the playoffs. In 21 games this season, including the postseason, he totaled 178 receptions for 2,425 yards and 22 TDs. He was the catalyst on an injured receiving corps that lost vet Robert Woods early in the season and late addition Odell Beckham who was injured in the first half of the Super Bowl. Kupp’s production helped deliver the Rams’ first Super Bowl win as a Los Angeles-based team.

Kupp won the wide receiver triple crown as he led the league in catches (145), yards receiving (1,947) and touchdowns (16). He averaged 114.5 yards per game, which was also tops in the league. His run after the catch ability is incredible with both speed and power to break tackles and run away from defenders.

NFL Draft 2022 – 1st Round Mock Draft -3.0

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* Underclassmen –   Selection order after Super Bowl   

All underclassmen had until Jan. 17th to declare for the NFL Draft 2022. Players had three days to rescind their decision and return to school and still retain their college eligibility. No underclassmen rescind their decision.

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1st Round
#   Team           W/L      St Sch      Player        Pos      Ht/Wt      School
1 Jacksonville             3-14      .512           Aidan Hutchinson      DE       6-6/265             Michigan
2 Detroit                     3-13-1   .528          Kyle Hamilton            S          6-4/220             Notre Dame
3 Houston                   4-13      .498          Kayvon Thibodeaux   DE       6-5/260             Oregon
4 NY Jets                    4-13      .512          George Karlaftis        DE       6-4/275             Purdue
5 NY Giants                4-13      .529          Ikem Ekwonu            OT        6-4/320             N. Carolina St
6 Carolina                   5-12      .512          Kenny Pickett            QB       6-3/220             Pittsburgh
7 NY Giants (Chicago) 6-11      .524          Derek Stingley           CB        6-1/195             LSU
8 Atlanta                     7-10      .476          Drake London            WR       6-5/210             USC
9 Denver                     7-10      .484          Devin Lloyd               ILB       6-3/235             Utah
10 NY Jets (Seattle)       7-10      .519          Tyler Linderbaum      C          6-3/290             Iowa
11 Washington              7-10      .529          Matt Corral                QB       6-1/205             Mississippi
12 Minnesota                8-9        .507          Jermaine Johnson     DE       6-5/265             Florida State
13 Cleveland               8-9        .517          Charles Cross         OT        6-5/310           Mississippi St
14 Baltimore                 8-9        .528          Evan Neal                 OT        6-7/350             Alabama
15 Phil (Miami)              9-8        .464          Nakobe Dean            ILB       6-0/225             Georgia
16 Phil (Indianapolis)     9-8        .495        Garrett Wilson           WR       6-0/190             Ohio State
17 LA Chargers             9-8        .510          David Ojabo              DE       6-5/250             Michigan
18 New Orleans             9-8        .512          Malik Willis                QB       6-1/220             Liberty
19 Philadelphia             9-8        .472          DeMarvin Leal           DT        6-4/290             Texas A&M
20 Pittsburgh                9-7-1     .521          Ahmad Gardner         CB        6-3/200             Cincinnati
21 New England            10-7      .481          Christian Harris         ILB       6-2/235             Alabama
22 Las Vegas                10-7      .510          Treylon Burks            WR       6-3/225             Arkansas
23 Arizona                    11-6      .490          Kenyon Green           OG       6-4/325             Texas A&M
24 Dallas                      12-5      .491          Jordan Davis             DT        6-6/340             Georgia
25 Buffalo                    11-6      .472          Jahan Dotson            WR       5-11/185            Penn State
26 Tennessee            12-5      .472          Trevor Penning          OT        6-7/320          Northern Iowa
27 Tampa Bay              13-4      .460          Roger McCreary        CB        6-0/190             Auburn
28 Green Bay                13-4      .479          Jameson Williams      WR       6-2/190             Alabama
29 Miami (San Fran)      10-7      .500       Andrew Booth           CB        6-0/195             Clemson
30 Kansas City              12-5      .538          Travon Walker           DE        6-5/280             Georgia
31 Cincinnati               10-7      .472       Bernhard Raimann     OT       6-6/305           C. Michigan
32 Detroit (LA Rams)     12-5      .483          Perrion Winfrey         DT        6-4/305             Oklahoma

Tom Brady Retires After Incredible 22 Year Career

From #199 to the GOAT

The amazing QB Tom Brady ended his NFL career after a record setting 22 year stay which included 7 Super Bowl titles along with 5 game MVP awards in two stops with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Bucs. The 44-year-old Buc QB Tom Brady stated that he owes time to his wife and children after a final run for the title. Retirement writing was on the wall for the GOAT after the Bucs lost in the divisional playoffs to the Rams. The greatest of all time made it official today, concluding an unparalleled career.

After being selected in the 6th round as the #199 overall draft choice in the NFL Draft 2000, Brady set virtually every QB record, Super Bowl wins, career victories, passing yards, TDs and playoff wins and divisional titles. He spent his first 20 seasons with the Patriots under HC Bill Belichick that includes 6 Super Bowl titles. He began as a 4^th string QB before moving up the ranks and earning starting time when Drew Bledsoe was injured by a late hit that cost him the rest of his season and eventually his starting job. Brady led the Pats to an upset SB win over the St. Louis Rams that began the legacy that arguably has transformed him into the greatest NFL player in history.

His short two-year career in Tampa, began with a 6-2 start that set the ground work for another playoff run including winning the NFC title in Green Bay before beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. He returned in 2021 to win another unprecedented divisional title with a performance of over 5300 yards passing and 43 TD tosses.

He completes his career with 3 season MVP awards, 15 time Pro Bowler and the only player in NFL history to win a Super Bowl in three decades. His 7 Super Bowl victories in 10 appearances may stand for decades. Interesting in his three Super Bowl losses, he left the field (2x against the Giants and once vs Eagles) with a late 4^th quarter lead, only for the vaulted Patriots defense to fail at the close. In 2007, he led the Patriots to a perfect 16-0 record along with a record 50 TD passes at the time. Their dream of perfection ended in SB XVII with Eli Manning’s late game dramatics for a crushing disappointing 17-14 loss.

His statistics are amazing and ranks #1 in NFL history in completions (7,263), pass attempts (11,317), yards (84,520), passing TDs (624), starts (316), QB wins (243), Pro Bowl nods (15), and Super Bowl MVPs (five). In addition, Brady led the NFL in TD passes five times (2002, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2021), the most such seasons by any player in NFL history.

His 2021 performance is beyond belief for anyone, let alone a 44-year old QB. He threw for 5316 yards with 43 TD passes along with 485 completions. He led the Bucs to their first AFC South title since 2007. In his final game, he led the Bucs vs the Rams to recover from a 27-3 deficit only to lose to a game winning FG at the buzzer. This season, he ranks with Aaron Rodgers in the two-man MVP award chase.

His postseason performances are even more incredible with no rivals in every critical category. No QB comes remotely close to his playoff success. In his 22-season career, he made 19 appearances, started 47 games, earned 35 wins, 10 Super Bowl appearances, seven Super Bowl wins, 1,165 postseason completions, 13,049 postseason passing yards, 86 postseason passing TDs with the most 3 TD passing games, in addition to 14 game-winning drives, and nine fourth-quarter comebacks, all most in NFL history.

Brady leaves at the top of the game with accomplishments that no 44-year old athlete even dreams about. Only a few rare athletes were able to accomplish retiring at their peak – Roger Staubach, John Elway, Jimmy Brown and Barry Sanders on the elite short list.

NFL Draft 2022 Selection Order – The Jaguars are ‘On the Clock’ (Again)!

Jaguars Lions, Texans, Jets & Giants Hold Current Top 5 Selections
                         Eagles Hold Three #1 Selections,
               Giants and Jets Hold Two #1 Draft Choices

The Jacksonville Jaguars are ‘On the Clock’ with the first overall selection for the NFL Draft 2022. They earned the top overall draft choice again currently off a horrible 3-14 record. Rookie head coach Urban Meyer was fired in early December. Their recent overall draft decisions have been weak.

Detroit currently holds the 2nd overall selection off a poor 3-13-1 record with the Texans, Jets and Giants completing the top five selections. There is a logjam with nine clubs between 4-13, 7-10 and 9-8 that will impact the top  selections.

Jets (#4 & #10) and Giants (#5 & #7) hold two first round picks each with both top ten selections. The Eagles hold three #1 selections (#15, 16 & 19) with all from the middle of the round back.

A teams’ opponent’s W-L record will determine all tie situations. Teams that are still tied will flip though none necessary this year. Playoff teams will shuffle according to their postseason results to determine the final top 32 selections.

NFL teams look to both the veteran Free Agency period and the NFL Draft 2022 to improve their rosters. The salary cap went up after  in years with a $175 million cap range per team expected. It will dictate the movement of many veteran players this offseason and have an impact among the premier draft selections.

        Playoffs – Super Bowl game will determine final position
                postseason determines the final two positions

#            Team               W-L / Opp W-L %
1          Jacksonville          3-14     .512
2          Detroit                  3-13-1  .528
3          Houston                4-13     .498
4          NY Jets                 4-13     .512
5          NY Giants             4-13     .529
6          Carolina                5-12     .512
7          NY Giants (Chic)   6-11   .524
8          Atlanta                  7-10     .476
9          Denver                  7-10     .484
10         NY Jets (Seattle)   7-10   .519
11         Washington           7-10   .529
12         Minnesota             8-9     .507
13         Cleveland              8-9      .517
14         Baltimore              8-9     .528
15         Phil (Miami)         9-8      .464
16         Phil (Indianapolis) 9-8    .495
17         LA Chargers      9-8          .510
18         New Orleans     9-8          .512
19         Philadelphia      9-8          .472
20         Pittsburgh         9-7-1       .521
21         Cincinnati          10-7        .472
22         New England    10-7        .481
23         Miami (San Fran) 10-7   .500
24         Las Vegas        10-7          .510
25         Buffalo            11-6           .472
26         Detroit (Rams)   11-6     .490
27         Dallas               12-5         .491
28         Arizona            12-5        .483
29         Kansas City      12-5       .538
30         Tampa Bay       13-4      .460
31         Tennessee        12-5        .472
32         Green Bay        13-4       .479
 
               *** April 28-30 – NFL Draft 2022 – ***
 
Team tie-breaking procedure for the NFL Draft
If two or more clubs are tied in the selection order, the strength-of-schedule tie breaker is applied, subject to the following exceptions for playoff clubs: The Super Bowl winner is last and the Super Bowl loser next-to-last. Any non-Super Bowl playoff club involved in a tie shall be assigned priority within its segment below that of non-playoff clubs and in the order that the playoff clubs exited from the playoffs. Within a tied segment a playoff club that loses in the Wild-Card game will have priority over a playoff club that loses in the Divisional playoff game that in turn will have priority over a club that loses in the Conference Championship game. If two tied clubs exited the playoffs in the same round, the tie is broken by strength of schedule. If any ties cannot be broken by strength of schedule, the divisional or conference tie breakers, when applicable, are applied. Any ties that still exist are broken by a coin flip.

NFL Power Poll – Titans Clinch AFC South Title
Draft Insiders’ – NFL Power Poll – Week 18

Bengals Clinch AFC North Title for First time in Six Years
Titans Earn AFC South Title For 2nd Year in a Row

Team of the Week 
Bengals Take AFC North Title in Chiefs Win 34-31
QB Joe Burrows outshines Patrick Mahomes to win a great shootout that may be a postseason preview.

Upset of the Week
Las Vegas Raiders (9-7) Edges Indianapolis Colts (9-7) – 23-20
    
Players of the Week
  Offense – QB Joe Burrow – Bengals        
  Defense – LB TJ Watt – Steelers
 
Rookies of Week
    Offense – WR Ja’Marr Chase – Bengals
    Defense – S Jevon Holland – Dolphins  
 
Game of Week 18 
   LA Chargers (9-7) at Las Vegas Raiders (9-7)
      Winner Earns Wild Card spot in playoffs.

NFL Team Power Poll
Draft Insiders’ Staff

Ranking /Record /Team

#1 – 13-3 Packers
The Packers maintain the best record in the league for bye and homefield advantage. Face Lions in their finale.

#2 – 12-4 Bucs
Bucs bounced back vs the Jets behind late dramatics by Tom Brady. Host the Panthers this Sunday.

#3 – 11-5 Chiefs
Chiefs lost a shootout vs the Bengals with their secondary toasted by Joe Burrow. Travel to Mile High for finale.

#4 – 12-4 Rams
Rams beat the Ravens behind late game heroics by QB Matthew Stafford.  Host the 49ers this Sunday hoping to clinch the NFC West and high playoff seating.

#5 – 11-5 Titans
The Titans drilled the Dolphins to clinch the AFC South title. Travel to Houston for their finale hoping to earn AFC bye with a victory.

#6 – 11-5 Cardinals
Cardinals end a three game losing streak with a big Sunday night win over the Cowboys.  It was their best performance on the season. Hosting the Seahawks this week.

#7 – 10-6 Patriots
Pats bounced the weak Jaguars to clinch a playoff berth. Travel to Miami for hoping to win the AFC East with a victory.

#8 – 11-5 Cowboys
The Cowboys came up short vs the Cardinals. Travel to Philly for Saturday night finale that will dictate both club’s playoff positions.

#9 – 10-6 Bills
Bills took care of business vs the Falcons. Host the Jets looking to repeat with an AFC East title.

#10 – 10-6 Bengals
Bengals outshot the Chiefs for an impressive late season victory. Winning the AFC North behind another strong performance by QB Joe Burrow. Travel to Cleveland looking to maintain momentum.

#11 – 9-7 Colts
The Colts lost tough thriller to the Raiders in last one. Travel to Jacksonville this Sunday and needs a victory and help to claim a Wild card berth in the AFC logjam.

#12 – 9-7 Chargers
Chargers rebound and blasted the Broncos. They face the Raiders in a must win situation for both clubs with the winner in for the playoffs.

#13 – 9-7 49ers
The 49ers beat the Texans to stay alive for the postseason. Travel to LA to face the Rams looking for victory to claim the final Wild card NFC position.

#14 – 9-7 Eagles
The Eagles claimed a Wild card spot off a victory over WFT. Host the Cowboys on Saturday night
hoping to get a favorable playoff matchup.

#15 – 8-7-1 Steelers
Steelers beat the Browns in Ben Roethlisberger’s home finale to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. Travel to Baltimore hoping to earn final Wild card spot.

#16 – 9-7 Raiders
The Raiders hung together for the stretch run and won a huge game vs the Colts. Host the Chargers Sunday night with the winner going to the Show.

#17 – 8-8 Dolphins
Dolphins were eliminated after coming up empty vs the Titans. Play out the string playing on pride with the Patriots coming to town.

#18 – 8-8 Saints
The Saints stayed alive for the postseason edging the Panthers. Travel to Atlanta for finale looking for victory to claim a Wild card berth.

#19- 8-8 Ravens
Ravens lost a close one to the Rams that put their postseason hopes as only a longshot. Host the Steelers looking to end their playoff hopes.

#20 – 7-9 Vikings
Vikings lost to arch rival the Packers Sunday night ending any playoff hopes. Host the Bears in finale with a postseason of many changes coming.

#21 – 7-9 Browns
Browns came up short again this time vs the Steelers. They were eliminated from playoffs and play out the string hosting Bengals without QB Baker Mayfield.

#22- 7-9 Broncos
The Broncos continue to lack the firepower to beat the top clubs. They fell to the Chargers last week. Host the Chiefs playing only on pride after their 5th consecutive sub .500 season.

#23 – 7-9 Falcons
Falcons come up flat vs the Bills. Host rival the Saints hoping to end their playoff hopes.

#24 – 6-10 WFT
The WFT lost to the Eagles in another close game where they come up short offensively. Play Giants in an NFC East game of disappointing clubs.

#25 – 6-10 Seahawks
Seahawks crushed the Lions. Travel to Arizona hoping to make a final statement in the NFC West.

#26 – 6-10 Bears
The Bears beat the Giants for their first two game win streak since 2020 season. Face the Vikings in their finale where both clubs expected to have major overhauls.

#27 – 5-11 Panthers
Panthers lost to the Saints. They travel to Tampa playing out the string in a season where they collapsed after a good first month.

#28 – 4-12 Texans
Texans fell to the 49ers with a weak offensive performance. Host the Titans to complete a horrible season and major changes expected prior to training camp.

#29 – 4-12 Giants
The Giants offense scored another FG in loss to Bears. Host WFT in a merciful finale of season that never got off the ground.

#30 – 4-12 Jets
Jets pushed the Bucs to the limit before falling on Tom Brady’s late heroics. Travel to Buffalo where they can impact the AFC East winner with a top performance.

#31 – 2-14 Jaguars
Jaguars were blasted by the Patriots in another mismatch. Host the Colts in a must win for them in the finale in a season where little progress was made.

#32 – 2-13-1 Lions
Lions were toasted by the Seahawks. Host the Packers looking to establish respect for next season.

Draft Insiders’ – NFL Power Poll – Week 17

Chiefs Clinch 6th West Title
Bucs Win 1st South Title Since 2007

Teams of the Week 
Bills Take AFC East led with huge win over Patriots (9-6) – 33-21
Cowboys explode in a dominant performance over WFT for NFC East title

Upset of the Week
Houston (4-11) Slams LA Chargers (8-7) – 41-29
RB Burkhead rushes for 149 yards and 2 TDs with both rosters hindered by Covid
    
Players of the Week
  Offense – QB Joe Burrow – Bengals        
  Defense – S Micah Hyde – Bills
 
Rookies of Week
    Offense – TE Kyle Pitts – Falcons
    Defense – LB Micah Parsons – Cowboys
 
Games of Week 17 
   LA Rams (11-4) at Baltimore Ravens (8-7)
      Two clubs in tight divisional races that are on the line.

NFL Team Power Poll

Draft Insiders’ Staff

Ranking /Record /Team

#1 – 12-3 Packers
The Packers maintain the best record in the league for homefield advantage. Host the Vikings this week.

#2 – 11-4 Bucs
Bucs bounced the Panthers to stay apace for the best record in the NFC with a bye week the bonus.
Travel to MetLife to face the Jets this Sunday.

#3 – 11-4 Chiefs
Chiefs pounded the Steelers to clinch the AFC West and looking to claim the #1 seed for a bye week the first week of the playoffs.

#4 – 11-4 Rams
Rams beat the Vikings to reclaim lead in NFC West. In the dogfight for the top NFC position that will determine home field advantage and possible bye week. Face the Ravens this Sunday.

#5 – 11-4 Cowboys
The Cowboys bombed WFT staying abreast for playoff bye. Host the Cardinals in a playoff type matchup that has major ramifications in the NFC races.

#6 – 10-5 Cardinals
Cardinals failing in big spots and surrender the NFC West led to the Rams. Club is looking like a paper tiger as we enter crunch time.

#7 – 9-6 Patriots
Pats lose a tough game to the Bills and are tied with two games to go. Host the Jaguars this week and Belichick gets this club ready in must win situations.

#8 – 10-5 Titans
The Titans edged the 49ers for a critical win. Host the hot Dolphins this Sunday in a matchup that shapes the playoff hopes of both clubs.

#9 – 9-6 Bills
Bills came out with a strong performance beating the Pats to claim AFC East led. Host the Falcons and must take care of business over the final two weeks to make the postseason.

#10 – 9-6 Colts
The Colts beat the Cardinals in last one. Host the Raiders this Sunday with QB Carson Wentz testing positive for Covid early ln the week.

#11 – 9-6 Bengals
Bengals drilled the Ravens behind another strong performance by QB Joe Burrow. Host the Chiefs in huge AFC matchup for North division and key playoff positions on the line.

#12 – 8-7 Chargers
Chargers came up short vs the Texans that puts them in a dogfight for a playoff position. Host the Broncos in a must win situation and needing help for a postseason berth.

#13- 8-7 Ravens
Ravens were toasted by the Bengals in last one. Needs help for a playoff berth and host the Rams in must win situation Sunday for their longshot possibilities.

#14 – 8-7 49ers
The 49ers fell to the Titans putting them in a tough spot for the final playoff spot. Host the hot Texans this week in a must win situation for any playoff hopes.

#15 – 8-7 Dolphins
Dolphins beat the Saints to stretch their winning streak to seven games. Travel to Nashville in a must win situation to stay alive for the final AFC playoff spot.

#16 – 8-7 Eagles
The Eagles stay alive for the last wild card position with a strong win over the Giants. Travel to the Capital hoping to keep pace for the final week of the season.

#17 – 7-8 Vikings
Vikings lost a shootout with the Rams last week. Travel to Titletown for a Sunday night matchup
in a desperate chance to earn the final playoff spot.

#18 – 8-7 Raiders
The Raiders edge the Broncos to keep their slim playoff chances alive. Travel to Indy hoping for a final push to claim a postseason berth.

#19 – 7-8 Browns
Browns came up short again this time vs the Packers. Travel to Pittsburgh for Monday night clash with the loser out for any even long shot chances for the playoffs.

#20 – 7-7-1 Steelers
Steelers were bashed by the Chiefs in another lackluster performance. They host the Browns in a must win situation that will determine if they stay alive the final week.

#21- 7-8 Broncos
The Broncos lack the firepower to beat the top clubs. They fell to the Raiders in a must win situation. Travel to LA to face the equally erratic Chargers in a must win situation for both clubs.

#22 – 7-8 Saints
The Saints loss to the Dolphins all but eliminates them from the postseason. They have started four QBs this season hoping to stay atop the NFC South division. Host the Panthers in a game of also rans.

#23 – 7-8 Falcons
Falcons edged the Lions. They go to Buffalo with only a super longshot for the postseason.

#24 – 6-9 WFT
The WFT were blasted by the Cowboys. Host the Eagles in a key NFC East contest that will define any Philadelphia chances.

#25 – 5-10 Seahawks
Seahawks lose to the Bears in a close contest. Host the Lions in a battle for top ten positions in the NFL Draft.

#26 – 5-10 Panthers
Panthers were drilled in their loss to the Bucs. They travel to New Orleans with only NFC South pride on the line.

#27 – 5-10 Bears
The Bears edged out the Seahawks for their first win in weeks. Host GMen in a matchup of pathetic offenses.

#28 – 4-11 Texans
Texans won back to back games for the first time this season. Travel to San Fran hoping to get crazy and finish strong in a nightmare season for the former AFC South winner.

#29 – 4-11 Giants
The Giants offense hits new heights of ineptitude in loss to the Eagles. Travel to Chi town holding both team’s 1st round draft selections in April.

#30 – 4-11 Jets
Jets beat the struggling Jaguars for a good win. Rookie Zach Wilson continues to improve. Faces the tough Bucs defense this week which will be a major test at this point of his development.

#31 – 2-13 Jaguars
Jaguars lost a close contest with the Jets. Travel to New England to face a hungry Patriots club that rarely lets a must win situation get away from them.

#32 – 2-12-1 Lions
Lions fought the Falcons to the end, but came up short again in a season of difficult losses. Travel to Seattle hoping to register another victory.

Bama’s Bryce Young Wins 2021 Heisman Trophy
Back to Back Alabama Heisman Award Winners

Alabama’s QB Bryce Young parlayed an outstanding 2021 season to win the Heisman Trophy 2021 after leading the Crimson Tide to the SEC title early this month. Young also won the Maxwell Award, given to the best player in college football, and the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s top quarterback last week.

Young ran away in the voting of this year’s Heisman Trophy, winning the award in a ceremony in New York City on Saturday night. He built a strong resume with several big wins this fall, including a dramatic late overtime comeback vs arch rival Auburn. His best performance came in the SEC title game vs undefeated Georgia, the nation’s top ranked defense.

The sophomore is a former 5-star prospect from California. Young entered the season with huge expectations as the main choice to replace former Crimson Tide QB and NFL 1st-round pick Mac Jones.

During the national coaching convention this summer, Alabama coach Nick Saban let the media know that Young, without even starting a game, would become the highest earning name and image which becomes available to college athletes for the first time this year.

Young not only lived up to the hype, beginning with a 4 TD performance in a season-opening win over then-#14 Miami before going on the road to beat #11 Florida two weeks later. in a dramatic come-from-behind win at Auburn to close out the regular season and then by dominating Georgia and its top ranked defense in the SEC championship game a week later, that Young sealed his Heisman victory.

He showed the ability to keep calm under pressure, avoid the pass rush and find the open receiver. An accurate passer, he completed 68.0% of his attempts with few interceptions. Young’s final credentials included a strong 43 TD passes and only 4 interceptions.

With Young winning this year’s Heisman Trophy, Alabama became the sixth school to win the award in back-to-back seasons. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith won it last year. The Tide’s other recemt Heisman winners include running backs Derrick Henry and Mark Ingram II, all coming during the Nick Saban era.

Michigan defensive end and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Aidan Hutchinson finished second in this year’s voting, followed by Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett and Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud.

On Dec. 31, #1 Alabama will play #4 Cincinnati in the CFP Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.