Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oaks Christian), USC wide receiver Drake London (Moorpark) and Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral (Long Beach Poly) are among the former Southern California high school standouts who will attend the NFL draft in Las Vegas this week to hear their names called as they begin their professional careers.
They are among the 21 invited prospects who plan to walk the red carpet above the Bellagio fountains on what could be a warm, unseasonably windy night in Sin City on Thursday.
Since the league turned the draft into a road show in 2015, it has held the event in Chicago for two years; Philadelphia; Arlington, Texas; Nashville; and Cleveland. The general consensus is that Music City topped the charts with its presentation, but Las Vegas is doing its best to top that weekend, willingly shutting down a significant portion of the Strip for this week’s festivities.
Glitz and glamour aside, the next three days are about 32 front offices trying to enhance the future of their teams by gambling on the potential of young men whose talent they have weighed by pouring over game film, 40-yard dash times, hand size and just about anything else they can analyze, evaluate or compare.
As of Thursday morning, there are eight teams with multiple first-round selections – the New York Jets and the New York Giants, in fact, each own a pair of picks among the top 10. Eight teams, including the Super Bowl champion Rams, currently do not have a first-round pick because of earlier trades.
Twenty-five NFL reporters joined Southern California News Group’s Gilbert Manzano to try to predict how the first round might unfold.
You can make your own predictions using the current first-round draft order:
(Pick, team, position needs via NFL.com)
No. 1. – Jacksonville Jaguars (Needs: LB, OL, WR)
No. 2 – Detroit Lions (Needs: QB, DL, CB)
No. 3 – Houston Texans (Needs: DL, CB, OL)
No. 4 – New York Jets (Needs: DL, WR, CB)
No. 5 – New York Giants (Needs: OL, LB, TE)
No. 6 – Carolina Panthers (Needs: QB, OL, DL)
No. 7 – New York Giants (Needs: OL, LB, TE)
No. 8 – Atlanta Falcons (Needs: QB, LB, WR)
No. 9 – Seattle Seahawks (Needs: QB, OL, CB)
No. 10 – New York Jets (Needs: DL, WR, CB)
No. 11 – Washington Commanders (Needs: WR, CB)
No. 12 – Minnesota Vikings (Needs: DL, CB, TE)
No. 13 – Houston Texans (Needs: DL, CB, OL)
No. 14 – Baltimore Ravens (Needs: LB, CB, OL)
No. 15 – Philadelphia Eagles (Needs: DL, WR, CB)
No. 16 – New Orleans Saints (Needs: WR, OL, DL)
No. 17 – Los Angeles Chargers (Needs: OL, DL, WR)
No. 18 – Philadelphia Eagles (Needs: DL, WR, CB)
No. 19 – New Orleans Saints (Needs: WR, OL, DL)
No. 20 – Pittsburgh Steelers (Needs: QB, CB, WR)
No. 21 – New England Patriots (Needs: CB, OL, LB)
No. 22 – Green Bay Packers (Needs: WR, LB, OL)
No. 23 – Arizona Cardinals (Needs: LB, WR, CB)
No. 24 – Dallas Cowboys (Needs: OL, DL, WR)
No. 25 – Buffalo Bills (Needs: CB, WR, RB)
No. 26 – Tennessee Titans (Needs: OL, WR, RB)
No. 27 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Needs: OL, DL, TE)
No. 28 – Green Bay Packers (Needs: WR, LB, OL)
No. 29 – Kansas City Chiefs (Needs: WR, DL, CB)
No. 30 – Kansas City Chiefs (Needs: WR, DL, CB)
No. 31 – Cincinnati Bengals (Needs: CB, DL, TE)
No. 32 – Detroit Lions (Needs: QB, DL, CB)
*Teams without a first-round pick: Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, L.A. Rams, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers
RELATED LINKS:
Chargers
• Manzano’s mock draft: Jameson Williams or Jordan Davis for the Chargers?
• Is Davis the key to fixing the run defense?
• Chargers GM Tom Telesco doesn’t expect to trade up in the first round
• Williams’ speed could be what Justin Herbert needs
• Is Trent McDuffie the missing piece in the secondary?
• Could Trevor Penning be the right fit at tackle?
Rams
• The reigning Super Bowl champs look for more late-round knockouts
• The Rams might have already won the draft with an epic video starring Aaron Donald, Dennis Quaid
• The Rams need to regain their edge in the draft
• The Rams have a lot on the line in this draft
• The Rams’ draft approach requires rookies to develop one key trait – patience
• The Rams’ ‘draft house’ has a new location, same luxury
USC
• DE Drake Jackson bulks up for next level
• Which Trojans might get picked and when
• Drake London looks to prove ankle injury is in past
UCLA
• Here’s why tight end Greg Dulcich impresses teams
• Which Bruins might get picked and when
• UCLA players felt well prepared for Pro Day
• Sean Rhyan provides OL versatility
HOW TO WATCH:
What: NFL Draft 2022
Where: Las Vegas
When: Round 1 (Thursday, April 28); Rounds 2 and 3 (Friday, April 29); Rounds 4 through 7 (Saturday, April 30)
TV: ABC (Ch. 7), ESPN, NFL Network, and ESPN Deportes
Radio: Westwood One Radio, SiriusXM NFL Radio and ESPN Radio
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