Mel Kiper Mock Draft 2.0: Three Pac-12 Players Selected in Top 10

ESPN's Mel Kiper released his second mock draft of 2022, with a heavy dose of Pac-12 players in the top third of the first round.

INDIANAPOLIS -- You know it's officially time for the NFL Draft when two events occur: The NFL Scouting Combine, and ESPN's Mel Kiper releasing a mock draft. 

In 2022, the two have managed to coincide with each other, as Kiper's second of the cycle was released Tuesday, just in time for the beginning of what many have dubbed the "underwear Olympics" here in Indianapolis. 

The Pac-12 has a slew of star players for the picking in the early stages of the first round, with Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux very much in the running to potentially be selected with the first overall selection. 

Utah's Devin Lloyd also figures to be a top selection, almost appearing as a lock to go in the top 15 of the draft order. 

The rest of the draft could shake out in any way, and the Pac-12 will surely be ready thanks to their ability to always keep the country on its toes into the deep hours of night time (shoutout to #Pac12AfterDark).

In Kiper's first mock draft, Thibodeaux was picked at No. 2 by the Detroit Lions, with Lloyd falling to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 15. 

The board looks different in Kiper's second one with one team double-dipping in the Pac-12 pool early on:

Mel Kiper Mock Draft: Three Pac-12 Players Taken in Top Ten

No. 5 (New York Giants): Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon

Analysis: "If the draft plays out like this and both of the top offensive tackles are off the board before the Giants pick, taking a defender makes the most sense. And if Thibodeaux is available, he'd be a perfect fit for a New York defense that needs to pair a true edge rusher with rookie Azeez Ojulari, who led the team with eight sacks last season. Thibodeaux has to improve his all-around game, but he has outstanding physical tools as a pass-rusher. He had seven sacks last season and put up the second-best pressure rate in the country (17.8%). If he comes close to his ceiling, he'll make multiple All-Pro teams.

"The Giants have some nice pieces to build around for new general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll, but they're not going to be able to acquire an edge rusher like Thibodeaux anywhere other than the draft. We could look back at this pick in five years and consider it a steal."

No. 7 (New York Giants via CHI): Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah

Analysis: "With the Giants' second top-10 pick, I'm going all-in on improving the front seven of the defense. Lloyd is a middle linebacker, yes, but he does so much more. He had 111 total tackles, eight sacks, 20 tackles for loss, four interceptions and a forced fumble last season. He had 16.5 total sacks over the past three seasons. Lloyd (and No. 5 pick Kayvon Thibodeaux) can add some pass-rush upside to a team that desperately needs it. If New York does take Lloyd here, that probably means Blake Martinez, who tore his left ACL in September, will be a salary-cap casualty.

"The Giants are going to have to address their offensive line at some point this offseason, and I also thought about center Tyler Linderbaum here."

No. 9 (Cleveland Browns via projected trade with DEN): Drake London, WR, USC

Analysis: "The Browns have a void at wide receiver and have to add better players around Baker Mayfield. He can be an above-average NFL quarterback when he has help around him, and Cleveland should prioritize a top-tier pass-catcher in this draft. The team had just one receiver with more than 35 catches last season (Jarvis Landry with 52).

"London is a 6-foot-5 aerial threat with the traits to be an end zone weapon. He averaged 11 catches and 136 yards per game last season, before he broke his right ankle in late October. He would make Mayfield better."

No. 15 (Philadelphia Eagles via MIA): Trent McDuffie, DB, Washington

Analysis: "Let's fill some holes for Philadelphia, which has three first-round picks and problems at a few spots on its roster. The Eagles made a run to the playoffs last season, winning six of their final eight games, but their defense was exposed along the way. They allowed quarterbacks to complete a whopping 69.4% of their passes, which ranked last in the league.

"McDuffie, who didn't allow a single touchdown in coverage over the past two seasons, could play the spot opposite Darius Slay. He also has the ability to play out of the slot."

No. 31 (Cincinnati Bengals): Kyler Gordon, DB, Washington

Analysis: "Why no offensive linemen here? Because the Bengals shouldn't force it to try to fill their biggest need. In this scenario, I didn't have another lineman with a Round 1 grade; Daniel Faalele (Minnesota) and Tyler Smith (Tulsa) are more likely to go in the first 15 picks in the second round. Cincinnati, which has salary-cap space, could also address the position in free agency.

"Instead I went with a corner in Gordon who has the length and physical traits to be a No. 1 guy in the NFL. He had two interceptions last season and showed some high-end coverage traits."