NFL draft 2022 mailbag: Mel Kiper, Todd McShay answer questions on trades, surprises, deepest positions and more

With one of the most interesting -- and potentially chaotic -- NFL drafts starting in a week, there are still so many unanswered questions ahead of Round 1. Which teams will take quarterbacks? Which teams could trade back to pick up more capital? And which teams could trade up to get their guy? There are a record eight teams with multiple first-round picks heading into the draft, which puts many scenarios on the table.

That's why we called in ESPN NFL draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay to help make sense of everything. We gathered questions from readers via Twitter, then asked them to answer them. The questions range from the specific (What round would you select Carson Strong?) to the broad (Which surprise prospect could fall out of Round 1?), but Kiper and McShay took a crack at them anyway.

They alternated questions below, diving into the deepest positions in the class, the potential steals on Day 3 and more. Check out the SportsCenter Special: You've Got Mel and Todd on ESPN+ to see them answer more questions from NFL draft fans. (Questions have been edited for clarity.)

Who's the best player who can't quite scratch the Big Board? (via @JsSauers)

Kiper: I'm a bigger fan of Colorado State tight end Trey McBride than many NFL teams. Tight ends tend to struggle as rookies, but he is already advanced as a pass-catcher and route runner, and he can move around the formation to get catches.

McBride is probably going to go in Round 2, but if I was running the front office for the Bucs (No. 27) or Bengals (No. 31), I'd think long and hard about taking him in Round 1.

Where would the tackles in the 2022 draft stack up to the top tackles in the 2020 and 2021 classes? (via @Boltup1584)

McShay: We've seen some really, really good offensive tackles enter the draft over the past few years. And the top of this year's group -- NC State's Ikem Ekwonu and Alabama's Evan Neal -- are right in the mix. I gave them matching 93 grades, and they rank Nos. 2 and 3 on my board, respectively. Mississippi State's Charles Cross isn't too far behind at No. 15 with a 90 grade -- but there's a clear difference between him and the top two tackles.

I love Ekwonu's mauling run-block traits, the power he plays with and his exceptional instincts. Neal has an incredible combination of size and quickness, and Cross is such an easy mover in pass protection.

Here's how I'd stack the top tackles over the past three class, based on how I evaluated them at the time they were drafted:

1. Penei Sewell (2021)

2. Rashawn Slater (2021)

3. Ekwonu

4. Neal

5. Jedrick Wills Jr. (2020)

6. Mekhi Becton (2020)

7. Tristan Wirfs (2020)

8. Andrew Thomas (2020)

9. Cross

What positions are the deepest through the first two days of the draft? (via @XedoBandito)

Kiper: Wide receiver is deep -- again. I put the over/under at 5.5 in Round 1; I'd take the over. There's a chance we'll get seven, which would match the record from 2004. Three went in the top-10 picks in that draft, and that's not going to happen this year, but there is quality throughout. There will be a few impact wideouts on Day 2 (George Pickens and Alec Pierce are two I like), and there will be some intriguing guys who get picked on Day 3 (such as Bo Melton and Justyn Ross). There have been exactly 36 receivers drafted in each of the past two drafts, which tied the record for most in a seven-round draft. We could come close again.

If your team needs an off-ball linebacker, this is the class to get one. Nakobe Dean and Devin Lloyd will likely go in Round 1, but there are guys such as Quay Walker, Troy Andersen, Channing Tindall and Christian Harris who will be good values on Day 2.

What is the highest you could see WR Christian Watson going? (via @GeskeJeremy)

McShay: I'd say the Packers at No. 22 is probably the highest we could see the North Dakota burner taken. The top tier of receivers -- Garrett Wilson (Ohio State), Drake London (USC), Jameson Williams (Alabama) and Chris Olave (Ohio State) -- could be completely off the board in the top 20, and if that happens, we could see a second run on receivers starting with the Packers. Other teams to watch include the Patriots, Cardinals, Bills, Titans and Chiefs (perhaps via a trade-up).

Watson isn't guaranteed to go in the first round, though. He has outstanding speed, size and length, and he shows solid body control on tape, but he is still developing. Watson is currently No. 45 on my board with an 85 grade. He will join Treylon Burks (Arkansas), Jahan Dotson (Penn State), Skyy Moore (Western Michigan), Pickens (Georgia) and others in the second tier of receivers in this class.

Which team outside the top 10 is most likely to trade into it and where? (via @tybrennan60)

Kiper: Speaking of Green Bay, I really think that's the team to watch here, moving up for a wide receiver. Think about it: The Packers need a playmaker who could make an early impact for Aaron Rodgers. If they move into the top 10, they could get the top wideout in the class. Maybe it's Wilson or London, or maybe they feel good about the medical reports for Williams, who tore his ACL in January but still could be the No. 1 receiver off the board.

The spots that make sense are the Panthers at No. 6, the Giants at No. 7 and the Falcons at No. 8. Carolina doesn't have any Day 2 picks, which means it could add Green Bay's two first-rounders (Nos. 22 and 28) along with at least a second-rounder. New York already picks at No. 5 and could try to add more future capital (and those picks at 22 and 28). Atlanta is in the beginning of a roster rebuild, so it should want to trade down to get more picks.

Should the Giants consider drafting a QB with Daniel Jones' fifth-year option up in the air? (via @YAJSN_Youtube)

McShay: I don't think Jones is the answer for the Giants under center -- after all, he has 29 interceptions and 36 fumbles over 38 games, and his career QBR is 50.9 -- but this quarterback class isn't very strong. If it uses either of those top-10 picks (Nos. 5 and 7) on a quarterback, New York is missing out on an opportunity to truly upgrade its roster.

If I'm the Giants, I'd much rather take Ekwonu or Neal with one of the selections and either Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oregon) or Jermaine Johnson II (Florida State) to help the pass rush with the other. I'm just not convinced there is a definite high-level NFL starter in this QB class, but the other prospects in that range could absolutely be difference-makers for the Giants.

I also think this is a chance to build up the roster a bit more and see what Jones can do in a new system. If he puts it all together, great. If not, then the Giants can get aggressive in next year's draft with the likes of Bryce Young (Alabama), C.J. Stroud (Ohio State), Will Levis (Kentucky) and Tyler Van Dyke (Miami) potentially available. We could see a quarterback class much more similar to last year's group than this year's crop.

What round would you select Carson Strong? (via @BasketballPhil)

Kiper: Strong's biggest issue is how teams view his medical reports. He has had two right knee surgeries since high school, and a team has to be comfortable enough with his long-term outlook to take him. He's purely a pocket passer -- he doesn't have much mobility -- and that limits his ceiling. If he's knee is OK, he could be a quality backup.

There's a drop-off after the top quarterbacks, and Strong is No. 6 on my board. I have a fifth-round grade on him, but he could go a little earlier. Again, the medical reports are extremely important, and only teams have access to those.

Did Cincy do enough in free agency to pass on offensive line in Round 1? They have defensive needs. (via @Dilts22)

McShay: Great question, and I think it depends on who is available more than anything else. Signing offensive tackle La'el Collins and guard Alex Cappa goes a long way toward shoring up that line, but if someone like Tyler Linderbaum (Iowa) is available, I'd think long and hard about him as an immediate upgrade at center. Ted Karras was among the Bengals' free-agent additions along the offensive line, too, but he is 29 years old and has changed teams three times over the past three seasons. I see Karras as more of an adequate stopgap, whereas Linderbaum could be a star.

But otherwise, yeah, I think Cincinnati could turn its attention to the defense. I had Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd going there in the three-round mock draft I just did with Mel, and off-ball linebacker is certainly a position to watch. Cornerback and defensive tackle also make sense. The Bengals could go a few directions, and they will likely find the best balance they can between value and need.

One other scenario to watch: There could be a handful of teams looking to trade into the end of Round 1 to get ahead of Detroit (No. 32) to draft a quarterback. It's possible that only Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis are off the board among the quarterbacks when Cincy is set to pick at No. 31, and a team might want to trade up to get their guy -- and get him with the fifth-year option attached. Maybe a team wants to jump up to get one of the top receivers, too. Cincinnati could benefit from such a move, considering it would pick up additional draft capital and likely only fall a few spots down the board and still land a very similar prospect. I think there could be a lot of movement in that Nos. 25-42-ish range.

Who are your Day 3 steals? (via @EAV710)

Kiper: I thought you'd never ask. Here are a few prospects I like from Rounds 4-7

• Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State: Strong, one of my favorite prospects, has the tools to be an early starter if he lands in a good situation.

• Kyle Philips, WR, UCLA: He's going to do a lot of damage out of the slot.

• Luke Goedeke, OT, Central Michigan: The tight-end-turned-tackle has intriguing traits.

• Matthew Butler, DT, Tennessee: He's going to have a long career as a steady starter or rotational player.

• Brian Asamoah, ILB, Oklahoma: At 6-foot, 226 pounds, Asamoah is undersized, but he flies to the football.

• JoJo Domann, LB/S, Nebraska: His skills in coverage will make him an asset for a smart defensive coordinator.

• Marcus Jones, CB, Houston: Jones is only 5-foot-8, but he's feisty and also is the best return man in this class.

• JT Woods, S, Baylor: Woods is a ball hawk who can cover a lot of ground in a hurry (4.36 40 at the combine) as a deep safety.

What surprise player could fall out of Round 1 -- and which one is rising and could get into Round 1? (via @Bigdogz1318)

McShay: Let's start with the guys who could fall. The top two off-ball linebackers jump out to me there. Georgia's Nakobe Dean and Utah's Lloyd both grade out as mid-first-rounders and absolutely deserve to be drafted on Day 1. They are plug-and-play guys who can handle all three downs thanks to their abilities in coverage and as blitzers. But the need might just not be there, and I wouldn't be shocked to see one of them slide to Day 2 -- where a team could land a steal.

As far as risers go, who would be truly shocking? We've seen a lot of names in a lot of first-round mocks, and a bunch of fringe names will get Day 1 consideration. But here are a few guys who could be moderately surprising first-round selections:

• Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State

• Boye Mafe, OLB, Minnesota

• Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington

• Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State

• Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss

• Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati

• Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State