The 2022 NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, and the rumor mill is melting down. Every player has been reportedly linked to every team in the first round. As teams wrap up their top 30-visits and finalize their draft boards, we will start to get a rough idea of how the first 10 or so picks of the draft will go.

However, could we see a surprise with the first overall pick? Time to dive into that and more!

Will the New Orleans Saints Trade Up?

The Saints made a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this month. The deal included eight total draft picks. However, it boils down to this:  The Eagles traded the 16th overall pick in this year’s draft to the Saints for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 second-round pick, and the 101st overall pick in this year’s draft. With two picks in the top 20 and four in the top 100, the Saints have the ammunition to move up in the draft if they want. However, will they?

According to the draft trade chart, if they package all four of their top 100 picks, the Saints can move up as high as third overall. Many think they need to move into the top five to jump the Carolina Panthers at the sixth overall pick for Malik Willis. However, the growing belief is the Saints will keep their two first-round picks and not trade up on draft night.

The Saints reportedly feel they are contenders and just a few pieces away from making a Super Bowl run. With needs at wide receiver and offensive tackle, the Saints could target players like Trevor Penning and Chris Olave in the first round. At this point, it seems unlikely that the Saints will trade up on draft night. However, never say never with Mickey Loomis running the show in New Orleans.

Could Travon Walker go First Overall?

Had you asked this question back in February, the answer would have been a clear-cut no. However, no one has positively impacted their draft stock over the past two months more than Travon Walker. After the Jacksonville Jaguars placed the franchise tag on Cam Robinson and signed Brandon Scherff, the betting market dramatically changed.

Alabama’s Evan Neal was the favorite to go first overall before free agency began. Once the Jaguars made their moves, Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson became the massive favorite to go first overall. But since then, those odds have began to shrink.

Currently, Hutchinson is around -280 to go first overall, while Walker is +300. A few weeks ago, Hutchinson was -400 or more to go first overall, while Walker was +2500 in some spots. Walker had a historic combine performance with 35.5-inch arms, a 4.51 40-yard dash time, and a 6.89 second three-cone drill time. All three rank in the top-93 percentile or better for defensive ends. When Jacksonville’s general manager Trent Baalke was with the San Francisco 49ers, they drafted Aldon Smith seventh overall in 2011. Walker and Smith are similar in several ways.

Both have over 35-inch arms and a 34-inch vertical jump or higher. Smith went on to total 33.5 sacks over his first 32 games before off-the-field issues impacted his career. Walker did, however, have a better speed grade and explosion grade than Smith. Walker has a 9.99 RAS score as a defensive end. Even if you grade him as a wide receiver at 272 pounds, Walker has a 9.41 RAS score. Thanks to his athletic upside, don’t be surprised if he is the first pick on draft night.

If you wonder how Travon Walker could go first overall, look at his athletic testing. He has a 9.99 RAS score as a defensive end. Even as a wide receiver, Walker has a 9.41 RAS score. He is just on another level. #NFLDraft #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/QoDubQWRcm

— Mike Fanelli (@Mike_NFL2) April 13, 2022

Who will be the Third Quarterback Drafted?

Willis and Kenny Pickett are the likely first two quarterbacks drafted and possible top-10 picks. After that, it’s unclear. However, it will likely be Matt Corral or Desmond Ridder. Corral suffered an ankle injury in the Sugar Bowl, which kept him from participating in the Senior Bowl and the combine. However, he had a productive pro day and is in the mix to be a first-round pick and the third quarterback drafted. Yet, the growing belief is Ridder will be the third quarterback off the board on draft night.

Ridder has improved his stock more than any other quarterback during the pre-draft process. Some considered him the top quarterback in the draft class before the College Football Playoffs. Unfortunately, Ridder had a poor performance against Alabama in the playoffs, and his draft stock took a hit. But one bad game doesn’t mean much compared to a great college career.

He has reportedly impressed teams during the pre-draft process with his leadership, maturity, and mental makeup. Ridder now feels like a lock to go on opening night thanks to the several quarterback-needy teams in the second half of the first round (Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions). Furthermore, some teams reportedly have Ridder as their top or second-highest graded quarterback on their board. While he is unlikely to be a top-10 pick, the one team that could pull the trigger are the Seattle Seahawks. They have done a lot of work on Ridder. Seattle might view him as their replacement for Russell Wilson with similar qualities as a mature leader.

Will Another Veteran Wide Receiver be Traded?

There have been several trades involving veteran wide receivers this offseason. The Green Bay Packers traded Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders for a first and second-round pick, while the Kansas City Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to Miami Dolphins for five draft picks. In a salary-cap saving move, the Dallas Cowboys also traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns. Also, the Dolphins traded DeVante Parker to the New England Patriots for a future pick after they acquired Hill. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams traded Robert Woods to the Tennessee Titans after signing Allen Robinson in free agency. The question is:  Will another veteran wide receiver get moved?

There are plenty of rumors surrounding D.K. Metcalf, Terry McLaurin, and A.J. Brown, as all three are in line for massive extensions this offseason. But, none of them are likely to get traded. But Deebo Samuel could be on the move as extension talks between him and the 49ers have stalled. If a team offers a blockbuster package like the Chiefs got for Hill, the 49ers would likely accept the deal. That said, an offer of that magnitude is unlikely. So which other wide receivers could get traded between now and the draft?

The Seahawks are entering a rebuild and want to lock Metcalf up long-term. Tyler Lockett is still in his prime, but at soon to be 30 years old, the veteran could get moved this month. Several wide receiver-needy teams might not want to deal with a rookie, including the Packers, Chiefs, and Indianapolis Colts. Lockett is a capable No. 1 wide receiver for those contending teams. Lockett should get traded before or during the draft unless the Seahawks have a ridiculously high asking price. Some other veterans who could get traded during the draft are Kenny Golladay and Robby Anderson.

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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.