National Football League

NFL Draft 2022: Where will prospects Kayvon Thibodeaux, Kenny Pickett land?

Updated Apr. 26, 2022 6:10 p.m. ET

The NFL Draft is filled with unpredictability, as teams will zig when it appears they should zag.

With this year's draft set to begin on April 28, there is still uncertainty about who will be the first quarterback selected, and where he will go.

NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic joined Colin Cowherd on Tuesday's episode of "The Herd" to explain why he thinks Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett will be the first quarterback off the board.

"We know quarterback desperation is a very real thing in the NFL," Brugler said. "Especially when you look at a team like Carolina, where you don't really know what is going on with the head coach in terms of Matt Rhule long-term, but does he feel pressure to get that quarterback?

"We know quarterbacks are going to go, it happens every single year, these quarterbacks go early. When does this run start and what is the order of these quarterbacks? That's just where there is no consensus when you talk to teams around the league."

Where will Kayvon Thibodeaux land in the NFL Draft?

Dane Brugler joins Colin Cowherd to discuss the latest NFL prospect news and analysis with the 2022 NFL Draft just days away. Brugler explains why some teams are concerned about Oregon edge Kayvon Thibodeaux.

While quarterbacks are seen as crown jewels in the NFL Draft, so are pass rushers who can negate the effectiveness of a franchise quarterback.

Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is seen as one of the top pass rushers in this draft class, but there are concerns about the level of competition he faced in the Pac-12.

That, combined with Thibodeaux's off-field interests, could cause teams to skip over him on draft night, Brugler said, while conceding that he still thinks the Duck will be selected fairly early.

"He's not that Chase Young, that Myles Garrett — he doesn't have that type of ceiling," Brugler said.

"And really, the other conversation around Thibodeaux is that he is so brand conscious, and that's OK, there are a lot of superstars throughout the league that care about their image and their brand and making money outside of football. But at a certain point, is that brand awareness going to be atop of the priority list ahead of football? I still think he's going top 10."