That was some halftime show, am I right?

Overall, Super Bowl LVI exceeded my expectations from start to finish. Competitive game filled with back-and-forth plays on both sides of the ball. Oh, and the finish couldn’t have been sweeter if you’re a Rams fan.

The Los Angeles Rams swung for the fences building a roster they believed in. They bet on themselv…

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It’s Super Bowl week and if you’re a Rams or Bengals fan; congratulations and enjoy your week! If you’re not, however, your team’s offseason has already begun. Which means… draft season has arrived. More specifically – mock draft season.

We spent the week down in Mobile, Alabama last week for the Senior Bowl. What a time it was. A lot of football, a lot of drinking, and very little sleep. We had the opportunity to speak with several NFL scouts, players, former and current front office personnel, and many more. This year’s draft class is interesting on numerous levels, which we’ll continue to discuss in these columns throughout the offseason editions.

For this week’s column, we’ll run through my first 2022 NFL Mock Draft. Round 1 – All 32 picks.

Corey’s Tuesday Morning Football column is free to all readers and will remain so throughout the season. If you like the work here at The Draft Scout, we encourage you to subscribe to support independent, ad-free journalism.

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2022 NFL Mock Draft: Corey Seeley’s first round-one mock draft of the season

Only three quarterbacks go in round one, Senior Bowl risers galore, plus – which wide receiver comes off the board first?

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The Cincinnati Bengals have Joe Burrow. And it’s safe to say they’re pretty darn happy they do.

Two years ago, the Cincinnati Bengals were a 2-14 team with so many questions that even Twitter users couldn’t provide the answers to them all. Yet looking back, it seems as if it were all meant to be. Because the Bengals fate had them playing awful football i…

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Holy S@$!, what a weekend of football. Best weekend of football in the past decade? Ever? I wouldn’t argue it either way. Candidly, it’s quite difficult to shape thoughts into words as I sit here writing this on a frigid Sunday night here in New England.

The divisional weekend of the NFL playoffs is commonly viewed as the most exciting weekend of footba…

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Chaos. The Dallas Cowboys season came to an end in swift, messy fashion on Sunday. 14 seconds remaining in the game, Dallas had zero timeouts needing a touchdown to keep their season alive.

Dak Prescott took the snap out of a shotgun formation. And he ran with it. A quarterback draw with 14 seconds remaining and no timeouts. Mistake #1. More on that later.

Prescott jolted forward running to San Francisco’s 23-yard line before sliding. 5 seconds on the clock, Dak frantically scrambled attempting to line up the offense and spike the ball. But instead of handing the ball to an official, he gave it to his center Tyler Biadasz. Mistake #2.

Ramon George, the umpire, running behind Dak, bumping into the Cowboys quarterback endeavoring to spot the ball, as seconds continue to tick, and tick. George finally touches the ball, spotting it at the San Francisco 24.

Prescott calls for the ball, spiking it to the ground as the clock shows zeros.

Game over…

More chaos. Utter confusion across the field, in the broadcast booth, and across everyone’s televisions at home watching.

“It’s gonna be over!” Tony Romo yelled via the CBS broadcast.

“The umpire has to touch the ball; you can’t set your own ball!” Romo explained. “Dak should’ve looked and found the ref! You can’t give it to your center!”

Prescott looked at the officials and back at his sideline in disbelief. Mike McCarthy began signaling to the officials, suggesting that the play would be reviewed, and time would be added to the clock.

None of it mattered. “That’s the end of the game.” referee Alex Kemp announced.

The game was indeed over. 49ers win. Cowboys go home.

For a team as talented as Dallas is, questions warrant answers. Sooner rather than later, too.

Corey’s Tuesday Morning Football column is free to all readers and will remain so throughout the season. If you like the work here at The Draft Scout, we encourage you to subscribe to support independent, ad-free journalism.

Subscribe now

Upcoming Divisional Weekend:

SATURDAY

• Cincinnati at No. 1 seed Tennessee. This one should be a fun one. Will Derrick Henry return and run the ball well enough to keep Joe Burrow off the field?

• San Francisco at Green Bay. If Deebo Samuel continues to play multiple positions and do it exquisitely, I’d add, the 49ers have a shot in this one. This won’t be an easy out for Aaron Rodgers. Oh, and we shouldn’t expect the two head coaches to share Christmas cards after the game either.

SUNDAY

• LA Rams at Tampa Bay. Will Tom Brady’s magic continue? Being without Godwin and Fournette could pose some challenges in this one.

• Buffalo at Kansas City. Future Game of the Week? Josh Allen just lit up the Patriots in a way few quarterbacks have against a Bill Belichick defense. If I’m Andy Reid, I do not want to start off slow against this Buffalo team.

Wild-Card weekend is in the books and there’s a whole lot to sort through. In this week’s Tuesday Morning Football column, we’ll cover:

• Mike McCarthy’s future in Dallas could be in doubt. But are we certain offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is the next man up? Jerry Jones has a team ready to win now. Critical decisions ahead for the Cowboys.

• The Patriots got embarrassed. So, what’s next for New England? Many will call the season a success due to the development of rookie quarterback Mac Jones. But a defense lacking fight could loom danger for Bill Belichick’s squad next season.

• Speaking of New England, we’ll run through the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. That’s right, a Three-Round Patriots Mock Draft.

• Glory in Cincinnati. And Joe Burrow isn’t done yet… he’s just getting warmed up. Oh, and props to Zac Taylor for giving game balls out to fans in Cincinnati.

TMF FRONT PAGE: Chaos in Dallas

"I've never seen that come down the way it came down, as far as the collision between the umpire and the quarterback," Mike McCarthy said after the game.

"We were trying to get inside the 30-yard line to set-up the last play. The mechanics were intact from our end of it. The communication that I was given on the sideline was that they were reviewing it, they were going to put time back on the clock. The next thing I know, they're running off the field.” McCarthy continued.

“That's the only facts I have for you.”

The decision was doomed to fail from the beginning. In practice, most NFL teams walk through this exact situation hundreds of times throughout an NFL season. If you’ve been to any team’s practice, you’ve seen it firsthand. With zero timeouts and 14 seconds on the clock, the common consensus is you’re looking at a passing situation with the opportunity to get two plays off, depending upon where on the field you’re lining up at. Even through the middle of the field, the ball travels faster than a quarterback running with it. If Dak had checked out of the quarterback draw and connected with Schultz near the 28-yard line, there would undoubtably been more than enough time to effectively execute the spike and get one more shot at a play to the endzone.

If there’s an analytics person out there who has data to suggest that a quarterback draw in that situation provides the team with a statistically better outcome than that of a pass, email me the information.

The game didn’t really come down to that final play, however. The Cowboys being flagged 14 times for 89 yards in the game, certainly did. Dallas continued to display an undiscipline style of football that is widely regarded as one that reflects poorly on the head coach. You could count two whole Dallas possessions that were killed due to costly penalties. Those drives alone could have been the difference between being down a score and being up a score. Or at the very least, in a tied game heading into the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

"We've practiced it," Prescott said after the game.

"You hand it to the center. The umpire, all he has to do is usually come in and tap the ball. Don't necessarily know exactly, why the hit (with the referee) happened, I guess. Yeah, I know he's going to come in and touch the ball. We could say, yeah he needs to be closer to the ball or whatever, but in hindsight it's just tough. Just tough to accept."

Hard to accept and hard to believe, truthfully. The decision to call a quarterback draw and mismanage the clock in a game that you had to win is something that NFL coaches get fired for. In fact, we’ve seen it plenty in the past.

After that loss, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones could consider making a change at head coach. At the very least, it’s something that needs to be discussed behind closed doors. Both of Mike McCarthy’s top assistants have drawn serious head coaching interest from other teams. Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore have already begun preparing for numerous head coaching interviews with teams across the league.

If there’s doubt regarding the future of McCarthy in Dallas, Jones may elect to jump at hiring from within before missing out on one, or both, of his top assistants.

Would Kellen Moore be the right hire? It’s fair to question, particularly when you consider that Moore was reportedly the one who called the questionable quarterback draw play that resulted in the game ending.

What we do now is that Jones is not afraid to be aggressive with his coaching hires. Jones made Jason Garrett the highest-paid assistant coach in the league in order to keep him from taking the Baltimore head coaching job back in the day. As we know, Jones later promoted Garrett to head coach thereafter. Like Garrett, Kellen Moore is a former quarterback. And also, like Garrett, Moore is a former Cowboys quarterback who has been viewed in league circles as a quick riser since taking on a role in coaching. Moore is just 33 years old and has already interviewed with Jacksonville for their head coach opening. The Broncos, Dolphins and Vikings are all scheduled to speak with him in the coming days and weeks.

In what looks to be a critical defining like offseason in Dallas, the decisions to be made surrounding the coaching is the first step forward, or backwards, for the Cowboys.

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TEN THINGS FROM THE WEEK

1. After Sunday’s season-ending loss to the 49ers, Dak Prescott voiced his support for Cowboys fans throwing trash and items on the field, allegedly at the NFL officiating crew. “Credit to them.” Big fan of Dak, and still am, but this is clearly not his finest moment.

2. Regardless of a win or loss to Green Bay this weekend, what will San Francisco do with Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason? The 49ers wouldn’t be where they are today, advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs without him. Fascinating story to watch this offseason, especially given how little we know about that goes on in Kyle Shanahan’s thought process.

3. Saturday’s 47-17 humiliating loss to the Buffalo Bills may have been the worst loss in the Bill Belichick-Patriots era. Surely, there have been some letdowns over the years even when Brady was winning MVP’s. But I can’t remember the last time I watched a Patriots team look so unprepared and disinterested. To me, that’s the most concerning part of that loss. Forget the development of Mac Jones for a quick second. It doesn’t matter how good or bad your quarterback is if the rest of the roster isn’t engaged, or motivated, to win playoff football games. **More on the Patriots later**

4. It took a bit for them to get warmed up, but the dynamic and dangerous Chiefs showed up in Sunday night’s 42-21 whopping of the Steelers. When things are right for Kansas City, things are really, really right. As we’ve always said, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are a scary out come January.

5. Not an ideal finish for Jalen Hurts, but I’d still roll with him in 2022 if I’m making the calls in Philadelphia. Yeah, Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay wasn’t his best showing. But he’s reportedly been playing hurt. And he brought the Eagles to the playoffs in a season that very few thought possible. The Eagles should use the plethora of draft picks they have this year to build a solid young team around Hurts. Give it a go in 2022 and see where the kid takes you.

6. The Steelers are set to enter the offseason in a position they haven’t been in for awhile. Pittsburgh needs a new quarterback. Regardless of what the reporting suggests, I still find it hard to believe Mike Tomlin would be okay with starting the 2022 regular season with a rookie quarterback behind center. Russell Wilson would look pretty rad in black and yellow, right?

7. Despite making the postseason in season that’s been consumed by distractions at every turn, the Raiders are still in need of change. Possibly even, a minor reset. The recent reporting surrounding quarterback Derek Carr’s future in Vegas seems to be timed flawlessly. Interim head coach Rich Bisaccia every bit of praise after the Raiders won four straight games to claim a playoff berth. But is he the long-term answer? He may deserve a shot at the full-time job, but the future of Carr could weigh heavily on that decision too. It’s worth noting that none of Carr's 2022 salary of $19.9 million is guaranteed. Pivotal offseason for Mark Davis’ Vegas Raiders.

8. Game balls for Cincinnati, courtesy of Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. Props to Taylor for doing this too. Bengals fans should be thrilled about the future of their team with Burrow and Taylor leading the charge.

9. Whether he stays or goes, Mike McCarthy has to make some changes to his coaching ways. Broken record, I know. But this clip here is one (of many) reasons the Cowboys won’t be playing this coming weekend.

10. After this marvelous postgame interview, someone better hire this kid @YoungDylan before he takes off.

ASK ME ANYTHING FROM THE WEEK

(Weekly AMA questions can be sent via twitter @coreyalex, or by emailing me corey@thedraftscout.com)

–With Gallup most likely gone, do you see Dallas targeting a wide receiver in the draft? Cooper isn’t getting any younger and Lamb feels like a wideout best suited playing in an elite tandem of receivers.

I wouldn’t think Dallas would target a receiver in round one or two, but it is Jerry Jones who makes the final call so anything is possible. When they drafted CeeDee Lamb, everyone was surprised. The more likely scenario is they take a shot on a receiver later in the draft and develop him into the third/fourth option in the offense.

–It’s doubtful but could you see Belichick drafting a receiver in the first round?

Yes. I’d be stunned if the Patriots roll into the 2022 season with the same receiving room they have now. Trading for a receiver like Calvin Ridley might be an option for them too. But I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see New England select a player like Garrett Wilson in the first round.

–You’ve been pretty tough on teams like the Panthers for example. Why is that?

I don’t like being spewed bull$@%#, excuse my language. When a new owner and head coach say something, I believe it and take it wholeheartedly. Don’t tell the fans you’re not willing to accept mediocrity and then make every decision possible that negates that notion.

–Where does Derek Carr play next season?

My best guess? Vegas for one more year. If I’m Derek Carr and it’s my decision? Pittsburgh.

–Any thoughts on where Allen Robinson lands this offseason?

Miami maybe? I haven’t checked the cap $ but it feels like they’re committed to building around Tua for now. Robinson and Waddle would be a fun duo.

2022 NFL Mock Draft: New England Patriots, Rounds 1-3

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The NFL’s first Week 18 in over 20 years was one for the ages. It all began when the Colts, 16.5-point favorites in Jacksonville, fell flat on their faces against an abysmal Jaguars team. The Colts finished the 2021 season having had two opportunities to clinch a playoff berth in both Week 17 and 18. More on that later, by the way.

Due to the Colts loss…

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2022 is here. Wild, huh? It felt like yesterday that we were looking forward to 2021 because 2020 was the year of Covid. Now, it’s 2022 and not a whole lot has changed. Except for the National Football League, where each week can feel like a long-winded year if you’re a fan of the New York Giants. Sorry.

Week 17 in the NFL was wild. For some, in enlighte…

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Before we plunge into a slightly thrilling Week 16, let’s rewind the clocks back to Week 7 for a brief moment. Joe Burrow’s return to the field from his season ending knee injury a season prior had gotten off to a good start. Cincinnati traveled to Baltimore in a highly anticipated Week 7 clash with a 4-2 record. For Baltimore, Lamar Jackson had them ro…

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In what has truthfully become a Déjà vu like feeling, the word Covid continues to become a word we’d someday love to never use again. Sadly, we’re not there yet. Prior to the weekend, the NFL was forced to postpone three Week 15 games amid a Covid-19 surge throughout the league. Around 100 players across multiple teams tested positive in a three-day spa…

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While Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots were enjoying a warranted bye week, the rest of the league watched on as not one, but two former Patriots quarterbacks led their team to an overtime victory; both by the way of gripping game-winning touchdown passes.

Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers squandered a comfortable fourth-quarter lead, they regr…

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The year is 2021. December has arrived. Winter is coming. And Tom Brady is still very good. Are you entertained yet?

Tom Brady lobbying touchdown passes to Rob Gronkowski, both wearing a Buccaneers uniform, is still something oddly unusual to watch for a guy who grew up in Massachusetts.

But man, are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fun to watch because of them.

…

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The New England Patriots keep on winning with their sixth-straight victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. In a game that was actually much closer than the 36-13 score would indicate, Bill Belichick’s team ran away with the win in the second half by rattling off 20 unanswered points over the Titans.

The Patriots defense had its f…

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A good word that adequately describes Week 11 in the NFL, and maybe even the entirety of the 2021 NFL season thus far.

Wild.

Sunday was a key example of why we love this sport. Regardless of how much we despise seeing a player receive a 15-yard taunting penalty for pointing at a defender, it simply doesn’t matter – because the National Football League h…

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In a week, and season, filled with upsets and stunners, Week 10 was eagerly similar to what has been a unique 2021 inside the NFL. Through ten weeks, no team in the entire league has less than two losses. Cam Newton returns home (Yeah, he’s a Panther again) to help the Panthers beat up the already beat up Arizona Cardinals. Washington beats Tom Brady an…

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The quarterback-needy Carolina Panthers are reportedly set to meet with a familiar face. Jonathan Alexander of the Charlotte Observer reported this morning that Cam Newton is set to meet with Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, owner David Tepper and VP of football operations Steven Drummond, today.

The 32-year-old Newton has been a free agent since August,…

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Another wild week in the NFL, and the storylines from Week 9 soar. But the craziness from Week 9 didn’t just occur on Sunday. The turmoil began on Wednesday morning when the news broke that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had tested positive for Covid-19 and would be out for the Packers’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The new…

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Week eight was some week, as we saw numerous backup quarterbacks courageously coming through for their teams with victories. Mike White led the Jets in an unexpected win over Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals.

Here’s a list of quarterbacks that have passed for 400+ yards in their first career NFL start:

1.     Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, 2011

2.     Mike …

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The week of trick plays galore, it was.

Sunday’s slate of NFL games opened with two quick (non-QB thrown) touchdown passes in separate games.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne found Nelson Agholor for a touchdown against the Jets. Less than two minutes later, Titans MVP Derrick Henry found tight-end Mycole Pruitt in the end-zone for a tou…

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Longtime NFL reporter John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, reported on Wednesday that the long-awaited Texans-Dolphins trade involving Deshaun Watson could finally be happening as early as this week.

“The Texans could finally be getting closer to trading quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Miami Dolphins — a team they play Nov. 7. Even though the NFL tra…

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Week six featured a plethora of blowout, non-competitive games. With a few games delivering fascinating narratives, and one extraordinary game (Dallas at New England), the week surely gave us plenty to talk about.

TMF, The Headline: Dak and Cowboys are ‘for real’

You know it, Dak knows it, and the entire Dallas Cowboys team knows it.

“We know, we’re for re…

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