2022 NFL draft preview

By Cameron DaSilva | Posted 1 year ago

After the longest season in NFL history, spanning 17 regular-season games and four weeks of postseason play, it feels like just yesterday that the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI. Yet, here we are, already at the second-biggest event on the NFL’s calendar: The 2022 NFL draft.

 

It’s a unique draft in the sense that a historically high number of teams will be sitting out the first round after making blockbuster trades last offseason or this year already. An NFL-record eight teams will be without a first-round pick on Thursday night, and there will also be eight teams with multiple first-rounders as they look to bolster their rosters with young talent.

 

When it comes to the prospects available, this isn't a star-studded, quarterback-heavy class. Sure, there are a handful of quarterbacks who could (and likely will) go in the first round, but there’s no Trevor LawrenceJoe BurrowKyler Murray or Baker Mayfield. For the first time since 2017, a quarterback won’t go first overall.

 

This class is more about pass rushers, offensive linemen and cornerbacks, who are all expected to dominate the first round. That’s great news for teams in need of players at those positions, but not so good for quarterback-needy teams like the TexansPanthersFalcons and Seahawks, all of which are drafting in the top 10.

 

Draft schedule

Round 1: Thursday, 8 p.m. ET

Rounds 2-3: Friday, 7 p.m. ET

Rounds 4-7: Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

 

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada

Caesars Forum

 

First-round order

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

2. Detroit Lions

3. Houston Texans

4. New York Jets

5. New York Giants

Carolina Panthers

7. New York Giants (via CHI)

8. Atlanta Falcons

9. Seattle Seahawks (via DEN)

10. New York Jets (via SEA)

11. Washington Commanders

12. Minnesota Vikings

13. Houston Texans (via CLE)

14. Baltimore Ravens

15. Philadelphia Eagles (via MIA)

16. New Orleans Saints (via IND through PHI)

17. Los Angeles Chargers

18. Philadelphia (via NO)

19. New Orleans (via PHI)

20. Pittsburgh Steelers

21. New England Patriots

22. Green Bay Packers (via LV)

23. Arizona Cardinals

24. Dallas Cowboys

25. Buffalo Bills

26. Tennessee Titans

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

28. Green Bay Packers

29. Kansas City Chiefs (via SF through MIA)

30. Kansas City Chiefs

31. Cincinnati Bengals

32. Detroit (via LAR)

 

10 big draft questions

 

1. How many QBs will be drafted in the first round?

 

This isn't a good class for quarterbacks. Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis are viewed as the top quarterbacks this year, but neither player is projected to go in the top five. Pickett is being linked to the Panthers, Willis would be a good fit with the Steelers or Falcons, and Desmond Ridder could sneak into the first round with a team like the Lions at No. 32. 

 

It feels highly unlikely that more than three quarterbacks will go in the first round, however, because neither Matt Corral nor Sam Howell are being touted as top-32 prospects. 

 

2. Who will be the first WR drafted?
3.  

Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson, USC’s Drake London and Alabama’s Jameson Williams are all in the mix to be the first wide receiver drafted. Wilson is getting the most buzz as the top wideout, being such a refined receiver who can line up at any receiver position – be it in the slot or outside. 

However, London is a bigger, more physical player who might fit better with a team like the Falcons or Commanders. And Williams is a dynamic athlete whose stock took a hit due to his torn ACL suffered earlier this year. 

 

3. Will the Panthers take a QB early?

Carolina seems like the most probable landing spot for the draft’s first quarterback. The Panthers have Sam Darnold back as their starter, but he wasn’t great in 2021 and the Panthers need a younger quarterback with higher upside to build around. 

 

Pickett and Willis would both be good fits in Carolina and give the Panthers some competition at quarterback, even if neither one would probably start in Week 1. I would bet Carolina takes a quarterback in the first round, either at No. 6 or after trading back a little bit.

 

4. How will the Jets and Giants use their two first-rounders?

 

The Jets will pick at Nos. 4 and 10, while the Giants are slated to pick at Nos. 5 and 7. Trading back from one of those spots to compile more picks would be wise for both teams, but they also have the opportunity to land two blue-chip players in the top 10.

 

Their positional needs are somewhat similar, too. They both need cornerbacks, pass rushers and offensive linemen, though the Jets could also use a starting-caliber wide receiver. Don’t be surprised if they each grab a pass rusher and offensive tackle in the first round. 

 

5. Will Sauce Gardner still be the first CB selected?

 

Gardner has been considered the top cornerback in the class for quite some time but is it possible he won’t be the first one drafted? The only player who will give him a run for his money as CB1 is Derek Stingley Jr. out of LSU. 

 

Stingley was a star as a true freshman in 2019 but his play fell off a bit in 2020 and he only started three games last season due to injury. Stingley going before Gardner would be a surprise, but not one that’s out of the question.

 

5. When will Kyle Hamilton get drafted?

 

Hamilton was getting top-3 buzz during the 2021 season, but then the NFL combine came. He ran a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash, which is considered slow for a safety, especially one projected to go in the top 10. That’s caused his draft stock to slide, but he’s still the top safety in the class.

It just remains to be seen where he gets drafted, with his expected range being No. 6-14. He’s a highly versatile player who fits perfectly in today’s NFL, and he could wind up being a steal if he falls outside the top 10.

 

7. Will a tight end or running back get drafted first?

Neither position is being highly prioritized in this draft. Most mock drafts have zero running backs and tight ends going in the first round, lacking top-tier talent at either position. the better question is which position has a player drafted first?

 

Trey McBride is the top tight end, whereas Breece Hall is the best running back in this class. I would bet on Hall going before McBride, but with the way running backs are being devalued, it wouldn’t be crazy to see a tight end go before a running back. 

 

8. How many teams will trade back from their initial pick?

 

Teams are reportedly looking to trade down in the first round, attempting to accumulate more picks later in the draft. That’s a sign of the depth of this class, as well as the lack of elite talent at the top of the board. We’ve already seen so many teams trade their first-rounders for proven veterans, but that isn't the end of the swapping of picks.

 

The Chiefs are a candidate to trade up with their two first-round picks. The Eagles could also do the same, as could the Jets. There could be a lot of shuffling in the first round with so many teams holding multiple picks. 

 

9. Will any big-name players get traded during the draft?

 

Baker Mayfield, Jimmy Garoppolo, Deebo Samuel and DK Metcalf are among the players who have generated buzz as potential trade chips. Mayfield and Garoppolo seem almost likely to get traded at some point before the regular season, but Samuel and Metcalf are more difficult to predict their fate.

 

Depending on whether the Falcons, Seahawks, Lions and Panthers land a quarterback at some point in the first or second round, we could see Mayfield or Garoppolo traded on Day 2 or three for a late-round pick. 

 

10. Who goes first overall to the Jaguars?

 

For the longest time, it looked like Aidan Hutchinson was destined to go to Jacksonville. But in the last week, Travon Walker out of Georgia became the odds-on favorite to go first overall. There has been no indication from the Jaguars about who they’re going to take with the top pick, but it’s almost certain to be one of those two pass rushers.

 

Fortunately, we don’t have to wait much longer to find out.

 

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