2022 NFL Draft: Grading each pick from the first round

After months of hype and speculation, the 2022 NFL Draft is in the books.

It was an event fuelled by drama, but we finally know where each of this year’s top prospects will be playing next season.

Here’s our grades for the opening round of the draft:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Travon Walker

The clearest sign that your team has stunk for a while is picking first overall for two years in a row.

Walker becomes the latest Jaguar to make sure they pick later in the draft next year and what a pick!

Sure the Jags would have traded down if the phone was ringing with a great offer, but it wasn’t so why not stay and pick a player who has tremendous upside and the potential to have a serious impact on the game.

The debate inside the building would have been between the upside of Walker VS the “safety” of Hutchinson, and only time will tell if Walker was the right call.

However, it sure is going to be fun watching Walker wreck games in Duval.

The guy is huge, can stop the run and hunt down QB’s.

Too soon to bring back Sacksonville again? Let’s see. 

Grade: B+

2. Detroit Lions: Aidan Hutchinson

The card went in so quickly that the broadcast didn’t have the time to properly review the first overall pick.

The Lions must have been jumping for joy when hearing Walker was the Jaguars choice because they got to add their local prodigy who was deemed the safest pass rusher in this draft.

Dan Campbell must be excited at the pure passion, power and technique that Hutchinson plays with.

But this is more than what he brings to the field. Hutchinson has the energy and leadership that is going to help change the culture in Motorcity.

The question around Hutchinson going into the draft is does he have the potential to be the big time player that is expected when drafted this high.

The Lions sure think so.

Grade: A

3. Houston Texans: Derek Stingley Jr

The Texans have holes everywhere on the roster after years of poor roster management and bad trades.

This pick might be a surprise to some who see Stingley as the second best corner in the draft.

But this is about picking a solid player who can make an immediate impact and be around in Houston for a long time.

In 2019 Stingley was a stud, being named 1st team AP All-American.

The Texans might be putting more emphasis on this tape because of the impact of Covid-19 on workouts and injury history.

Either way, whichever tape you look at, you will see an explosive corner who should fit into Lovie Smith’s system right away. Ja’Marr Chase is talented right?

Well if you haven’t seen it already look at the footage of Stingley covering Chase in practice back at LSU to see what player the Texans are getting. 

Grade: B

4. New York Jets: Ahmad Gardner

Gardner cannot remember the last time he gave up a touchdown and for a good reason, it has been an age!

While this might not continue in the NFL, he is going to reduce the number of touchdowns the Jets give up next year compared to last.

It’s a bold claim, but I am going to stand on this hill because of the Sauce.

Gardner is a fantastic edition for Saleh’s defense, he is the most natural corner in this year’s draft and possibly last year’s as well.

Quick, incredible instincts and pure technique are the reason college QB’s avoided throwing toward the Garnder.

While he is a fantastic edition for the Jets football team, Gardner is going to fit in New York as well. I mean, the guy’s nickname is Sauce! NY is going to love him.

Grade: A

5. New York Giants, Kayvon Thibodeaux

Named by Sam Prince from Make a wish foundation, who brought all the energy on stage to announce this pick.

Thibodeaux’s name has been in the lexicon of society for a while as the most highly touted recruit from high school.

He lived up to the hype in college and produced, and he should bring that same production to the NFL.

The question with Thidobeaux was taking the occasional play off – the curse of being so talented so early.

But if he can pick up some energy from Sam Prince and bring that to the field for each play, NFL quarterbacks better watch out.

Grade: A

6. Carolina Panthers: Ikem Ekwonu

Carolina had the choice of all the QB’s in this year’s draft.

In fact they had their choice of all the players on offense. But with this pick, the Panthers chose to pick the best tackle in the draft. What a coop at pick 6.

He is violent, physical, and should set the edge for the Panthers attack for years to come. Expect to see some people on the ground when he is able to get to the second level.

I hope people in Carolina love their pancakes as much as me!

Grade: A

7. New York Giants: Evan Neal

With their second pick in the top ten, the Giants select their starting right tackle for the next few years.

Neal is huge, incredibly athletic, and can use this base to push people around the line.

This is a physical player who should help New York be a bully on the lines. Along with Thibodeaux, work toward ushering in a new smashmouth tone for the franchise.

Giants fans should be stoked that these are the players they walk away with in the top ten. Hopefully this is the start of a new era of effective drafting for the Giants.

Grade: A

8. Atlanta Falcons: Drake London

The Falcons need quality players all over the field, which means that they could have drafted in any direction here.

They decided to pick their favourite WR with London who is going to be a great compliment to Pitts as a big bodied pass catcher.

London can play in the slot or outside and is athletic enough to be a fantastic physical presence all over the field.

Think Larry Fitzgerald when he moved inside for the last few years of his career with the Cardinals. This is what you are getting with London.

Grade: B+

9. Seattle Seahawks: Charles Cross

Who will be the QB to replace Russell Wilson?

This was the big question for Seattle entering the draft. But with the pick they got for trading Wilson to Denver, they didn’t want to pick his replacement (wise move).

Instead they picked the tackle that will protect…. someone.  You can’t help but wonder if they had put this much focus onto the line in years past, would Wilson still be there?

Cross is a long physical tackle that can stick to players when connected, he can recover quickly when out of place and will help this line improve.

Alone he isn’t the missing piece to make this line great, but alone is a fantastic asset that will immediately become a starter.

Grade: B+

10. New York Jets: Garrett Wilson

With the second of their top ten picks the Jets add a talented WR.

They had a woeful offense last year and needed all the help they could get, Wilson will fit nicely into the line-up and on-paper gives you something to be excited about.

He is competitive and strong, so will win a lot of those 50-50 balls that Zach Wilson will be throwing his way.

The best way to see if they have their QB of the future is to surround him with talent.

This pick is a huge step in that direction. Interestingly one of the big questions with the Jets is the future of Becton. Can he become a massive figure on the line for years to come, or will he be out of the league very soon?

The Jets seem to think the latter as they had the opportunity to draft quality line talent at both of their spots early in the draft and went different directions on both occasions.

Grade: B

11. New Orleans Saints: Chris Olave

Trade alert. The Saints trade with the Commanders to select another weapon in Olave.

This is a receiver who can go down the field and help create space for the rest of the team.

He is quick, has safe hands and has plenty of technique to throw off the coverage.

They have to score a lot of points to win games in this division. This is a sign that Dennis Allen and co know that they have to win sooner than later.

They may be a new brain trust. But as holdovers from the Sean Payton regime, if things don’t work out quickly there could be a whole new team making the picks next year.

With Winston throwing the ball around this year this offense is going to be explosive and a big bucket of fun. Allen is hoping this turns into wins.

Grade: B

12. Detroit Lions: Jameson Williams

Trade alert – Back to back trades as the Lions traded with the Vikings.

This was a big jump up the board (20 spots in fact) for the Lions to get a dynamic receiver to help this team score points.

He is tough and determined, so fits the mould of players they are creating and is going to fit right in.

He is quick, incredibly quick, and if he didn’t have an ACL tear coming into the draft he would have gone higher up the board.

This is the type of aggressive move which I love, if you want a player go get him!

Later in the year people are not going to care about the value you could have gotten, or if he wasn’t ready come week one.

You can only have 11 players on the field, go get the best ones! Detroit, your offense just got a whole lot quicker, tougher and frankly more interesting.

Grade: B+

13. Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Davis

Trade alert – wait, three trades in a row! You bet.

The Eagles are moving all around the board this year to pick up capital and still select their players. This time they move up over the Ravens by trading with the Texans.

The Ravens have been very open about wanting to add Davies but he is now in Philly.

He is fantastic against the run, has a high motor that keeps going and as a result is pretty good at chasing the QB and getting some sacks.

He is going to develop as a pass rusher and with his size and speed he is going to a menace when he does.

Cox is going to be a big mentor here and those two together this line has the potential to be special.

Grade: B

14. Baltimore Ravens: Kyle Hamilton

We assume they wanted to add Davies, but as he was taken one spot earlier, the Ravens added a stud in Kyle Hamilton.

Lots of people love this guy, but feared that safety is not worth the draft capital for him to be taken earlier.

Hamilton has range, fantastic anticipation and ball skills to match with the best of them.

He is going to be huge in this defense which already has a lot of great players and so many returning from injury. This could be one of those times a team fell lucky by not being able to pick their guy.

Grade: B+

15. Houston Texans: Kenyon Green

The first interior lineman to go is Green who can play all over the line.

This is another pick by the Texans who need depth everywhere so expect Green to start early. This Texans have been busy this offseason adding picks in the middle rounds. By moving back a couple of spots they were able to add some picks and still get Green, which I love.

By all accounts this draft has talent at the top, some great depth in the middle, but then drops off a cliff at the end.

When you are this talent poor and have so many veterans you need good young players all over the roster and they are creating the opportunity to add players that can contribute.

Not all of them will work, but more swings gives you more opportunities. Green is 323 pounds, stable in his position and can move around to the second level. There is a reason he was the first interior lineman to be taken!

Grade: B

16. Washington Commanders: Jahan Dotson

Washington is another team that has been busy adding capital in the middle rounds which look to be rich with talent.

With this pick they add Dotson who some people think is the best WR in the draft.

He is a great route runner already, so will be able to make an immediate impact and draw attention from Terry McLaurin.

He has some great highlight players, including a beautiful one handed catch which would be going viral in the NFL.

You want to make Wentz look like a good decision, it’s going to be tough, but adding another weapon will sure help.

Grade: B+

17. Los Angeles Chargers: Zion Johnson

Johnson started a lot of games in college all over the line, and at the senior bowl he added centre to that list.

The Boston College lineman plays each position well, so you know he is smart, but he also has the physical traits you love. He is strong and already has a decent passing and running game.

Johnson is going to the Chargers to help firm up that right side and keep Herbert upright in a loaded division.

Grade: B

18. Tennessee Titans: Treylon Burks

Trade alert – The biggest trade of the night is made right here. AJ Brown and a 3rd to the Eagles to give the Titans to the right to select his replacement.

Burks was compared to AJ Brown and Deebo Samuel by NFL.com and it just fits too nicely that the Titans traded Brown to pick him up.

Smart business move if they are able to pick up similar production without paying the big bucks to Brown.

Bad decision if Bruks doesn’t turn into the player everyone thinks he will be.

Burks has all the potential to be a great big bodied player that will fit right into the line-up here.

However, don’t expect to see him used exactly like Brown, the Titans will adjust to fit Burks’ development and skillset. It is going to be interesting to see exactly how that works.

Grade: B-

19. New Orleans Saints: Trevor Penning

With their second selection in the top 20, Saints select their left tackle to replace Armstead.

We knew they needed one, but weren’t sure what player it would be. In Penning they get someone who graded a 99.9 run block grade in 2021 from PFF, and a 87.0 pass block grade.

That fits into what the saints want to do with this offence. Pass the ball all over the park to their plethora of playmakers and let them beat you.

A great pick at this point in the draft and it looks like the saints have the opportunity to play some fun ball games this year.

Grade: B+

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kenny Pickett

With Colbert’s last first round pick as GM he has tried to do what Newsome did for the Ravens and select their QB of the future.

The Steelers did all their homework on all this year’s top QB prospects and had the opportunity to pick from all of them at pick 20.

Pickett is the local hero who the Steelers should know inside and out, and they clearly think he is worth the shot over the rest of the prospects.

If you think this is going to work you should buy the movie rights now because this story has it all.

Expect Trubisky to start a handful of games before being replaced by the kid, who is accurate and plays with anticipation.

This team won games last year without great QB play from Ben Roethlisberger before he retired. If they can get a slighter higher level of play from year 1 of this new QB room, whoever the starter, then this team should be in most games again.

Grade: B

21. Kansas City Chiefs: Trent McDuffie

Trade alert – The chiefs move ahead of the Packers to make sure they are the ones selecting McDuffie.

Who they must have seen as the best available corner at this stage of the draft.

Each one of their division games is going to be a high scoring game and McDuffie is a nice piece that can play both inside and out.

The Chiefs are a great team who don’t need depth, they need players so moving up to get their player is a smart move here.

Grade: B+

22. Green Bay Packers, Quay Walker

Coming into the draft everyone wanted Green Bay to pick a WR in the first round. So much so you could feel the collective energy willing this pick to be a receiver and a collective groan when it wasn’t.

However the top six receivers have already gone from the board. With the pick they got for trading away Adams to the Raiders, the Packers wisely selected Waker who has great range and can help out in the middle of the field.

He is a player that just does not miss tackles, he has great technique and takes good angles, so should be able to slot in nicely.

The talent level of receiver they would have picked here will be the same later in the draft, but Green Bay can be less certain about linebacker.

Hold on Green Bay, help for Rodgers is coming! 

Grade: B

23. Buffalo Bills: Kaiir Elam

Trade alert – The Bills move ahead of the Cowboys to select Elam. The Bills went out last year in that eclectic game with the Chiefs and one way to make sure this doesn’t happen again is to try and play better coverage.

Elam can step in and support while White recovers from the ACL, then continue to play as a physical press corner when HE returns.

The Bills are hoping that Elam will be able to play at a high level at the end of THE season when the games matter most. Then, he can be a key piece for their future.

Buffalo have drafted well on defence these past few years, so I trust the Bills to make Elam look like a steal.

Grade: B+

24. Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Smith

The Cowboys needed a tackle coming into the draft and Smith is a tough, aggressive player at the position that should help reset that line.

Remember this line has not been as stellar these past few years so a player like Smith can make a huge impact.

His aggressiveness led to a lot of penalties in the college game which he will have to clean up. But Smith is around some great coaches to help that happen.

He clearly has a love for the game which will help him have a quick learning curve.

He had to have both his legs broken and reshaped in high school as part of his journey so there is no way he goes through that and doesn’t work his butt off as a pro.

Overall, this is a decent fit for Smith as well as for the Cowboy.

Grade: B

25. Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Linderbaum

Trade alert – The Ravens traded WR Brown to the Cardinals for the pick the Bills made at 23.

What is interesting was they did this immediately after they picked at 14, but then they traded back two spaces for this pick to get some extra capital.

They also get Linderbaum here at this spot who is the best centre in the draft.

He has great potential to be an all pro at the NFL because of his quickness and tenacity.

If you haven’t seen the video of him as a wrestler pinning Tristan Wirfs (that’s right, the great Buccaneers tackle) then you need to do so immediately.

He is a sure upgrade to this line that will help them continue to run the ball up the middle.

Great draft Ravens!

Grade: A

26. New York Jets: Jermaine Johnson II

Trade alert – the Jets traded back into the first round to make their third pick to stop the slide of Johnson who must have been discussed when they picked at 10.

Johnson was the 2021 ACC defensive player of the year, 2021 2nd-team AP All-American selection (which considering the other players at the position is high praise).

He is long, strong, quick and will absolutely be a weapon for Saleh. With their three picks they have added three great players to this team!

It was a good night to be a Jets fan.

Grade: B+

27. Jacksonville Jaguars, Devin Lloyd

Trade alert – The Jaguars trade the first pick from the 2nd round to move forward six spaces and pick Lloyd.

Jacksonville got their man, who would not have made it to them in the second round. Who cares what it costs, go get him!

Lloyd will play a lot as a complete linebacker, he can cover, he can rush, he can tackle, I bet he is a great cook as well because he can do it all.

PFF graded him 81.8 in coverage which was good for a 2 time 1st team All-Pac-12 selection and a host of people talking about his leadership abilities.

With the selection of Walker as well, this defense should look a lot different to last year.

Grade: B

28. Green Bay Packers, Devonte Wyatt

Another selection for the defense while the world is calling for a receiver.

The Packers haven’t picked a receiver in the first round since 2002, so why break tradition.

Support for the offense came later in the draft. But here, the Packers add Wyatt who, like Travon Walker, should make an immediate impact to their front seven.

He can rush the passer and stop the rush. PFF gave him a 89.8 overall grade, which was the best grade among the Power 5 DL – given the company, this is huge.

He slides because of some character concerns, but hopefully he can turn this around as a pro.

Grade: B-

29. New England Patriots, Cole Strange

This one caused some wild reactions because Strange was someone nobody thought would be going this early, but was a lot of peoples favourite to watch out for on day two.

If you love a player why wait, and if anyone has earned any leeway it is Bill. Strange has the opportunity to start immediately and help reshuffle the line so that the best five play.

Look out for some fun battles in camp to figure it all out.

Grade: C+

30. Kansas City Chiefs, George Karlaftis

The Chiefs wanted to get better on the defensive side of the ball and Karlaftis should help there.

After moving up to get to the corner, they take someone who can rush the passer. He plays hard, has a really high motor and plays physically.

The Greek native isn’t going to beat you with speed, but will push past lineman and keep working. He only started to play the game eight years ago, so look for him to be studying hard and learning each week.

With the Chiefs, he will have more opportunities to rush the passer and play next to some great team mates who will help with the learning curve.

In a few years this could be the steal of the first round.

Grade: B

31. Cincinnati Bengals, Daxton Hill

The Bengals came into the offseason needing to improve the O-line.

They did a lot of hard work in free agency to address multiple spots which means they could come into the draft and pick their best available player.

He is quick, explosive and a great tackler in space. When you watch the tape, he is the player that jumps out.

Cincinnati already had two good safeties, but with contract issues coming up it makes sense to pick a long term player here.

In the short term though, it will be interesting to see how they utilise Hill on game days.

Picking good players will always work, which is what the Bengals have done with Daxton Hill.

Grade: B

32. Minnesota Vikings, Lewis Cine

With the last pick of the first round, the new brain-trust of the Vikings make sure Cine is a first round pick.

Cine was a 2021 2nd-team All-SEC selection with 73 tackles and 9 pass breakups.

He is a big hitter, a great tackler, but shows inconsistency when in man coverage. However he is a leader, has smarts and should be a great person to insert into the line-up over in Minnesota which will utilise his strengths as a zone defender.

Grade: B