2022 NFL Draft: Day One Winners and Losers
After months of speculation, the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft is finally in the bag.
Travon Walker went first overall, just one quarterback was taken and there was a flurry of receiver trades and selections.
It was an evening full of big calls and surprises in Las Vegas.
But amid all the drama, it was clear who had great nights, and who didn’t.
Let’s take a look at some of the winners and losers from day one of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Winners:
New York (especially the Jets)
We’ll start with New York Jets. Maybe I’m biased but it’s the general consensus that Gang Green won the first round of the draft. Hands down.
They ended up with the best cornerback and the best receiver in the class, in Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner and Garrett Wilson respectively.
But perhaps the most impressive selection came after the Jets traded back into round one, acquiring a genuine top-10 player in Jermaine Johnson II.
That’s three clear needs addressed and upgraded on their roster. Job well done for Joe Douglas and his team.
For the New York Giants, it’s hard to imagine a better script in their position.
By taking the most versatile offensive tackle available, and possibly the player with the highest ceiling at edge, they also hit the ball out of the park with their selections.
Evan Neal will come in straight as the left tackle starter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux can be their explosive player of defense.
What an evening for the New York franchises.
Philadelphia Eagles
By the time the Eagles were first on the clock, the draft was already a dramatic event.
But Philadelphia sent another shock wave across the league by trading with the Tennessee Titans for A.J. Brown, tying the former second round to a monster $100 million contract extension.
Yes, that might sound expensive. But Brown will help to transform the Eagles offense. They now have one of the best receiver rooms in the league.
And to get one of the best, young wideouts around for a mid-first round pick is a brilliant acquisition.
Before even that, the Eagles selected one of the most dominant defense players from college football in Jordan Davis. The defensive tackle is hugely talented and can becoming a disruptive lineman alongside Fletcher Cox.
Capped off with a 76ers win in the NBA playoffs, this was a great night for Philadelphia sport.
Georgia Bulldogs
Starting with Travon Walker going to the Jaguars in the opening selection, it was a famous night for the University of Georgia.
Five Bulldogs, all defenders, were drafted in the opening round, eclipsing the record for the most defensive selections from one college. That total beat the four Florida State defenders selected in the first round of the 2006 draft and the four Miami defenders selected in 2004.
Better still, there are still plenty of big names left, including Nakobe Dean, George Pickens and Derion Kendrick.
With that in mind, day two promises to be another standout evening for Georgia and their champion players.
Aidan Hutchinson and the Lions
Obviously, the privilege of being known as the first overall pick is unrivalled.
Travon Walker may have earned that honour, but what a night it must have been for Aidan Hutchinson.
Despite being favourite for much of pre-draft talk over the past few months, Hutchinson fell to number two overall, where he was swiftly picked up by the Detroit Lions.
For the Lions, they land a hometown star who is already a hero in Detroit.
It’s the perfect pairing. Head coach Dan Campbell must be delighted to finally have his man, and Hutchinson must be pleased to be heading home.
Losers:
Green Bay Packers
For the 20th year in succession, the Green Bay Packers failed to draft a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft.
After a conveyer belt of receivers were taken in the mid-section of the opening round, the Packers were left with little options.
Having traded away Davante Adams for the Raiders first round selection, this was meant to be the time where they drafted his replacement
What went wrong? Well, they simply chose not to trade up, despite having the draft capital to do so. Seeing divisional rivals the Lions go all out to get Jameson Williams must hurt, but the Packers should have acted.
While the got great talent in Georgia duo Quay Walker and Davante Wyatt, Aaron Rodgers will have longed for a receiver.
A nightmare opening evening for Packers fans.
Quarterbacks
Unless your Kenny Pickett, it was a pretty dismal opening night for quarterback prospects.
We even had to wait until No.20 in the order for Pickett’s selection. It is now unclear when and who the next QB will be drafted
Malik Willis was possibly the biggest loser of round one. Rumoured to be in play as high as second overall, the Liberty standout not only missed out being the first quarterback selected but slipped out of the opening round entirely.
And it’s not just the quarterbacks available this weekend who suffered. The likes of Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes have seen their offense weapons diminished in recent months and with their franchises not going receiver in the first round, there is little to show in return.
Now, Lamar Jackson and Ryan Tannehill have become the latest members of that group. Both saw their number one receiver traded during the draft, and only the Titans managed to adequately make a replacement.
Jackson’s reaction to the trade that sent receiver Marquise Brown to the Cardinals says it all.
Deebo Samuel
It was widely anticipated that Deebo Samuel would leave the San Francisco 49ers before April 28. But in the end, that scenario never came to pass.
The Jets opted to go Garrett Wilson with their No.10 selection and with little interest elsewhere, a trade never materialised.
With A.J. Brown scoring a huge deal after his trade to the Eagles, Samuel must have felt pretty miffed as he watched the drama unfold on Thursday night.
This might work out all okay in the end. The 49ers could tie down Samuel on a bumper new deal and all will be forgotten
But if he was genuinely perusing a trade, that’s now unlikely to happen anytime soon.
