NFL Draft 2022 Recap Preview, Tips & Odds
Intro
In the final days of April, this year’s NFL Draft was held in Las Vegas. It was the first time in history that this city had hosted this event.
Several exciting things marked this draft. For the first time since 1997, not a single quarterback was drafted in the top 19 picks. The Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted Kenny Pickett from the 20th position. Steelers fans expect that he will be a successor to legendary Ben Roethlisberger.
The first five selections were defensive players, which had not happened since 1991 when there were six defenders drafted on the first six picks. For the first time since 2014, no running backs were drafted in the first round.
Top 10 Picks
For the second year in a row, the Jacksonville Jaguars had the first pick in the draft. After choosing quarterback Trevor Lawrence last year, they have now opted for the defensive end, Travon Walker.
Walker was considered the biggest talent in the draft class this year, and the Jaguars did not want to miss the opportunity to bring him in, although they may have needed a player in the offensive line more.
The Detroit Lions had hoped Walker could finish in their team, but when the Jaguars picked him up, it was obvious that the Lions would draft Aidan Hutchinson, the second-best option offered in the defensive end position in this draft.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>The No. 1 pick of the 2022 NFL Draft has signed. Keep up to date with the first-round pick signing tracker<a href=”https://t.co/eFHJg5JDoJ”>https://t.co/eFHJg5JDoJ</a> <a href=”https://t.co/vD32w5tt7h”>pic.twitter.com/vD32w5tt7h</a></p>— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) <a href=”https://twitter.com/AroundTheNFL/status/1524894691447263236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>May 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Two cornerbacks were chosen from the third and fourth positions. The Houston Texans drafted Derek Stringley, and Sauce Gardner became a member of the New York Jets.
Both teams have had significant problems in defense over the years, and a good cornerback would mean a lot to them. It is never known which players will fulfill their potential, but the Texans and Jets should be happy with their choices.
The New York Giants expect a lot in the coming period, and this draft was extremely important for them as they had fifth and seventh pick in the first round. From the fifth position, they chose defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, while from the seventh place, they drafted offensive tackle Even Neal, probably the best prospect in his position in this draft.
The Carolina Panthers had the sixth pick, and they opted for Ikem Ekwonu instead of Neal. The Seattle Seahawks also chose the offensive tackle from the ninth position. They drafted Charles Cross, which was a logical choice after Ekwon and Neal were picked earlier.
Two wide receivers also found their place in the Top 10. The Atlanta Falcons drafted Drake London, while Garrett Wilson became a member of the New York Jets.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Kayvon Thibodeaux in the No. 5️⃣ 🍎 <br><br>📸 <a href=”https://twitter.com/Giants?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Giants</a> <a href=”https://t.co/QWPV12SK0W”>pic.twitter.com/QWPV12SK0W</a></p>— PFF (@PFF) <a href=”https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1527016229772443651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>May 18, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Draft Winners
The biggest draft winners are the Baltimore Ravens. As usual, they did a great job. In the first round, they chose two generational talents: (S) Kyle Hamilton and (C) Tyler Linderbaum.
In the second round, they drafted outside linebacker David Ojabo, who could also find an important role in John Harbaugh’s system.
Along with the Ravens, the Kansas City Chiefs also did a top job. Almost all the players they drafted were raised from a much lower position than they are really worth, and almost all of them could be starters this season.
In the first round, two defenders were drafted: Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis, and a great choice from the 103rd position was Leo Chenal. In the second round, Skyy Moore was picked; someone expected to succeed Tyreek Hill.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Top Ravens pick Kyle Hamilton had another good practice. He won both of his 1-on-1s against rookie TEs Charlie Kolar and Isaiah Likely, getting a PD on each. <a href=”https://t.co/LzULbzQSuG”>pic.twitter.com/LzULbzQSuG</a></p>— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) <a href=”https://twitter.com/jonas_shaffer/status/1529534647046217729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>May 25, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
The Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets can also be considered draft winners. In the first round, the Jets took three very talented players (Gardner, Wilson, and Johnson) who could change the face of this franchise.
Gardner and Johnson will drastically improve a defense that was the worst in the league last year, while Wilson was the biggest offensive talent in this year’s draft.
The Eagles made a fantastic move when they traded with the Tennessee Titans on draft night and got wide receiver A.J. Brown’s in exchange for the 18th and 101st picks.
From the 13th position, they chose the defensive tackle Jordan Davis, while through the draft, they improved the defense by picking Nakobe Dean and Kyron Johnson. An important selection was also center Cam Jurgens from the 51st position.
Draft Losers
Objectively speaking, the biggest losers of this year’s draft are the Arizona Cardinals and the New England Patriots, who had a series of illogical choices.
The Cardinals missed a few talented players in the draft that they could have taken and instead traded the 23rd pick for a wide receiver Marquis Brown that they absolutely don’t need. They did it just to make superstar Kyle Murray happy because he wanted to leave the team in February.
The first pick in the draft for the Cardinals was tight end, Trey McBride, from the 55th position, and it was the first tight end to be drafted. Another illogical choice.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>I wrote up why Marquise Brown is sitting in a sweet spot of dynasty values 🚀<br><br>▫️Current Rank: WR26-WR35<br>▫️Opening 2022 as ARI WR1<br>▫️888 Unrealized Air Yds WR6<br>▫️K. Murray QB1 Deep Ball Acc<br>▫️Contract Extension Coming<br><br>And that’s just the beginning…<a href=”https://t.co/9uoUtw536a”>https://t.co/9uoUtw536a</a> <a href=”https://t.co/PXPszHNh8A”>pic.twitter.com/PXPszHNh8A</a></p>— Nate Liss (@AnOutragedJew) <a href=”https://twitter.com/AnOutragedJew/status/1529100768334303236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>May 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Condemning the Patriots for a bad draft is never the smartest thing knowing how many times in the past they have been draft winners when no one has seen it.
The Patriots had the most unexpected choice in the first round as they drafted offensive guard Cole Strange from the 29th position, who was projected in the third round. Yet Bill Belichick has been mostly right in the past when he did things like this.
Another choice for them in the draft was wide receiver Tyquan Thornton from the 50th position, another player who was expected to be selected from a much lower position.
These are the reasons why most analysts believe that the Patriots are the losers of the draft, although it is always a very brave statement when you put the words Patriots and losers in the same sentence.
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