It was my 39th year when I was in the NFL draft for ESPN and I can’t remember trading madness like the one we saw in the middle of Round 1 on Thursday. There were kicks and players who flew off the board faster than I could tell which team was on the clock. Now that we’ve gone through all 262 choices, it’s time for one of my favorite exercises every year. This is the song everyone is complaining about until the next draft.
I love making NFL classes and that helps me put the classes of all 32 teams into perspective. This was difficult in 2022, especially with nine teams having multiple elections in the first round and 10 teams having no choice in the first round, both being the most in the overall draft era (since 1967). The defense dominated the top of the draft and of the 16 offensive players taken in Round 1, the huge 15 were either offensive line players (nine) or wide receivers (six).
Let’s get into my assessments team by team. The same rules apply as always: I evaluate all 32 classes, using my Big Board and the ranking of positions as a prism, to assess how effectively each team handles key staff holes, and how effective each is in maneuvering the board. and the addition of additional elections or future assets. I finished round 1 on Thursday night and day 2 on Friday night, but I throw away my notebook in the grade file.
We will start with the best scores and move on to the worst, with teams that have the same scores, listed alphabetically. Here we are:
Skip to: ARI ATL | BAL | BUF | CARS CHI | CINCLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | INDJAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | Ministry of the Interior MINNE | NO | NYG | NEW | PHI | PIT | SFSEA | tuberculosis TEN WSH
Basic needs: CB, DE, C
Here is who the Ravens chose with their first five choices:
Talk about a value class. This is a great success, even if we do not take into account that Baltimore used all six of its elections in the 4th round. Of these fourth-round players, Daniel Faalele’s team (110) and Isaiah Lickley’s secret ending (139) were my favorites. It could probably be a red zone weapon for Lamar Jackson. I also see the sixth round player Tyler Buddy (196) make the team because of his abilities for special teams. This team did a great job filling the needs.
The only thing that protects this class from A + is this: Who will catch deep balls from Jackson? The Ravens swapped the Marquise Brown to get this extra player in the first round, so there is a lot of growth in the second year from the broad Rashod Bateman.
Baltimore ‘s full design class for 2022
Round / PickNamePosCollege1 / 14Kyle HamiltonSNotre Dame1 / 25Tyler LinderbaumCIowa2 / 45David OjaboOLBMichigan3 / 76Travis JonesDTUConn4 / 110Daniel FaaleleOTMinnesota4 / 119Jalyn Armor-DavisCBAlabama4 / 128Charlie KolarTEIowa State4 / 130Jordan StoutPPenn State4 / 139Isaiah LikelyTECoastal Carolina4 / 141Damarion WilliamsCBHouston6 / 196Tyler BadieRBMissouri
Basic needs: DB, OL, WR
Entering this draft, the Jets had an additional choice in the first round (from trading with Jamal Adams) and an additional choice in the second round (from trading with Sam Darnold), which gave them two in the top 10 and four in the top 38. And after another last place in AFC East – their fifth in six seasons – I thought they would choose two perspectives from three positions – live offensive, wide receiver and corner – with their two best choices. And that’s exactly what they did.
The Jets chose my top corner in Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner (4) and my top class in Garrett Wilson (10), each of whom has All-Pro skill sets. They then returned to Round 1 to pick up Jermaine Johnson II, 26, who had fallen on the board. It’s a really solid, all-encompassing defensive end that had 12 sacks last season and was the best promising in the Senior Bowl in January. I had Johnson 11 in my Big Board. These are three rookies from general manager Joe Douglas, for a team that needed an infusion of talent in all three positions.
And yet Douglas & Co. had a choice at the beginning of the second round to get a good player, and they got my top ranked back, Breece Hall (36), a touchdown maker with some tools to be a weapon in the pass game. These are three of my best prospects for their respective positions, prepared by the Jets – and a great class from Douglas.
The only light hit here is waiting until the 4th round of offensive strikes, which means they should be fine with George Fant and Mehhi Becton in 2022. Max Mitchell (111) is rather promising for development that can be a swing at the beginning of his career. I think Jeremy Rockert (101) could be a useful figure in support of CJ Uzomah. Overall, this is one of the best bands of 2022.
The complete project of New York for 2022
Round / Select NamePosCollege1 / 4Ahmad GardnerCBCincinnati1 / 10Garrett WilsonWROhio State1 / 26Jermaine Johnson IIDEFlorida State2 / 36Breece HallRBIowa State3 / 101Jeremy RuckertTEOhio State4 / 1Mllia
Biggest needs: QB, DE, WR
Since Calvin Ridley is suspended for the season, did you look at the depth chart of the Falcons’ wide receiver? Not good, maybe the worst in the league. And, yes, they traded the best quarterback in the history of their franchise, with Matt Ryan heading to Indianapolis for a third-round pick. I don’t know if this is a complete recovery for coach Arthur Smith & Co., but this is at least a reset in attack, and this defense is not dotted with stars.
This reset in the attack begins with a new receiver № 1 in Drake London (8), a 6-foot weapon that will make life easier for his quarterback. I’m a big fan of London, who will be great in the red zone and is great in the same attack as the dynamic tight and Kyle Pitts. How will the teams cover both in the red zone?
I thought the Falcons had one of the best Day 2 in the league. Quarterback Desmond Reeder, 74, sometimes looked like a future All-Pro in college and other times as a free agent without drafts. He is my fourth ranked caller, but I thought he would enter the 2nd round. I won’t be surprised if he starts a few games as a rookie and struggles with work away from Marcus Mariotta. Arnold Ebiquette (38) is an underrated champion. Troy Andersen, 58, is a fit that I predicted for Atlanta in my two-round model a few weeks ago. DeAngelo Malone, 82, could get early photos with a third down as a situation champion. On Day 3, running back Tyler Algayer (151) doesn’t have much speed in a straight line, but I expect him to enter the team because of his endurance.
What weakens this class a bit is that I would pull Malik Willis over Reeder, but this is still a really good band.
A complete Atlanta class project for 2022
Round / PickNamePosCollege1 / 8Drake LondonWRUSC2 / 38Arnold EbiketieDEPenn State2 / 58Troy AndersenILBМонтана Шта3 / 74Дезмънд РидърQBCincinnati3 / 82DeAngelo MaloneOLBWestern KentuckylerJFJGJFJFJGJFJGJFJGJFJGJFJGJGJFJGJFJGJF
Biggest needs: DE, WR, QB
The Lions were energetic in Year 1 under coach Dan Campbell, but still won just three games. This is one of the worst lists in the league from top to bottom. That’s why I was surprised to see them swap 20 places in Round 1 instead of keeping 32 and 34. The draft is so stupid that it’s almost always better to risk twice for a top-ranked prospect than to one.
At the same time, I like the player I got in Jameson Williams (12), an electrically wide receiver that could immediately be Jared Goff’s №1 target. He comes out of a torn left ACL, but must be ready for training camp. The change looked like general manager Brad Holmes had to make a big move to meet the need, but Williams will be great when he’s on the field.
You should already know what I think of Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (2). The Lions to get my clear prospect for top class is a huge win because he not only fills the void – they finished 29th in pressure and 30th in last season’s layoffs – but he’s a local kid who wants to play in Detroit. As I wrote on Thursday night, he will be fighting to be the rookie of the year in defense. On Day 2, with the choice they received from the Vikings when they traded for Williams, the Lions returned to a defensive end, taking Josh Paschal, 46, who has some intriguing physical tools to work with. Credit to Holmes for trying to turn Edge Rusher out of weakness into strength.
The close end of James Mitchell (177) is another prospect that comes from a torn ACL – he missed the last 11 games of the season – but can be a solid find when he is healthy. Midfielder Malcolm Rodriguez (188) is small in size, but can stand out in special teams.
Getting Hutchinson and Williams – two potentially all professionals – brings this class closer to A.
The complete Detroit class project for 2022
Round / Choice NamePosCollege1 / 2Aiden HutchinsonDEMichigan1 / 12Jameson WilliamsWRAlabama2 / 46Josh PascalDEkentucky3/97Kerby JosephSILINOIS5 / 177James MitchellA.Jatchey MitchellTe18Virgenia 188Virgenia
Biggest needs: WR, DB, LB
In early April, the Eagles had a peak of 15, 16 and 19 as a result of deals with Miami and Indianapolis. They were set to be the key team in the middle of Round 1. They then struck a deal with the Saints, who wanted to add another first-round pick in that class. To do this, New Orleans gave up a lot of future capital, sending Philadelphia a selection for the first round in 2023 and 2024 for the second round, while the Eagles still had two first-class selections of 15th and 18th places in this draft.
So how did Philly perform on Day 1? Well, she prepared the first choice to rise several places for a massive defensive strike by Jordan Davis, 13, who plugged a hole in the middle of D. Tennessee for 24-year-old broadcaster AJ Brown, who had 24 touchdown catches for three season for the Titans. This is a solid Day 1, as Brown – who is younger than a few prospects in this class – makes a lot of sense on the other side of DeVonta Smith and gives Jalen Herts a proven playmaker.
I also liked the Eagles election on Day 2, especially the middle …
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