2022 NFL Draft trends to watch for on draft weekend
By Khari Demos
2022 NFL Draft week. It’s about that time. As the first round kicks off Thursday, here are some trends to watch for on draft weekend.
We made it, y’all. After months of watching tape, making mock drafts, and debating over prospects, we finally get to see the 2022 NFL Draft get underway Thursday night.
There have been many thoughts shared about this draft class and which position groups may be stronger than others. The QBs are polarizing, the DB and edge rush groups are vast, and there are linemen galore.
Before we get there, I’ve thought about some trends to keep an eye out for. The 2022 season kicks off tonight, so here we go.
2022 NFL Draft Trend #1: Solid, but not great
There may be some superstar-type prospects in this class, like Kyle Hamilton, Evan Neal, or Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. But those five-star players are few and far between this year. The way I look at it, though, is rather than a lot of home runs, you’ll find more doubles and triples here.
Even at the top, I believe players like Aidan Hutchinson or Ikem “Ickey” Ekwonu are phenomenal talents. Are they on Hall of Fame trajectories? I’m not so sure. But I feel comfortable saying they could be 10-plus-year starters and multiple-time Pro Bowl players.
I think that’s a part of the buzz simmering a bit coming into a draft like this. The thoughts on the quarterbacks are a piece of that as well (we’ll get to that later), but that should not deter teams from adding players at other positions who could be key contributors in the league.
And because of the way some of the positions are stacked up, players could fall. While we’re on that thought, that plays into the next trend.