The 2022 NFL Draft order has been significantly shaken up by a handful of blockbuster trades. We take a look through all 10 of them.
The 2022 NFL Draft is expected to be full of the unexpected, full of chaos, and a major reason for all of that chaos is the ridiculous number of trades that have gone down in recent years.
Blockbuster trades have become borderline commonplace in the NFL today as veteran quarterbacks and wide receivers change teams, especially in the last two offseasons.
Let’s look back at some of these massive trades that have gone down in the last couple of years and are having a tremendous effect on the 2022 NFL Draft order.
We’ll take a look through each pick from the top of the first round to the bottom.
Trade no. 1 affecting 2022 NFL Draft: The Justin Fields trade
During the 2021 NFL Draft, in an attempt to save their jobs, former Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy moved up from the 20th overall pick to the 11th overall pick with the New York Giants to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.
That was the first and only time Dave Gettleman ever traded a first-round pick as an NFL general manager was here, and he set the Giants up extremely well.
Sure, the Giants took Kadarius Toney who has since become the subject of trade rumors. Gettleman also no longer has a job in New York.
The Giants, as a result of this trade, are the only team in the league with multiple first-round picks in the top seven overall. That rarely ever happens.
Justin Fields had a tough rookie season for the Bears and Chicago is having to fork over the 7th overall pick in this Draft as a result. Considering the number of needs the Bears have going into this draft process, that is absolutely brutal.
Hopefully, the new front office in Chicago believes in Fields’ development. Otherwise, they could be looking at a reset in 2023.