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.
Trade no. 2 impacting 2022 NFL Draft: The Russell Wilson trade
One of the biggest trades in all of sports over the last decade took place on March 8, 2022, when the Denver Broncos sent three players and a variety of draft picks to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for star quarterback Russell Wilson.
The trade to acquire Wilson took place almost 10 years to the day from when the Broncos made Peyton Manning arguably the biggest free agent acquisition in NFL history.
Since the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50, they have been stuck in quarterback purgatory.
They attempted to draft Paxton Lynch in 2016, but he was beaten out by Trevor Siemian in consecutive offseasons for the job.
After moving on from Siemian, it was one year of Case Keenum in 2018 before trading for Joe Flacco and drafting Drew Lock in 2019.
Lock got his chance in 2020 before Teddy Bridgewater took over in 2021.
It hasn’t been a prosperous time for the Denver Broncos, but with Russell Wilson in place, they now have a legitimate shot at competing for a title again.
In exchange for Wilson, the Seahawks now own the 9th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft (among others), just one spot ahead of their original slot in this draft at 10th overall.
Trade no. 3 impacting the 2022 NFL Draft: The Jamal Adams trade
Speaking of the Seattle Seahawks, another massive trade that is having an impact on the 2022 NFL Draft is the Jamal Adams trade, which took place all the way back in July of 2020.
The New York Jets traded the disgruntled Adams, along with a fourth-round pick, to the Seahawks in exchange for first-round picks in 2021 and 2022 as well as additional picks and defensive back Bradley McDougald.
That trade has proven to be an absolute heist for the New York Jets, who now have the 10th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft as well as their own pick at 4th overall.
The Seahawks have recouped their capital in this year’s draft and they also have the Broncos’ top two picks in 2022, but the Jamal Adams trade really looks bad in hindsight especially because he’s essentially become a linebacker.
The Jets now have tremendous flexibility in this year’s draft including the potential to trade one of those first-round picks in a blockbuster for Deebo Samuel.
Even if they don’t, the Jets have pieces in this draft because of the Jamal Adams trade to substantially upgrade their roster.
Not only do they have two of the top 10 picks, but they also have two of the top 10 picks in round two thanks to the Sam Darnold trade last year.
Trade no. 4 impacting the 2022 NFL Draft: The Deshaun Watson trade
One of the biggest deals of the 2022 offseason thus far is the Deshaun Watson trade.
The Cleveland Browns were eliminated from contention in the Watson sweepstakes and then must have presented the offer of $230 million fully guaranteed to change Watson’s mind.
For $230 million as well as three first-round picks (among others) the Browns feel like they finally have the difference maker they need at the quarterback position.
The Houston Texans have rid themselves of Watson, who once looked like he was blossoming into a perennial MVP candidate prior to nearly two dozen sexual misconduct allegations that caused Watson to miss the entire 2021 NFL season.
The Browns are undoubtedly taking a massive risk here, especially given the fact that Watson could be suspended at some point in 2022.
Even if that doesn’t end up being the case, this move is a massive risk.
The Texans got a virtually unprecedented haul of three first-round picks and more in return for Watson and the first selection they have available to use is the 13th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Now armed with picks 3 and 13 overall in this class, Houston has a chance to really begin adding significant pieces to a depleted roster.
Trade no. 5 impacting the 2022 NFL Draft: The Trey Lance trade
The 49ers’ first-round pick in 2022 is actually much later than this, but based on all of the maneuvering around that happened between a handful of selections, I’m slotting the Trey Lance trade and surrounding trades here.
The 49ers initially moved up last year into the Miami Dolphins’ third overall slot. San Francisco owned the 12th overall pick and after Miami moved down to 12, they promptly jumped right back up to 6th overall with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Technically, you could go all the way back to the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins Laremy Tunsil trade as having an impact on the overall Trey Lance trade and fallout. The third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft initially belonged to Houston, but the rights went to Miami because of the Tunsil deal.
After all of the moving around Miami did, they traded a future first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2022 NFL Draft so they could go up for Jaylen Waddle, and that is where we are ultimately landing here at pick no. 15 overall in the 2022 Draft.
Miami initially held the 3rd and 18th overall picks in 2021. They traded back from three to acquire 12 and the 49ers’ 2022 first-rounder. They then traded their own 2022 first-rounder (15th overall in 2022) along with 12 overall in 2021 to move up to 6th overall and take Jaylen Waddle.
Have you got all of that?
Trade no. 6 impacting the 2022 NFL Draft: The inexplicable Saints trade
The New Orleans Saints made an extremely odd trade a few weeks ago to acquire an additional first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
It wasn’t a top-10 pick, it was just “a” pick in the teens.
After their trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Saints now own the 16th pick and the 19th pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The big question we’re all dying to know the answer to is — why?
What are the Saints doing here?
Are they going for a quarterback? Do they feel like they can unquestionably add multiple starters in this year’s class?
They must be convinced of something and after re-signing Jameis Winston to a two-year deal, something is afoot in New Orleans.
Whatever it is, they determined it was worth their top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which now belongs to the Philadelphia Eagles. For general manager Howie Roseman, that was an outstanding deal because next year’s quarterback class is expected to be really good, and with Jameis Winston under center along with a new head coach in New Orleans, who knows how good the Saints will actually be in 2022?
Clarity is coming on this one, but we might find this move just as confusing after seeing who the Saints pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Trade no. 7 impacting the 2022 NFL Draft: The Carson Wentz trade
One of the trades having a substantial impact on the 2022 NFL Draft is the Carson Wentz trade.
Not just the most recent one, either.
Part of the condition between the original Carson Wentz trade with the Eagles and Colts was that the Eagles would receive a 2022 first-round pick if Wentz played 70 percent of the Colts’ offensive snaps in 2021, which he did.
The 16th overall pick in this year’s draft, as a result, was sent to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles then used that pick in the previously mentioned trade with the New Orleans Saints.
The Colts have to be kicking themselves over that trade, although they did recoup some value by trading Wentz to the Washington Commanders earlier this offseason.
The Colts still don’t have a first-round pick, and they have needs at offensive tackle and wide receiver that would really make having a first-round pick nice right now.
It’s hard to blame the Colts for making the deal they did for Carson Wentz. Compared to some other QB trades in recent years, the asking price from the Eagles on Wentz was pretty reasonable and the Colts have the coaching staff led by Frank Reich to make that deal make sense.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for anyone but the Eagles.
Trade no. 8 impacting the 2022 NFL Draft: The Davante Adams trade
There were a variety of trades in the 2022 offseason that had a massive impact on the 2022 NFL Draft, one of the biggest ones being the Davante Adams trade between the Green Bay Packers and the Las Vegas Raiders.
After all of the drama between Aaron Rodgers and the Packers ended with a massive contract extension, the Adams trade had to be one of the most mind-boggling of the offseason.
How in the world did the Packers get Rodgers to sign off on this? Or did they?
We haven’t heard from Rodgers since the deal but this move had to be instigated by Adams himself, or else I’m sure Rodgers would have decided not to return to Green Bay.
One way or another, the Las Vegas Raiders managed to reunite Derek Carr and Davante Adams, college teammates who have shared a special bond even since going their separate ways in the NFL.
Now, they will finally get the chance to play together and hopefully compete for a title together as NFL teammates.
For the Packers, this trade has landed them the 22nd overall pick in round one of the 2022 NFL Draft as well as the Raiders’ second-round pick.
It was a rather modest return for a player of Adams’ caliber, but the Packers didn’t have a ton of leverage with Adams being on the franchise tag and asking to leave.
Trade no. 9 impacting the 2022 NFL Draft: The Tyreek Hill trade
For a while, it seemed like the Kansas City Chiefs were going to find a way to get a deal done with wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Things took a turn rather unexpectedly.
The Chiefs apparently had drawn a line in the sand with Hill and it may have been the Davante Adams extension in Las Vegas that prompted the asking price from Hill to increase.
The Chiefs didn’t want to pay it, so they put Hill on the trade block and let teams bid against each other for his services.
Ultimately, the Miami Dolphins came calling and traded their top two picks in this year’s draft (among others) to the Chiefs in exchange for Hill.
This trade is connected to the Trey Lance trade as well with the selection the Dolphins acquired from the 49ers (pick 29 overall) being sent to the Kansas City Chiefs as really the centerpiece of this deal as a whole.
Tyreek Hill joins Jaylen Waddle to give the Miami Dolphins and new head coach Mike McDaniel one of the fastest and most difficult to defend duos of wide receivers in the NFL today.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs may have a lot of picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, but they also no longer have their most dangerous offensive weapon.
Yes, Patrick Mahomes is still Patrick Mahomes, but the impact of losing Tyreek Hill in that offense could be very significant.
Trade no. 10 impacting the 2022 NFL Draft: The Matthew Stafford trade
The Detroit Lions didn’t get enough for Matthew Stafford.
Stafford wasn’t on the same level when he was with the Detroit Lions as a player like Russell Wilson coming from the Seattle Seahawks, but even with the writing on the wall, it feels like Detroit and general manager Brad Holmes did his old team a solid in the Stafford trade.
The Lions own the 32nd overall pick to close out round one of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Los Angeles Rams have a long-term solution at QB and just won the Super Bowl.
Who wins that trade?
It doesn’t matter what capital the Rams have yet to surrender to the Lions in this deal — the reality is, Detroit didn’t get enough back for Stafford and that trade looks embarrassing for them in hindsight.
It was an absolute heist by Les Snead and Sean McVay who may not “steal the draft’ in 2022, but that doesn’t matter.
They stole Matthew Stafford and won a Lombardi. They reached the ultimate goal and were willing to pay the price to do so. The fact of the matter is, the Lions just didn’t ask for enough in return.
This trade will go down as one of the best in NFL history from the Rams’ perspective. It was a trade that truly propelled the team to a championship immediately. It doesn’t get better than that.