The 2022 NFL Draft is officially underway and the Jacksonville Jaguars started things off with a bang. We grade all 32 first-round picks.
The 2022 NFL Draft is finally underway. How’d we do in our final first-round mock drafts out there?
The top 32 picks are in the books and some outstanding talent is still on the board, but who came off the board in the first round and what kind of value did each team get at their respective picks?
Some teams got some great fits and even some steals in round one while others…not so much.
It’s impossible to truly “grade” any draft selections until these players have had the chance to prove themselves on the field. However, we will be grading based on the team’s need, perceived fit, and the player’s value based on where he was expected to be selected
2022 NFL Draft grades: Jacksonville Jaguars select Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
Grade: B
Was this the right selection for the Jacksonville Jaguars? Are they taking too big of a risk here with Walker instead of just taking the “safer” prospect in Aidan Hutchinson?
The NFL Draft is all about risk, no matter what, and frankly, this was the perfect year to take a calculated risk on a player with massive athletic upside.
After what we saw last season from Micah Parsons in Dallas, we’re going to see more and more teams playing copycat and trying to find defenders with a similar level of physical skill and versatility.
We saw glimpses of that last season at Georgia where Walker did everything. He stood up and rushed from the edge. He rushed from the interior defensive line. He dropped into coverage.
And he excelled at all of it.
I’m giving this pick an average “B” grade because Walker only had 9.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in over 30 games for the Bulldogs. His impact was felt in ways that didn’t impact the box score, no doubt, but the Jaguars better hope he becomes a consistent double-digit sack guy if they are investing the top overall pick in him.
2. Detroit Lions: Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
Grade: A
There were many analysts and evaluators in this NFL Draft process that felt Aidan Hutchinson was the best player overall in the class, and for good reason.
He terrorized quarterbacks and offensive linemen all year long while he was at Michigan, and he vastly exceeded expectations from where his projected NFL Draft stock was a season ago.
Hutchinson can win in a variety of ways as a pass rusher but at his size, which is more like a traditional defensive end or 5T in a 3-4 front, Hutchinson’s agility and ability to change direction is ridiculous.
His three-cone time was right there with Von Miller.
There’s no question the Lions made the right pick here for the type of culture that Dan Campbell says he wants to build.
Not only do they get a perfect culture fit, but they get one of the most productive pass rushers in the country and someone that can help them from a variety of positions on the defensive front.
Hutchinson is going to make everyone on that Lions defense better and he’s got the ability to have a tremendous impact right away.
3. Houston Texans: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
Grade: B+
The buzz surrounding this pick for the Houston Texans started to really build in recent days.
Derek Stingley Jr.’s name picked up a lot of steam and understandably so. He’s a big cornerback prospect with elite athleticism and all of the tools to become a legitimate CB1 at the NFL level.
Houston is essentially still in the foundational stage of rebuilding their roster so this kind of pick made a lot of sense.
Even if the medicals didn’t come back squeaky clean on Stingley, you still have confidence that he can get back to his 2019 form on a consistent basis with Lovie Smith calling the shots defensively.
I like this pick for the Texans especially considering they had another pick in round one and the opportunity to build along with it right away.
4. New York Jets: Sauce Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
Grade: A
If you’re a New York Jets fan, there were likely a handful of outcomes with this pick that would have had you absolutely ecstatic.
Sauce Gardner at pick no. 4 overall was certainly one of those outcomes.
Getting a guy who doesn’t even remember the last time he gave up a touchdown to play the CB1 role for Robert Saleh’s defense is a dream come true, of sorts.
Gardner brings legitimate star power to the Jets’ secondary which also added Jordan Whitehead and DJ Reed in free agency.
Jets fans saw how hard their defense played last year with — all due respect — a bunch of nobodies in the secondary. Now there are some serious dogs back there for Saleh.
5. New York Giants: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
Grade: A
The New York Giants did as much homework on Kayvon Thibodeaux as anybody.
This scenario for them was sort of a perfect storm. All of the top offensive linemen fell to this selection, so instead of taking their top offensive lineman here and risking the Panthers trading out of six to someone jonesing for Thibodeaux, they ended up getting both guys they probably wanted in the first place.
Thibodeaux is an elite talent and although the consistency was not always there at Oregon, he’s going to be a stud in the NFL who can win off the edge with length, strength, and bend.
It’s hard not to love this pick unless you are turned off by Thibodeaux’s personality, and I’m not sure how you could be. This guy is as confident and electric as they come.
6. Carolina Panthers: Ikem Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State
Grade: A
What do the Carolina Panthers have up their sleeve at the quarterback position?
After taking Ikem Ekwonu — an absolute home run of a pick in this draft — you would have to think that Scott Fitterer and Matt Rhule are scheming a deal for Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo in the near future.
They don’t have the 2022 NFL Draft capital to get a deal like that done, but they could tap into their 2023 NFL Draft picks to make it happen.
Getting Ikem Ekwonu as their new left tackle and eventually trading for Mayfield or Garoppolo would be an outstanding rebound of an offseason for Carolina after the Sam Darnold debacle.
7. New York Giants: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
Grade: A+
How can you not love this pick for the New York Giants?
After getting a game-changing pass rusher like Kayvon Thibodeaux to pair with Azeez Ojulari off the edge, they get a bookend to improving left tackle Andrew Thomas here at seven overall and a guy many thought for the longest time would be the top pick overall.
Evan Neal has played guard and tackle for the Crimson Tide and will thrive in the right tackle position for the Giants, whose offensive line looks drastically improved between this pick and the Mark Glowinski signing in free agency.
Paired with Kayvon Thibodeaux at pick five overall, the Giants have to be the biggest winners of round one, or at least in the top three.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Drake London, WR, USC
Grade: B+
The Atlanta Falcons made Drake London the WR1 of this year’s draft and for good reason.
London is reminiscent of Mike Evans coming out of Texas A&M and now joins Kyle Pitts to give the Falcons and whoever will be their QB of the future two huge targets that will give a massive margin for error.
Pitts undoubtedly factors into the equation but going into this draft, the Falcons had an embarrassing group of receivers.
Having London and Pitts will at least make this offense bearable and they should be relatively QB-proof.
9. Seattle Seahawks: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
Grade: A
With the first of many picks they acquired from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade, the Seattle Seahawks used a rare top 10 selection on Charles Cross, who now becomes the long-term fixture at the left tackle position.
This is a good pick for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the Seahawks let Duane Brown walk in free agency and Cross fills a major need.
Cross may be the most polished tackle prospect in this class in terms of pass protection. He’s a perfect fit for a zone scheme.
I think as you rebuild after a QB trade, this is about as good of a pick as you can make.
10. New York Jets: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
Grade: A
There were many in the NFL Draft community that had Garrett Wilson out of Ohio State as their top-ranked receiver overall.
Many of those same people have been projecting Wilson to the Jets for months where he will now officially join 2021 first-round pick Zach Wilson as core foundation pieces for this team.
Wilson’s ability to win at the catch point is borderline unmatched in this class, even with his smaller size. He can line up inside in the slot or on the outside and win with speed, but his greatest asset is his aggressiveness when the ball is in the air.
He’s going to fit nicely with the additions the Jets have made the last couple of seasons: Elijah Moore, Corey Davis, and tight ends CJ Uzomah, Tyler Conklin.
11. New Orleans Saints: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
Grade: B-
Let’s just clear the air on this one right away. I like the player here and I’ve been putting Chris Olave to the New Orleans Saints in mock drafts for months.
The fit is not a question here.
I simply don’t like how the Saints go about their business sometimes, recklessly trading premium draft selections. Even if the rationale is that you can get guys to help your team this year instead of next year, the Saints no longer have Drew Brees and they no longer have the luxury of just throwing away future picks.
They sent third- and fourth-round picks to the Commanders to make this selection. Again, it’s a good selection, but is Olave worth three picks? To the Saints, the answer is apparently yes.
12. Detroit Lions: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
Grade: A
Although I just dinged the Saints for recklessly trading picks and it seems like I’m going to be hypocritical on this particular grade, I think these are two vastly different situations.
First of all, the Lions absolutely fleeced Vikings rookie GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in this deal. There is a missing value of a high third-round pick on the trade value chart in this deal, and even if you don’t subscribe to the trade value chart, the Vikings traded this pick to a division rival so they could take a coveted player and the Lions didn’t lose value.
Jameson Williams has a chance to ultimately be the best receiver from this class with his unbelievable play speed and toughness.
Even though he’s recovering from an ACL tear, he’s going to help the Lions give teams fits with the emerging Amon-Ra St. Brown and new free agent pickup DJ Chark.
13. Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia
Grade: B
The Philadelphia Eagles jumped the Baltimore Ravens to get the ultra-athletic specimen Jordan Davis out of Georgia.
After releasing and then re-signing Fletcher Cox, Davis will now have a chance to learn from one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league while also wreaking some havoc alongside him.
Davis’ biggest issue coming out of Georgia is a question of whether or not he can handle an increased snap count.
That remains to be seen, but he certainly has size and athleticism in spades. In fact, I don’t know that we’ve ever seen a player quite like this guy with unparalleled speed and explosiveness at almost 6-foot-7, 340 pounds.
The Eagles love building in the trenches and this pick is further proof.
14. Baltimore Ravens: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
Grade: A
The Baltimore Ravens are always going to “win” the NFL Draft.
It’s just what Eric DeCosta and Ozzie Newsome have always done.
They always find value. They always get the player you want.
They are like that annoying person in fantasy football that picks right before you in every round who always takes the top player on your board.
That is exactly who the Ravens are.
Kyle Hamilton fell out of the top 10 picks likely due in part to his slower than expected 40-yard dash, but in tandem with Marcus Williams, he’s going to be a stud.
15. Houston Texans: Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A&M
Grade: C
After moving down a couple of spots, the Houston Texans did upgrade their offensive line after all.
Many thought they would use the third overall pick in this draft on Evan Neal or Ikem Ekwonu, but they went with Derek Stingley Jr. instead.
The selection of Kenyon Green here is a solid one, but I felt like this was one of the bigger reaches early in round one.
Green has experience playing tackle and guard so he’ll be able to start wherever the Texans need him, likely at left guard to begin his career.
16. Washington Commanders: Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
Grade: B
I like the process here for the Commanders, but was the trade back to 16 worth the additional picks to miss out on Chris Olave and Jameson Williams?
I like Jahan Dotson. I felt like he was one of the most improved players in the country last season.
He’s got strong hands and he can win at every level of the field.
With that being said, he’s going to be compared — right or wrong — to Olave and Williams going forward.
The Commanders have Terry McLaurin but they desperately needed to get him some additional help this offseason. Dotson can come in and contribute right away.
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Zion Johnson, OL, Boston College
Grade: A
The Los Angeles Chargers had to invest in the offensive line after watching Justin Herbert nearly beat the Las Vegas Raiders in last year’s season finale basically from his back.
The Chargers used their top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Rashawn Slater and now they follow up that selection with Zion Johnson, who projects as an immediate starter right next to Slater at the left guard position.
Maybe the Chargers will try him at right tackle and keep Matt Feiler at left guard, or maybe they believe Zion Johnson can be their right tackle of the future.
This pick isn’t going to make a lot of headlines but Johnson is a great fit for Los Angeles and another important building block.
18. Tennessee Titans: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
Grade: D
Treylon Burks bombed the Scouting Combine, which drove his value down pretty considerably.
Although I still think he is worthy of a first-round pick, the way the Titans landed here is bordering on unacceptable.
They traded AJ Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for pick 18 and a compensatory third-round pick.
That simply will not do.
It’s basically a one-for-one trade of Brown for Burks that most teams would make any day. The Titans apparently drew a line in the sand with Brown on a new contract and felt like they had to get whatever value they could for him.
I just don’t like the value here at all and I think it screams desperation on Tennessee’s part, even with the financial savings.
19. New Orleans Saints: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
Grade: B+
The New Orleans Saints saw an opportunity to attack two needs in the first round of this year’s draft, and you’ve got to at least respect the process there.
Even though they maybe didn’t get the top WR or the top OT on the board, I think they landed two instant and potentially long-term starters with Chris Olave and Trevor Penning.
Penning, who has been ascending quietly over the last six months, is a nasty road grader with outstanding athleticism. He will be able to slide into the vacated left tackle spot for the Saints immediately.
New Orleans has done a good job over the last five or six years bringing along home-grown offensive line talent, so we have every reason to trust that Penning will carry the torch and be a great bookend for Ryan Ramczyk.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt
Grade: C
The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent the entire last year evaluating quarterback prospects for this draft.
As Mike Tomlin put it, they scanned across every inch of the country only to take the guy right “next door” even though Pickett isn’t next door.
He has basically been a roommate of the Steelers while playing his college ball at Pitt.
Pickett’s ascent this past year was impressive but he obviously came with more questions than other late bloomers like Joe Burrow. Notably, Pickett will have the smallest hands of any starting quarterback in the league if he beats Mitchell Trubisky for the job.
You can’t fault the Steelers for at least trying to fix the QB position. I’m not in love with this pick and I feel like Malik Willis was the higher upside play, but Pickett might have a better shot to start now which is what the Steelers prioritized.
21. Kansas City Chiefs: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
Grade: A
Many people were surprised that the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t get in on the action to move up for a wide receiver, but I never really thought that would be their aim, at least not over the last few weeks.
The Chiefs’ primary needs going into round one were clearly on the defensive side of the ball and notably at cornerback where L’Jarius Sneed is maybe the only player of note under contract.
Brett Veach saw Trent McDuffie surprisingly fall out of the teens and he moved up to get him.
I think McDuffie is going to be a stud right away for a new-look Chiefs secondary that no longer features Tyrann Mathieu or Charvarius Ward.
22. Green Bay Packers: Quay Walker, LB, Georgia
Grade: D-
What are the Green Bay Packers doing?
Defense wins championships, blah, blah, blah…
The Packers used their first of two selections from the Davante Adams trade with the Las Vegas Raiders on another linebacker after paying a big-money contract to De’Vondre Campbell in free agency.
This grade has nothing to do with Quay Walker, a fine prospect, and everything to do with the process of Brian Gutekunst. He has built an impressive defense, I’ll give him that, but it’s come at the expense of truly building around Aaron Rodgers offensively.
Quay Walker deserves some spotlight here. He’s not a D- player. He was an integral part of the Georgia Bulldogs’ championship defense.
He is the reason this pick grade is not an F.
23. Buffalo Bills: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
Grade: B
After the complete embarrassment that was the late-game collapse against the Kansas City Chiefs in last year’s playoffs, is it a surprise to anyone that the Buffalo Bills have invested the majority of their top assets this offseason in affecting opposing QBs?
The secondary, in particular, was not good enough as the Chiefs marched down the field to tie the game with only 13 seconds remaining in regulation before immediately getting downfield for a touchdown in overtime.
Kaiir Elam will not single-handedly solve the Bills’ issues in the secondary but he’s a freaky athlete with huge upside who could wind up a long-term outside corner for them.
24. Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Smith, OL, Tulsa
Grade: B
The Dallas Cowboys offensive line struggled with penalties last season, so they brought in a guy who was oft-penalized in college.
Smith committed 16 infractions last season at Tulsa, including being called for holding a whopping 12 times.
That speaks to exactly why most people felt he was a better fit in round two but the Cowboys sometimes decide to kill needs with fire.
They had a need at left guard, and Smith projects well there at the next level.
The Cowboys need to coach this kid up but he has the potential to be solid over the long term if he can clean up his technique and cut down on the penalties.
25. Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Linderbaum, OL, Iowa
Grade: A
Leave it to the Baltimore Ravens, always out there finding great value in the Draft.
As NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah pointed out during the broadcast, the Ravens once maneuvered around the draft board for another offensive lineman out of Iowa — guard Marshal Yanda — and he ended up starting for them for 13 years.
Linderbaum has the potential to do the same this time around.
Although the center position is not the highest in terms of overall positional value, Linderbaum is one of the cleanest pro projections from this class and is a no-doubt type of pick.
The Ravens have struggled with injuries and inconsistency on the offensive line and this pick addresses that, at least at the center position.
26. New York Jets: Jermaine Johnson, EDGE, Florida State
Grade: A+
For my money, this was arguably the best value pick of the entire first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Jermaine Johnson was getting some late top-five buzz as the draft drew near, but there was really nobody that felt the breakout Florida State star would fall out of the top 10 selections.
The Jets passed on him twice and still managed to get him at pick 26 overall in a trade with the Titans.
To cap off round one which included three selections, the Jets managed to get three likely high-impact starting players.
Johnson coming off the edge with some of the tremendous talent the Jets have on the interior defensive line is going to be fun to watch.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
Grade: A
The Jacksonville Jaguars started the 2022 NFL Draft with one versatile defender in Georgia’s Travon Walker, and they moved back into the first round to stop the fall of another.
Off-ball linebackers are not as highly coveted as they used to be, which is why a player like Devin Lloyd didn’t go in the top 10 picks like he might have if he were coming out 10 years ago.
There’s a void in Jacksonville at his position after the team cut ties with Myles Jack, so getting Lloyd in the fold with players like Josh Allen, K’Lavon Chaisson, and now Travon Walker is going to give the Jaguars a very intriguing defensive front.
28. Green Bay Packers: Devonte Wyatt, DL, Georgia
Grade: B
At this point, Packers fans have to have just resigned themselves to the fact that Brian Gutekunst is not going to go with any skill talent offensively.
An offensive tackle could have made some sense here as well but after the shock wore off from the Quay Walker pick, it was much easier to like this Devonte Wyatt selection.
Getting one Georgia defensive player from this draft is good, so getting two is even better.
Devonte Wyatt has the potential to be the best interior lineman from this class and the Packers took advantage of a little bit of a fall here from where some had him projected.
He’s explosive and will help Green Bay give teams fits with his pass rush abilities.
29. New England Patriots: Cole Strange, C, Chattanooga
Grade: C
I imagine the New England Patriots draft room, tense as ever, as Bill Belichick called this one in.
“We’re taking Cole Strange.”
An intern with gusto chimes in, “But Strange is not going until the late third round of our simulations. We could get him later.”
Then Bill Belichick belches loudly and ignores the intern, reiterating that the pick is set in stone.
Belichick doesn’t care what anyone thinks about perceived value. If he sees Strange as a long-term starter at center or guard, then he has no issues making that pick at 29 and people can kiss his rings if they don’t like it.
The Patriots moved down from pick 21 to get here and they have plenty of additional picks in the 2022 NFL Draft to continue reloading.
30. Kansas City Chiefs: George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
Grade: A
The Kansas City Chiefs stayed put with this pick after trading up from 29 and got themselves some help in the pass rush department.
Karlaftis has intriguing athletic traits but he doesn’t have ideal length off the edge and is mostly a power rusher.
With that said, the perception of Karlaftis has been “top 20 player” for the better part of the last year so the Chiefs and Chiefs fans are understandably excited to add him.
He will be able to take advantage of one-on-one opportunities with Chris Jones and Frank Clark wreaking havoc alongside him.
31. Cincinnati Bengals: Daxton Hill, S, Michigan
Grade: B+
Even after franchise-tagging Jessie Bates, the Cincinnati Bengals go out and get another versatile defensive back to upgrade the secondary.
Having Hill will allow the Bengals to keep Vonn Bell in the box more and he gives them tremendous options on the back end when they want to go with two-high looks and keep Bell on the field, or if they want to flex Hill into the slot or play him in the box.
Hill has that type of versatility and he gives the Bengals another difference-maker on the back end with playmaking ability.
The Bengals focused free agency on the offensive line so they could focus elsewhere in the 2022 NFL Draft.
32. Minnesota Vikings: Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
Grade: C-
I don’t mind the player here for the Vikings. Lewis Cine should be able to step into a starting role right away.
I cannot stand the process.
The Detroit Lions are a divisional adversary of the Vikings and they were able to move up from pick 32 in round one to pick 12 as well as from pick 66 in round three to pick 46 in the second round and all the Vikings required them to surrender was pick 34.
They moved up 20 spots at two different places for the price of pick 34, which is what we call an absolute “fleece”. The Lions schooled Vikings rookie GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who also passed on a better player at this position — Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton — to make this trade.
Cine is an elite athlete with the range and playmaking ability to have an instant impact, so hopefully, the Vikings can continue to build a strong 2022 NFL Draft class around him despite the loss in value of the trade.