The 2022 NFL Draft was chaotic, to say the least, with shocking falls, big-time trades, and NFL franchises getting a lot better.
At last, the long-awaited 2022 NFL Daft is in the books. There were some head-scratching moves as teams looked to improve — on paper, so many teams did. Draft day was chaotic, with a lot of surprises.
We got to see some big-time trades happen, and two young wide receivers, both named Brown, get shipped to new places to make those teams better.
A number of teams improved via the 2022 NFL Draft. However, not all of their improvement was based on the players they selected. For example, the Arizona Cardinals traded for Marquise Brown, who will link up with his best friend, Kyler Murray, but the Cardinals didn’t make this list.
The Kansas City Chiefs added some excellent talent based on need, including a Tyreek Like wide in Skyy Moore — they didn’t make this list. The same goes for the New York Giants, who added pieces around Daniel Jones and bolstered their defense.
If you’re looking for the New Orleans Saints, don’t. They had a great draft by taking Chris Olave to pair with Michael Thomas, and an offensive tackle to replace Terron Armstead.
The Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, and Washington Commanders also had good drafts, but they were not worthy of the Top 5, but these teams are.
Most improved team after the 2022 NFL Draft no. 5: Pittsburgh Steelers
With Big Ben officially retiring, the Steelers brought in free agent Mitchell Trubisky. However, they decided to make camp competitive by drafting Pittsburgh native Kenny Pickett.
The former Panther has a decorated resume, high football IQ, athleticism, and above-average arm strength to compete for the starting job.
The Steelers didn’t need to double down at wide receiver, but they did with George Pickens in the second round and Calvin Austin in the fourth. Pickens is a 6-3 200-pound boundary wideout with great athleticism and catch radius.
He’s a downfield, red-zone target for whoever the quarterback is and an excellent addition to Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson.
Adding Austin was a bonus, who is on the smaller side, at 5-8, but he’s an electric player with the ball in his hands. He’s also a good precise route runner who can start in the slot week one. He and Pickens will battle it out for that third spot. However, Austin is so dynamic that he’ll likely see manufactured touches.
The other third-round pick, Demarvin Leal, will help bolster the defensive line. Leal wins with power and shooting gaps on passing downs. He’ll likely line up and rush the passer in situations before becoming a starter.
The coolest draft pick was fullback Connor Heyward, the brother of Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward. They also added a potential special teams starter in linebacker Mark Robinson and another quarterback, Chris Oladokun.