2022 NFL Draft winners and losers aren’t always about the teams, current players and incoming rookies can win and lose
We often associate winners and losers with the NFL teams based on the prospects they’ve drafted. Did they fill some needs? Did they get value? However, this is a little different.
The 2022 NFL Draft wasn’t unlike any other. As with years past, it was unpredictable, fun, and full of chaos. There are some facts we came away with as teams looked to improve their roster through the draft by any means.
We knew edge rushers would dominate early, the offensive line was a priority, and veterans would get traded. There was also the feeling that teams didn’t value this crop of quarterbacks.
Teams did everything to get better, and there are some winners and losers. However, this list isn’t about the NFL teams who won or lost. This is about some other winners and losers after the 2022 NFL Draft, including current NFL players.
2022 NFL Draft: Honorable mentions
Malik Willis is one player who almost made the list, but he won and lost. NFL Draft media often talked about him as a third-round prospect, but mock drafts pushed him because of the importance of the quarterback position.
Ultimately, he got drafted in the round which speaks to who was as a prospect. The Tennessee Titans are one of the better situations for a young quarterback who needs time to develop.
The same goes for Desmond Ridder and David Ojabo, two players that went later than they wanted but fell into great situations. Ryan Tannehill almost made the loser list, but Malik Willis isn’t taking his job, yet.
2022 NFL Draft Loser: Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
Let’s go ahead and rip the band-aid off with a little bit of negativity. I love what the Detroit Lions did in the 2022 NFL Draft, especially with their first-round pick, Aidan Hutchinson. Unfortunately for Jameson Williams, he’s the loser in this situation.
The Lions wanted him badly enough to trade up for him. In fact, the Vikings were their trading partners, which says a lot about the franchise. There is some not-so-flattering history with the Lions in terms of how they treat elite players.
Ask Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson about how the franchise mistreated him.
Of course, time has passed, and head coach Dan Campbell is trying to right the wrongs of a historically bad franchise. Despite the fire head coach’s approach, the Lions finished with one of the worst records in the league.
They fought hard, but that wasn’t enough. With Williams still recovering from an injury, he could’ve been a great addition to a playoff team looking for someone of his caliber. That’s likely not happening with the Lions.
2022 NFL Draft Winners: The 2022 offensive line class
Offensive linemen need love too, and this was the year they got it. The 2022 NFL Draft was one for the ages for the big men up front. Seven offensive linemen went in the first round.
Three of them went inside the Top 10, with Ickey Ekwonu leading the way at No. 6. The Giants would not let Alabama’s stud tackle Evan Neal slip passed them at No. 7. Given their need at offensive line, the Cowboys made Tulsa’s Tyler Smith the final big man taken on Day 1 with the No. 24 pick.
2022 NFL Draft Loser: Derek Stingley Jr CB, Texans
There’s no denying the elite talent that is Derek Stingley Jr. The LSU corner burst onto the scene as a freshman and showed why he was a future first-round pick. Stingley is a long rangy corner with elite mirroring skills and loose hips.
He’s capable of playing inside or out. He’ll line up and play press, or he’ll lock a man down from off-man coverage. The problem is, the Houston Texans made him the No. 3 player taken. There was no doubt he was going top five. In fact, I believe in five years, Stingley will be the best corner in the NFL.
Unfortunately, the Texans are not a good team. They don’t have a good enough front seven that will help him maximize his skill set. There were also questions about his inconsistent play and willingness to tackle.
Texans Head Coach Lovie Smith will demand his corners to tackle, so we’ll see how these two get along. He’s a bit of a boom or bust, and his short-term doesn’t look bright, given his current team’s situation.
2022 NFL Draft Winner: Zach Wilson, QB, New York Jets
Joe Douglas had a plan to get his young quarterback as many weapons as possible — he did. First up was Garrett Wilson, the Ohio State wide receiver.
Wilson is fast and smooth, with a quick twitch at the top of his routes. He has great hands, and once he gets the ball, he’s dangerous after the catch. With Wilson’s powerful arm and speedsters Elijah Moore and Corey Davis, Wilson has a ton of weapons — Douglas wasn’t done.
Breece Hall was drafted to give a boost to the running game. He’s a tough one-cut runner with 4.3 speed.
Wilson got one running mate from Ohio State after Douglas drafted Jeremy Ruckert. The former Buckeye is an in-line move tight end who will make his money working the seam. He’s a strong, well-built tight end who excels in the run game as a blocker.
2022 NFL Draft Loser: Kenneth Walker, RB, Seattle Seahawks
At some point in the 2022 College Football season, Kenneth Walker was thought to be the draft’s best running back. He went on to run a blazing 4.38 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.
You’d think it would solidify his claim for RB1 — it didn’t. That honor went to Breece Hall, who was taken in at the No. 4 spot on Day 2. Walker makes this list because he’s on a team that doesn’t have a quarterback.
He’ll have to face eight or nine-man boxes in a division with the Super Bowl-winning Los Angeles Rams.
There are also the looming DK Metcalf questions that will make it difficult for the quarterback to succeed if he’s traded or sits out. Imagine what that’s going to do to the running game?
2022 NFL Draft Winner: Jameis Winston, QB, New Orleans Saints
Sean Payton is no longer the football coach in New Orleans, but the train can’t stop moving. GM Mickey Loomis had a plan to build around Winston, who is looking to pick where he left off before an injury derailed his season. Loomis spent back-to-back picks to help his quarterback.
At No. 11, he added Chris Olave, who could make a claim as the draft’s best wide receiver. He’s a smooth, excellent route runner with a good vertical push, but he can also make plays underneath. He’s a downfield threat who can take the top off defenses — Winston has the arm to get it to him.
Loomis targeted the offensive line with the other first-round pick. Trevor Penning is the perfect prospect to fill the void left by Terron Armstead (Dolphins).
Penning is a tone-setter in terms of his nasty play style, but he’s extremely athletic with great length and powerful hands. Oh, and they didn’t take a quarterback to threaten his job. Winston can rest easy and get ready to eat some W’s.
2022 NFL Draft Loser: Cam Jurgens, C, Philadelphia Eagles
Howie Roseman should feel good about his team after a stellar 2022 NFL Draft. The often criticized GM added a young, talented wide receiver in A.J. Brown via trade. He also got a steal and excellent investment in the dynamic linebacker from Georgia, Nakobe Dean.
He also got another great draft pick who probably won’t see action until next season, Cam Jurgens.
The Nebraska center is an athletic blocker who plays with intensity, power, and high motor. He’s ready to start week one, but he will not get that opportunity, considering the vet he has in front of him.
2022 NFL Draft Winner: Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
This is a no-excuse season for the third-year quarterback. The Eagles went out and added a big-time wide receiver in A.J. Brown. He’ll lineup alongside DeVonta Smith, giving the Eagles a dynamic duo at wide receiver.
He already has one of the best offensive lines in the league while playing in one of the worst divisions in the NFL.
For a while, people thought the Eagles would be one of those teams that could draft a quarterback — they didn’t. Now that Hurts has the Eagles’ full confidence — he has to shine.
Making the playoffs won’t be enough for Hurts to keep his job. He’ll have to improve as a passer, and the Eagles gave him another weapon to help him grow. Given his history to show growth every year since leaving Alabama, there’s no reason to believe he won’t do it as an Eagle.
2022 NFL Draft Loser: Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
Eric DeCosta undoubtedly improved the Baltimore Ravens through the 2022 NFL Draft. However, he burned his quarterback in the process. The Ravens were desperate for help at wide receiver even with Marquise Brown on the roster — now he’s gone.
DeCosta shipped the fourth-year pro of his most productive wide receiver. The guys left on the roster have yet to produce at the level Ravens fans expected. Who will Lamar Jackson throw to next season?
Devin Duvernay and Rashod Bateman are fine wideouts, but they haven’t developed into the type of game-changing wideouts other young quarterbacks have. The other guys on the roster are James Proche, Jaylon Moore, and Tylan Wallace.
With the depth at the position in this class and so many fourth-round picks, you’d think the Ravens would have drafted a guy — they did not, which makes Lamar Jackson a loser.
2022 NFL Draft Winner: Kyle Hamilton, S, Baltimore Ravens
Eric DeCosta had a great draft, and it started with the No. 14 pick, Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. The award-winning safety could not have fallen to a better spot. After all, there’s a rich history of Baltimore Ravens and their safety play — no matter the regime.
He’ll follow in the footsteps of Hall of Fame players like Rod Woodson and Ed Reed. Eric Weddle was another safety who made consecutive Pro Bowls while playing for the Ravens from 2016 to 2018. Even Earl Thomas came over and made a Pro Bowl.
Hamilton is the best safety prospect to come out since Derwin James. However, he’s taller (6-4) and more polished in terms of man coverage, thanks to his ability to mirror receivers inside the slot.
Hamilton is playing for a team that’s ready to compete, and he’ll make an already great secondary better.