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5 NFL teams that made the leap to contenders after the 2022 NFL Draft

By Sayre Bedinger

2022 NFL Draft; Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz, head coach Ron Rivera and Co-CEO Tanya Snyder pose with the team helmet at Inova Sports Performance Center Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: John McCreary-USA TODAY Sports
2022 NFL Draft; Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz, head coach Ron Rivera and Co-CEO Tanya Snyder pose with the team helmet at Inova Sports Performance Center Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: John McCreary-USA TODAY Sports /
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2022 NFL Draft
Apr 28, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected as the eleventh overall pick to the New Orleans Saints during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft at the NFL Draft Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Post-2022 NFL Draft contender no. 3: New Orleans Saints

I’ve got to give the New Orleans Saints a lot of credit where it’s due.

I don’t know how general manager Mickey Loomis does it, but he does.

The Saints were $75 million in the salary cap hole this offseason. They somehow managed to maneuver enough salary cap around to make a bunch of really substantial additions in the 2022 offseason.

Not only that, but the Saints accepted a trade offer from the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire an additional first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, sacrificing their 2023 first-round pick in the process.

For a team that may not have the clearest future at the quarterback position, that trade seemed weird, but the Saints obviously feel pretty good about and confident in Jameis Winston.

After the 2022 NFL Draft, Winston has a brand-new receiver to throw the ball to in Ohio State’s Chris Olave, a smooth route runner and dependable playmaker at every level of the field.

Winston also has a new blind side protector with the nasty Trevor Penning coming in from Northern Iowa to replace Terron Armstead.

Shortly after the 2022 NFL Draft festivities concluded, the Saints then went out and made arguably their biggest blockbuster move of the 2022 offseason, signing free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu.

In addition to signing Mathieu, the Saints had already brought in Marcus Maye from the Jets as well as Alontae Taylor in the Draft to upgrade the secondary.

With the return of Michael Thomas as the cherry on top of it all, the Saints may have leaped into contender status in a hurry over Draft weekend.

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