Grading each pick of the first round in the 2022 NFL Draft
It was a wild night full of trades and surprise selections. Let's see which teams came out on top.
The first round of the 2022 NFL Draft is in the books. I hope you bet the over on total trades because it was a wild night with teams wheeling and dealing left and right. Close to ten teams made multiple selections as they looked to rebuild or retool their franchises with young stars. Here are my kneejerk grades for every team’s top selections.
I should add that what teams do on the final two days of the draft might alter my first round grades because there are some glaring needs the front offices decided to ignore, and I knocked their grades down for those decisions.
If you want pick-by-pick breakdowns from moments after the cards were turned in, check out this playlist on YouTube where I analyze each selection. I’ve already added 44 videos to the playlist, and I’ll continue to add videos as the draft continues on Friday and Saturday.
Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @Sam_Teets33 or in the comments if you want to start a conversation about the draft. I look forward to hearing from you all!
1. Jacksonville Jaguars- Travon Walker, EDGE Georgia
Grade: C
Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke wanted Walker badly. The Georgia edge rusher crushed the NFL Scouting Combine and is one of the two or three best physical freaks in this class. However, he’s highly unproven as a pass rusher, lacks bend, and doesn’t have any pass rushing moves. Walker is a two or three-year developmental option.
Walker was the fifth-best edge rusher on my board.
2. Detroit Lions- Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE Michigan
Grade: A+
Detroit let the Jaguars make their controversial decision at first overall before taking the draft’s top player with the second pick. Hutchinson has shorter than ideal arms, but his pass rush arsenal is loaded with moves. He’s equally proficient against the run and pass.
3. Houston Texans- Derek Stingley Jr., CB LSU
Grade: B+
Stingley had arguably the best freshman year by a cornerback we’ve ever seen, but he’s barely played the past two years. A Lisfranc injury cost him most of 2021, but the physical gifts are all there. Stingley doesn’t turn 21 until June, and the Texans are buying into the ceiling they saw in 2019.
4. New York Jets- Ahmad Gardner, CB Cincinnati
Grade: A+
Gardner is 6'3", 190 lbs. with 33 1/2" arms, tailor-made for schemes that heavily involve press man and zone coverages. All of the Jets fans who shouted “Robert Saleh’s defense doesn’t value corners” might not be happy today, but they’re overthinking things. As my top cornerback, Gardner has a chance to eliminate half of the field in coverage.
5. New York Giants- Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE Oregon
Grade: A-
Thibodeaux isn’t the bendiest of edge rushers, but he has excellent speed and agility. His pass rush plan needs work, but he has all of the physical tools to become a consistent pass rusher. By taking Thibodeaux here, New York made sure they weren’t shut out of the top tier of edge rushers. The Giants haven’t had a consistent sack artist since JPP.
6. Carolina Panthers- Ikem Ekwonu, OT N.C. St.
Grade: A
Ekwonu was the second-best offensive tackle in my rankings. He’s the ultimate run blocker who looks tailor-made for a zone scheme. His pass protection took significant strides in 2021, which elevated him to the level of a first round pick. Ekwonu has elite mobility and the mentality to bury defenders.
I wonder what they’ll do at quarterback.
7. New York Giants (Via Bears)- Evan Neal, OT Alabama
Grade: A+
Neal is a modern giant at 6'7 1/2", 337 lbs. with 34" arms. New York has been trying to rebuild its offensive line for most of the past six years. Andrew Thomas settled down at left tackle this past season, and Neal has experience playing right tackle. The Giants walk away from the draft having improved in the trenches.
8. Atlanta Falcons- Drake London, WR USC
Grade: A-
My WR1 was the first wide receiver off the board. I had London a hair above Jameson Williams. He’s a massive player at 6'4", 219 lbs. with 33" arms and 9 3/8" hands with the largest catch radius in this draft. He snagged roughly 69% of his contested catch opportunities in 2021 while handling an elite volume of targets. London should continue his star role in Atlanta, but the Falcons passed on some remaining defensive talent.
9. Seattle Seahawks (Via Broncos)- Charles Cross, OT Mississippi St.
Grade: A-
Cross is a proficient pass blocking offensive tackle. He doesn’t fit the typical build of Seahawks offensive linemen and will struggle initially to adapt to the team’s run scheme. However, Seattle had to walk away from the draft with a starting-caliber tackle. Losing Duane Brown and Brandon Shell in free agency were massive blows.
10. New York Jets (Via Seahawks)- Garrett Wilson, WR Ohio St.
Grade: A-
Wilson was the fourth wide receiver on my board, but the top four were all very close together. He comes with size concerns at 5'11 3/4", 183 lbs. and might have to play the slot in the NFL, but the Jets clearly envision him as an outside option since they recently re-signed Braxton Berrios. The Jets now have one of the smallest wide receiver rooms in the league with Berrios, Elijah Moore, and Wilson flanking Corey Davis.
Wilson creates yards after the catch with his agility and twitch.
11. New Orleans Saints (Via Commanders)- Chris Olave, WR Ohio St.
Grade: B+
This is a little rich of a trade-up scenario for Olave, who I believe is more of a high-end WR2 rather than a true WR1. However, he has the speed to threaten all three levels of the field and should complement Michael Thomas’ skill set. Olave is a fluid route runner who creates natural separation with his speed and agility.
12. Detroit Lions (Via Vikings)- Jameson Williams, WR Alabama
Grade: A+
The Lions saw Williams falling and decided to pounce, trading up 20 slots to grab the speedster from Alabama. Williams is rehabbing a torn ACL and could miss part of his rookie season, but that doesn’t mean much for the Lions. Detroit isn’t ready to compete for a Super Bowl this year, so they can wait for the dynamic receiver to make a full recovery.
I love what the Lions have done with their wide receiver room this offseason.
13. Philadelphia Eagles (Via Texans)- Jordan Davis, IDL Georgia
Grade: C
The Eagles traded up for Davis who projected as a two-down nose tackle based on his college tape. He plays with an elevated pad level and doesn’t rush the passer well. However, he’s cut weight recently and had a historic Combine performance at 6'6", 341 lbs. with 34" arms. I imagine the Eagles believe Davis will round out and become a three-down player capable of stopping the run at an elite level and providing some pass rush.
This is still a total projection based on what the Eagles think Davis could become. We never saw him reach those levels on tape.
14. Baltimore Ravens- Kyle Hamilton, S Notre Dame
Grade: A-
Hamilton is 6'4", 220 lbs. with 33" arms. He’s a physical unicorn at safety when you consider his coverage range and ability to cover tight ends and some “big slot” wide receivers. He has the size and skill set to play in the box or play deep. Baltimore now has one of the best safety rooms in the NFL with Chuck Clark, Hamilton, Geno Stone, Ar'Darius Washington, and Marcus Williams.
15. Houston Texans (Via Eagles)- Kenyon Green, IOL Texas A&M
Grade: B-
Green is a starting-caliber guard with some experience playing tackle. He’s a guard-only prospect in the NFL with a high floor but a low ceiling compared to other players taken in the first half of the first round. However, I appreciate the Texans making a move to protect Davis Mills. This selection allows Tytus Howard to bounce back out to right tackle in 2022.
16. Washington Commanders (Via Saints)- Jahan Dotson, WR Penn St.
Grade: C
This was a head-scratcher. Washington traded back with the Saints, who took a wide receiver, and missed out on Olave and Williams in the process only to take my WR8 at 16th overall. Dotson is a dynamic player who makes defenders miss after the catch, but he’s only 5'11", 178 lbs.
Clearly Washington believes Dotson can play outside with Terry McLaurin while Curtis Samuel works in the slot. I don’t agree with that assessment.
17. Los Angeles Chargers- Zion Johnson, IOL Boston College
Grade: A
Johnson was my second-highest-ranked interior offensive lineman and top guard in the draft. He started for Boston College at left tackle in 2020, left guard in 2019 and 2021, and he showed some promise at center during Senior Bowl practices. The Chargers now have two tackle/guard options in Matt Feiler and Johnson.
Props to Los Angeles for constantly looking to upgrade the offensive line and protect Justin Herbert.
18. Tennessee Titans (Via Eagles)- Treylon Burks, WR Arkansas
Grade: C+
Tennessee traded A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles to avoid paying him a massive extension (the Eagles gave him a four-year, $100 million deal). Some people compare Burks to Brown, but Brown was a much more dynamic wide receiver and a better route runner. The Arkansas product is a gadget player who hasn’t developed as a route runner yet.
19. New Orleans Saints (Via Eagles)- Trevor Penning, OT Northern Iowa
Grade: B
Similar to the Seahawks, New Orleans needed to take an offensive tackle if a reasonable one was on the board. Losing Terron Armstead was a massive blow, and the franchise didn’t seem interested in starting James Hurst for most of the year. Penning is an extremely athletic mauler, but he’s a flawed prospect who will struggle with penalties and mishaps in pass protection.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers- Kenny Pickett, QB Pittsburgh
Grade: C+
Pickett was my third-highest-ranked quarterback entering the draft. I understand the Steelers saw plenty of him over the past few years, but this is a disappointing pick. Pickett turns 24 in June, and he’s only a slight upgrade over Mitchell Trubisky. This is also yet another instance of the Steelers drafting a backfield piece (took Najee Harris last year) before fixing the offensive line.
21. Kansas City Chiefs (Via Patriots)- Trent McDuffie, CB Washington
Grade: A
McDuffie was my third and final lock at cornerback to go in the first round. The Washington product is one of the best tacklers in this entire draft, and he was right up there with Ahmad Gardner from a productivity standpoint in 2021. If he was a little bigger than 5'11", 193 lbs. with 29 3/4" arms, he would’ve gone in the top ten.
Kansas City might even play McDuffie at safety.
22. Green Bay Packers (Via Raiders)- Quay Walker, LB Georgia
Grade: C
Walker was the sixth linebacker in my positional rankings. He has prototypical inside linebacker size at 6'4", 241 lbs. with 32 5/8" arms and 9 1/4" hands and moves extremely well. He offers sideline-to-sideline range and upside as a blitzer, but he’s still developing in coverage and is fairly inexperienced.
Remind me who Aaron Rodgers is throwing to this year.
23. Buffalo Bills (Via Ravens/Cardinals)- Kaiir Elam, CB Florida
Grade: B+
Elam was the sixth cornerback on my board, but he doesn’t have the same injury concerns as Andrew Booth Jr. or size limitations as Roger McCreary. He has good size at 6'1 1/2", 191 lbs. with 30 7/8" arms and performed well against SEC talent since his freshman season. Buffalo finally found Tre'Davious White a long-term running mate.
24. Dallas Cowboys- Tyler Smith, IOL/OT Tulsa
Grade: B-
I viewed Smith as a guard prospect for most of the pre-draft process. I ended up grading him as the sixth-best offensive tackle in this class. Smith had 16 penalties in 2021, the same as Penning, and I don’t think those issues will go away in the NFL if Dallas asks him to replace La'el Collins.
25. Baltimore Ravens (Via Bills)- Tyler Linderbaum, IOL Iowa
Grade: A
Linderbaum was the No. 6 player on my big board and the top interior offensive lineman. You could argue he’s the only true generational prospect in this draft because he was elite since his first year as a starter at Iowa. I want to give this pick an A+ grade, but Linderbaum is a zone center and seems like an odd scheme fit for Baltimore.
The Ravens love big offensive linemen who create movement in the running game. Linderbaum is 6'2", 296 lbs. with 31 1/8" arms. Fortunately, he has great play strength. I’ll be interested to see how this plays out.
26. New York Jets (Via Titans)- Jermaine Johnson, EDGE Florida St.
Grade: A
Obviously I missed something the NFL saw in Johnson because he was the No. 13 player on my top 400 big board. That means the Jets got the Nos. 3 (Gardner), 13 (Johnson), and 21 (Wilson) players on my board. What a tremendous draft haul! This is the kind of first round that will change a franchise’s fortunes within the next two years.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (Via Buccaneers)- Devin Lloyd, LB Utah
Grade: B+
The Jaguars traded up into the first round to take Lloyd, who was the top linebacker in my rankings. This comes months after they released Myles Jack, a former first round selection. Lloyd has excellent size and premier production. He’ll start alongside Foyesade Oluokun immediately. I just wish the Jaguars didn’t give up extra draft capital for a linebacker.
28. Green Bay Packers- Devonte Wyatt, IDL Georgia
Grade: A-
Wyatt is a twitchy defensive tackle with pass rush upside. He shouldn’t play nose tackle in the NFL. Wyatt is an interesting scheme fit for Green Bay, where he’ll likely see action as a 3-4 defensive end. He was the top interior defensive lineman on my board. Sitting put and getting him at 28th overall is an excellent value grab.
29. New England Patriots (Via Chiefs)- Cole Strange, IOL Tennessee-Chattanooga
Grade: F
Someone told me not to question Bill Belichick the other night because he’s won six Super Bowls. While that’s true, his draft record is suspect at best. Strange was my ninth-highest-ranked interior offensive lineman as a guard/center prospect. He’s a third round talent or maybe a late second rounder at best.
On top of the reach, Strange (6'5", 307 lbs. with 33" arms) doesn’t fit the power run scheme New England subscribes to. He was pushed around at the Senior Bowl a few months ago.
30. Kansas City Chiefs- George Karlaftis, EDGE Purdue
Grade: A
Talk about a steal! Karlaftis was the No. 10 player on my board. At 6'4", 266 lbs. with 32 5/8" arms, he has limited length but possesses the size to reduce inside. Karlaftis broke onto the scene as a freshman, and he’s remained a significant presence in college. He recently turned 21 years old.
31. Cincinnati Bengals- Daxton Hill, S Michigan
Grade: A
Hill primarily played slot corner at Michigan this past year, but he’s also played in the box and at deep safety. His agility is top-notch, and he has sideline-to-sideline speed. Hill is a terrific chess piece for the Bengals, but I wonder where he’ll play on Cincinnati’s defense. Mike Hilton is a very good slot corner, and the Bengals already have two starting-caliber safeties. Maybe this is a move to plan for life without Jessie Bates or Vonn Bell.
32. Minnesota Vikings (Via Lions)- Lewis Cine, S Georgia
Grade: B
I wanted to see Camryn Bynum have the chance to play alongside Harrison Smith, but Cine does have a higher ceiling and is a more proven option. Cine was the third-highest-ranked safety on my board (behind Hamilton and Hill). He flies downhill like a missile and makes big hits over the middle.
Cine has sideline-to-sideline range, but his ball production is up and down. There’s plenty of room for him to improve in pass coverage.