NFL Draft 2022 First Round Complete: Grading Each Pick from a WILD Night

 What a night. The first round of the 2022 NFL draft is officially in the books and the league already looks so different. There were steals, shocks, and massive trades that shaped the outcome of this first round and with that we are going to grade each of the picks and the trades as well!

1. Jacksonville Jaguars - Travon Walker, Defensive Line, Georgia
Grade: C+

I do not like this top pick for the Jags. While there was no consensus top prospect in this class, Walker certainly was not. Coming off a season in which he registered just 6 sacks, Travon Walker is known to be a project player (with upside for sure) but also quite a bit of risk. The Jags can't afford to be taking huge risks with these kind of opportunities and they just did. Their pass rush better be amazing right out of the gate next season...

2. Detroit Lions - Aidan Hutchinson, Edge Rusher, Michigan
Grade: A

We can tell how fired up Dan Campbell and company was by the fact that they pretty much instantly turned in their pick after Walker went no. 1. This was who they wanted all along. A guy who played college football in home-state Michigan and was the definition of productive in his final season. Hutchinson racked up 14 sacks and unlimited pressures en route to being the Heisman runner-up this past year. Hutchinson will be the face of the Lions defense for years to come and will give them a guy who can consistently create pressure on the opposition. What a pick for Detroit.

3. Houston Texans - Derek Stingley Jr., Cornerback, LSU
Grade: B+

While this pick came as a relative shock, it was not in a bad way. Derek Stingley had taken a lot of heat for injury concerns and a dip in production following his stellar 2019 Freshman campaign. It seems to all have been smoke as Texans HC Lovie Smith had his eye on Stingley all along. This guy brings everything to the table. He's tall, long, quick, super athletic, and elite in both coverage and ball skills. Smith wants to run an aggressive defense and with a lockdown CB1 in the fold, he will be able to run his defense exactly in that way.

4. New York Jets - Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, Cornerback, Cincinnati
Grade: A-

SAUUUUUCCE! Robert Saleh said it best during his over the moon excitement when calling Gardner after the pick. The Jets got the best player in the draft (in my eyes) with the 4th pick in the draft. Great value there. I was sure that the Jets were happy with their CB room going into the draft, but I was wrong. Saleh pounded the table for one of the most lockdown college corners we've ever seen. The 6'3 corner who ran a 4.3 forty and allowed under 20 yards against Alabama will be the new easy CB1 for the Jets. Saleh wants to be more aggressive on defense as well, and with 'Sauce Island' also in the fold, the Jets could be in line for quite the improvement.

5. New York Giants - Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge Rusher, Oregon
Grade: A+

Great pick here from rookie GM Joe Schoen. The Giants' top need was OL, but with none off the board at 5 yet and the team picking again with just one pick in between, they knew they could still get pretty much any of the top 3, so they went Thibodeaux and didn't look back! I still think Kayvon was the best rusher in the class. Character concerns and injury history scared some teams away, but not the Giants. The team is getting an A+ athlete with incredible intangibles and measurables. Opposite Leonard Williams, Thibodeaux is set to feast in the Big Apple.

6. Carolina Panthers - Ikem Ekwonu, Offensive Tackle, NC State
Grade: B+

While Ekwonu was the first offensive lineman off the board and probably the best as well, the Panthers should have traded down. They don't currently pick again until the 4th round and their roster has unlimited holes in it. Ekwonu is amazing and will be a cornerstone on this line for years to come with his elite run blocking skill and ability to push around any opposing defender, but the Panthers needed more. Sam Darnold appears locked in for the moment to be this team's QB for another season. That's all that needs to be said.

7. New York Giants (via CHI) - Evan Neal, Offensive Tackle, Alabama
Grade: A

Just like that, Schoen's patience rewarded him. The Giants landed two guys at picks 5 and 7 who were projected picks 1 and 2 for much of this season. Neal still was the best O-lineman in the class in my eyes. At 6'8 and 340 pounds Neal was a surprisingly good athlete with much technical refinement to his game and a sky high ceiling. The Giants needed a stud offensive tackle more than anything and got the top one in the class without blinking an eye. With Neal as a cornerstone on the O-line and Thibodeaux a cornerstone on the D-line, this will be a night to remember fondly for Giants' fans.

8. Atlanta Falcons - Drake London, Wide Receiver, USC
Grade: B

There wasn't really a true right answer here for the Falcons, yet this still wasn't the best use of such a high pick in my opinion. If the team wanted to just go best player available, I think Kyle Hamilton or maybe even Jermaine Johnson would have been the right pick here. If they wanted to get the surest bet WR with explosive tendencies, Jameson Williams felt like the right pick. Instead they said F you to both of those and went with Drake London. London is an awesome prospect with an unlimited ceiling, but he also has quite a low floor. At 6'4, he will be much taller than anyone he faces on defense, but he doesn't have NFL ready separation speed yet and feels in danger of becoming like JJ Arcega-Whiteside on a team that will not have a QB to throw him the ball consistently for awhile. Not a bad player, but not a great fit.

9. Seattle Seahawks (via DEN) - Charles Cross, Offensive Tackle, Mississippi St.
Grade: A-

The board did not break well for the Hawks. While I think they are very happy to end up with Cross, I have a feeling they were crossing their fingers that one of Stingley, Gardner, or Thibodeaux fell to them. This clearly didn't happen, but they still got an S tier prospect with Cross. It's funny that with the pick they got for Russell Wilson, they finally took the long awaited pass protection that he had been longing for. Cross is a superb athlete on the line and the clearcut best pass protector in the class. He will be the franchise's cornerstone at LT for years to come. For a team that is at least another year away from being back in the mix, taking a star potential tackle prospect right now to have him in the foundation makes a ton of sense.

10. New York Jets (via SEA) - Garrett Wilson, Wide Receiver, Ohio State
Grade: B+

With their second top 10 pick the Jets shifted from the defensive side of the ball to the offensive. I think the Jets got the top player in the draft with their first pick, and now they get what many considered the top receiver in the class at 10. Garrett Wilson feels like a can't miss prospect. There's virtually nothing he can't do on the football field. Wilson will be a natural fit right into this offense and will be able to blossom and develop with Zach Wilson hand in hand. While the team seemingly did nothing right in building up a roster around Sam Darnold, they are doing everything right in terms of the same for Wilson. Let the Wilson to Wilson era in New York begin! The only reason I have this grade under an A is because I still think Jameson Williams remained the best WR on the board.

11. New Orleans Saints (TRADE w/ WAS) - Chris Olave, Wide Receiver, Ohio St.
Grade: B

The first trade of the draft was an interesting one. While the Saints were smart to move up for a wideout they liked, I'm not sure why it was Olave when Jameson Williams was on the board. Still, Olave was a good pick. Jameis Winston loves to throw the deep ball more than anything and that is Olave's game. He's a silky smooth route runner and has the speed to take the top off of any defense. Williams is more of a WR1 archetype wideout while Olave's ideal fit in the NFL is to be an elite WR2. That is exactly what he will be on the Saints offense alongside fellow former OSU alum Michael Thomas. Good pick and fit for the Saints, I just grade it a little down due to paying to move up and get him + Jameson Williams being the better player on the board in my opinion.

12. Detroit Lions (TRADE w/MIN) - Jameson Williams, Wide Receiver, Alabama
Grade: A-

This was certainly a shocker. The Lions made a huge move-up, coming up from 32 to 12 and also giving up additional second and third rounders to make it happen for Williams. When I saw this move up I thought it was surely for Kyle Hamilton or maybe even a QB, but no, it was Williams. I was shocked but I instantly loved it. Great job by this Lions front office. After getting many's top player in the class at 2 in Hutchinson to lead their defense, they came back up and snagged a guy who can be their elite WR1 for years to come. Williams is a beast! Speed is the word that comes to mind first with him. He has game-breaking speed. At 6'2, this speed is even more impressive. With Amon-Ra St. Brown at slot receiver and Williams as the WR1, this passing offense has a bright bright future. Great job by the Lions to make sure to get an elite offensive piece.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (TRADE w/HOU) - Jordan Davis, Defensive Tackle, Georgia
Grade: A

The Eagles moved up just two spots to ensure they got the guy they had their eye on. It didn't cost them much but a couple late rounders to make this happen and get in front of Baltimore who seemed interested in the freak of nature that Davis is as well. While many thought it was blasphemy that the Eagles were unable to secure Jameson Williams it all worked itself out later (you'll see). Davis is a FREAK. He ran a faster forty time than some QBs like Patrick Mahomes for example. The Eagles need big bodies in the middle of their D-line, especially with Fletcher Cox likely in his final year with the team. While he isn't there as a pass rusher yet, he has room to grow. If he can get there, the Eagles may have gotten themselves a future All-Pro talent.

14. Baltimore Ravens - Kyle Hamilton, Safety, Notre Dame
Grade: A+

A pick I predicted in my final mock, the Ravens do get lucky like they usually seem to a land a falling superstar. While Hamilton could turn out to be the jack-of-all-trades elite athletic prospect like Isaiah Simmons who doesn't pan out, he could also turn into an instant All-Pro caliber player like Derwin James. The 6'4 safety with great game speed and cover ability will be moved all around in this star-studded Ravens defense and he will be a straight up weapon. The Ravens are already such a tough team to prepare for, but now they have a massive chess piece who can line up all over to worry about. This team is looking like a Super Bowl contender. A+ pick.

15. Houston Texans (TRADE w/PHI) - Kenyon Green, Offensive Guard, Texas A&M
Grade: B

I don't love anything about this for the Texans. I'm not quite sure why they took that trade down just to get a few late round picks and miss out on the opportunity to get both Davis and Hamilton (two players who I thought would be perfect adds for the Texans). Instead they moved down for nothing and then made a bit of a reach. I can't harsh on this pick too much though as Green is a good player and fills a need for Houston, but I don't like the trade-off they made to get to this point.

16. Washington Commanders (TRADE w/NO) - Jahan Dotson, Wide Receiver, Penn State
Grade: B-

This is a similar situation with the Texans who we just talked about. I'm not quite sure why the Commanders decided to trade down from 11 to 16 for just some mid round picks and lose out on multiple prospects that would have been HOME RUNS for their team. Both Chris Olave and Jameson Williams are far better WR prospects than Dotson if they wanted to go that route and also Kyle Hamilton would have been a great add for this defense as well. Instead they move down, lose out on all of those guys, and then are forced to reach on a late first round talent. Still, Dotson is no slouch. The undersized wideout makes up for it with great speed and an abnormally elite catch radius. This is a guy that Wentz can throw the ball up to down the field and watch happily as he makes the grab. This offense needed a stud WR2 talent to pair with McLaurin, and they may have found it with Dotson here.

17. Los Angeles Chargers - Zion Johnson, Offensive Guard, Boston College
Grade: A-

I like this a lot for the Chargers. OL felt like the clearcut pick here for them, and the fulfilled it by taking the First-Team All-American Zion Johnson. Johnson showed off his strength and athleticism in pre-draft workouts and obviously backed it up with awesome tape. He's great in both run and pass blocking and will be a day 1 starter for the Chargers revamped offensive line. With now Rashawn Slater and then Johnson in back to back drafts, this Chargers line is set up beautifully for the future.

18. Tennessee Titans (TRADE w/PHI) - Treylon Burks, Wide Receiver, Arkansas
Grade: C-

This was THE shock of the night. Out of nowhere, the Eagles and Titans struck a deal sending one of the best young wideouts in the game, AJ Brown, to Philly for this pick and a third. What are the Titans doing? Maybe they didn't want to pay Brown his rightfully deserved contract extension, but this was just silly. They could have punted the decision to next off-season or even explored the market a little better. The 18th pick and a third for one of the best young assets in the game seems awful. They then turned around and used the pick on Burks, a prospect I like a lot, but is a clear attempt at trying to instantly replace Brown. While Burks very well could become a star, it's unlikely he will be better than Brown, at least in his early years. The Titans just lost a major contributor with Hall of Fame potential. I hate this move for the Titans even if Burks has a lot of potential. Eagles on top.

19. New Orleans Saints (via PHI) - Trevor Penning, Offensive Tackle, Northern Iowa
Grade: B+

After securing the WR they wanted at 11, the Saints waited patiently and let the tackle prospect they envisioned adding to their team fall right into their laps at 19. While Penning is raw and has a lot of developing to do, his ceiling is quite high. Just like Ekwonu, Penning plays with an edge about him and leaves defenders on the ground after each play. The Saints needed to start looking for a replacement for Terron Armstead at tackle, and they just found him here in Penning. After losing Sean Payton this off-season and some other key talent lately, Dennis Allen and Mickey Loomis have done an unbelievable job of building this roster right back up to the point where they look like playoff contenders immediately again.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers - Kenny Pickett, Quarterback, Pittsburgh
Grade: B

The Steelers did not make a big move up for a QB prospect like many saw coming, but instead they held their ground and ended up with the pick of the litter. The surprise to many was then that they took the hometown kid Kenny Pickett over the raw but superstar potential Malik Willis who they'd been linked to all off-season. Pickett is a very NFL-ready signal caller who has great potential as well. Pickett has an above average arm and is more mobile than given credit for. He is coming off of a Heisman worthy season at Pitt in which he was very accurate. This will be an intriguing QB competition with Mitch Trubisky but I think Pickett will be this team's week 1 starter and potential franchise QB of the future. That being said, I still would have taken Malik Willis. What a rarity to see only one QB go in the first round.

21. Kansas City Chiefs (TRADE w/NE) - Trent McDuffie, Cornerback, Washington
Grade: A-

The Chiefs saw a stud player falling and took advantage given all of the draft capital that they possess. McDuffie is a tad undersized but well worth the investment. He has elite ball skills and is very sound in coverage. He can play outside or in the slot incredibly well and will be an instant starter for the Chiefs ailing secondary. Allowing the Chiefs to trade up and not have to give up too much to do it and land a guy like McDuffie doesn't feel right, and the other teams will regret letting it happen in time. With all of the stars in the AFC West, securing McDuffie was very smart.

22. Green Bay Packers (via LV) - Quay Walker, Linebacker, Georgia
Grade: D+

Oof. Aaron Rodgers was not the only one who didn't like this pick. While I get not taking WR right away or even at all if they didn't like their options, I don't get taking Quay Walker here with the other options that were on the board. Devin Lloyd is one of the best LB prospects I've seen over the years, and would have been a steal for the Packers. While Walker was one of my favorite potential day 2 steals for a team, he did not deserve to be the first LB off the board. A big LB with underrated speed and coverage ability, Green Bay had bigger needs, and there were better players on the board. Walker was not worth a pick this high.

23. Buffalo Bills (TRADE w/BAL) - Kaiir Elam, Cornerback, Florida
Grade: B

The Bills made a minor move up to secure the CB option on the board they liked best. While Elam is a great player when healthy, health is a big question mark. The Bills CB room is already littered with good players who get injured often. I have no doubt that Elam could be a stud CB2 behind Tre White at health, but will it be rare to see the two of them healthy at the same time? I also would have rather seen Buffalo trade down and get Elam or even take an offensive difference maker in Breece Hall.

24. Dallas Cowboys - Tyler Smith, Offensive Tackle, Tulsa
Grade: B

I'm not sure why this pick is getting so much hate. Tyler Smith is a super underrated prospect who I liked a lot coming into the draft (I had him going 26th to Tennessee). Maybe it's due to the other players on the board, but Smith was the best player available at the team's biggest position of need. Smith is probably going to play tackle for the Cowboys the most, but he also has played some guard and is good at it. Just like Ekwonu and Penning, Smith plays with a nasty edge and has a never stopping motor. He is a dump truck moving on the field and possesses so much potential. He's raw, but very talented and WANTS to become a star. High character prospect with high potential to Dallas.

25. Baltimore Ravens (TRADE w/BUF) - Tyler Linderbaum, Center, Iowa
Grade: A+

So far I've given out three A+'s in this first round review. 2 of those 3 have been to the Ravens. They are just so damn good at drafting. Somehow top tier prospects who are the best at their positions seem to always fall perfectly into the waiting mouth of Baltimore. Linderbaum is definitively the best center prospect I've seen. He was simply impossible to get by during his multiple years at Iowa and has everything you could want from a technique standpoint for a center. The only knock on him is he's got short arms and is smaller than most NFL centers, but I have no doubt he will be able to hold his own at the next level. Lamar Jackson just got some big time help up front. 

26. New York Jets (TRADE w/TEN) - Jermaine Johnson, Edge Rusher, Florida St.
Grade: A+

Back to back A+ picks in the late 20s. The Jets gave up quite a few good mid-round picks to secure their third 1st rounder in this draft, but for great purpose. Jermaine Johnson was a guy they considered at both picks 4 and 10, and somehow he continued to fall and fall and fall into the late 20s. The Jets did everything they could to come back and get this guy that they loved and they pulled it off. Johnson has an incredibly high floor but doesn't trade much off as he too has a high ceiling as well. Johnson was a double digit sacker this past year at FSU and also was the best player at the annual Senior Bowl. The Jets know this guy can step in right away and be an impact rusher for their defense. What a job by Jets GM Joe Douglas to secure three day 1 impact starters for this team as suddenly things are very much looking up for this team.

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (TRADE w/TB) - Devin Lloyd, Linebacker, Utah
Grade: A

Another top 5 team trading back into the first round. The Jags made a weird pick at #1, but made up for it with this great pick at 27. Devin Lloyd was my easy #1 LB prospect in the class and probably a top 10-12 talent in the entire class. If LB's were valued higher, this guy would be an easy top 10 pick with the production he had in college. Lloyd can do everything. He blitzes incredibly well. He's an elite tackler. He plays faster than the 4.66 forty he ran. He is awesome in coverage. This is a rare do-it-all LB prospect who instantly reminds me of guys like Luke Kuechly, Darius Leonard, and Bobby Wagner (three likely future HOFers). The Jags brought in Foye Oluokun in FA but need more defensive talent wherever they can get it. Lloyd will be a day 1 star. HC Doug Pederson should be fired up about this great pick.

28. Green Bay Packers - Devonte Wyatt, Defensive Tackle, Georgia
Grade: B-

While this is good value for a prospect much better than 28th ranked, I don't love the fit. Green Bay will never draft a WR in round 1. I'm not sure why. This time they really needed to and still didn't. Wyatt was a super productive interior rusher with elite athleticism at Georgia, but he doesn't really fill much of a need for the Packers. This team is already lead by Kenny Clark on the inside, so DT wasn't a huge need here. I'm sure Wyatt will flourish in GB, especially with the aid of block-eater Clark, but I don't see the need for taking him with much more pressing needs at hand.

29. New England Patriots (TRADE w/KC) - Cole Strange, Offensive Guard, Chattanooga
Grade: D-

Classic Bill Belichick. For the time being, this was easily the worst pick of the first round. Strange was a third round or worse projected player across boards everywhere, and New England just took him round 1. This team is crazy. They do this every year. OG wouldn't have been a need if the team didn't decide to trade star Pro Bowler at the position Shaq Mason for a bag of chips earlier this off-season. They do that and then try and fix it by taking a fourth round talent in round 1?! I'm not going to give this the full on F that many are, because Bill Belichick knows what he's talking about and this could be a dark horse sleeper player, but the very early return probably isn't going to be great. 

30. Kansas City Chiefs - George Karlaftis, Edge Rusher, Purdue
Grade: B+

Another pick I predicted correctly in my final mock yesterday. George Karlaftis was a natural fit to KC at pick 30. I think we will look back on this very soon and count this as a major steal. KC had a big need at edge rusher opposite Frank Clark, and Karlaftis will fill that. While he's still developing as a pass rusher, he feels like a double digit sack guy in the NFL and is closer to that already than many see. I think he will be an impact player day 1 and develop from there, great pick for the Chiefs here at 30 who finish R1 with two high impact and potential defenders.

31. Cincinnati Bengals - Daxton Hill, Defensive Back, Michigan
Grade: A-

I love this pick for the Bengals. Dax Hill was one of my draft crushes this year. The electric and versatile DB from Michigan has star written all over him. One of the fastest DBs in the class this year, Hill isn't just a speed demon. He is able to play corner, safety, or slot corner due to his ball skills, obvious speed, and zone coverage prowess. The Bengals needed another key defensive back on the roster, and they got that with Hill. No longer does Eli Apple have to play crucial snaps in a Super Bowl game.

32. Minnesota Vikings (TRADE w/DET) - Lewis Cine, Defensive Back, Georgia
Grade: B

Cine is a great player and a good fit to Minnesota, but I don't like the trade down that they made one bit. The Vikings are fringe NFC contenders, but need a few more key talented pieces on their roster. The 12th pick was a perfect opportunity for them to do so. Instead for a pair of later picks, they passed on that chance and then ended up here. Despite that, Cine is great for them. Shooting up boards due to his versatility and 4.3 speed, Cine was just as or even more versatile than Dax Hill this past season. The Vikings do have Patrick Peterson still as a short term fix at CB1, but they could experiment with Cine as a CB2 or slot CB for them. I think he isn't going to be special out of the gate, but with his raw athleticism and potential skill that can be built upon, the Vikings could turn him into something special.

Another trade I didn't mention: Ravens traded WR Marquise Brown to Arizona Cardinals for pick #23 & 2022 third rounder (Ravens traded #23 down with the Bills)

Cardinals' grade: A
This was not a move anyone saw coming, but the Cardinals easily won it. Marquise Brown is one of the most underrated young WRs in the league. He really took a big step forward this past season in Baltimore and looks like a budding superstar. The Cardinals use their mid first to trade for him and replace Christian Kirk with an option 4 times better. Brown is one of the fastest receivers in the league and will now get to play opposite of elite WR DeAndre Hopkins. The most important aspect of this move was that it reunites Brown with his college QB Kyler Murray. The two have a great chemistry and this move will certainly please Murray who has had a rocky off-season with the team. What a move for the Cardinals.

Ravens' grade: C+
While they got the picks that turned into a few later round picks and also C Tyler Linderbaum, I do not like this move for Baltimore. Why trade Lamar Jackson's top WR who is on a wildly affordable rookie deal when neither side was unhappy with one another? This only makes Jackson a bit annoyed and leaves the team searching for new targets in this offense. Jackson is developing still as a passer, and this move may stunt his development a little bit. I just don't see the need for it and think the Ravens will regret it, even if they did land a great center prospect with one of the picks.