Winners And Losers From The NFL Draft's Three-Night Spectacular In Sin CIty

The National Football League (N.F.L.) Draft is one of the biggest nights of the offseason. The NFL draft offers not only an opportunity for teams to replenish their rosters but also an annual snapshot of what the NFL believes about how to build a team. We learned this year that wide receivers are more valuable than ever, teams think very little about the 2022 quarterback class and Bill Belichick still doesn’t care what anybody thinks. While millions tuned in to watch the draft on television, over 600 thousand passionate NFL supporters gathered outside of the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. These fans cheered and booed just as they would if they were sitting in the stands on game day. The draft consisted of seven rounds, with round one being held on April 28th. Commissioner Roger Goodell kicked off the draft with some of the Las Vegas Raider stars and all-time greats. Only the Raider supporters in the crowd cheered for the silver and black. The draft would begin after Goodell’s remarks, and the 86th N.F.L. Draft would commence. The following are my top winners and losers from football’s three-night event in Vegas.

Best:

5. The Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles traded the number 15, 124, 162, and 166 picks to the Texans to jump ahead of the Ravens to Number 13, where they took Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis. He was one of the standouts of the combine and had the highest relative athletic score of any defensive tackle since 1987. However, he played only 38 percent of the snaps at Georgia, which raises questions about whether he can be a three-down player. 

Nakobe Dean was the best player on the best defense college football has ever seen. He slid in the draft largely because of injuries, but even if he has to redshirt an entire season, Dean was a steal at this spot in the draft. Few linebackers have ever had the kind of play recognition that Dean possesses, and his tape is full of elite playmaking. This is one of the steals of the draft. 

Let’s not forget, the blockbuster trade of night one, where the birds landed top wideout A.J. Brown. While trades before the draft aren't being considered in these grades, the Eagles' trade for Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown does factor in. After whiffing on some early-round wideouts in recent years, they traded the number 18 and 101 picks to land an established star. With quarterback Jalen Hurts still on his rookie contract, the Eagles' cap situation enabled them to hand Brown a four-year, $100 million extension. They're now in a great position to find out whether Hurts can be their long-term answer under center. Overall, a successful weekend in Vegas for the Eagles. 

4. The Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions front office had to be ecstatic the Jaguars were willing to take the gamble on Travon Walker at the top of the draft. It allowed them to take a prospect in Aidan Hutchinson that brings a high floor to the table while still carrying the potential to be a Pro Bowl-caliber pass-rusher. The only edge rushers drafted in the first round over the last five drafts with a higher overall PFF grade in college than Hutchinson are Chase Young, Nick Bosa, and Myles Garrett. 

Detroit also made a massive move up the board for Jameson Williams, who is a game-changing talent when healthy. No one else in this class matches Williams’ speed or movement skills. You don’t need to look much further than what he was able to do to Georgia’s defense to see the kind of impact that he can have. In 2021, Williams tied Ja’Marr Chase’s 2019 record for the most 50-plus-yard receiving touchdowns since 2014. Williams teamed up with second-year wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown giving the Lions two building blocks to work with at receiver. 

Detroit is beefing up the defensive front with Aidan Hutchinson in Round one and Josh Paschal in Round The Kentucky Wildcat was quietly one of the highest-graded edge defenders in the country. Paschal is a robust and explosive player who can play on the interior and the edge. The Lions, who finished with a whopping 3-13-1 record, went defense heavy with their selections, hoping to have a better run in 2022. Overall, a massive improvement and a superb draft by Detroit. 

3. The Kansas City Chiefs

The rich get richer with this draft haul. Everyone in the AFC West now has the makings of an elite passing attack. So it made sense that the Kansas City Chiefs got aggressive in adding a corner who can fit their scheme. While it required a trade-up, Trent McDuffie is a great addition for the Chiefs at number 21 overall. McDuffie was the 11th-ranked player overall on analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s board and had one of the best careers as a Washington defensive back. He may be small, but he possesses elite awareness and top-notch athleticism and is a physical tackler. McDuffie has all the traits to be a versatile chess piece for the Chiefs defense led by coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. 

The pattern of taking high-effort players with atypical length continued with the edge rusher George Karlaftis's selection at Number 30. Karlaftis’ slide ends with the Chiefs at 30th overall, making him the biggest steal of round one. Also known as the college football Greek Freak, the 6-foot-4, 266-pounder boasts some of the best hand usages in the class and plays with big-time power and an impressive get-off. Karlaftis posted the fourth-best win rate on true pass rushes this past season despite being consistently chipped, doubled, and cut. The Chiefs kept finding the values on Day two as Skyy Moore is set up to have early success. 

Skyy Moore was a first-round prospect in the eyes of many, once again giving the Chiefs one of the biggest steals of the NFL draft. The highest-graded wide receiver of the 2021 college football season wasn’t any of the top wideout prospects, it was Western Michigan’s Skyy Moore. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound receiver’s 26 broken tackles after the catch tied for the most among wide receivers in 2021, and he ranked in the 95th percentile in separation percentage. Despite his smaller stature, Moore had no issue handling press coverage on the outside. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes II adds a young weapon to his offense, after Tyreek Hill’s departure to Miami. All in all, an excellent draft by Kansas City. 

2. The Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens had one of the best first rounds from a value perspective, and after a shaky 8-9 season, things certainly were looking up. They started by getting one of the best overall players in safety Kyle Hamilton at 14th overall. The Notre Dame product’s disappointing 40-yard dash time (4.59 seconds) doesn’t show up as a concern on his tape. He led the fighting Irish with four interceptions despite starting only one of 13 games played as a freshman. Hamilton's all-around game showed in 2020 and he garnered third-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-ACC accolades with a team-high 63 tackles in 11 starts. In 2021, Hamilton led Notre Dame with three interceptions despite missing half the year and was tied for eighth in the country in that category. 

Then came the second blockbuster trade of the draft, when Baltimore sent “Hollywood” Marquise Brown to Arizona to get back in the first round. Former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson was sacked 38 times in 2021, so Baltimore found their offensive lineman. Tyler Linderbaum was the best center in the 2022 draft. He may be undersized, but he’s an ultra-athlete who plays bigger than that size suggests. Linderbaum was a top-five-graded center in all three of his years as a starter at Iowa. 

The good news just kept coming for Ravens fans. Edge rusher David Ojabo could have been a top 15 pick before tearing his Achilles, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted he could be ready to go by October. Ojabo reunites with close friend and high school teammate Odafe Oweh and Michigan defensive coordinator Mike McDonald. Ojabo is an extraordinary athlete who flashed top-tier talent this past season, producing multiple elite pass-rush game grades above the 90th percentile. Overall, Baltimore did not disappoint having one of their best drafts in recent memory. 

1. The New York Jets

The New York Jets needed a transformational draft class, and that's exactly what this has the potential to be. A lot of the talk in the pre-draft process was that the Jets would target an edge defender or offensive tackle in this spot. Instead, they opted for the cornerback who didn’t allow a single touchdown in his college career. Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner is a strong fit in Robert Saleh’s defense, and it’s hard to poke holes in his profile from size to athleticism to college production. Gardner allowed just 43% of the passes thrown into his coverage to be completed across his three seasons with the Bearcats. 

Those Jets fans were thrilled by the selection of Gardner, and things just kept getting better. The Jets continued to add talent around second-year quarterback Zach Wilson with a 6-foot, 184-pound wide receiver who wins in space before and after the catch. Garrett Wilson averaged over three yards per route run in each of the last two seasons at Ohio State. He rounds out a receiving corps that has added Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, C.J. Uzomah, and Tyler Conklin in the last two offseasons. 

Round one wasn’t over for New York, as somehow, a top-five edge rusher in Jermaine Johnson II, was untouched by 25 other teams. There were rumors that the Jets were thinking of selecting Jermaine Johnson with their fourth overall pick, yet they managed to land him at No. 26 after moving up in a trade with Tennessee. The Florida State product, who also played at Georgia, was one of the biggest winners at the Senior Bowl, impressing scouts so much that he opted out of the final day of practice and the game itself. The 6-foot-4, 259-pounder has over 34-inch arms and the tools to put them into action. He produced multiple pressures in every game he played for Florida State last season and ended the campaign with an 81 PFF grade. 

General Manager Joe Douglas wasn’t close to done as 24 hours later, his Jets were in search of another offensive playmaker. The Jets were worried that Houston had its sights set on a running back at pick number n37, jumping the Texans to land their future star. Breece Hall has outstanding contact balance, can produce as a receiver, and tested extremely well athletically at the combine. This is a bit early to take a running back, particularly following a trade-up, but there’s not much to dislike about Hall’s profile as a prospect. The Jets now have a one-two punch at running back with Hall and Michael Carter. Overall, the Jets nailed their selections, giving them the top NFL Draft grade. Most importantly, giving their number one supporter, Fireman ED something to cheer about. 

Worst:

4. The Miami Dolphins

You would think the Brian Flores scandal was the Dolphins' highlight of the offseason, but general manager Chris Grier had other plans. The Miami Dolphins are seemingly trying to emulate the Los Angeles Rams' approach to the draft by trading many of their picks for established veterans. The Dolphins pulled off a blockbuster trade this offseason, sending the 29th pick along with 2022 second- and fourth-rounders and 2023 fourth- and sixth-rounders to the Kansas City Chiefs for star-wideout Tyreek Hill. 

That left Miami with only four picks to use this year. Miami’s first pick in the draft came in the third round at pick 102 where they drafted linebacker Channing Tindall. He isn’t nearly as instinctual as his teammate Nakobe Dean, but man can the kid fly sideline to sideline. Blitz him consistently and never ask him to turn his back to the line of scrimmage, and Tindall is going to produce. That was the only highlight from the Dolphins, hoping they can finally make a postseason appearance, for the first time in six years. 

The Dolphins took wideout Erik Ezukanma in the fourth round, but he didn't even make the top 100 inside Daniel Jeremiah’s final big board. Luckily, they won't need him to immediately impact all of the changes they've made to their receiver room this offseason. It wasn’t a great night for Miami, but three teams did worse. 

3. The New Orleans Saints

After trading to get a second first-round pick this season, the Saints jumped up just a little more to ensure they got their guy. The fit here is seamless, with Chris Olave stepping into the vertical-threat role in New Orleans’ offense as the wide receiver two opposite Michael Thomas. Olave recorded 12 touchdowns on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield over the last two seasons at Ohio State. 

Going from Terron Armstead, an absolute technician at left tackle, to Trevor Penning, a very raw prospect, is a major downgrade for New Orleans. The Northern Iowa product is a high-level athlete at 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds, and he plays with a killer mindset, so much so that he might need to tone it down a bit. While he did rack up 33 big-time blocks against lesser competition in 2021, he also drew 26 penalties. Along with that, Penning’s pass protection needs to be completely reworked, and he has to do better at playing low. Those significant issues may have him facing a steeper-than-expected learning curve in the NFL.  

Corner Alontae Taylor was fresh off a breakout campaign for the Tennesse Volunteers in 2021, earning an 83.1 PFF grade. While fast and physical, the lack of instincts, playmaking, and quality change of direction ability are major concerns when projecting him to the NFL level, thus questioning the reach made by the Saints front office. The “Who Dat” nation didn’t do poorly, but there is definite room for improvement. 

2. The Los Angeles Rams

The reigning Super Bowl champion Rams were coming off their first Lombardi title in franchise history. Things were so exciting after the signings of Allen Robinson and Bobby Wagner that questions arose. Exactly who were the defending champs going to add their talented roster? The answer…crickets. Even taking into account the Los Angeles Rams' limited supply of picks, this just isn't an inspiring draft class. Tackle Logan Bruss, had an outstanding career at Wisconsin, a great pickup for L.A... That was it, as there was nothing eye-catching about the rest of their picks. 

After barely playing as a true freshman in 2019, running back Kyren Williams has been the focal point of the Notre Dame offense the past two seasons. Not only in the running game but as a receiver, as well. Williams’ 77 receptions the past two years were the second-most among Notre Dame receivers. His red flags were up in the eyes of scouts when he had ten fumbles in 2021. The Rams running back room is now way too packed, with rising stars Darrell Henderson Jr and Cam Akers. If these backs keep putting up above average Calibur stats every week, Kyren will barely see the field. It isn’t ideal that the Super Bowl champs have an excellent night at the draft, and the Rams fulfilled that, delivering a slightly below-average performance. 

1. The New England Patriots

Are we allowed to question a draft from Bill Belichick? The Patriots haven’t exactly lit it up over the past few Aprils. The New England Patriots don't care about any big board or mock draft but their own, and it shows during their NFL Drafts year after year. Predictably, New England traded down in the first round to gain picks. Guard Cole Strange is the biggest reach of the entire draft in my opinion, as the Chattanooga Moc was the 86th ranked prospect. His anchor and footwork are suspect, making it highly unlikely he slots in as a major contributor early on. On a positive note, Strange is a versatile and elite athlete who excels in space. Strange destroyed the combine in Indianapolis, putting up numbers for an offensive lineman that were insane. 

After the Saints reached for their pick at 49th overall, the Patriots topped them by taking Tyquan Thornton, the 192nd ranked player of the draft. Everyone knows that he brings deep speed to the table after clocking a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine. While those wheels are a huge plus, his play strength at the next level is cause for concern. Thornton isn’t much of an after-the-catch threat, as evidenced by averaging four yards after the catch and breaking just 11 tackles on 143 career receptions. 

People began to question the Patriots’ selections and even more confusing looks and remarks came at the selection of cornerback Marcus Jones. Marcus Jones has extremely concerning size at 5-foot-8, 177-pounds, and that pushed him down this far in the draft. Strange, Thornton, and Jones were all questionable selections, but then came Bailey Zappe. 

Don’t get me wrong, almost six thousand yards and 62 touchdowns in one season is mind-blowing, however, the selection is questionable here. Interestingly, Bailey Zappe comes off the board here before Sam Howell, but it’s still good value for a quarterback who put up gaudy numbers last season at Western Kentucky. Zappe projects as an ideal backup for Mac Jones in New England after earning a 95.8 PFF grade in 2021. The Pats had an unorthodox draft, as five of their 10 picks came from outside of the Power Five conferences. That’s right, no Big 10, Big 12, ACC, PAC-12, and no SEC prospects. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is an interesting trend to monitor as this class develops over time. It’s not surprising that the Pats were in this spot at the end of the NFL Draft, but if the young rising stars on both sides of the ball, a playoff appearance could occur for a second straight season.