2022 NFL Draft First-Round Winners and Losers
The first round of the 2022 NFL Draft in the books and Thursday’s spectacle was not lacking in real-time trades and surprises decisions. Not everyone had an amazing time in the first round, and we’re here to break down who did a solid job at the draft, as well as those who got the shorter end of the stick.
Nitrobetting is ready to equip its bettors with the latest news, futures NFL odds, and special features for the duration of the 2022 NFL offseason. This time, let’s analyze the three best landing spots for young quarterback sensation Kenny Pickett at the 2022 NFL Draft.
Biggest First-Round Winners and Losers of the 2022 NFL Draft
READ MORE: Best NFL Draft Steals In History
Winner: New York Giants
It’s hard to go wrong with having the fifth and seventh-overall picks at the draft. Thankfully, the Giants didn’t squander any of their top-10 selections with questionable picks as many experts had seen in the past and came out with a massive, promising haul instead. The G-Men nabbed coveted edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux first at No. 5 and picked up standout offensine lineman Evan Neal shortly after, as they addressed their two biggest needs on each side of the ball.
Loser: Tennessee Titans
The mere fact that the Titans were forced to trade away stud wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Eagles in order to make cap room for the future is enough of a loss to make them one of the sadder saps in the first round. Spending that 18th-overall pick from Philadelphia on Brown’s apparent replacement in Arkansas’ Treylon Burks is a downgrade whichever way we look at it. Not to mention that Burks could’ve been picked up in the later rounds as a mid-tier prospect from a stacked wide receiver class.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles
On the opposite end of that deal with Tennessee is Philadelphia, who made the biggest draft-day-trade splash on Thursday by landing Brown in a deal. Philly had the 13th-overall pick by way of a previous trade with the Houston Texans anyway, which the team used to get a big upgrade on the defensive line with Georgia’s Jordan Davis. All things considered, the Eagles were the savviest team of the bunch by making the most out of their assets on hand at the right moment.
Loser: Green Bay Packers (particularly Aaron Rodgers)
Speaking of Georgia Bulldogs standouts, the Packers used their 22nd-overall pick on stud linebacker Quay Walker, who’ll be paired up nicely on the second level of the front seven alongside De”Vondre Campbell. Unfortunately, that means Aaron Rodgers would have to wait to find out who’ll be the next rookie wideout to replace Davante Adams. Green Bay could’ve traded up to get one of the elite wide receivers but chose not to, so it will be interesting to see if and when the Packers will finally take a downfield offensive threat in the next few rounds of the draft.
Winner: The Entire Wide Receiver Class
We’ve talked a lot about wideouts in this year’s draft, and it’s clear that once the first WR domino had fallen off the board, the rest would soon follow. In total, six wide receivers were selected between the No. 8 and the No. 18 pick in the first round. Only time will tell if this loaded 2022 wide receiver draft class does live up to their collective hype. A lot of pressure is now placed upon USC’s Drake London, who was the first wide receiver selected in the first round by a rebuilding Atlanta Falcons franchise.
Loser: Malik Willis (and the entire QB Class in General)
Experts pointed out all offseason long that the field of available quarterbacks was going to be thin in 2022. Thursday’s developments reinforced that notion, as only one QB was selected in the opening round. Unfortunately for prized recruit Malik Willis out of Liberty, he was not taken by a QB-needy team as some of those same experts had projected. It was actually Kenny Pickett who was the only gunslinger to go in the first round, and Pickett had an inside track as someone who broke Dan Marino’s records in Pitt to fit like a glove for the hometown Steelers with the 20th-overall selection.
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