The 2022 NFL Draft started off a little less entertaining than expected with 10 straight unsurprising picks. But the first round kicked into hyperdrive with nine trades, including two big-name receivers, and some shocking selections. Let’s recap the first day of the draft and its fallout.
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2022 NFL Draft: Round 1 Trades
Last year, there were three draft-day trades. That is roughly the average you will see on Day 1, but the 2022 NFL Draft said, “hold my beer.” Its nine first-round trades were the most since the 2004 NFL Draft. Let’s examine which teams “won” their trades and how they will impact the NFL landscape.
Washington Commanders trade No. 11 to New Orleans Saints
The trade that kicked off the spree. With Drake London and Garrett Wilson off the board, Washington decided to trade down. New Orleans sent pick Nos. 16, 98, and 120 to move up to No. 11 to select Ohio State WR Chris Olave. The Saints had already made a pre-draft move to land the 16th overall pick from the Eagles, but many speculated it was to combine their draft capital in a trade-up for a potential franchise QB.
Well, it turned out they liked what they have in Jameis Winston and wanted to get some reinforcements alongside Michael Thomas. Apparently, Washington was higher on Jahan Dotson than most because they felt comfortable taking him with the 16th pick. Acquiring more picks and taking a WR you believe can be a key cog to your offense is great value.
Minnesota Vikings trade No. 12 to Detroit Lions
With three receivers flying off the board, the Detroit Lions decided to execute an aggressive trade-up to land their guy. Sending pick Nos. 32, 34, and 66 for Minnesota’s Nos. 12 and 46, Detroit ensured they could select Jameson Williams.
Williams was my overall WR1 due to his elite downfield ability. He can legitimately take the top off the defense while also gaining yards after the catch. His ACL tear in the national championship likely dropped him down some boards, but that allowed the Lions to pounce.
With the 32nd pick, the Vikings took Georgia safety Lewis Cine, making him the third safety selected in Round 1 — take that, “positional value” crowd. Cine can be a difference-maker in the secondary, especially learning from and playing next to Harrison Smith.
Houston Texans trade No. 13 to Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles had their sights set on Georgia DT Jordan Davis and decided to leapfrog the Baltimore Ravens in order to secure his services. To do so, they shipped off their first first-round pick (No. 15), a fourth-rounder (No. 124), and two fifth-rounders (Nos. 162 and 166) to the Texans for the 13th overall selection. Davis can two-gap in run defense while honing his craft as a pass rusher in a rotation with Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave.
Meanwhile, the Texans dropped two spots and took their top guard in the class: Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green. He wasn’t the consensus No. 1 player at the position (that belonged to Zion Johnson), but they believe he is the better piece for their offensive line.
Arizona Cardinals trade No. 23 to Baltimore Ravens for Marquise Brown
In one of the most stunning moves of the night, the Cardinals sent the No. 23 pick to the Ravens for WR Marquise Brown and the No. 100 selection. The top wideouts were off the board, and the opportunity to reunite Kyler Murray with one of his top weapons at Oklahoma was too good to pass up.
Now, the Eagles landing A.J. Brown for the 18th pick (more on that later) does call into question the capital given up. Nevertheless, Arizona nabbed a deep threat with two years left on his contract (they opted into his fifth-year option for 2023). On the other side, the Ravens used the 23rd pick in another trade further down.
Philadelphia Eagles trade No. 18 to Tennessee Titans for A.J. Brown
The Eagles saw Marquise Brown fly cross country for a late first-round pick and knew they had leverage on the Titans. As a result, they were able to land A.J. Brown for a first- (No. 18) and fourth-round (No. 101) pick. So not only did Philly trade up to attain the best defensive tackle in the class, but they were able to steal away a soon-to-be 25-year-old Pro Bowl receiver for excellent value. Just watch how upset Titans head coach Mike Vrabel was after the trade was announced to visualize who won the exchange.
It wasn’t all bad for Tennessee, as they used their newfound first-rounder to choose Arkansas’ Treylon Burks, a receiver many compare to Brown. He had fallen down some boards due to a rather unimpressive Combine performance. But the Titans did their homework and hope he can produce from Year 1 as their leading receiver.
New England Patriots trade No. 21 to Kansas City Chiefs
With a ton of 2022 NFL Draft ammunition in hand, the Kansas City Chiefs traded three picks (Nos. 29, 94, and 121) for the New England Patriots’ 21st overall selection. The Chiefs had too much draft capital, so it wasn’t a matter of if they would trade up — it was a matter of when.Â
21st seemed to be the sweet spot, as KC jumped the Cardinals and Bills to select Washington CB Trent McDuffie, who both franchises were allegedly interested in. Whether they keep McDuffie as an outside corner or move him into a slot/safety role, the Chiefs bolstered a depleted secondary.
On the other hand, the Patriots added third- and fourth-rounders to their draft collection. And with the 29th pick, they made what most view as the biggest reach of the night by drafting Chattanooga’s Cole Strange. Strange fills an immediate need at guard, but selecting for need isn’t the best use of picks. Making matters worse, they created the situation by peddling Shaq Mason (who was only making $9 million) to the Buccaneers for a fifth-rounder.
Baltimore Ravens trade No. 23 to Buffalo Bills
After the Marquise Brown deal, the Ravens decided to acquire more ammo, procuring a fourth-rounder (No. 130) to move down two spots with the Buffalo Bills. I believe the trade worked out for both sides, as Buffalo guaranteed they gave Tre’Davious White the CB2 he has been longing for in Florida’s Kaiir Elam. And Baltimore seized the top interior lineman in the class in Iowa’s Tyler Linderbuam.
Tennessee Titans trade No. 26 to New York Jets
After trading Brown to the Eagles for the 18th pick and selecting Burks, the Titans accepted a deal with the New York Jets. The Jets offered a second-rounder (No. 35), a third-rounder (No. 69), and a fifth-rounder (No. 163) for Tennessee’s 26th and 101st selections. With their third first-round choice of the night, New York added Florida State edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II to their impressive Day 1 haul that included Ahmad Gardner and Garrett Wilson.
The Titans received much-needed draft picks to replenish their depth chart. Now, they need to hit on those players to ensure they remain contenders in the near and distant future.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade No. 27 to Jacksonville Jaguars
In the final trade of the first round, the Jacksonville Jaguars moved back into the first round to fill the hole left by Myles Jack. To earn the right to make Utah’s Devin Lloyd the second linebacker off the board, the Jags sent pick Nos. 35, 106, and 180 to the Buccaneers for No. 27. Lloyd joins the newly-signed Foye Oluokun to form one of the most dynamic LB rooms in the league.
Tampa Bay recouped fourth- and sixth-round selections to move down eight spots, which isn’t insignificant. But they obviously like the depth in this class and could use that draft capital to add another pick on Day 2.
