The 2022 NFL draft is about to get underway in Las Vegas, and we’ll be following all the action live. For pick-by-pick grades and analysis from Yahoo Sports lead draft expert Eric Edholm, visit our live draft page. And check out the PFF Draft Tracker with in-depth analysis on every single pick.
Packers take another Georgia defender
The Green Bay Packers doubled up on Georgia defenders in the first round with the selection of Devonte Wyatt at No. 28.
Green Bay entered the draft with an obvious need at wide receiver but any receiver picks will have to wait until the second day at the very least. The Packers clearly saw the NFL talent on Georgia’s defense in 2021 and were impressed enough with both Walker and Wyatt to make them two of the four Georgia defenders selected in the first round.
Jermaine Johnson, Devin Lloyd finally come off the board
Some mock drafts projected Florida State pass rusher Jermaine Johnson in the top 10. Instead, he lasted all the way to No. 26. The New York Jets traded up to pick Johnson, ending his long wait in the Las Vegas green room.
Johnson had a long route to the Jets. He had no FBS offers out of high school and ended up at Independence Community College, where he was featured on “Last Chance U.” From there, he transferred to Georgia and was part of the team’s defensive line rotation for two seasons. Seeking a more prominent role, he transferred to Florida State and became the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year. And now he’s a first-round pick. What a story.
Similarly, Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd was seen as a surefire first-rounder but he ended up falling all the way to No. 27 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who traded back into the first round to make the pick. Lloyd, who started his college career as a safety, totaled 249 tackles, 43 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks and five interceptions over his final three seasons with the Utes.
Cowboys, Ravens snag offensive linemen
The Dallas Cowboys sat tight throughout the night and picked Tulsa tackle Tyler Smith at No. 24 overall. Smith was an unheralded recruit, but ended up holding down the starting left tackle spot for the majority of his time with the Golden Hurricane.
With the 25th pick, the Ravens grabbed the best center in the draft — Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum. Linderbaum actually played defensive tackle when he arrived at Iowa, but he emerged as one of the Big Ten’s best players after moving over to center. In all, Linderbaum started 35 games at center for the Hawkeyes, earning All-Big Ten and All-America honors in 2020 and 2021.
Packers use first pick on defense, Bills trade up for CB
Green Bay didn’t take an offensive player with its first pick.
Instead, the Packers picked Georgia linebacker Quay Walker at No. 22. The pick used on Walker was acquired from the Raiders in the trade that sent Davante Adams to Las Vegas and Walker became the first linebacker taken ahead of both Nakobe Dean and Devin Lloyd.
After Green Bay’s pick, the Buffalo Bills moved to up to snag a cornerback they coveted at No. 23 — Florida’s Kaiir Elam. The Bills made a deal with the Ravens to make it happen and picked the junior UF.
Chiefs trade up for Trent McDuffie
The Chiefs traded up eight spots in the draft to select Washington CB Trent McDuffie.
Kansas City gave up Nos. 29, 94 and 101 to the New England Patriots as they find a corner to replace Charvarious Ward. Kansas City entered the draft needing to bolster the defense and McDuffie could start right away either in the slot or on the outside. Ward left for San Francisco in free agency and the Chiefs also signed Justin Reid to replace Tyrann Mathieu.
The Patriots got good value to move back in the draft as they are apt to do and could still take a wide receiver at the end of the round.
The Chiefs still have pick No. 30 on Thursday night after trading Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins.
Steelers take Kenny Pickett at No. 20
The Pittsburgh Steelers became the first team to take a QB on Thursday night by picking Pitt QB Kenny Pickett.
Pickett was a Heisman finalist as a senior in 2021 and completed 67% of his passes for 4,319 yards and 42 TDs to just seven interceptions. Pitt’s offense was one of the best in the country a season ago and now Pickett can play his home games in the NFL in the same stadium he played at in college.
Pickett will begin the 2022 season ostensibly as the backup behind Mitch Trubisky. The former Chicago Bears first-rounder was signed by the Steelers in the offseason to replace the retired Ben Roethlisberger.
The New Orleans Saints took offensive tackle Trevor Penning with the pick before the Steelers’ selection. The wait is now on for QBs like Malik Willis and Matt Corral as we wait to see if there will be a second quarterback selected in the first round.
Eagles trade for A.J. Brown, Titans take Treylon Burks
A.J. Brown is heading to Philadelphia. The third-year Tennessee receiver was traded to Philadelphia for picks Nos. 18 and 101.
Like Marquise Brown, A.J. Brown was entering the final two seasons of his rookie deal. Unlike Hollywood, this Brown has been dominant since he stepped on the field with the Titans. A.J. Brown had over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons and had 63 catches for 869 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games in 2021.
The deal is fantastic value for Philadelphia. The Eagles end up with both Brown and Jordan Davis while having to give up four picks outside the top 100.
The Titans then used the Eagles’ first-round pick to draft Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks. Burks is the sixth wide receiver selected in the first round and has the size and speed combination to be a very similar replacement for Brown. And will be on a rookie deal for five more years while Brown was looking at a large contract extension very soon.
Wide receiver run continues with Jahan Dotson
Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson became the fifth receiver to be picked in the first half of the draft when he went to the Washington Commanders at No. 16.
Dotson has good speed and great hands and could immediately become the Commanders’ second option behind Terry McLaurin.
Kyle Hamilton goes to the Ravens, trade Marquise Brown
Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton went No. 14 to the Baltimore Ravens where he will immediately slot in as an impact defender on a talented defense undergoing a change in scheme.
Hamilton was once projected as a top-five pick but his 40 time saw him drop across mock drafts. The do-it-all player fits perfectly in the Ravens defense and could be in the starting lineup right away.
Not long after picking Hamilton, Arizona traded the No. 23 pick to the Ravens for Marquise Brown and pick No. 100. Brown is a former first-round pick of the Ravens and had the first 1,000-yard season of his career with 1,008 yards and six touchdowns in 2021. Brown has 21 CDs and 2,361 yards in his career on 195 catches. Brown also has two years left on his rookie contract. He’s the second player the Ravens have traded for a first-round pick in two years after trading Orlando Brown Jr. to the Chiefs in 2021.
The Texans then followed the Ravens’ pick at No. 14 with Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green.
Trades! Saints, Lions, Eagles all move up
The Washington Commanders were set to pick at No. 11, but they moved back in a trade with the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans reportedly sent picks No. 16, 98 and 120 to the Commanders in order to select Ohio State receiver Chris Olave.
Olave starred alongside Garrett Wilson for the Buckeyes for the past three seasons. Over the course of his OSU career, Olave caught 175 passes for 2,702 yards and 35 touchdowns. Now he is headed to New Orleans to become a member of the Saints.
The trades did not stop there. The Lions moved up to No. 12 in a deal with the Minnesota Vikings. The target was yet another wide receiver: Jameson Williams out of Alabama.
Williams began his career alongside Wilson and Olave at Ohio State but did not break out until he transferred to Alabama. In just one season at Alabama, Williams caught 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Soon after, a third trade surfaced. This time, the Philadelphia Eagles moved up to No. 13 to select Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis. Davis, a freak athlete at 340 pounds, was a key cog for the UGA defense for four years. Now he is headed to the Eagles.
USC’s Drake London is first WR picked
This is a deep class for wide receivers and USC’s Drake London was the first receiver selected on Thursday night. London was picked No. 8 overall by the Atlanta Falcons, where he will pair with Kyle Pitts on a rebuilding offense in Atlanta.
London caught 88 passes for 1,084 yards and seven TDs in just eight games in 2021 before going down with a season-ending ankle injury. That injury did not impact his draft positioning whatsoever.
After London went to Atlanta at No. 8, the Seattle Seahawks picked Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross at No. 9. Cross was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs and should be an instant impact player for Seattle.
Two picks after London, another wideout came off the board as the New York Jets went with Garrett Wilson out of Ohio State at No. 10. Wilson caught 143 passes for 2,213 yards and 23 touchdowns for the Buckeyes.
Offensive tackles Ekwonu, Neal go 6th and 7th
Following such a historic run on defensive players, two offensive tackles were selected with picks No. 6 and 7.
First it was NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu, who will stay in North Carolina and play for the Carolina Panthers. Ekwonu started all three years he played for the Wolfpack with experience at both guard and tackle. He was an All-American at left tackle in 2021.
With the seventh pick, Alabama’s Evan Neal became the New York Giants’ second pick of the first round. Neal was a three-year starter for the Crimson Tide with experience at left guard, right tackle and left tackle.
5 straight defensive picks to open NFL draft
After two pass rushers kicked off the draft, two cornerbacks came off the board at picks No. 3 and 4.
The Houston Texans are a team that could use upgrades at pretty much every position and they looked to LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. at No. 3 overall. Many thought Houston would go with one of the top offensive linemen or the other heralded corner in the draft: Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. Instead, the pick was Stingley, who was the No. 1 recruit in the country back in 2019.
As a freshman, Stingley was one of the best players in college football, but he has dealt with injuries over the last two seasons. Nonetheless, the Texans are banking on his considerable talent to make an immediate impact on their defense under new head coach Lovie Smith.
Though Gardner was passed over by Houston, he did not wait long to be drafted. The New York Jets took Gardner at No. 4 overall. A long, rangy cornerback, Gardner totaled 99 tackles, five tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 27 passes defended and nine interceptions over his three seasons with the Bearcats.
With pick No. 5, another pass rusher came off the board. This time it was Kayvon Thibodeaux out of Oregon to the New York Giants. Thibodeaux was a five-star recruit who quickly made an impact for the Ducks. In the 32 games he played in an Oregon uniform, Thibodeaux registered 123 tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss and 19 sacks.
No drama: Travon Walker to Jags, Aidan Hutchinson to Lions
A few months ago, it seemed far-fetched that Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker would emerge as the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. But on Thursday night, that’s exactly what happened.
After a cringy (and loud), Raiders-themed introduction from Ice Cube and Derek Carr, Walker came off the board first to the Jacksonville Jaguars, making him the first Georgia product to be selected first overall since Matthew Stafford went to the Detroit Lions in 2009.
Walker was one of the key figures on an all-time Georgia defense in 2021. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Walker posted 7.5 tackles for loss and six sacks to help the Bulldogs win their first national championship since 1980.
The player who was the favorite to go No. 1 for months ended up slotting behind Walker at No. 2. That player is Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who will make the move from Ann Arbor over to Detroit as a member of the Lions.
Hutchinson was one of the best players in college football in 2021. He posted 14 sacks to help Michigan win its first outright Big Ten title since 2004.
Top prospects introduced before tribute to Dwayne Haskins
It’s about that time.
The top draft prospects on hand in Las Vegas took the stage and were introduced to the crowd. There was no shortage of extravagant suits. Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson may have had the best of the bunch.
Following the player introductions was a tribute to Ukraine, a moment of silence for Pittsburgh Steelers QB Dwayne Haskins and a rendition of the national anthem that included a helicopter flyover.
Haskins died earlier this month after being struck by a truck on a Florida highway. He was just 24 years old.
The NFL draft is finally here
After months of anticipation, the 2022 NFL draft is finally here. And as Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson detailed Wednesday, it’s set to be one of the least predictable drafts in recent memory.
Who will the Jacksonville Jaguars choose with the No. 1 pick? Will it be Travon Walker or Aidan Hutchinson? Or maybe an offensive tackle? When will quarterbacks start coming off the board? Who will be the first quarterback selected? When will the run on wide receivers begin?
Those are all pertinent questions in the lead-up to the first round of the draft on Thursday night.
On top of that, there are eight teams with two first-round picks and eight teams without a first-round pick, so it’d be a shock if there wasn’t significant trade activity. And based on the craziness of the offseason so far, don’t be surprised if that trade activity involves a star player or two.
Let the fun begin.
Watch Pro Football Focus’ live draft show
Pro Football Focus (PFF) is streaming live for all seven rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft across the three days (April 28 – April 30) to offer pick-by-pick analysis, advanced stats and PFF-exclusive grades on every selection. The PFF stream will feature Lead Draft Analyst Mike Renner, Sunday Night Football’s Cris Collinsworth, among several other PFF analysts and guest appearances. All three livestreams will feature in-depth evaluations of all the top selections in the 2021 NFL Draft, trade analysis of any significant draft day trades and prop betting advice for all seven rounds.
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