The 2022 NFL Draft will be held on April 28. For the first time, there will be nearly a quarter of the teams in the league with no pick in the first round.
This also means that because there are 32 picks in the opening round, even more teams will have two first-round picks, with eight franchises getting an extra choice among the top college prospects in the country. There are several teams with multiple selections in the first round and they all will employ different strategies.
New York Teams in Prime Position
The team that is in a position to make the most significant impact is the New York Giants, who have the number five and seven picks in the first round. There are rumors the team is looking to move down in the draft with some sort of compensation but needs to find some takers if they’re interested in this scenario. However, there should be interest from teams who may want to move up to the fifth or seventh pick overall, especially if they’re desperate for an elite edge rusher or a quarterback.
The Giants may be interested in giving away one of those picks, but not both. They probably want some future draft capital in case they decide to draft a quarterback next year. Daniel Jones is in the final year of his rookie contract, and the Giants want some insurance if they choose to let him go. If they can’t, the team will settle for a couple of premier defensive players instead.
The New York Jets have a similar situation as the Giants, with the number four and ten picks in the first round. They’ll be looking for players at some of the same positions as the team from New Jersey and will look at suitors who may be interested in moving up to add picks in future draft classes. The positions they have in mind are offensive tackle, cornerback, and edge rusher. If the right one comes available, they’ll even go for a wide receiver in the first round.
Texans Begin To Rebuild
Houston will have the third pick in the first round, followed by the number thirteen pick, and have the draft capital they need to rebuild the team. After finally trading Deshaun Watson to Cleveland because of his legal problems off the field, they would benefit from teams that look to pick quarterbacks with the first ten choices.
It pushes what is thought of as elite talent down towards their number thirteen pick. They could be left with defensive tackle Jordan Davis or safety Kyle Hamilton at that position. However, it’s not clear how much impact either player would have in the short term.
Lions Must Use Their High Pick Wisely
The Detroit Lions always have a high first-round pick and will be with the second and last pick of the first round. At number two, the team will have virtually every player to choose from, making it hard for them to mess up with that pick.
Something that has been discussed is the value of the number 32 pick overall. Teams may want to move up to take a key player before the draft moves into its second day on Friday. Detroit will have a lot of influence with this last pick of the day.
Eagles Pick Ahead of Saints
The Eagles and Saints find themselves in similar situations in the first round. Philadelphia holds the number 15 and 18 picks, while New Orleans sits with picks number 16 and 19 overall. This means the two teams will pick four times in the span of five picks in this round. For the Eagles, the linebacker and wide receiver positions don’t usually require a first-round selection, but the team needs players at both positions.
New Orleans was aggressive when they made a trade with the Eagles, giving up the number 18 pick in this draft, a first-round pick in next year’s draft, and several other late-round picks. The reasons the Saints made the trade isn’t clear, but it was suggested the team wanted to get ahead of the Chargers in the first round so they can draft an offensive tackle.
Packers and Chiefs Control Bottom Picks
The Packers have some flexibility with two picks in the twenties at number 22 and 28 overall. They desperately need wide receivers and will take at least one with these two picks. However, they would benefit from taking two quality players who can make an immediate impact and counter the salary cap hit from Aaron Rodgers.
Since the Chiefs parted with WR Tyreek Hill, they won’t find a replacement of his caliber in this draft class. They have a chance to add two quality players at a position or try to trade up to get one of the top wide receivers. They also have flexibility with these two picks, similar to the Packers.