RSS Feed2022 NFL Draft First Round
By Chris Malumphy
With the first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select quick off the mark Geogia defensive tackle Travon Walker. The Detroit Lions pounced on Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchison. The Houston Texans liked LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. even though he had his best year three seasons ago. With the first of two first-round choices, the New York Jets selected cornerback Ahmad 'Sauce" Gardner from Cincinnati. The New York Giants followed with edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux from Oregon. The Carolina Panthers broke the run on defensive players when it selected the first offensive player in the 2022 Draft, North Carolina State tackle Ikem Ekwonu.
The five defensive players selected at the top of the drafte fell one short of the record six defensive players selected at the start of the 1991 NFL Draft: Russell Maryland, Cowboys, DT, Miami (FL); Eric Turner, Browns, DB, UCLA; Bruce Pickens, Falcons, DB, Nebraska; Mike Croel, Broncos, LB, Nebraska; Todd Lyght, Rams, DB, Notre Dame; Eric Swann, Cardinals, DE, did not attend college.
Alabama tackle Evan Neal was picked by the New York Giants with their second choice in the first round. The Giants added to both its offensive and defensive lines in the first seven picks of the draft. The Atlanta Falcons, with wide receiver Calvin Ridley facing a year-long suspension for gambling, selected USC wideout Drake London. With a pick obtained from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade, the Seattle Seahawks added perhaps the best pass-blocker in the draft, tackle Charles Cross from Mississippi State. With their second selection in the top ten, the New York Jets picked Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson to provide quarterback Zach Wilson with a speedy, acrobatic target. The New Orleans Saints obtained the 11th selection from the Washington Commanders through the first trade in the draft and select Chris Olave, another wide receiver from Ohio State. The Detroit Lions traded up to obtain the 12th pick from the Minnesota Vikings and drafted Alabama (and former Ohio State) wide receiver Jemson Williams. The Philadelphia Eagles traded up with the Houston Texans and drafted Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis from Georgia. The Baltimore Ravens selected safety Kyle Hamilton from Notre Dame. With a pick obtained from the Eagles, the Houston Texans selected guard Kenyon Green from Texas A&M. Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson was drafted by the Washington Commanders. Boston College guard Zion Johnson will be blocking for quarterback Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Mid-draft the Baltimore Ravens traded wide receiver Marquise Hollywood Brown to the Arizona Cardinals. The Tennessee Titans traded another Brown, wide receiver A.J. Brown, to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Titans will replace A.J. Brown with Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks. The Saints drafted Northern Iowa tackle Trevor Penning. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected the first quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft, Kenny Pickett from the University of Pittsburgh. The Kansas City Chiefs traded with the New England Patriots to obtain the 21st pick and selected Washington defensive back Trent McDuffie. Georgia linebacker Quay Walker will join the Green Bay Packers. Using a pick obtained from the Ravens, the Buffalo Bills selected cornerback Kairr Elam from Florida. The Dallas Cowboys added Tyler Smith, tackle, Tulsa. Tyler Linderbaum from Ioway will play center for the Baltimore Ravens. Florida State pass rusher Jermaine Johnson will become a key piece of the New York Jets' defense. The Jaguars traded with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to obtain the picked used on Utah linebacker Davin Lloyd. The Green Bay Packers selected their second player from Georgia in this round by tabbing defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt to go along with linebacker Quay Walker. It is said to be the first time that a team selected two defensive players from the same school in the first round of the draft.
New England traded draft guard Cole Stange from Chattanooga. Edge rusher George Karlaftis from Purdue was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Cincinnati Bengals added safety Daxton Hill from Michigan. The Minnesota Vikings drafted safety Lewis Cine from Georgia giving the Bulldogs a record setting five defensive players in the first round.
| 2022 NFL Draft Round One | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Pick | Player | Name | Team | Position | College | Source |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Travon Walker | Jaguars | DT | Georgia | |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | Aidan Hutchinson | Lions | EDGE | Michigan | |
| 1 | 3 | 3 | Derek Stingley Jr. | Texans | CB | Louisiana State | |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner | Jets | CB | Cincinnati | |
| 1 | 5 | 5 | Kayvon Thibodeaux | Giants | EDGE | Oregon | |
| 1 | 6 | 6 | Ikem Ekwonu | Panthers | T | North Carolina State | |
| 1 | 7 | 7 | Evan Neal | Giants | T | Alabama | Bears |
| 1 | 8 | 8 | Drake London | Falcons | WR | USC | |
| 1 | 9 | 9 | Charles Cross | Seahawks | T | Mississippi State | Broncos |
| 1 | 10 | 10 | Garrett Wilson | Jets | WR | Ohio State | Seahawks |
| 1 | 11 | 11 | Chris Olave | Saints | WR | Ohio State | Commanders |
| 1 | 12 | 12 | Jameson Williams | Lions | WR | Alabama | Vikings |
| 1 | 13 | 13 | Jordan Davis | Eagles | DT | Georgia | Browns via Texans |
| 1 | 14 | 14 | Kyle Hamilton | Ravens | S | Notre Dame | |
| 1 | 15 | 15 | Kenyon Green | Texans | G | Texas A&M | Dolphins via Eagles |
| 1 | 16 | 16 | Jahan Dotson | Commanders | WR | Penn State | Colts via Eagles & Saints |
| 1 | 17 | 17 | Zion Johnson | Chargers | G | Boston College | |
| 1 | 18 | 18 | Treylon Burks | Titans | WR | Arkansas | Saints via Eagles |
| 1 | 19 | 19 | Trevor Penning | Saints | T | Northern Iowa | Eagles |
| 1 | 20 | 20 | Kenny Pickett | Steelers | QB | Pittsburgh | |
| 1 | 21 | 21 | Trent McDuffie | Chiefs | CB | Washington | Patriots |
| 1 | 22 | 22 | Quay Walker | Packers | LB | Georgia | Raiders |
| 1 | 23 | 23 | Kaiir Elam | Bills | CB | Florida | Cardinals via Ravens |
| 1 | 24 | 24 | Tyler Smith | Cowboys | T | Tulsa | |
| 1 | 25 | 25 | Tyler Linderbaum | Ravens | C | Iowa | Bills |
| 1 | 26 | 26 | Jermaine Johnson II | Jets | EDGE | Florida State | Titans |
| 1 | 27 | 27 | Devin Lloyd | Jaguars | LB | Utah | Buccaneers |
| 1 | 28 | 28 | Devonte Wyatt | Packers | DT | Georgia | |
| 1 | 29 | 29 | Cole Strange | Patriots | G | Tennessee-Chattanooga | 49ers via Dolphins & Chiefs |
| 1 | 30 | 30 | George Karlaftis | Chiefs | EDGE | Purdue | |
| 1 | 31 | 31 | Daxton Hill | Bengals | S | Michigan | |
| 1 | 32 | 32 | Lewis Cine | Vikings | S | Georgia | Rams & Lions |
