Pick-by-pick analysis from the 1st round of the NFL Draft
Here’s how the entire first round played out on Thursday night…
1 — Jacksonville Jaguars — Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
For most of the lead up to the NFL Draft, Aidan Hutchinson was considered the No. 1 prospect but in the days before the draft, Walker emerged as the favorite. The Jaguars went with one of the most freakish players in the draft rather than focusing on the players who produced more in college. Walker only had 9.0 sacks in 30 games at Georgia but ran an insane 4.51 40-yard dash at the Combine at 272 pounds. Jacksonville is betting on his upside.
2 — Detroit Lions — Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
Hutchinson solidified himself as a top draft pick in 2021 by racking up 14.0 sacks in his final season at Michigan. The Lions get a foundational future pass rusher to continue their rebuild. Detroit had the third fewest sacks in the NFL last season. The Lions are hoping Hutchinson changes that right away.
3 — Houston Texans — Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
Many mock drafters underappreciated how much the league would value Stingley Jr.’s raw talent. He was routinely mocked to the Vikings at 12 but ended up going much earlier. At his pro day he solidified himself by proving to be back healthy after two years of battling injuries. Now the expectation is that Stingley Jr. will return to the form that he flashed in 2019 as an historically good freshman for the Tigers. He is now the centerpiece of a major overhaul of the Texans’ roster.
4 — New York Jets — Sauce Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
Gardner was considered the top cornerback prospect in the draft until Stingley Jr.’s pro day, but he didn’t drop far. The Jets jumped to take the lanky defensive back who gave up a 22.6 quarterback rating into his coverage last year, per PFF. The Vikings’ hopes of having a top corner prospect draft were dashed in the top five.
5 — New York Giants — Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
The explosive edge rusher was debated throughout the draft but still landed in the top five. He had 7.0 sacks in 10 games last year and a 91.5 pass rushing grade from PFF. The Giants were 23rd in points allowed in 2021, so they will be looking for instant defensive improvement with Thibodeaux in the mix.
6 — Carolina Panthers — Ickey Ekwonu, T, NC State
The Panthers had a chance to take a prospect quarterback at this pick but they elected to load up on offensive line instead. While Ekwonu is undersized by tackle standards, he is a terrific athlete, running a sub-5.0 40-yard dash. The Panthers were 28th by PFF in pass blocking last season.
7 — New York Giants — Evan Neal, T, Alabama
Despite declining Daniel Jones’s fifth-year option on draft day, the Giants elected to stock up on offensive line. They now have a playing partner with former top-five pick Andrew Thomas. The Giants ranked 30th in PFF pass blocking last year, so Neal’s services are much needed. Neal allowed just 14 QB pressures all year.
8 — Atlanta Falcons — Drake London, WR, USC
With Calvin Ridley suspended and Julio Jones traded last offseason, the Falcons have only Cordarrelle Patterson as a game-breaking receiver. On draft night they decided to roll with a 6-foot-4 contested-catch monster in London. There are questions about his speed but he caught 88 passes for over 1,000 yards for the Trojans last year. London helps the Falcons start their total offensive rebuild.
9 — Seattle Seahawks — Charles Cross, T, Mississippi State
Seattle has long battled with poor offensive line play. On draft night, they attempted to turn around that trend, while setting up the O-line for whatever future quarterback they settle on. Cross was ranked as the third best prospect on PFF’s big board and he only allowed 16 pressures.
10 — New York Jets — Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
Looking for playmakers to put around Zach Wilson, the Jets went with Ohio State’s explosive receiver. Last year for the Buckeyes he caught 70 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns. Wilson is especially strong after the catch and posted an outstanding 85.9 PFF grade against man coverage.
11 — New Orleans Saints (via Washington) — Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
In a stunning move, the Saints jumped up to take the other Ohio State receiver. Olave is a route-running master and the future of Michael Thomas appears to be unclear.
12 — Detroit Lions (via Minnesota Vikings) — Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
The Lions gave up picks 32, 34 and 66 for No. 12 and 46 from the Vikings, spurring the world to think Detroit was going to take a quarterback. Instead they went for the playmaking speedster receiver. Williams tore his ACL at the end of last season but is expected to make a full recovery and potentially come back this year.
13 — Philadelphia Eagles (via Houston Texans) — Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
The Eagles gave up picks 18, 124, 162, 166 to take the darling of the NFL Combine. Davis scored perfect 10.00 Relative Athletic Score, ranking him No. 1 out of 1459 DT from 1987 to 2022. His biggest question mark his how often he can stay on the field. He played over 300 snaps in just one of his three season at Georgia.
The Ravens were mocked as a frequent destination for Davis which is likely why the Eagles traded up to get in front of them.
14 — Baltimore Ravens — Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
With Davis off the board, the Ravens grab the best player available and top safety. Hamilton occupied a top-5 spot on draft analysts’ big boards for most of the year. Hamilton had three consecutive seasons with PFF grades above 75.0.
However, concerns about his speed and positional value saw him fall. He ran a 4.59 40-yd dash at the Combine.
15 — Houston Texans — Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M
The first interior offensive lineman goes off the board to the Texans. Houston needs help all across the offensive line. They ranked 24th in pass blocking and 32nd in run blocking in 2021, according to PFF. Green is a particularly strong pass blocker, where he had a 86.3 PFF grade last season.
16 — Washington Commanders — Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
Washington opts for a twitchy, under-sized receiver to compliment Terry McLaurin on the outside. Dotson wins with his elusiveness and route-running. He caught 91 passes for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021. Dotson was ranked No. 56 on PFF’s big board.
17 — Los Angeles Chargers — Zion Johnson, G, Boston College
The Chargers take an offensive lineman for the second consecutive year, pairing Rashawn Slater with Johnson as long term pieces along the offensive line to protect Justin Herbert.
Johnson allowed just one sack and three hurries in 2021 and projects as a starter immediately. The Chargers ranked No. 16 in pass blocking grade in 2021, according to PFF.
18 — Tennessee Titans (via Philadelphia Eagles) — Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
Tennessee trades away A.J. Brown to get a younger, cheaper replacement. Burks is similarly big-bodied, standing at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds. Burks fell on draft boards after a mediocre combine but had outstanding production at Arkansas.
He ranked 9th in the FBS in average yards after the catch (9.3) and collected 1,100 yards and 11 scores last season.
Tennessee also received pick 101 from the Eagles in the trade.
19 — New Orleans Saints — Tyler Penning, T, Northern Iowa
Saints grab an offensive lineman to go along with Olave. There are concerns about the competition Penning faced at Northern Iowa, but he produced at an excellent clip. He ranked 1st in the nation in true pass sets (210) and allowed just one sack.
One red flag is penalties. He has 34 penalties in his last 31 games.
20 — Pittsburgh Steelers — Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh takes the leap and nabs the first QB, opting for the more NFL-ready QB in Pickett.
If Pickett succeeds, he’ll be an outlier. He has the third-smallest hands (8 1/4 inches) measured since 1999 and there are no starters in the NFL with hands smaller than nine inches. He has 38 career fumbles.
Pickett threw for 4,308 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven INTs in 2021.
21 — Kansas City Chiefs (via New England) — Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
Most of the prognosticators expected McDuffie to be taken higher, so the Chiefs decided to stop his fall. The Chiefs were desperate for a cornerback and they end up landing an undersized player who put up impressive underlying numbers. McDuffie gave up a passer rating allowed of 52 over the last two years.
22 — Green Bay Packers — Quay Walker, LB, Georgia
The Packers lost some key players from their defense this offseason, including Za’Darius Smith. The Georgia linebacker is considered an all-around player who was strong against the run and increased his pass rushing snaps last year. Walker’s athletic skills give him a high ceiling. He ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at the Combine.
23 — Buffalo Bills (via Baltimore) — Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
Looking for a partner in the secondary for Tre White, the Bills decided to move up to take another corner. Elam played at least 10 games in each of the last three seasons and never allowed a a quarterback rating against of more than 75 (per PFF). His play dipped last season, in part because of a high volume of penalties. That may have influenced his drop in the draft.
24 — Dallas Cowboys — Tyler Smith, T, Tulsa
This offseason the Cowboys lost La’el Collins. They look to replace him with a 6-foot-5, 325-pound tackle. Smith was one of the highest graded run blocking tackles by PFF this year but his pass blocking is somewhat questionable. Dallas ends up with a project, who will be moving from left to right tackle.
25 — Baltimore Ravens — Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa
Building in front of Lamar Jackson, the Ravens decided to go with the best center prospect in the draft to replace exiting Bradley Bozeman. He won the Remington trophy last year and graded an overall 95.6 by PFF and gave up just seven QB pressures last year.
26 — New York Jets (via Tennessee) — Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State
The biggest faller of the day, there were mock drafts projecting the Minnesota native as a potential top-15 selection. Instead the Jets get one of college football’s most productive pass rushers from 2021. Johnson had 12 sacks for the Seminoles and an impressive 84.3 pass rush grade in passing situations. However, he is 23 years old and the NFL might not have believed in his strong Senior Bowl practice showing.
27 — Jacksonville Jaguars (via Tampa Bay) — Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
The Utes’ linebacker was as versatile as they come in college, splitting his snaps between run defense, coverage and pass rushing and he thrived in all three areas. He had eight sacks and four interceptions on the year. Lloyd gives the Jaguars another body to rebuild their defense, even if it isn’t considered the most valued position.
28 — Green Bay Packers — Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia
No receiver? No receiver. The Packers went with another Georgia Bulldog defensive player instead. They get one who was among the most dominating interior rushers in the country. Wyatt ran a 4.77 40-yard dash and graded an 84.0 in pass rushing by PFF. Whether Wyatt will make the same type of impact as a weapon for Aaron Rodgers…we’ll see.
29 — New England Patriots — Cole Strange, G, Chattanooga
Possibly the biggest reach of the night. Strange ranked 86th on PFF’s big board. While undersized, he had an impressive NFL Combine, which may caught the interest of the Patriots. Still, at nearly 24 years old, it’s a shocking first-round pick.
30 — Kansas City Chiefs — George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue
The Chiefs elected to reload on defense by picking Karlaftis. In 26 college games, he managed 14 sacks and 29 tackles for loss. Kansas City struggled to get after the passer, ranking 29th in sacks in 2021.
31 — Cincinnati Bengals — Daxton Hill, CB, Michigan
While the Bengals’ defense was good enough to get them to the Super Bowl, it wasn’t impressive overall, finishing 17th in points allowed. At 6-foot-1, Hill has good size and allowed just one touchdown in 2021.
32 — Minnesota Vikings — Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
The Vikings decided to leave Malik Willis on the board and preferred to pick a defensive back. Cine played all over the field and received high grades from PFF against the run and pass. The pick shows a lack of belief in Cam Bynum as an immediate option and continues the Vikings’ investment on defense this offseason.
