2022 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Packers Trade Up To No. 34, Select WR Christian Watson

April 29th, 2022 at 6:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

After another night in which the Packers added to their defense, but not the receiving corps, they have added a wideout right away on Day 2. Green Bay has traded picks 53 and 59 to the Vikings for 34, and with it, they have selected WR Christian Watson.

Watson was generally viewed as the top remaining receiver, after their was a surprising run at the position through the middle of the first round last night. Now, after much anticipation, Green Bay adds a high degree of upside to their WR room. Watson’s speed will likely help him fill the void left by Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Watson played four seasons at North Dakota State, saving his best year for last. He made 43 catches for 800 yards and seven touchdowns, which should give him an immediate role as a vertical threat in the Packers’ passing offense. With Sammy Watkins being the only other significant addition to the WR room so far, this deal of course doesn’t preclude the team from making further moves. At a minimum, they will exit the weekend with a new, noteworthy piece on offense.

Draft Notes: Remaining QBs, Jets, Vikings, Burks, Johnson

April 29th, 2022 at 5:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the main storylines from last night’s first round was the fact that only one quarterback came off the board. The Steelers have their preferred choice in Kenny Pickett, but the other top options likely won’t have to wait long to hear their names called.

Jeff Howe of the Athletic reports (via Twitter) that “several teams” are trying to move up in the second round. As a result, there is “anticipation that a QB run could be on the way”. A number of teams could be interested in adding the likes of Malik Willis, Sam Howell, Desmond Ridder and Matt Corral as intriguing developmental options.

On that point, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer names the Titans, Falcons, Seahawks and Commanders as teams to watch for. He reports that “Ridder’s name has been consistently connected to Tennessee”, who now holds the 35th overall pick. The other teams have done significant work on signal-callers as well. Perhaps eyeing a passer, the Seahawks have made “exploratory calls” about moving up tonight, per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson (Twitter link).

Here are some other notes looking back on last night:

The Jets, as it has been reported, were willing to part with the No. 10 pick for Deebo Samuel. They almost made a different deal with that selection, though, as detailed by ESPN’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter). New York wanted to swap with Seattle for No. 9 to avoid a team leapfrogging them to select Garrett Wilson. Both teams were able to successfully stand pat, ultimately getting Charles Cross and Wilson, respectively.
Not long after the top-10 was complete, the Vikings ceded the 12th overall pick to the Lions. With their second first-rounder, Detroit selected Jameson Williams, who may have been the pick at that spot had Minnesota kept it. Breer reports that the Alabama receiver “was very much in play ” for the Vikings, who added Lewis Cine and two Day 2 picks as a result of the deal.
Another of the top receivers to be taken last night was Treylon Burks, whom the Titans selected as a replacement for A.J. Brown. When speaking to Pat McAfee, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the Arkansas alum “was the guy Aaron Rodgers wanted” (video link). With him off the board, the Packers extended their streak of not using a Round 1 pick on a wideout, but he reports that they are a candidate to trade up for one tonight (video link).
One of the most surprising fallers on Thursday night was pass rusher Jermaine Johnson II. Part of the reason he was still on the board for the Jets at No. 25, Breer notes, was poor interviews with teams in the pre-draft process. Thought by some as a top-10 pick, he ended up with the Jets anyway, and figures to serve as a notable boost to their pass rush.

Latest On Panthers’ QB Pursuit

April 29th, 2022 at 4:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

4:46pm: The Panthers and Browns have continued their conversations on Mayfield, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (video link). The expectation now is Cleveland needing to eat a chunk of Mayfield’s $18.9MM fifth-year option salary would stand to improve Mayfield’s price tag, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds the cost for the since-replaced QB is expected to be a Day 3 pick.

The Panthers are also a candidate to trade into Round 2 for a rookie, but that would be quite costly. Because of its trades for Sam Darnold and C.J. Henderson, Carolina does not pick again until No. 137. Carolina is, however, high on Willis and Corral. Both visited the Panthers earlier this month, joining fellow potential Carolina target Howell in doing so.

12:04pm: Day 1 of this year’s draft has come and gone, and Sam Darnold remains at the top of the Panthers’ quarterback depth chart. While that doesn’t come as a surprise, the team’s situation at the position could still change in the near future.

According to Jeff Howe of the Athletic, Carolina’s interest in veterans such as Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo could heat back up. Given the fact that they made the expected move to bolster their offensive line by drafting Ikem Ekwonu sixth overall, he writes, the Panthers “now should be players for Mayfield.”

The two parties were linked in the build-up to the draft, with Carolina finding themselves as one of the runners-up to acquire Deshaun Watson. After initial reports indicated the team had little, if any, interest in Mayfield, the Panthers emerged in the eyes of many as the favorite to acquire him. Doing so, however, was only thought to be feasible after at least the draft’s opening round.

As Howe notes, any potential trade involving Mayfield is complicated by a number of factors. One is his contract; the 2018 No. 1 pick is due $18.86MM on the fifth-year option, just as Darnold is. For that reason, Howe writes, “the Browns are prepared to pay a portion of Mayfield’s salary to facilitate a deal.” Another is the team’s complete lack of Day 2 picks, taking them out of the running to draft the likes of Malik Willis, Desmond Ridder, Sam Howell or Matt Corral without sacrificing 2023 capital.

“I think we’ll look at every opportunity out there” said general manager Scott Fitterer, via Howe’s colleague Joe Person, regarding the QB market. “There’s still some really good players in this draft. And we’ll also look at every opportunity outside the organization.” Whether the team acts on those opportunities will be worth monitoring as the weekend progresses.

Jaguars Acquire No. 27, Select LB Devin Lloyd

April 28th, 2022 at 10:07pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars are moving up. Jacksonville has acquired No. 27 from the Buccaneers and will select Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd.

In exchange for No. 27, Tampa Bay acquired picks No. 33, No. 106, and No. 180 from the Jaguars. Tampa Bay will unofficially be on the clock following tonight’s first-round festivities. If this ends up being the final deal of the night, it will make nine total trades.

The six-foot-three, 235-pound Lloyd had a massively productive four-year career in Utah. He saved his best for last, producing 111 tackles, including 22 for a loss, seven sacks and four interceptions in 14 games in 2021. His play earned him Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors and was a main reason why the Utes won their conference and made their first ever appearance in the Rose Bowl.

While he is on the leaner side for a middle linebacker (which probably contributed to his late-first draft stock), his length and speed should easily let him translate that production into NFL success.

Jets Acquire No. 26, Select Edge Jermaine Johnson II

April 28th, 2022 at 9:56pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets are adding a third first-round selection to their squad. The Jets have acquired pick No. 26 from the Titans and will select FSU edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II.

Ultimately, New York acquired picks No. 26 and No. 101 from Tennessee. In exchange, the Jets will send the Titans picks No. 35, No. 69, and No. 163.

Johnson had an unexpected slide down the draft boards this evening. At one point, some pundits expected the FSU product to be a top-1o pick. Instead, the pass rusher reverted back to his original late-first-round draft stock, and the Jets took advantage of the opportunity.

Johnson II took a risk to play one year in Tallahassee, and he achieved the desired result. The red-shirt senior transferred from Georgia, where he enrolled as a JUCO prospect out of Independence Community College.In his lone season at Florida State, Johnson II led the ACC in tackles for loss (17.5) and sacks (11.5), surpassing both of his career Georgia totals (eight tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks) in half the time. He spent a lot of time harassing ACC quarterbacks as he racked up 12 quarterback hurries and forced 2 fumbles.

The Jets had two selections earlier this evening, selecting Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner at No. 4 and Ohio State wideout Garrett Wilson at No. 10.

Chiefs Acquire No. 21 From Patriots, Select CB Trent McDuffie

April 28th, 2022 at 9:26pm CST by Ben Levine

If you can believe it, the Patriots are trading back. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Patriots are trading pick No. 21. The Chiefs are on the other side of the deal, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The Chiefs will use the selection on Washington corner Trent McDuffie.

Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Patriots traded pick No. 21 to Kansas City for picks No. 29, No. 94, and No. 121.

Armed with 12 selections entering the draft, the Chiefs were among the teams exploring a trade up the draft board. Many assumed Kansas City would make a trade in pursuit of a wideout. Instead, the front office decided to improve their secondary, a unit that needed some help after the organization moved on from cornerback Tyrann Mathieu.

McDuffie obviously can’t replicate the production of the former All-Pro, but the rookie has plenty of upside. The Washington product had a productive 2021 campaign, finishing with 35 tackles and six passes defended. His performance earned him third-team All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 honors after the past year.

Bill Belichick and co. have always had an affinity for trading back, especially in the first round. With New England having plenty of holes to fill throughout their roster, it only makes sense that the organization would look to pick up some extra assets while still retaining a first-round pick.

Steelers Pick Kenny Pickett At No. 20 Overall

April 28th, 2022 at 9:20pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ben Roethlisberger-era is over for the Steelers. In comes Kenny Pickett from nearby University of Pittsburgh, selected with the 20th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The long-awaited conclusion to the debate of which quarterback would be selected first finally ends in historic fashion, as this is the latest we’ve seen a draft go without any quarterback selections since 1997, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Picket is the first quarterback off the board over Liberty’s Malik Willis and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral, as well as some other contenders.

Pickett’s statistics in his last year exploded off the page as he threw for 4,319 yards with 42 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, adding 233 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground. Pickett had a prolific season, leading the Panthers to their first ever ACC Championship. He was named a first-team All-American and finished 3rd in Heisman voting, taking advantage of a rare opportunity due to COVID-19 granting him a fifth year of eligibility.

Pickett is the latest Panther to walk across the campus and join the Steelers’ organization, as running back James Conner did in 2017.

Ravens Draft Kyle Hamilton At No. 14 Overall

April 28th, 2022 at 8:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton has seen his first round slide end at No. 14 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Ravens get the top-ranked safety on the board who was viewed at points of the pre-draft process at a top-5 draft pick.

Hamilton had a highly productive three-year career with the Fighting Irish. He totaled 138 tackles and eight interceptions, demonstrating positional flexibility and leadership qualities along the way. His testing numbers, season-ending knee injury and overall athletic profile, however, have led to a belief he could drop to at least the second half of the first round.

Luckily for Hamilton, his fall has ended and he landed himself in a franchise that prides itself on defense. The Ravens lost safety DeShon Elliott, but replaced him with former-Saints safety Marcus Williams.

Whether the Ravens will utilize Hamilton to help replace Elliott’s production or to boost a lackluster linebacker group is to be seen. Hamilton’s versatility will give them plenty of options in the upcoming season.

Eagles Acquire No. 13, Take Georgia DL Jordan Davis

April 28th, 2022 at 8:41pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve got another trade, and it involves one of the teams most active in trade talks. The Eagles have acquired No. 13 from the Texans and selected Georgia DL Jordan Davis.

The Texans received a handful of picks from Philly in the trade. The Eagles sent picks No. 15, No. 124, No. 162, and No. 166 to Houston.

Davis was a mainstay on the Bulldogs’ defense during his four seasons with Georgia. Playing in a run-stopping role, the six-foot-six, 340 pounder totaled seven sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. Those numbers, along with eye-popping athletic testing at the combine, leave the door open to his development as a three-down player.

Davis had pre-draft visits with a number of teams, including the Ravens and Eagles. Philly may have been scared that Baltimore would snag the defensive tackle at No. 14, leading to the trade with the Texans.

At the moment, Davis will be joining a depth chart that’s led by veteran Fletcher Cox. The 31-year-old was cut and re-signed by the Eagles earlier this offseason, but his one-year pact means he may not be sticking around Philadelphia long term. Today’s move certainly reinforces that sentiment.

Lions Acquire No. 12 From Vikings, Select WR Jameson Williams

April 28th, 2022 at 8:38pm CST by Ben Levine

After selecting at No. 2, the Lions have now moved up to No. 12, and they’ve gone with an offensive weapon. With their new selection, Detroit has selected Alabama wideout Jameson Williams.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), the Lions acquired pick No. 12 and No. 46 from the Vikings for picks No. 32, No. 34, and No. 66.

Williams suffered a torn ACL in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship game. Assuming he is placed on the physically unable to perform list, the rookie wideout wouldn’t be able to make his NFL debut until at least Week 7, which would be late October.

When healthy, Williams is one of the best receivers in the draft. He had a breakout campaign in 2021 after transferring from Ohio State to Alabama, finishing with 79 catches for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns, earning him a first-team All-American nod. A number of teams have been connected to the receiver, including the Jets and Eagles.

In Detroit, he’ll provide an uncertain offense with a jolt of energy. Previous reports indicated that the organization made the trade for Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett, and it will be interesting to see if the organization adds a rookie to compete with Jared Goff under center.

2022 NFL Draft News & Rumors