The 2022 NFL Draft is six days away. The unpredictability of the NFL Draft is part of why we all love it so much. There is usually chaos throughout the whole process.
Today, I am going to break out my Nostradamus hat and make five bold predictions for the 2022 NFL Draft.
2022 NFL DRAFT: FIVE BOLD PREDICTIONS
1) Four QBs Taken in Round One
I think we all fully expect that both, Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis, are going to hear their names called on the first night. But because I think some teams are going to get desperate to get that “franchise” QB, you are going to see some reaches in the first round. To be honest, every passer selected in round one will be a reach. But that is neither here nor there.
Could Desmond Ridder or Sam Howell or Matt Corral be drafted in the first round? It is quite possible. Desperate times call for desperate measures as the old saying goes.
2) No Trades in the Top 10
As I mentioned above, none of these quarterbacks are inciting great confidence. It is a bad time to have a top pick. Normally, the Jaguars would have commanded a king’s ransom for the top pick. However, no one is going to pay that price without a top quarterback to acquire. The Lions, Jets, and Giants all pick in the top ten and all can use a large talent infusion. I am less inclined to believe that they will move their picks.
If any team moves out of the top ten, I believe it will be Carolina or Atlanta. But like they say, “it takes two to tango”.
3) A Running Back will not be Selected Until Round Three
The devaluing of the running back position will continue with the 2022 NFL Draft. There are only two, what I would call Tier One RBs in this class. That is Iowa State’s Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III from Michigan State. It wouldn’t surprise me if neither was selected in the first 64 picks. The RB position has become one where you can find starter-level talent anywhere in the draft (or after it).
4) Neither Green Bay nor Kansas City will Draft a WR in Round One
This seems crazy to think that neither will draft a wide receiver after they both traded franchise wide receivers in the offseason. But will Green Bay replace Davante Adams with pick 22 or 28? Will the Chiefs replace Tyreek Hill with pick 29 or 30? I don’t know that they will.
Green Bay never drafts a WR in the first no matter how many times they have needed one. That even led to one of the larger fits that Aaron Rodgers has thrown a couple of years ago.
I also feel like Kansas City could opt to address some needs on defense before adding another pass catcher. I think the depth of the WR class will allow both teams to use the other picks they have loaded up on and address that problem later.
5) Two Teams Will Trade Into the Back End of the First Round
It has almost become cliche to say teams will trade back into the first round so they can get a fifth-year option on players. However, as I mentioned earlier, desperate teams do desperate things. You could see teams like Atlanta, Washington, or maybe even Indianapolis move back into the first to draft one of the QBs who fall. You have the possibility of a team wanting to draft another player they don’t want to allow to fall any further.