The NFL Draft is one of the most exciting weeks of the year.
It is where we get a first look at all the rookies that could have a huge impact on the league and we start to get an idea of the tactics the coaches will be employing next season.
Because of the structure of the Draft, it can get quite political and tactical. In the weeks before, we see teams starting to trade big-name players for an earlier or extra draft pick.
Meanwhile, all over the country, hopefuls sit by the TV waiting to see if they are going to join the NFL.
Most of the time, the order in which the players are picked gives us a good idea of the impact they will have on the game. But not always – Bret Favre was picked 82nd and Tom Brady was picked 199th.
That being said, at this time of year we like to look at how the Drafted players might make a difference to the strength of their team.
Here are the updated NFL lines after the Draft.
Today, we are going to talk about the 5 teams that look to have had a really good 2022 Draft.
First stop, the Steelers.
Big Ben Roethlisberger has retired after playing for the Steelers since 2004. Roethlisberger is one of the most underrated quarterbacks of all time (but that is an article for another day), and leaves a big gap in the Steelers’ lineup.
A gap that we thought they were hoping to fill with free agent Mitchell Trubisky. However, it appears that the Steelers are hoping for a little bit more excitement in the camp.
They have also Drafted former Pittsburgh Panther, Kenny Pickett.
While this choice will push both players to up their game, we can’t help but feel sorry for Trubisky who was obviously brought into the team thinking he was going to start.
In the weeks leading up to the Draft, the Ravens swapped Marquise Brown for the Cardinal’s 1st Round picks and their 3rd Round pick. This caused panic amongst Ravens fans. Brown was one of the best wideout players they have (and that list is not long).
However, the Ravens’ first pick was Kyle Hamilton. Hamilton should have gone in the Top 5, but luckily for Ravens fans, he didn’t.
The Ravens also snapped up Tyler Linderbaum to protect their quarterback in the center of the field. Linderbaum is a little undersized at the moment – but that can be fixed. What he does other is fast thinking, fast feet, and an incredible work ethic.
These two will fit well into the Ravens camp and could make a huge impact on the team.
Many will argue (us included) that the Jets won the Draft this season.
The Jets managed to get themselves three 1st Round picks this year – 4th, 10th, and 26th overall. And they used them well.
Firstly they picked up Ahmad Gardner (also known as Sauce Gardener), who is already popular with the media and may become the face of the Jets in years to come. Sauce will slot in perfectly to the Offensive teams that they have put together at the Jets. He might just bring the talent needed to turn around their poor record over the past few seasons.
For their second pick, they grabbed the wide receiver, Garrett Wilson. Willson was rushing over 1000 yards a year at college and might just be the perfect fit for the Jets.
Their final 1st Round pick was the rusher, Jermaine Johnson. Johnson was ACC Defensive Player of the Year. We can’t wait to see what he can do.
Even we were shocked by the Eagles’ 1st Round Draft move – instead of picking a rookie, they chose to trade for A.J. Brown.
Brown may just be one of the best wide receivers in the league right now. We wouldn’t have traded him if we were the Titans… After two fairly underwhelming years from Jalen Reagor, the Eagles needed to bring some more depth to their side.
No one is more excited about this trade than DeVonta Smith – who has said he can’t wait to learn all he can from Brown. In our opinion, Smith is selling himself a little short here, as he has proved that he is more than capable of competing against the best of them.
Finally, let’s talk about the Lions.
Matthew Stafford’s Super Bowl victory with the Rams just after leaving the Lions proves that there is something systematically wrong in their camp.
No one is really sure what the Lions can do to turn things around.
This year, the Lions have taken a risk – they picked Aidan Hutchinson. Many had thought Hutchinson could have been the first pick overall, but the Vikings weren’t impressed.
So, have the Vikings seen something the Lions have missed? Only time will tell…
In the 6th Round, the Lions had a strange choice, choosing to bring a middling EDGE rusher into the team, rather than picking up a second wide receiver. Will this pay off for them?
You can view the original article HERE.
