What happened in Round 1 of 2022 NFL Draft

Below are the pick-by-pick results for every draft pick in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft as well as full analysis and grades for every pick. Follow NFL Draft Day 2 live updates here.
The Athletic NFL Staff
What happened in Round 1 of 2022 NFL Draft

Summary

Below are the pick-by-pick results for every draft pick in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft as well as full analysis and grades for every pick. Follow NFL Draft Day 2 live updates here.

Here are the best available players heading into Round 2.

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
  2. Detroit Lions: Aidan Hutchinson, Edge, Michigan
  3. Houston Texans: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
  4. New York Jets: Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
  5. New York Giants: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge, Oregon
  6. Carolina Panthers: Ikem Ekwonu, OL, North Carolina State
  7. New York Giants (from Bears): Evan Neal, OL, Alabama
  8. Atlanta Falcons: Drake London, WR, USC
  9. Seattle Seahawks (from Broncos): Charles Cross, OL, Mississippi State
  10. New York Jets (from Seahawks): Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
  11. New Orleans Saints (from Commanders): Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
  12. Detroit Lions (from Vikings): Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
  13. Philadelphia Eagles (from Texans): Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
  14. Baltimore Ravens: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
  15. Houston Texans: Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A&M
  16. Washington Commanders: Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
  17. Los Angeles Chargers: Zion Johnson, OL, Boston College
  18. Tennessee Titans (from Eagles): Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
  19. New Orleans Saints (from Eagles): Trevor Penning, OL, Northern Iowa
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
  21. Kansas City Chiefs (from Patriots): Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
  22. Green Bay Packers (from Raiders): Quay Walker, LB, Georgia
  23. Buffalo Bills: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
  24. Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Smith, OL, Tulsa
  25. Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Linderbaum, OL, Iowa
  26. New York Jets: Jermaine Johnson, Edge, Florida State
  27. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Buccaneers): Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
  28. Green Bay Packers: Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia
  29. New England Patriots (from Chiefs): Cole Strange, OL, Chattanooga
  30. Kansas City Chiefs: George Karlaftis, Edge, Purdue
  31. Cincinnati Bengals: Daxton Hill, CB, Michigan
  32. Minnesota Vikings (from Lions): Lewis Cine, S, Georgia

The 2022 NFL Draft

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(Photo Travon Walker: Gary Vasquez / USA TODAY Sports)

The Athletic NFL Staff

More trends and notes from Day 1

More trends and notes from Day 1

  • Five defensive players were selected with the first five selections in the 2022 NFL Draft. The only other draft it’s happened in was in 1991. That draft had six consecutive defensive selections.

  • With the selections of Derek Stingley Jr. (No. 3) and Sauce Gardner (No. 4), it marks the first time since the 1997 NFL Draft that two defensive backs were selected among the top-five picks.

  • Nine teams selected multiple players during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft (Ravens, Texans, Lions, Packers, Jaguars, Chiefs, Saints, Giants, Jets), the most to make multiple first-round selections in a single draft since 1967.

  • The New York Giants (No. 5 and No. 7 overall) and New York Jets (No. 4 and No. 10) each made two selections within the first 10 picks. It marked the fourth time in the common-draft era that two teams each made multiple top-10 selections in the same NFL Draft, joining 2000 (Baltimore and Washington), 1979 (Buffalo and Chicago) and 1973 (Baltimore Colts and Philadelphia).

(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)

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NFL Draft Round 1 Winners and Losers: The Jets (yes the Jets!) have a big night

NFL Draft Round 1 Winners and Losers: The Jets (yes the Jets!) have a big night

The Jets needed a win, and they owned the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The haul for Jets – cornerback Ahmad Gardner (No. 4), wide receiver Garrett Wilson (No. 10) and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson (No. 26) – looks like a home run for general manager Joe Douglas.

The Jets were able to fill three clear needs on their roster, and it’s not hard to imagine all three of those first-round picks in the Week 1 starting lineup. Yes, that’s because the Jets’ roster needs upgrades all over, but those three players would be starters on most teams next season.

Johnson is especially intriguing, as a player the Jets considered taking at No. 10 (when they took Wilson, instead). As receivers and offensive linemen took over the middle of the draft, the Jets patiently waited for a chance to move back into the first round and get a player they wanted all along.

Considering the Jets have won just six games over the past two seasons, Thursday was the best night Jets fans have had in a long time.

Winners and losers from Thursday’s first round

(Photo by David Becker / Getty Images)

The Athletic NFL Staff

More on AJ Brown trade

"Tennessee I love you and you will forever be in my heart and I can say this now," AJ Brown wrote in a since deleted tweet. "THIS WAS NOT MY FAULT. But I wish you all the best . Love"

Titans GM Jon Robinson told reporters about the trade: "We got to a spot where it was going to be hard to get (an extension) done."

2022 NFL Draft grades for every Round 1 pick: Two A’s for Giants and a D for the Patriots

Welcome to our pick-by-pick first-round grades of the 2022 NFL Draft. From Aidan Hutchinson to Kayvon Thibodeaux to Jordan Davis, we’ll analyze every single selection as the action unfolds Thursday night.

For those of you who think we should wait a few years before grading the picks, we disagree. NFL teams have to make decisions under uncertainty. So we should evaluate them based on what we know at the time of the pick. The grades below will reflect not only the quality of the prospects but also the process — in other words, whether it’s a wise use of resources given the state of the franchise.

Having said that, feel free to report me to Old Takes Exposed in a couple years when these look foolish.

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The Athletic NFL Staff

Best available players in the 2022 NFL Draft, including Malik Willis and Andrew Booth Jr.

Best available players in the 2022 NFL Draft, including Malik Willis and Andrew Booth Jr.

Travon Walker, chosen first by the Jacksonville Jaguars after being the No. 4 player on Dane Brugler’s Big Board, was the first of 262 players who will hear their names called during the three days of the 2022 NFL Draft. Here are the best available players after each pick comes off the board.

(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)

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The Athletic NFL Staff

What a year to be a Georgia Bulldog

Georgia fans will always remember 2022.

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Remember the No. 29 pick, Niners fans?

What a Strange journey for the #29 overall pick, which was originally the 49ers’ 2022 first-rounder. It went to Miami last season in the #3/Trey Lance deal. It then went to Kansas City in the Tyreek Hill trade. It was swapped to New England tonight. The Patriots ultimately used the pick on Chattanooga center Cole Strange.

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Bears look ahead to Day 2

Despite the flurry of WR movement, most (all?) of the wideouts we expected to be there in Round 2 will be, along with DBs and O-linemen. The Bears are also in a prime spot to trade down with a team that wants to take a QB after only one was selected in Round 1. Ryan Poles might have gotten anxious seeing the trades, but he stayed patient, and he'll have opportunities to move around Friday.

Chiefs didn't 'get too cute' in picking George Karlaftis

Brett Veach said the Chiefs did take a call from another team that was interested with the 30th pick. Based on their board and the positional need, Veach said the Chiefs "didn't want to get too cute." The Chiefs selected George Karlaftis.

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What Packers defense could look like after taking Devonte Wyatt

After taking Georgia DT Devonte Wyatt with the No. 28 pick, here is an outline of what Green Bay’s defense might look like in 2022: DL: Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Devonte Wyatt OLB: Rashan Gary, Preston Smith ILB: De'Vondre Campbell, Quay Walker CB: Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Rasul Douglas S: Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage Jr.

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Teammates love Lewis Cine

Teammates love Lewis Cine

Kevin O’Connell said the Vikings talked to a lot of Georgia players in the pre-draft process and asked which teammate they’d like to bring with them to the NFL. “And Lewis Cine’s name came up a lot,” O’Connell said.

(Photo: Dale Zanine / USA T oday)

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Stars Matter

Among Thursday night’s 32 first-round picks, 20 of them were blue-chip recruits coming out of high school:

  • 8 were five-star recruits coming out of high school including 6 of the top 10 picks

  • 12 were four-star recruits

  • 9 were three-star recruits

  • 1 was a two-star recruit

  • 2 were unrated (Zion Johnson and Trevor Penning)

The Athletic NFL Staff

What Malik Willis said after not being drafted in Round 1

Liberty quarterback Malik Willis, rated the draft's No. 1 prospect at his position by some analysts, is the No. 4 best available player on Dane Brugler's Big Board entering Round 2. Here's what he said Thursday night after finishing his evening still waiting in the green room:

Lions were prepared to move up

Brad Holmes said the Lions started making calls about moving up from 32 before tonight, and then things just aligned. "If you have a player that's at an elite skill set and you're not sure you're going to get that skill set back where you're at, that's when you start making plans."

The Athletic NFL Staff

No RBs in first round

It was somewhat expected, but no running backs went in the first round tonight.

How No. 32 pick Lewis Cine fits Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings traded down, snagged extra picks in this draft and will go to sleep Thursday night with Lewis Cine in their secondary. That’s outstanding for first-year GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The Lions get the player they want in Jameson Williams at 12, Minnesota adds value and snags one of the best hitters in this draft regardless of position. Cine tackles everything, an advanced run defender for his age. The Vikings are back on the board early Friday night at No. 34, Detroit’s original second-rounder.

And with that, Georgia sets the record with five defenders off the board in round one: Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt and Lewis Cine. Florida State (2006) and Miami (2004) had the previous record. What a ride for Kirby Smart's group.

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How No. 31 pick Dax Hill fits Bengals

For all the explosive plays and offensive highlights in the 2021 regular season, Cincinnati's run to a Super Bowl appearance was made possible by Lou Anarumo and his defense stifling every offense it came across in the postseason. Whether it was playing tight coverage against Las Vegas, playing zone coverage with help over the top against Tennessee, or spying Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, the Bengals were willing to do whatever it took to secure a win. Daxton Hill fits like a glove in that kind of framework, and the Bengals have enough pieces in place that it's not imperative for Hill to play just one position. Hill's versatility is the selling point, but his top-end speed is the trait that the Bengals needed most in the defensive backfield. Expect him to mix in at safety and in the slot, depending on what mismatches offenses try to present. For a team that was already ahead of schedule, Hill will help the Bengals sustain its success into the future.

Chiefs wasted no time in picking George Karlaftis

The Chiefs obviously were not affected by the Patriots' surprise selection of Cole Strange with the 29th pick. They waited about five seconds before turning in the card for Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis at 30. And so the Chiefs come away from this first round with help at corner and defensive end. Pretty much right on script.

The Athletic NFL Staff

Add Lewis Cine to Georgia's record night

The national champions are making themselves known in this draft.

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