NFL Draft 2022

NFL DRAFT 2022

Who will the Jaguars choose as the first pick? After one of the most exciting seasons in league history and perhaps one of the most exciting transfer deadlines, the teams decided to leave the remaining free agents, mostly veterans who have been on the waiting list for some time in their late thirties and turn to the youth, of course, considering finances and the future. What makes this draft special is the new trend of the teams to give away the spades of the first round for accomplished players so many franchises are waiting for more choices the first night. As many as eight teams will choose twice in the first 32, and we may see several trades during the first round. This year’s NFL draft is being held in Las Vegas, and it will be the 87th edition of this prestigious event. The first round will be held on Thursday, while the remaining rounds will be held on Friday and Saturday.

The question posed at the beginning of the text is one of the main dilemmas in the upcoming draft. Experts who have been closely following the NFL for years cannot agree on who will be chosen as the first pick in this year’s draft. According to the estimates of experts who follow the events in the NFL with great attention, and thus the NFL draft, this draft should be somewhat different compared to some previous years. It is speculated that after five years, the quarterback may not be selected as the first pick in the draft. As is well known, the Jacksonville Jaguars will have the right to choose the first pick in this year’s draft. For the second time in a row, Jaguars will have the honor of being the first to be selected in the draft.

Last year, the Jaguars drafted the Trevor Lawrence quarterback, so this year they are expected to opt for a player who plays in another position (offensive line, defensive line and wide receiver). As for the remaining teams that will be among the first to have the opportunity to choose players in the top 5, there are also: Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, the Jets and the Giants. It will be very interesting to see on which players the mentioned franchises will build the future. As we mentioned, it is not expected that in this draft, as in some previous hands, Commissioner Roger Goodell will be the first to provide one of the players who plays in the quaterback position, but it is said that it will be one of the edge rushers.

Certain major world media put Aidan Hutchinson, an edge rusher from Michigan who was a runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting, as the favorite for the first pick in this year’s draft. He should be the pillar of the defensive line of the mentioned Jaguars, and so far he has achieved 62 tackles as a senior. During March, the scouts had the opportunity to see his quite solid performances. In addition to Hutchinson, Travon Walker, a junior defensive end from Georgia, stands out as a potential first pick. He has had only 9.5 sacks in his college career so far, and he is expected to participate in this draft remotely, so it will look quite strange if he is selected as the first pick in the draft.

Kayvon Thibodeaux should also be at the top of the draft, and a 6-foot-5 defensive end that finished last season with 49 tackles and seven sacks but did not participate in drills. That would be other defensive linemen among the top five picks in the draft. As for offensive linemes several names rank high. Ikem Ekwonu from North Carolina State is one of the candidates for a high place in the draft. Ekwon, the 310-pound offensive tackle is considered a solid run blocker who has experience playing at both ends of the line. Ekwonu used to wrestle and took a high fourth place on the combines. A lot can be expected from him next season.

Evan Neal is one of the best offensive tackles in this year’s draft. Neal comes from Alabama and is a very diverse player who can play both left and right tackle. It is especially interesting that he did not participate in the combine, so he is one of the bigger names in this draft who did not decide to take that step. Charles Cross who comes from Mississippi State is projected to be selected among the top ten picks for his quick lower body skills and pass blocking.

As for the quaterbacks, we mentioned that they are not expected to be in focus when it comes to the selection in this year’s draft. The names of two players playing in the position of quarterbacks are mentioned so that they can be selected in the first round in Las Vegas. These are Malik Willis from Liberty and Matt Corral from Mississippi State. It is predicted that the Carolina Panthers could choose one of the mentioned two players. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who are in 20th place in this year’s draft, are also looking for a solution in the quarterback position after Ben Roethlisberger retired and Dwayne Haskins tragically passed away. According to some more skeptical predictions, only one quarterback could be selected in the first round, and that would be Kenny Picket. Last year, for example, 5 quaterbacks were chosen from the first 15 picks.

As for other positions, it is expected that Ahmad Gardner from Cincinnati will be the best chosen cornerback, because he is definitely the best player in that position at the moment, which the teams will have the opportunity to choose. Gardner never allowed a receiving touchdown in his collegiate carrer. Derek Stingley, a cornerback from Louisiana State, is also expected to rank high. Among the top ten in this year’s draft is expected to be Kyle Hamilton, safety from Notre Dame, although the players in that position will not be so highly positioned in the draft. Hamilton was fantastically rated at the combine and at one point he was even projected as a player who could be selected by one of the top five teams in the draft.