Answering the 2022 NFL draft’s biggest questions

Tristan H. Cockcroft, fantasy football writer: Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans. Burks is a natural replacement for A.J. Brown — even swapped for the very pick used to select the rookie — and he fits the Titans’ need for a yards-after-the-catch receiver (largely created by the Brown trade). Burks should immediately join the starting lineup of an offense that should be better with a healthy Derrick Henry. He has the skills to emerge as the best of this year’s loaded receiving class.

Jeremy Fowler, national NFL writer: Ken Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks. Seattle will be dedicated to the running game and will force-feed Walker, whom it considered a top-20 overall player in this draft. Chris Olave also is a strong candidate here, as Jameis Winston will target him early and often in New Orleans.

Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers. So many wide receivers to choose from, but give me the one whose quarterback is the reigning MVP and whose unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver got traded this offseason. It’s a big jump for Watson from FCS ball to the NFL, but he has the talent to make it. If he can earn Rodgers’ trust early, the first-year numbers could be huge.

Doug Kezirian, sports betting analyst: Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets. He was hand-picked to be the main option for Zach Wilson, and that’s why he is among the favorites here at 8-1 odds (Caesars Sportsbook). This is a position that has been able to make an immediate impact and contend for this award, as we have recently seen with Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Wilson’s situation is conducive, and of course, the New York market can only help.

Eric Moody, fantasy football writer: Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans. Burks is positioned for success with the Titans, especially since Brown is now an Eagle. Tennessee led the league in rushing attempts last season (32.1). However, the Titans do have the second-most available targets (351) and air yards (2,914) entering the 2022 season. Burks — like Brown — has the ability to threaten opposing defenses vertically and after the catch, and he will be able to collect a ton of stats during his rookie year.

Matt Miller, NFL draft analyst: Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers. Rodgers desperately needs a new favorite target and Watson has elite speed with a 6-foot-5 frame. He is raw coming out of the run-first North Dakota State offense, but his ability to create after the catch and his mismatch size in the red zone will have him targeted often.

Jordan Reid, NFL draft analyst: Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans. With Brown gone, those touches he accumulated throughout three seasons have to now be spread out somewhere. Burks is a do-it-all player who likely will be used in a multitude of ways. On the depth chart, he won’t have to fight for touches with anyone else besides Robert Woods.

Mike Tannenbaum, NFL front office insider: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers. Pickett should be a Day 1 starter and has a great head coach, offensive line and running back. He is set up for instant success and is experienced enough to minimize the challenges that come with being a rookie QB.

Seth Walder, sports analytics writer: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers. Realistically, quarterbacks are held to a lower standard to win this award than other positions. Think about 2020: Jefferson was clearly a better receiver than Justin Herbert was at quarterback, but Herbert won the award. If Pickett can win the starting job and be decent, he has a great shot.

Who is your early pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year?

Bell: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, Houston Texans. These awards often reward rookies who are thrust into a talent-needy situation. So where better for Stingley to land than Houston? There is nowhere to go but up for a franchise that was in the bottom six in scoring defense, yards per play, yards per game, pressure rate and just about every other metric last season. Stingley, who already showed at his pro day that he has recovered well from Lisfranc surgery, will seek to prove the Texans made the right choice in drafting him third overall, ahead of Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner.

Bowen: Devin Lloyd, ILB, Jacksonville Jaguars. With Lloyd’s position flexibility and playmaking chops, Jags defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell can set him up to patrol the second level, blitz or rush off the edge. Lloyd is a three-down defender with the physical tools to create an instant impact.

Clay: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, Houston Texans. Cornerbacks tend to be hit or miss and struggle for interceptions as rookies, but Stingley has a shot to be an exception. The super-talented third overall pick should immediately step into an every-snap role. And he will be in a division with the quarterbacks who ranked first (Trevor Lawrence), sixth (Ryan Tannehill) and 14th (Matt Ryan) in interceptions last season.

Cockcroft: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, New York Giants. Thibodeaux is a ferocious pass-rusher, with 19 sacks and 34.5 tackles for a loss in his three seasons at Oregon — something the rebuilding Giants sorely needed. Thibodeaux gives new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale a strong complementary piece to second-year Azeez Ojulari on the edge. And if he comes even close to reaching his ceiling as a rookie, Thibodeaux might well run away with the honor.

Fowler: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions. Detroit, with a scarcity of high-impact players on defense last year, was thrilled Jacksonville passed on Hutchinson. He has the high motor and strength that will facilitate early production. And watch for Kansas City corner Trent McDuffie to make splash plays in the AFC West.

Graziano: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions. This award is going to go to someone who gets a lot of sacks or interceptions, and Hutchinson looks to have the skills to start piling up sacks right away in Detroit’s defense. Jacksonville passed on him because it thought Walker had the higher ceiling, but Detroit was thrilled to get him at No. 2 because it felt like he could help right away.

Moody: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, New York Giants. Among this year’s draft class, he is one of the most talented players. With Oregon, Thibodeaux collected 19 career sacks — which is tied for the seventh-most in school history. Since the start of 2019, he has had 34.5 career tackles for loss, the fifth-most among Power 5 players. With Martindale at the helm of an aggressive defense, Thibodeaux is likely to step into a starting role for the Giants and wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines.

Miller: Kyle Hamilton, S, Baltimore Ravens. It’s very rare for a safety to win postseason awards, especially as a rookie, but Hamilton has the instincts and playmaking ability to produce the type of three-down stats (tackles, interceptions, sacks) to get the nod.

Reid: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, New York Giants. Stepping into a situation where he will be one of the lone sack artists on the team, Thibodeaux will be expected to be a key contributor right away. Historically, this is an award that goes to defensive ends because of the production that they are able to put up right away. When I think of the Giants, I think of former first-level defenders like Lawrence Taylor, Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. Thibodeaux enters into a rich history of players who have been successful for the franchise.

Tannenbaum: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions. Hutchinson is a talented player with a relentless motor. He will be a Day 1 starter who plays the run well and should have double-digit sacks on a regular basis.

Walder: George Karlaftis, DE, Kansas City Chiefs. I’m looking for sacks here, and I like Karlaftis’ situation to get them. First, the Chiefs needed pass-rushing help, so there is a clear path to playing time. Second, the Chiefs are likely to be winning most games, which forces opponents into passing situations. And third, the Chiefs will face sack-happy Russell Wilson twice and have scheduled games against other high-sack-rate QBs like Joe Burrow and Ryan Tannehill.

Which rookie class will make the biggest impact in 2022?

Bell: Buffalo Bills. The Bills entered the draft without many needs. But the “impact” of a rookie class should elevate the team to the next tier, which for Buffalo is the Super Bowl. The names added at the draft weren’t splashy, but the Bills added depth that could be critical to surviving a long season. They added a complement to cornerback Tre’Davious White and an interior linebacker to potentially plug a leak in their otherwise strong defense. This team, aided by their newbies, has a good shot to bring Buffalo its long-awaited title.

Bowen: New York Jets. Robert Saleh’s team needed a real boost in talent, and I believe their top four picks will all contribute this season. Corner Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner has the traits to match up to boundary receivers in Saleh’s defense. Garrett Wilson is a dynamic receiver with playmaking ability after the catch. And defensive end Jermaine Johnson II has top-10 pass-rushing traits. Plus, running back Breece Hall brings three-down ability to the Jets’ offense. This is a strong class in New York.

Clay: Houston Texans. Houston had four of the first 44 picks and turned them into what should be starters at cornerback (Derek Stingley Jr.), guard (Kenyon Green), safety (Jalen Pitre) and — once fully healthy — wide receiver (John Metchie III). The Texans’ five Day 3 picks could also be factors, especially fourth-rounder Dameon Pierce, who is stepping into one of the league’s shakiest running back rooms.

Cockcroft: Kansas City Chiefs. I’m tempted to say the Jets’ first four picks give them the edge. But I’ll go with the Chiefs, who also picked up four prospective starters: CB Trent McDuffie, DE George Karlaftis, WR Skyy Moore and OT Darian Kinnard. Moore and Kinnard were pretty solid values for where they went, and the team added valuable depth with its other six selections.

Fowler: Green Bay Packers. Instead of looking for quick fixes in free agency or via trades, Green Bay is all-in on this draft to produce immediate results. Wide receiver Christian Watson will get every chance to create chemistry with Aaron Rodgers. First-round defenders Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt will be immediate producers. And late-round picks (pass-rusher Kingsley Enagbare and safety Tariq Carpenter) are sleepers to crack the rotation.

Graziano: New York Giants. When picking at both No. 5 and No. 7, you really should nail it. It’s hard not to be excited about the two guys the Giants got in the first round. Evan Neal should be able to handle starting at right tackle right away. And while Kayvon Thibodeaux might need time to refine his overall pass-rush game, he should be able to contribute right away — on third downs, if nothing else. Is Wan’Dale Robinson redundant for a team that already has Kadarius Toney? I say Brian Daboll must have some ideas about how to use them both along with Kenny Golladay and the rest of Daniel Jones’ receiving crew. Don’t be surprised if third-round corner Cordale Flott plays some in his rookie year, too. The Giants need plenty of help.

Kezirian: New York Jets. The offense added two likely starters in Hall and Wilson, and the defense landed Gardner and Johnson. Johnson might be incredibly impactful, after earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors at Florida State. It’s hard to make a case for any other team unless it’s measured in wins because the Jets could still be a ways away in the AFC East. Following the draft, Caesars Sportsbook moved the over on their 5.5 wins from -115 to -150, which implies a likelihood of 53% to 60%. One thing to remember is that they had all that draft capital when Caesars posted -115, so how the Jets used those picks drove the price even higher.

Moody: New York Jets. Considering the draft capital the Jets entered the draft with, the players they were able to acquire exceeded many expectations. They should see some results right away with this class. With the addition of players such as Gardner, Wilson, Johnson and Hall, New York has improved on both sides of the ball.

Miller: Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens had a fantastic top-to-bottom 2022 draft and will see an immediate payoff from it. First-rounders Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum will both be rookie starters, but DT Travis Jones, RT Daniel Faalele, CB Jalyn Armour-Davis and TE Charlie Kolar will also play early roles and have starter potential. And don’t forget punter Jordan Stout, who will also have an impact on Day 1.

Reid: New York Jets. They have potentially four immediate starters with their first four picks in Gardner, Wilson, Johnson and Hall. GM Joe Douglas understood that his team needs more wins, and this class has the potential to lead Saleh and his staff to more wins.

Tannenbaum: Detroit Lions. I think the Lions drafted two of the three best players in the 2022 draft class — Aidan Hutchinson and Jameson Williams — and they both have All-Pro potential. I loved the move up the draft board in the first round from No. 32 to No. 12 to get Williams. If healthy, he is the best receiver in the class.

Walder: New York Jets. I don’t think the Jets had the perfect draft (trading up for Hall? Yikes). But they did have a tremendous amount of draft capital and used it to select players at premium positions in the first round. Wilson, Gardner and Johnson represent a serious infusion of talent that ought to help immediately.

Field Yates, NFL analyst: New York Jets. I admire the Jets’ draft haul and believe in the prospects they wound up with, while also believing fundamentally that a draft class with four players in the first 34 picks should be bound to outperform almost any other. It would not surprise me if Gardner figures prominently into the Defensive Rookie of the Year race, while the same can be said for running back Hall on the offensive side.

What was your favorite pick in the entire 2022 draft?

Bell: OT Bernhard Raimann to the Colts at No. 77. The Colts upgraded at quarterback this offseason by way of Matt Ryan, but the offensive line is still a work in progress and critical to his success, given that he’s not exactly fleet of foot. Matty Ice has been below league average when pressured over the past three seasons in TD rate, interception rate and sack rate. And just last year, the Colts allowed pressure at the seventh-highest rate (32.1% of dropbacks). So the 6-foot-6, 303-pound Raimann — who had the mobility to play tight end — was a huge value pick in the third round and will continue to develop at the position.

Bowen: S Kyle Hamilton to the Ravens at No. 14. With his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame and top-down speed, Hamilton can play a disruptive role in the Ravens’ system. Look for new coordinator Mike Macdonald to deploy the versatile rookie at multiple levels of the field to create on-the-ball production.

Clay: WR Skyy Moore to the Chiefs at No. 54. Stuck with a void at wide receiver after trading away Tyreek Hill, Kansas City might have found Patrick Mahomes’ long-term No. 1 target late in the second round. Moore has huge hands and good speed, and he can line up all over the field — a staple of Andy Reid’s scheme. Moore was heavily targeted (32% target share) and reliable (four drops on 256 targets) at Western Michigan, and he has a shot to play an immediate every-down role in one of the league’s best offenses.

Cockcroft: RB Breece Hall to the Jets at No. 36. Everyone seemed to love the Jets’ draft, myself included, and making the call between Hall and No. 26 overall pick Jermaine Johnson II — whose value there seemed an absolute steal — was a tough one. While I don’t love the move in fantasy football terms — one-two running back punches are more headache than helpful — I do love the fit for Hall. He is a better fit to be the team’s primary running back than Michael Carter. He will take some of the pressure off sophomore quarterback Zach Wilson and better balance the offense.

Fowler: WR John Metchie III to the Texans at No. 44. This is a player NFL coaches liked as a first-round talent, but he was underplayed in the pre-draft process due to his ACL recovery. The Texans are the perfect team to prioritize an injured player because they are at least a year away and can be patient with him. Once at full strength, Metchie will prove his worth as a top option for quarterback Davis Mills.

Graziano: S Daxton Hill to the Bengals at No. 31. Look, my answer is probably Hamilton, but I have to think he’s going to be a popular one, so let’s pivot here and highlight what I thought was a really smart value pick by the defending AFC champs. The Bengals see Hill as a Swiss Army knife-type of defensive back who can play safety, slot corner and basically whatever else they need him to do in their secondary. They hit the offensive line hard in free agency, as they should have, but they had some holes to fill on defense, too. Hill can help them fill whatever those turn out to be. And he’s not a bad leverage play for the team in case Jessie Bates III’s contract dispute continues to linger.

Kezirian: WR David Bell to the Browns at No. 99. I was actually going to say Hill, given he is a slot safety and will provide tons of flexibility, but Graziano stole my thunder. Regardless, I think Bell will have a long and productive career. His measurables weren’t great, but he shines on the football field. Once he starts producing — just like he did in college — everyone will wonder how he fell to the third round and why 15 wideouts were drafted ahead of him.

Eric Moody: WR Skyy Moore to the Chiefs at No. 55. Kansas City fans were still reeling from the loss of Tyreek Hill but might have breathed a sigh of relief with the selection of Moore. His route-running ability is excellent, as is his ability to create space with route leverage. The explosive Chiefs offense is poised to terrorize defenses in the NFL for many years to come.

Miller: S Kyle Hamilton to the Ravens at No. 14. Hamilton was my No. 4 overall player in the entire draft class, so not only was this pick a great value for Baltimore, but it is also a perfect example of taking the best player available. Hamilton will be a leader and a three-down difference-maker for the Ravens’ defense.

Reid: ILB Nakobe Dean to the Eagles at No. 83. Linebacker play has been the Achilles’ heel for Philadelphia’s secondary for quite some time. The Eagles are sorely lacking a true leader in the middle, and Dean gives them a possible answer. GM Howie Roseman tends to neglect drafting linebackers early in the draft, but after Dean fell to the third round, the value was too good to pass up. Dean has a solid blend of pursuit speed, controlled aggressiveness and savviness in all parts of his game, and he has a chance to have an early impact for the franchise.

Tannenbaum: CB Trent McDuffie to the Chiefs at No. 21. Moving up in a deal with New England, Kansas City drafted an outstanding corner who has scheme versatility. McDuffie is effective in both man and zone coverages, and he shows instincts and toughness. I think he could be a top corner in the league.

Walder: QB Malik Willis to the Titans at No. 86. Even if there’s just a small chance Willis is a franchise-level QB, this is a worthwhile gamble for a team that might be in the QB market a year from now anyway. If it doesn’t work out, the cost wasn’t that significant. But if it does, there’s franchise-altering upside. That’s hard to find in the third round.

Yates: WR Jameson Williams to the Lions at No. 12. Absent his ACL tear in January, there’s virtually no chance Williams would have been available at No. 12. Since there’s no certainty of when he’ll return, I understood why teams that needed receiver help for Week 1 of this season might have been skittish on trading up for Williams in the event he’s not 100 percent until closer to the middle of the year. But Detroit is a team that can afford to be patient, and it didn’t surrender future draft capital to execute the trade up. I think Williams is a special player.

What was the biggest head-scratching pick of the draft?

Bell: WR Jameson Williams to the Lions at No. 12. Don’t get me wrong. I love Williams and the talent he will bring to the NFL. But the Lions have needs aplenty, which makes it hard for me to buy the logic of sacrificing picks Nos. 32, 34 and 66 for the chance to pluck Williams, a wide receiver just over three months removed from ACL reconstruction surgery. (Detroit did also get No. 46 back in the swap.) The hope is that the Lions are playing the long game and will be patient with his return-to-play status, especially given their other able pass-catchers, including receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, tight end T.J. Hockenson and running back De’Andre Swift.

Bowen: WR Tyquan Thornton to the Patriots at No. 50. Thornton has the vertical juice to stretch defenses down the field and the foot quickness to create route separation. But given the wide receiver talent on the board at No. 50 — including George Pickens, Alec Pierce and Skyy Moore — I felt the Patriots reached a little here to draft Thornton.

Clay: RB Ken Walker III to the Seahawks at No. 41. Seattle traded away quarterback Russell Wilson and is left with one of the league’s shakiest rosters. Yes, durability is a concern in the backfield, especially with Chris Carson’s uncertain status. But this is not a franchise that should be prioritizing the league’s most replaceable position when it has so many other major needs.

Cockcroft: WR Wan’Dale Robinson to the Giants at No. 43. I feel like I complain about the Giants’ aggressiveness drafting wide receivers almost annually, and yes, this is probably the first time in years that I felt they should spend some draft capital on the position. Still, Robinson is a smallish, more slot-oriented wide receiver, and his lackluster combine numbers had him almost universally graded outside the position’s top 10 prospects. I know the Giants picked up fourth-round (Falcons) and fifth-round (Jets) picks in the process of moving down seven second-round spots, but if they did so feeling they could wait on wide receiver, why didn’t they then just take any of the higher-graded prospects (Skyy Moore, George Pickens or Alec Pierce)?

Fowler: WR Jahan Dotson to the Commanders at No. 16. Dotson should have a fine career, but teams I spoke to had him going in the range of No. 23-35. And it seemed clear that the top four receivers in this draft — Jameson Williams, Drake London, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave — were in their own class. The receiver run between picks Nos. 8 and 12 started and ended with them. Washington was in the thick of that run, picking 11th, before trading out. Dotson, despite his explosion, faces questions about his true position due to size (5-foot-11). Will he be a slot receiver or play on the outside?

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Graziano: DE Travon Walker to the Jaguars at No. 1. Maybe they’re right and we’re wrong. Maybe taking the high-upside play on a guy who didn’t have a ton of college production was the right way to go in a draft that seemed to have a lot of people scratching their heads in advance. Maybe Walker will become a superstar who alters the course of Jaguars history and dominates the next decade in the NFL. All I’m saying is, I’d have a lot more faith in all those “maybes” if a team other than the Jaguars had done this. Because, folks, if you’re picking in the top 10 for the 15th time in 16 years, as Jacksonville was, it’s not because you’re good at it.

Kezirian: WR Wan’Dale Robinson to the Giants at No. 43. How did the Giants make this call? Robinson is 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, and it was a reach at No. 43. The Giants also whiffed on Kadarius Toney last year, and one would think they would shy away from another curveball. This just felt like another David Gettleman pick.

Moody: RB James Cook to the Bills at No. 63. I like Cook as a prospect. He has the play speed to create game-changing plays at the pro level, and he is a very capable runner in between the tackles and as a receiver out of the backfield. Nevertheless, Cook is eerily similar to Devin Singletary, the Bills’ current running back. Wouldn’t it be better to prioritize a back who can gain considerable yards after contact between the tackles?

Miller: WR Wan’Dale Robinson to the Giants at No. 43. Robinson is a fine player, but he’s more of a gadget guy right now than a polished wide receiver. That sounds a lot like last year’s first-rounder, Kadarius Toney. This was a luxury pick for a team that’s on a budget.

Reid: WR Velus Jones Jr. to the Bears at No. 71. Despite having two second-round picks, the Bears surprisingly waited until the third round to address arguably the biggest need on their roster. Jones is a dynamic and speedy vertical threat who had a breakout season during his final year at Tennessee as a receiver and return specialist. But he was viewed more as a Day 3 pick, and there were more well-rounded players at the position on the board in the third round including Jalen Tolbert, Khalil Shakir, Romeo Doubs and Calvin Austin III.

Tannenbaum: CB Derek Stingley Jr. to the Texans at No. 3. Houston drafted a talented corner with significant durability concerns. If healthy, Stingley can be great. But Ahmad Gardner was still on the board, and selecting him would have been the better decision in my opinion.

Walder: G Cole Strange to the Patriots at No. 29. One of the most obvious mistakes a team can make is drafting a player well before it needs to. It’s a waste of draft capital. By all indications the Patriots should not have worried about another team taking Strange until the late second round at the earliest (and more likely the third). Is it possible we outsiders misread the market on Strange? It is. But I’d say Sean McVay’s and Les Snead’s live reactions to the selection were awfully revealing.

Yates: TE Trey McBride to the Cardinals at No. 55. Candidly, my answer would be none of the picks. These teams work around the clock for a full year to get to draft weekend, and while it’s obvious that not all picks will work out, I can largely understand the “why” behind them. McBride was clearly the top tight end in this year’s class, but the reason I chose him here is that Arizona ran more sets with at least four receivers on the field than any other team in the NFL last year and made a steep investment in Zach Ertz. Unless the Cardinals are planning to evolve into a more two-tight end-heavy team, McBride might have to wait for playing time.