2022 NFL draft lacks top quarterback picks
Travon Walker University of Georgia
July 11, 2022
The NFL draft is an annual event where the top collegiate prospects from across the country are handpicked by all of the teams in the National Football League in order of worst to best.
Throughout the years, there have been countless surprises, most notably in the first round with some landmark trades. A pivotal moment in last year’s draft was when the San Francisco 49ers used three first round picks to jump to the third overall pick and select quarterback Trey Lance.
In this year’s draft, there were just as many jaw-opening picks as well as some headscratchers.
Unlike most other drafts in the last decade, nobody knew who the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to select with the first overall pick to kick off the draft. They previously had the first pick in last draft, although in need of a quarterback everyone and their mother knew that the top QB prospect Trevor Lawrence would be taken off the board first.
This draft was a little different because there were multiple names being thrown in the running for first pick and the Jags ended up selecting edge rusher Travon Walker from the University of Georgia. This was an interesting pick because most people had decided that not only was he not the best player in the draft, but not even the best player at his position!
This kicked off an entertaining four-hour event where some teams may have just cut their luck and escaped a cycle of failure while others seem to be setting up their own losses.
After several straight QB heavy drafts, five picked in 2021, four in 2020, three in 2019, and five in 2018, in this draft class only one quarterback was selected in the first round. Also, the next quarterback was not selected until the middle of the third round.
This draft class may have featured less quarterback talent, but it definitely did not have any fewer offensive weapons. There were a total of six wide receivers selected in the first round, all in the first 18 picks. Drake London from USC kicked it off at eight and before we knew it, there were three straight former Ohio State Buckeye wide receivers selected with picks 10 to 12.
A very interesting trade occurred for the Titans to select their wide receiver Treylon Burks from Arkansas, the last receiver picked in the first round. The Titanspreviouslyhadanelitego- to target and all around offensivejuggernaut in AJ Brown, but the organization and Brown could not come to terms on an extension so he asked for a trade and that is how the Titans got that pick and used it to replace him.
A similar situation happened with San Francisco and star wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Anger behind closed doors led to Deebo requesting a trade from the team that drafted him and just reached the NFC Championshipgame earlier this year. The only thing about this situation that is different is that the Ninersrefused to trade him. These issues are still lingering within the organization and it seems both parties are going to play the waiting game for the time being.
Throughout all this drama, many teams scored big late in the first round with some very talented players that fell a little in the draft. The Baltimore Ravens nabbed safety Kyle Hamilton at number 14, who is arguably the most talented player in this draft class. The Ravens also scored big at pick 25 with massive center Tyler Linderbaum from Iowa.
Another huge steal for the Ravens who had the best first round out of any team in the draft. Some other steals were the New York Jets trading back into the first round to get edge rusher Jermaine Johnson out of FSU, who was the Jets third first round selection this year. The Jets and the Jaguars, who seem to be always picking at the top of the draft each year may have just turned it around this draft as Jacksonville snatched star PAC- 12 linebacker Devin Lloyd near the end of the first round.
The draft is a time when teams have a chance to change their fortune, or often misfortune, and while others time and time again fail to reach their full potential, one team may have just drafted their Super Bowl roster.