First-round faller? Favorite prospects? Answering fans' questions for 2022 NFL draft
Rumors, predictions and speculation can finally be put to rest as the NFL draft kicks off Thursday night.
But fans' curiosities and queries will be running wild well beyond the moment commissioner Roger Goodell steps up to the podium to announce the first overall selection.
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Paste BN Sports NFL editor Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz took to Reddit for an AMA in the r/NFL community to answer some of those burning questions Wednesday. Below is a sample.
One of the more interesting trades recently was the Saints and the Eagles. What do you think this means for the Saints? Are they just looking to stock up on picks and there are plenty of guys they love who will be available then? Are they trying to move up again for someone specific? What do you think their thought process was? — Adoctorgonzo
I think a lot of people jumped to the conclusion that this was about going for a quarterback. I'm not quite so sure that was 100% the intent. Yes, with two first-rounders in the teens, they now have the flexibility to go after Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett if one gets within striking range and they feel so inclined. But the area they traded in was largely where a lot of teams see a drop-off in this draft, with many giving about 16-18 players first-round grades. The Saints are perpetually focused on being a playoff contender, and in the NFC, I think they probably view themselves as maybe only a key starter or two away from being a serious threat. I'd expect wide receiver to be high on their priority list — I really like Chris Olave as a fit for them and a complement to Michael Thomas. If Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning is available at 16, he very well could be in the mix as well.
What player in this draft has a consensus big board ranking that makes no sense to you and why? Could be someone way too high or way too low. — throwawaydoge420
I definitely don't see what many others do in Kenny Pickett, though he's been dinged on enough big boards that I'll give another answer. I'm pretty puzzled by the buy-in for Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning. Yeah, the physical tools are all there for him to be a standout left tackle. Not a lot of guys you can say that for, so I get the interest. But he's had some really, really rough showings, and it's going to be a rough transition to facing a much higher caliber of edge rusher week in and week out. If a team can fix his hand usage and other fundamental issues, there's definitely a big payoff. But it's hard to square all that with his stock as a potential early-to-mid-first-round guy.
Who do you think will be the biggest surprise to fall out of the first round. — Rudy102600
Wrote about this a bit yesterday! I think one of the more shocking names could be Georgia LB Nakobe Dean. I absolutely love his game, but an off-ball linebacker who's only 5-11 and 229 pounds can be a hard sell in the first round. There's still a chance that he lands with a team in the back half of Day 1, but he might be someone who has to wait until Friday and then is scooped up early at the top of Round 2. I wrote a little bit more about this recently.
What's your take on past production vs future potential when it comes to prospects? Specifically with how it seems that the Jags are gravitating towards Walker over Hutchinson? — BtownBrelooms
Every situation is different, but Walker vs. Hutchinson might end up a really intriguing case study. If you can teach Walker a pass-rush plan, he could be outstanding. As is, though I'm not really sure what you can expect from him as an edge rusher. If he's taken No. 1 overall and never puts that part of his game together, that's going to be a huge problem, even if he is a force against the run and gets some clean-up sacks. But defensive end is one of those areas where teams bet on traits, and there are plenty of times when it works out. Still, Hutchinson was my top-ranked prospect in this class, and Walker was considerably further down.
Favorite and least favorite prospects? — SnicketySmack
Guys I'm higher on than most: Boston College G Zion Johnson, Florida CB Kaiir Elam, Baylor S Jalen Pitre, USC OLB Drake Jackson.
And a little bit deeper in the draft: Nevada WR Romeo Doubs, South Dakota State RB Pierre Strong and Toledo S Tycen Anderson.
How do you think this QB class compares to something like 2017 which was also regarded as "weak" pre-draft. -- sonfoa
I think it's definitely different and notably weaker. Yes, the 2017 draft did undergo the usual pre-draft nitpicking. But by the time the draft rolled around, there was still a pretty heavy buyer's market for those guys, as we saw with multiple teams trading up for them. This year feels a lot more like 2013 - the last time we didn't have any QBs in the top 10.