The 2022 NFL draft is about to get underway in Las Vegas, and we’ll be following all the action live. For pick-by-pick grades and analysis from Yahoo Sports lead draft expert Eric Edholm, visit our live draft page. And check out the PFF Draft Tracker with in-depth analysis on every single pick.
Offensive tackles Ekwonu, Neal go 6th and 7th
Following such a historic run on defensive players, two offensive tackles were selected with picks No. 6 and 7.
First it was NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu, who will stay in North Carolina and play for the Carolina Panthers. Ekwonu started all three years he played for the Wolfpack with experience at both guard and tackle. He was an All-American at left tackle in 2021.
With the seventh pick, Alabama’s Evan Neal became the New York Giants‘ second pick of the first round. Neal was a three-year starter for the Crimson Tide with experience at left guard, right tackle and left tackle.
5 straight defensive picks to open NFL draft
After two pass rushers kicked off the draft, two cornerbacks came off the board at picks No. 3 and 4.
The Houston Texans are a team that could use upgrades at pretty much every position and they looked to LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. at No. 3 overall. Many thought Houston would go with one of the top offensive linemen or the other heralded corner in the draft: Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. Instead, the pick was Stingley, who was the No. 1 recruit in the country back in 2019.
As a freshman, Stingley was one of the best players in college football, but he has dealt with injuries over the last two seasons. Nonetheless, the Texans are banking on his considerable talent to make an immediate impact on their defense under new head coach Lovie Smith.
Though Gardner was passed over by Houston, he did not wait long to be drafted. The New York Jets took Gardner at No. 4 overall. A long, rangy cornerback, Gardner totaled 99 tackles, five tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 27 passes defended and nine interceptions over his three seasons with the Bearcats.
With pick No. 5, another pass rusher came off the board. This time it was Kayvon Thibodeaux out of Oregon to the New York Giants. Thibodeaux was a five-star recruit who quickly made an impact for the Ducks. In the 32 games he played in an Oregon uniform, Thibodeaux registered 123 tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss and 19 sacks.
No drama: Travon Walker to Jags, Aidan Hutchinson to Lions
A few months ago, it seemed far-fetched that Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker would emerge as the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. But on Thursday night, that’s exactly what happened.
After a cringy (and loud), Raiders-themed introduction from Ice Cube and Derek Carr, Walker came off the board first to the Jacksonville Jaguars, making him the first Georgia product to be selected first overall since Matthew Stafford went to the Detroit Lions in 2009.
Walker was one of the key figures on an all-time Georgia defense in 2021. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Walker posted 7.5 tackles for loss and six sacks to help the Bulldogs win their first national championship since 1980.
The player who was the favorite to go No. 1 for months ended up slotting behind Walker at No. 2. That player is Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who will make the move from Ann Arbor over to Detroit as a member of the Lions.
Hutchinson was one of the best players in college football in 2021. He posted 14 sacks to help Michigan win its first outright Big Ten title since 2004.
Top prospects introduced before tribute to Dwayne Haskins
It’s about that time.
The top draft prospects on hand in Las Vegas took the stage and were introduced to the crowd. There was no shortage of extravagant suits. Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson may have had the best of the bunch.
Following the player introductions was a tribute to Ukraine, a moment of silence for Pittsburgh Steelers QB Dwayne Haskins and a rendition of the national anthem that included a helicopter flyover.
Haskins died earlier this month after being struck by a truck on a Florida highway. He was just 24 years old.
The NFL draft is finally here
After months of anticipation, the 2022 NFL draft is finally here. And as Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson detailed Wednesday, it’s set to be one of the least predictable drafts in recent memory.
Who will the Jacksonville Jaguars choose with the No. 1 pick? Will it be Travon Walker or Aidan Hutchinson? Or maybe an offensive tackle? When will quarterbacks start coming off the board? Who will be the first quarterback selected? When will the run on wide receivers begin?
Those are all pertinent questions in the lead-up to the first round of the draft on Thursday night.
On top of that, there are eight teams with two first-round picks and eight teams without a first-round pick, so it’d be a shock if there wasn’t significant trade activity. And based on the craziness of the offseason so far, don’t be surprised if that trade activity involves a star player or two.
Let the fun begin.
Watch Pro Football Focus’ live draft show
Pro Football Focus (PFF) is streaming live for all seven rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft across the three days (April 28 – April 30) to offer pick-by-pick analysis, advanced stats and PFF-exclusive grades on every selection. The PFF stream will feature Lead Draft Analyst Mike Renner, Sunday Night Football’s Cris Collinsworth, among several other PFF analysts and guest appearances. All three livestreams will feature in-depth evaluations of all the top selections in the 2021 NFL Draft, trade analysis of any significant draft day trades and prop betting advice for all seven rounds.
