The 2022 NFL Draft was the opportunity for all 32 teams in the NFL to improve their roster. Time will tell when it comes to who has benefitted the most from their selections, but here is a look at who can be pleased with how the draft went for them.
We did not have to wait long into the draft for the first surprise. For the majority of the off-season, Aidan Hutchinson was expected to be the first overall pick selected off the board. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars had other ideas and opted for defensive end Travon Walker.
The Jags were impressed with what they saw from Walker in all the workouts he did prior to the draft. He will be tasked with helping them to get the opposition’s QB much faster than they did in 2021.
Detroit Lions, a team who were desperate to improve on the defensive side of the ball ahead of the season, did not pass on the opportunity to take Hutchinson, a player who has been tipped to have a huge future in the NFL.
The Lions, who were 3-13-1 last season, had the chance to select another first-round player with the 15th overall pick, courtesy of a trade with the Minnesota Vikings. They went for Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams.
Trades Made for Chaotic Draft
There were lots of trades in this year’s NFL Draft, particularly in the first round, which meant it was hard to keep up with who was next on the clock during the opening night of the sports event.
The main beneficiary of the trades were the New York Jets. They had three first-round picks, two of which were in the top 10. Cornerback Ahmad Garden will suit up for the Jets in 2022. He was the fourth overall pick. Not long after, wide receiver Garrett Wilson came off the board to help their offense.
There were also two top ten picks for the New York Giants. They had an extra early pick due to a trade with Chicago last year, which helped the Bears move up the board to get Justin Fields. The Giants chose defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and offensive tackle Evan Neal, two players who had excellent reports leading into the draft.
Just One QB in First Round
This year’s class of quarterbacks was not rated as high as previous years, which is why only one QB went off the board in the opening round. Pittsburgh Steelers, who are now without franchise legend Ben Roethlisberger, chose Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick.
Pickett joins Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph in the Steel City, and he is likely to be given time to adapt to pro football before he is asked to lead the team. The Steelers have clearly seen enough in the 2021 Johnny Unitas Award winner for them to use their first-round pick to secure his services.
Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers all chose quarterbacks in the third round. They went for Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis and Matt Corral respectively. It will be interesting to see if any of those players start in 2022.
Bookmakers Have Factored Draft into Their Outright Odds
The bookmakers have had time to digest what happened in the 2022 NFL Draft and they have factored it all into their outright odds for the new season. They make the Buffalo Bills the 6/1 favourites to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl LVII.
As this bet365 review indicates, it is very important for bookmakers to have betting available on major events such as the Super Bowl even during the off-season. NFL fans will expect to see it on offer, especially after a major event on the calendar such as the NFL Draft. Punters will have their opinion on how they believe it will impact the new season and many will bet based on who they believe has benefited the most.
The new NFL season begins on the 8th September when defending champions the Los Angeles Rams host the NFL Kickoff Game. The opening weekend will be the chance for the NFL rookies to show why their franchise selected them in the draft.
