One of the most bizarre moments of the 2022 NFL draft came in a pick swap between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions. The Lions did not have a pick early in the first round, so GM Brad Holmes called Minnesota and came away with this deal: the Lions got the 12th pick from Minnesota, as well as the 46th pick in the second round. They sent away the 32nd pick, the 34th pick in the second round and the 66th pick in the third round. The Lions used that 12th pick to get Jameson Williams, possibly the wide receiver with the most talent in the draft. He represents a risk, because he’s recovering from an ACL tear, but he should be healthy by November, and if it pans out, the Lions will have picked up a transcendent wide receiver after fleecing the Vikings out of a high pick in the first round. Read on to find some more ways that the NFL draft will influence the fortunes of teams – and influence your NFL betting.
NFL News: The Impact of the Draft on the 2022 Season
The draft was unusual in a number of ways. Usually, quarterbacks go quickly, even in years when the talent is not all that great, but only one quarterback was selected in the first two rounds. Instead, teams prioritized wide receivers, and the Georgia Bulldogs had 15 players selected in the draft. The University of Texas? Zero.
Buffalo had a major need at cornerback and traded up to get Florida CB Kaiir Elam in the first round. They also added defensive back Christian Benford out of Villanova. If Elam can start opposite Tre’Davious White and play well, then the Bills’ pass defense should be much better. Jordan Poyer, a veteran safety, has asked for an extension (he has one year left on his deal) and has not shown up for voluntary off-season activities, so that could be a brewing holdout.
Baltimore sent Hollywood Brown to Arizona, but then they went through the whole draft (where they had 11 picks) without taking a wide receiver. GM Eric DeCosta explained this by saying that all the receivers were picked at least a round earlier than what the team expected. The Ravens have six wideouts on the roster now, but none of them have caught more than 53 passes in their career. Rashod Bateman should be able to take the #1 wide receiver role, but they still need someone to give Lamar Jackson a legitimate second option.
Cleveland still has to figure out what to do with Baker Mayfield. Carolina looked like a trade destination, but then the Panthers took Matt Corral out of Ole MIss in the third round, so that’s another possible place for Mayfield off the board. He is owed $19 million in fully guaranteed money for the rest of his contract, and the Browns might have to pay some, or a lot, of that to get a trade partner, or they might just have to grant him an outright release.
Dallas is still the favorite to win the NFC East, but other than second-rounder Sam Williams out of Ole Miss, it’s hard to argue that they added anyone who will help them this year. Dallas saw a lot of their talent from 2021 leave via free agency, and they have not added anyone substantial. Meanwhile, Philadelphia added A.J. Brown to their wide receiving group, which gives their offense an instant boost. They do need some help in the secondary, because Darius Slay and Anthony Harris are the only obvious starters right now, but the Eagles should snag another wild card this year – and they might even take the division title away from Dallas.
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