Category: 2022 NFL draft

POLL: Grade the Cardinals’ 2022 NFL draft class

What grade would you give the Cardinals for this year’s NFL draft class?

The 2022 NFL draft has finally concluded, with teams now looking to add the best remaining undrafted free agents. The Cardinals drafted eight total players, but acquired nine including the trade for Hollywood Brown.

The Cards went offense early, drafting their first player in the second round in tight end Trey McBride. They followed up with back-to-back edge rushers in hopes that at least one can help fill the void from Chandler Jones’ departure.

For the sake of this poll, we’re including Brown as part of the draft class since he was essentially their first round pick.

Here’s a look at the entire Cardinals draft class with that in mind:

Round 2- TE Trey McBride, Colorado

Round 3 – DE Cameron Thomas, San Diego State

Round 3 – DE Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati

Round 6 – RB Keontay Ingram, Southern California

Round 6 – OG Lecitus Smith, Virginia

Round 7 – CB Christian Matthew, Valdosta State

Round 7- LB Jesse Luketa, Penn State

Round 7 – OL Marquis Hayes, Oklahoma

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Why Titans fans should be excited about Treylon Burks

Breaking down what Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks brings to the Tennessee Titans as the No. 18 overall pick in he 2022 NFL draft

The Tennessee Titans traded A.J. Brown away to the Philadelphia Eagles to nab this pick, and they immediately replace him with a player built just like Brown in Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks. He will fill the same role as Brown, and Tennessee won’t have to pay him the big money to do it.

Burks is a big-time playmaker, with a unique ability to make a big play and score from anywhere on the field. He is a physical runner who can make plays after the catch, often moving like a running back with the ball in his hands. He can quickly burst into the secondary and blow past defenses, making them pay for manning up on him.

Burks will start right away, and give the Titans another weapon for Ryan Tannehill when not handing the ball off to Derick Henry. He will play opposite of Pro Bowler Robert Woods, and maintain that dynamic duo they had with their previous receiver gone.

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Why Chargers fans should be excited about Zion Johnson

Breaking down what Boston College guard Zion Johnson brings to the Los Angeles Chargers as the No. 17 overall pick in he 2022 NFL draft

The Los Angeles Chargers only had a few holes to fill in this draft, and one of them was along the offensive line. They address that with their first pick, and select one of the most impressive and versatile blockers in the draft in Boston College’s Zion Johnson.

Johnson has experience at both tackle, guard, and showed the ability to play center at the Senior Bowl. He has a great lower base, excellent technique, and next level athleticism to start right away for the Chargers. His length and overall build is ideal for him to play guard, but he can also play right tackle at the NFL level.

He should have no problem immediately filling in at right guard or tackle for the Chargers, and they will have a second consecutive first-round pick protecting Justin Herbert for the foreseeable future.

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Why Commanders fans should be excited about Jahan Dotson

Breaking down what Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson brings to the Washington Commanders as the No. 16 overall pick in he 2022 NFL draft

The Washington Commanders went into the 2022 NFL draft with the idea of coming away with a top-level pass-catcher, and they found that in Penn State’s Jahan Dotson. He went perhaps earlier than expected at No. 16 overall, but has the talent to fill the need.

Dotson dealt with less than ideal quarterback play in his career, but was still astonishingly dominant for the Nittany Lions. He has the best hands out of any receiver in this class. His route running is electric and smooth, bursting in and out of his breaks, with the ability to quickly overwhelm and explode down the field. He has some incredible catches on his tape, and that ability will translate to the next level.

Dotson will line up opposite Terry McLaurin, and allow Carson Wentz to have one of the most talented receiver duos in the NFC East. He should quickly translate his game to the NFL with more consistent quarterback play.

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Why Texans fans should be excited about Kenyon Green

Breaking down what Texas A&M offensive lineman Kenyon Green brings to the Houston Texans as the No. 15 overall pick in he 2022 NFL draft

The Houston Texans needed better play from their offensive line and running game, and they made a pick to help them do just that with Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green falling right into their lap. This unit just got a lot better with this pick.

Green is a massive human with unreal athleticism, and production from both the tackle and guard positions. He has excellent versatility, and experience, working to become one of college football’s best offensive lineman this past season. He is a mauler in the run game, swallowing up linemen and overwhelming them early, and being incredibly steady in the passing game, where he was one of the most consistent performers in college football.

Green should start right away at right guard next to Tytus Howard, and secure the Texans one of the most young and talented offensive lines in the AFC. They made investments across the line and it will likely pay off in a big way in blocking for Davis Mills.

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Texans earn B-plus grade from the Draft Wire for 2022 class

The Houston Texans picked up a B-plus grade from the Draft Wire for their 2022 class, the second under GM Nick Caserio.

The Houston Texans completed their second draft in the Nick Caserio era.

The former New England Patriots director of player personnel finally had a full complement of draft choices to work with — a whopping 13, the most entering the weekend. Caserio parlayed those picks into packages to take nine players to improve the roster.

According to Luke Easterling from the Draft Wire, the biggest steal for the Texans was the selection of former Alabama linebacker Christian Harris at No. 75 overall in Round 3. The biggest reach was his teammate, receiver John Metchie, who went No. 44 overall in Round 2 via a trade.

The early rounds were a bit up-and-down for Houston, as they landed an elite shutdown defender in CB Derek Stingley Jr., but OL Kenyon Green felt like a bit of a reach at No. 15 overall. DB Jalen Pitre brings versatility and playmaking ability to the secondary, but trading up for Metchie was questionable, considering his knee injury and the other receivers who were available. Harris was a huge steal, and should make an immediate impact.

Day 3 started with back-to-back home-run picks, as RB Dameon Pierce should immediately be the best back on the roster, and DL Thomas Booker has everything necessary to be an instant starter.

The Texans took targeted players who could help the roster, not only in the future, but immediately. If Stingley is able to stay healthy, he can instantly becomes Houston’s shutdown cornerback. Green provides the Texans with a solution along the offensive line’s interior, and also keeps Tytus Howard at right tackle.

Taking Pitre to start off the second round at No. 37 overall was a great way to compensate for the lost chance at picking former Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. Even though Houston missed on Hamilton, coach Lovie Smith still has an exemplary safety to man the backend of his Tampa 2.

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NFL draft grades: Instant reaction, full analysis of every team’s 2022 class

How did your favorite team fare in the 2022 NFL draft? Here’s how we grade every team’s seven-round haul of picks

The 2022 NFL draft is officially in the books, after a wild three-day circus full of trades, surprise picks, and compelling storylines.

Grading every team’s draft class with such immediacy comes with the customary brick of salt, as none of these players have played a single down of professional football, so it’s less than fair to pass judgement on their draft slot just yet.

Even so, based on the intersection of projected player value, team needs, and what else was on the board at each selection, here’s how we grade every team’s seven-round haul in this year’s draft.

Make sure you grab a screenshot for future taunting on social media:

Texans earn B-plus grade from Pro Football Focus for 2022 NFL draft class

The Houston Texans picked up a B-plus grade from Pro Football Focus for their 2022 NFL draft class.

The Houston Texans completed their second draft in the Nick Caserio era. The wheeling-and-dealing general manager acquired nine rookies to add to the roster.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Texans earned a B-plus grade for their draft class. Derek Stingley was regarded as a decent pick at No. 3 overall in Round 1.

Day 1: Stingley’s draft stock ended up coming full circle, with him coming off the board as a top-five pick and CB1 here for Houston. He was never able to build on a dominant true freshman season with LSU in 2019 when he allowed a 51.4 passer rating into his coverage with 21 combined pass breakups and interceptions. But that talent didn’t go anywhere. Stingley brings rare movement skills and athleticism and can play in any scheme. He’ll be a building block in Houston as Nick Caserio & Co. overhaul the roster.

The selection of Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green at No. 13 overall generated some criticism, but the picking of Baylor safety Jalen Pitre helped fill a need on the backend.

Another area where Houston reached in the opinion of PFF was the acquisition of Alabama receiver John Metchie in Round 2.

Considering the Texans traded up for Metchie, who is coming off an ACL injury and has a questionable ceiling, this is a below-average pick for Houston. An injury of this magnitude is a concern for a player with questions about his full potential and physical profile. On a more positive note, the 5-foot-11, 187-pounder is a technician. He’s a sound route-runner who consistently got open against stiff competition in the SEC. In fact, Metchie led the conference in targets against single coverage with a step or more of separation over the past two seasons.

The Christian Harris pick in Round 3 was a solid addition to the linebacking corps, and the Dameon Pierce pick was lauded as it helps Houston establish an identity as a physical running team.

Houston completed their draft with DL Thomas Booker and TE Teagen Quitoriano in Round 5 and OT Austin Deculus in Round 6.

RB Dameon Pierce adds to the Texans’ tough mindset to run the football

The Houston Texans’ mindset to run the football got tougher with the addition of former Florida RB Dameon Pierce.

The Houston Texans added to their running back corps with former Florida running back Dameon Pierce.

Houston selected Pierce with the No. 107 overall pick in Round 4 of the 2022 NFL draft, and will join a stable that includes Rex Burkhead, Marlon Mack, and Royce Freeman.

What Texans general manager Nick Caserio is hoping Pierce can bring to the Texans is a furthering of the tough mindset necessary to have an effective run game.

“Football is a mindset,” said Caserio. “Football is a tough ass game that requires mental toughness, physical toughness, and competitive stamina. That’s what football demands. You have to have the requisite physical skills along with those types of qualities. The more players you have like on that on your team, when you turn to either side of you and you see that’s the mindset and that’s the mentality and that’s the work ethic, you don’t have a choice because if you don’t do that, you’re going to stand out like a sore thumb.”

Caserio pointed out that Pierce would join Burkhead and Mack as running backs who inspire the offensive line with their tough mindset.

“Offensive linemen want to block for people that have that mentality,” said Caserio. “We talk about straining. We talk about finishing and getting the extra yard. When you see a player that does that, that does everything he can to try to gain extra yards, it says I’m trying to do everything I can to help this team gain basically another yard, another inch, so you add up the inches and add up the yards. That can maybe make the difference in a score at the end of the game.”

Caserio noted that Pierce complements the mindset shared by safety Jalen Pitre, receiver John Metchie, tackle Austin Deculus, and guard Kenyon Green, who he said was a, “bi ass physical offensive lineman that moves people.”

Said Caserio: “You want to be a tough team. You want to be a physical team. You better have tough, physical players that adopt that mindset and then see what happens when we get on the field.”

If the Texans can add an element of toughness and road grading to the offense, it will help form the attitude necessary to make Houston a tough opponent on a weekly basis.

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2022 NFL Draft: College Football Conference Rankings. How Did They Do?

2022 NFL Draft: How did all of the college football conferences do in the draft? How did they all rank – who won?

Which college football conference won the 2022 NFL Draft? Where do they all rank when it comes to sending players to the next level?

2022 NFL Draft: College Conference Rankings

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How did all the college football conferences do in the 2022 NFL Draft?

You can pretty much guess who the stars of the college football conference show were, but by how much?

A conference gets 7 points for each first round draft pick, 6 for a second, 5 for a third, 4 for a fourth, 3 for a fifth, 2 for a sixth, and 1 for a seventh round selection.