Category: 2022 NFL draft

2022 NFL draft: Giants select LB Darrian Beavers in Round 6

With the No. 182 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Giants select Cincinnati linebacker Darrian Beavers.

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With the No. 182 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Giants select Cincinnati linebacker Darrian Beavers.

The 6-foot-4, 236-pound Beavers has no real defined role entering the NFL but has earned a reputation as a thumper. He has a particular old school skillset that is counterproductive to defending modern offenses, but that doesn’t mean there’s no fit.

The Giants were thin at inside linebacker and the depth is nice, but Beavers can also step up in a very specific situational role. Essentially, he can take over for the departing Reggie Ragland.

Here is what NFL Network draft guru Lance Lance Zierlein had to say about Beavers:

Inside linebacker with throwback size but also throwback athleticism that fails to fit cleanly into today’s brand of football. Beavers is a phone-booth linebacker who is well-schooled in taking on and slipping blocks between the tackles but can be overwhelmed by athletic opponents when forced to move and play in space. He plays too stiff-legged and with a lack of desired agility, which gets him tangled up in traffic more than teams might like. He’ll need to lean into a role as a thumper to make a team, which will require improvement in consistently attacking and discarding blockers. Beavers has a challenging road ahead of him but his background as a core special-teamer helps.

Whether or not Beavers can crack the 53-man roster remains to be seen, but Wink Martindale is going to like his style of play. If he does make the cut, he’s likely to take limited defensive snaps and continue on special teams. But over time, that may change.

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Twitter reacts to Titans drafting UCLA WR Kyle Philips

A look at how Twitter reacted to the Titans selecting UCLA WR Kyle Philips.

The Tennessee Titans made their second wide receiver pick of the 2022 NFL draft when they selected UCLA wideout Kyle Philips in the fifth round (No. 163 overall).

Philips now joins fellow 2022 NFL draft pick and wide receiver Treylon Burks as the two newest additions to the Titans’ receiving corps.

However, unlike Burks, Philips doesn’t offer much versatility in the passing game. The 5-foot-11, 189-pound receiver projects to work exclusively from the slot at the next level.

He does have return experience, though, after fielding 16 punts over three years at UCLA, with his best season coming in 2019 when he averaged 22.5 yards per return and scored one touchdown.

Now, a look at how Twitter reacted to the selection.

Texans take Oregon State TE Teagan Quitoriano No. 170 in Round 5 of 2022 NFL draft

The Houston Texans picked another fifth-round tight end for the second straight year in Oregon State’s Teagan Quitoriano.

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The Houston Texans added more depth to their tight end group with the selection of Oregon State’s Teagan Quitoriano with the No. 170 pick in Round 5 of the 2022 NFL draft.

The pick follows a pattern set by general manager Nick Caserio in the 2021 draft, his first with the Texans, when he took former Miami tight end Brevin Jordan. The rationale was to foment competition at a stacked position. The selection of Quitoriano serves a similar purpose.

Quitoriano is the second selection the Texans have made in the fifth round in 2022. Houston grabbed former Stanford defensive end Thomas Booker with the No. 150 overall selection.

2022 NFL draft: Giants select OL Marcus McKethan in Round 5

With the No. 173 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Giants select North Carolina offensive lineman Marcus McKethan.

With the No. 173 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Giants select North Carolina offensive lineman Marcus McKethan.

McKethan is an interesting choice if for no other reason than that he was teammates with Joshua Ezeudu, whom the Giants selected in the third round.

It’s no secret that New York needed to work on the offensive line during free agency and throughout the draft, and McKethan represents the third lineman taken — the second guard.

At 6-foot-6 and 340 pounds, McKethan certainly has the NFL size. However, like Ezeudu before him, he’s far more adept at run blocking than pass protection. That will likely prevent him from earning a starting job — which is now also a numbers game — but the long-term potential is very much there.

Here is what NFL Network draft guru Lance Zierlein had to say about McKethan:

Three-year starter offering premium size and length at the guard position. McKethan plays to his size with the ability to mash and move single blocks and double teams. He’s best suited for gap and power schemes, but will struggle against moving fronts that force him to react quickly to action in his gaps. The pass protection is going to be a little leaky due to his lack of slide quickness and trouble versus twists. McKethan’s blend of size and power should make him a Day 3 pick and future NFL backup.

McKethan is very much a long-term protect with a decently high potential ceiling. His chance to make the 53-man roster is slim (pending injuries), but he’ll likely be carried on the practice squad and molded over the course of the 2022 season.

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Instant analysis and grade for Titans selecting TE Chigoziem Okonkwo

Shaun Calderon breaks down the Titans’ newest tight end, Chigoziem Okonkwo.

The Tennessee Titans concluded the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft by selecting an extremely versatile tight end out of Maryland, Chigoziem Okonkwo.

Okonkwo totaled 717 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 77 career catches throughout the duration of his days at Maryland; however, it was his final season where he truly started to put out some glimpses that something special was brewing.

The Titans’ new tight end set career highs in 2021 after accounting for 447 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 52 receptions.

The 6-foot-2, 242-pound tight end has a massive muscular frame, combined with explosive athletic traits that make him an intriguing prospect.

Okonkwo, who has short arms, has the physical tools to become better as a route-runner and blocker, but he’s still very raw in those areas at the moment.

Okonkwo displays terrific skills after the catch due to his blend of speed, power, and constant balance as a runner. He also has the strength and desire to become a more consistent blocker once he gets around NFL coaching.

The Maryland product doesn’t have any eye-popping stats, but he has everything you could want in a project at the tight end position.

His speed and athleticism will add a dynamic aspect to the Titans’ vertical attack in the middle of the field that they have been lacking for quite some time now.

Having said all that, I really do like the value, the player, and the Titans addressing a position of need.

Therefore, this pick unsurprisingly gets a great grade from me, especially since Okonkwo was the last available player out of my personal preferences at the tight end position.

Grade: A

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Cowboys select Fresno State CB DaRon Bland with No. 167 pick

The Cowboys only had one 30 visit cornerback and they stuck to it, selecting Fresno State cornerback DaRon Bland with the No. 167 pick. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Cowboys are always attached to their 30 visits and they only had one cornerback on the list. That was Fresno State cornerback DaRon Bland and they’re bringing him to Dallas.

In Tyler Browning’s scouting profile, he had Bland as a fifth-round prospect and that’s where the Cowboys drafted him.

Bland does his best work in zone, with his eyes back on the QB. This allows him to get a good break on the throw, and with his transition ability in space, it could be a favorable move for him. He is a physical player, never shying away from contact. He can’t hold up in man coverage, he gets grabby with the receivers during the stem of their route and he gets out-bodied in goal-line scenarios. Having him as a player who plays with his eyes in the backfield and can charge down hill to use his physicality projects favorably for him.

The cornerback position is full of talent in Dallas. With first team All-Pro Trevon Diggs leading the group, Kelvin Joseph, Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown and Nahshon Wright round out the deep talent. Bland is now a part of that group and the Cowboys have extra options at the position.

 

Jags send picks No. 157, 235 to Bucs for a 2023 fourth round pick

The Jags made a second trade with the Bucs for the 2022 NFL Draft, and it resulted in them gaining a 2023 fourth-rounder.

The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up with the Tampa Bay Bucs Thursday, which allowed them to take linebacker Devin Lloyd with the No. 27 overall pick. However, on Saturday, the two helped each other out again.

The Bucs traded up into the fifth round and took pick No. 157 from Jacksonville (and pick No. 235) in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round pick. The Bucs ended up selecting Sam Houston State cornerback Zyon McCollum with the pick.

With the trade already processed, the Jags have picks No. 197 and No. 222 still in this year’s draft.

The Jags came into the 2022 NFL Draft with 12 picks and have made five selections. They took Lloyd, defensive lineman Travon Walker, offensive lineman Luke Fortner, linebacker Chad Muma, and running back Snoop Conner so far. If they keep their last two picks without making any more moves, they will leave the draft with seven selections made.

Why Bailey Zappe was the fifth quarterback drafted — and why New England drafted him

Many people questioned why the New England Patriots drafted Bailey Zappe. Mark Schofield tries to offer the answers.

We know absolutely nothing about the NFL draft.

The time for post-mortems is around the corner, and you can believe one of the biggest topics over the next few days will center on how the NFL viewed this incoming quarterback class. After all, after seeing five come off the board within the top-fifteen selections a year ago, we waited until selection 137 in this draft class to hear the fifth quarterback come off the board.

Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe, to the New England Patriots.

Heads were scratched in the wake of the move. After all, that meant that Zappe came off the board before Sam Howell and Carson Strong, two passers who generated a lot more early-round buzz than Zappe, despite his prodigious numbers last season for Western Kentucky. Compounding matters was the idea that it was the Patriots who drafted him, as New England was one of those teams who drafted a QB early last year in Mac Jones.

So why Zappe, and why New England?

Titans select WR Kyle Philips with 163rd overall pick

The Titans drafted UCLA WR Kyle Philips with the 163rd overall pick.

With the 163rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans selected UCLA wide receiver Kyle Philips.

This is the second receiver the Titans have drafted in 2022 after taking Treylon Burks in the first round (No. 18 overall). Adding to that, the Titans have now gone tight end and wide receiver with their last two picks.

Philips, who stands at 5-foot-11 and 189 pounds, projects as a slot receiver at the next level, and he could provide some special teams value, where The Draft Network notes he was outstanding in college.

Philips also has experience as a returner, which could further help him contribute right away. In 2019, he returned eight punts for 22.5 yards per, and he found the end zone on one of his attempts.

After this pick, the Titans have two more selections, including two in the sixth round (Nos. 204 and 219). The Titans don’t have any in the seventh thanks to last year’s Isaiah Wilson trade.

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Cowboys select North Dakota OT Matt Waletzko with No. 155 pick

After addressing it in the first round, the Cowboys went back to the well for offensive line, selecting North Dakota OT Matt Waletzko. | From @CDBurnett7

The Cowboys’ draft process includes a focus on Power 5 talent, but they’ve strayed from that script with their 2022 NFL draft class. First, Dallas selected Tulsa offensive lineman Tyler Smith in the first round. Two rounds later, they selected South Alabama wide receiver Jalen Tolbert.

In the fifth round, the Cowboys continued the trend. With Smith expected to move into the left guard spot, Dallas selected North Dakota offensive tackle and Senior Bowl participant Matt Waletzko at No. 155.

Waletzko towers at 6-foot-8, 312 pounds and has 36 inch arms to boot. While his competition wasn’t always the toughest, his strength was on display and he can make the switch to right tackle. He’ll be competing with Terence Steele for the Cowboys’ starting job. Waletzko is the first North Dakota player to be drafted since 2006.