Tag: 2022 NFL draft

Chiefs sign blazing-fast former Patriots 2nd round pick to practice squad

The #Chiefs signed former #Patriots second-round pick Tyquan Thornton to their practice squad on Monday after losing to the #Bills in Week 11.

The Kansas City added some serious speed to their receiving corps on Monday after their Week 11 loss to the Buffalo Bills by signing former New England Patriots second-round pick Tyquan Thornton to a practice squad contract.

Thornton, who was released by New England last week, ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL combine and played collegiately at Baylor.

Though Thornton isn’t expected to earn a role in Andy Reid’s offense in his first few weeks with the Chiefs, his addition could prove to be a pivotal moment for Kansas City if the defending Super Bowl champions suffer any more injuries at the wide receiver position.

If Thornton were to be called up from the Chiefs’ practice squad to play against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12, fans in Kansas City might get to see their first glimpse of the blazing speed that made him one of the most coveted prospects in the 2022 NFL draft.

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hints the 2022 NFL Draft has shaped his approach

Vikings general manager was asked what that draft meant for him, and he gave a very honest answer.

The 2022 NFL Draft was challenging for several teams as their draft picks didn’t pan out. For the Minnesota Vikings, the 2022 NFL Draft is one they would like to forget, at least the first two rounds,

This offseason, they turned the page on both of their first two draft picks by releasing one and trading another.

Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr. were both sent away this offseason, creating a fog around General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. He had just accepted the general manager role in January of that year, so folks are quick not to hold that draft against him, while others see it as no excuse.

During his media availability, the Vikings general manager was asked what that draft meant for him, and he gave a very honest answer.

“I would say that everything that I do in the future has some relevance to what I’ve done in the past. These are things I have thought about for a long period of time. . .more specific to what types of decisions you need to make. . asking, ‘Hey, where can you go get those players?’ There’s other teams with third-fourth round picks on different practice squads.”

The brutal honesty was refreshing from an NFL general manager, let alone one who has such brutal misses as the start of his tenure. Learning from things and adapting the next time you are presented goes a long way to finding success.

The 2024 NFL Draft will serve as a potential of how Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has learned from his previous mistakes.

The Vikings 2022 draft class has not gone the way Minnesota’s then-rookie GM hoped

The Vikings 2022 draft class has not gone the way Minnesota’s then-rookie GM, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hoped, with the top two picks gone already

The New York Jets announced they have signed Lewis Cine to the team’s practice squad. Cine jumps to the Jets after the team that drafted the Georgia safety in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings, pulled the plug on the Lewis Cine experiment.

It’s a frustrating ending to the draft marriage between Cine and the Vikings, one that was quite positively viewed back at in 2022. A devastating leg injury ruined Cine’s rookie season, and he’s never recovered enough for the liking of Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Cine played in 10 total games in Minnesota, logging exactly one snap per game on defense. No other team claimed Cine on waivers this week.

Cine was the first-ever pick for Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, then a rookie general manager running his initial draft. Obviously, the injury to Cine was unforeseeable, but that whole first draft class from Adofo-Mensah in Minnesota has not gone as planned back in 2022.

1st round, S Lewis Cine: Waived at the 2024 roster deadline.

2nd round, CB Andrew Booth: Traded to Dallas earlier this summer. Two starts in 23 games over two seasons, 20 total tackles and one PD.

2nd round, OG Ed Ingram: Started 32 games at right guard and will continue to start for Minnesota.

3rd round, LB Brian Asamoah: Zero starts, plays almost exclusively on special teams

4th round, CB Akayleb Evans: Started 32 games and coming off a season where he notched 65 tackles, 7 PDs and forced three fumbles.

5th round, DT Esezi Otomewo: Waived after playing 89 snaps on defense as a rookie,

5th round, RB Ty Chandler: Ran for 461 yards and 3 TDs in 2023 while also catching 21 passes. He’ll be the No. 2 RB behind Aaron Jones in 2024.

6th round, OL Vederian Lowe: Traded during the 2023 roster cutdowns to the Patriots for a 2024 6th-round pick.

6th round, WR Jalen Nailor: 12 catches for 208 yards and a TD in 15 games thus far, though Nailor is poised to see the field more in 2024.

7th round, TE Nick Muse: Two offensive snaps in 2023, caught one pass for 12 yards in two years.

Ingram, Evans and Chandler ease some of the sting of those top two picks not working out, but teams that miss on premium picks are always at a major disadvantage. That’s been the development for Adofo-Mensah’s first draft class.

Two 2022 3rd round picks drafted next to each other get traded on the same day

Malik Willis and Cameron Thomas were drafted back-to-back in the 3rd round in 2022. Now they’re traded on the same day in 2024 after not panning out initially.

Flashback to the 2022 NFL Draft. In the third round of that year’s draft, the Tennessee Titans selected Liberty QB Malik Willis with the No. 86 overall pick. With the very next pick, the Arizona Cardinals tabbed San Diego State OLB Cameron Thomas in the third round.

On Monday, a day before the 2024 roster cutdown deadline, both players were traded away.

The Titans sent Willis to the Green Bay Packers for a 2025 seventh-round pick. The dual-threat gunslinger started three games in two seasons, completing 53 percent of his passes and throwing three INTs with no TDs. Willis also ran for 123 yards and a touchdown, while also losing three fumbles.

Thomas is now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. The undersized pass rusher played in 32 games for Arizona, staying on the field for over 35 percent of the Cardinals defensive reps in 15 games in 2023. Thomas racked up 40 total tackles, three sacks (all in 2022) and a scoop-and-score fumble recovery. He was dealt for a future seventh-round pick; the year was not immediately specified.

It’s safe to say Saints won draft-day Chris Olave trade

It’s safe to say the Saints won their draft-day Chris Olave trade. Washington just dealt another player they got with picks from New Orleans:

Well, it’s safe to say the New Orleans Saints won their draft-day Chris Olave trade with the Washington Commanders back in 2022. The Commanders traded another player they got with the picks New Orleans sold to move up for Olave in that year’s draft, parting ways with former first-round wide receiver Jahan Dotson. Meanwhile, Olave is coming off of back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

Remember, the Saints traded up to No. 11 in exchange for their picks at Nos. 16, 98 and 120. Washington made some other moves with those picks to acquire the following players:

  • WR Jahan Dotson
  • RB Brian Robinson Jr.
  • QB Sam Howell
  • TE Cole Turner

Two of them have already been dealt to other teams, with Dotson going to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday. Howell was traded to the Seattle Seahawks earlier this year. Turner has been limited to 22 of the last 34 games while Robinson has found moderate success as their lead running back.

And the Saints are continuing to lean on Olave. Guys like Rashid Shaheed, Juwan Johnson, and Alvin Kamara will demand targets but he’s by far the most-accomplished young player in the room. Olave is both the present and the future at wide receiver for the Saints and his usage will reflect that. Expect another big year for No. 12 in 2024.

It’s just a shame the Saints haven’t gotten similar production out of Trevor Penning, who they spent several future draft picks to acquire in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Penning is fighting for a spot in the starting lineup after getting benched and moved from left tackle to right, which is disappointing no matter how you spin it.

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Former Texas A&M defensive end DeMarvin Leal shifted to outside linebacker by Steelers

“He’s always been an athletic guy. He’s more attentive in the meetings… You can see the productivity on the field is starting to show up.”

During Mike Elko‘s first stint in College Station as the Texas A&M defensive coordinator, 10 of his players were drafted to the NFL.

One of those standout stars was defensive end DeMarvin Leal, who was selected in the third round of the 2022 draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ahead of this upcoming season, Leal has been shifted to outside linebacker.

“He’s always been an athletic guy. He’s more attentive in the meetings,” Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “You see him out here. He’s learned both of them — defensive end position and outside linebacker positions. You can see the productivity on the field is starting to show up.”

Leal has appeared in 23 games with six starts over two years. The San Antonio native has recorded 29 tackles, 4 pass breakups and 1 sack.

“It’s now for me,” Leal said. “I wouldn’t say now or never for the season, but it’s now for me.”

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Vikings missed golden opportunity in draft-day trade that landed Lewis Cine

The Minnesota Vikings traded back in the 2022 NFL Draft for Lewis Cine. Had they stayed, the could have had one of the league’s top safeties

A lot has been made this off-season about Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine. Cine has been a popular candidate to be a roster cut-down day casualty. Even on this outlet, we’ve talked a bit about Cine and the possibility of him being a trade candidate for a team looking to take a flier on a former first-rounder.

What hasn’t been talked about much, however, is the opportunity for the Vikings to wound up squandering by making the draft-day trade with the Lions, which ended up with the Vikings taking Cine. Had they stayed where they were — originally the 12th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft — they could have had one of the best safeties in the league, Kyle Hamilton.

Recently, ESPN polled several NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to get their thoughts on the top players in the league at each position. Regarding the safety position, they had Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield, Jr., son of former Viking Antoine Winfield, Sr., at the top spot and Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton right behind him at two.

Had the Vikings opted to stay where they were, they could have taken Hamilton with the 12th pick and solidified their safety spot. They were on the market for a safety either way, and Hamilton has quickly become a force to be reckoned with at the position.

Additionally, by not trading with the Lions, they would have potentially prevented their division rivals from being able to add to their wide receiver corps with Jameson Williams. Granted, Williams has not been great for the Lions yet, but the potential is still there with him.

Not making the trade would also (likely) mean that Minnesota never gets the draft capital that eventually lands them Andrew Booth, Jr., Ed Ingram, and Brian Asamoah II.

Booth was seen as somewhat of a steal at the time, but has yet to really deliver on that potential. Ingram has served as a starting offensive guard for the Vikings, but his play has left a lot to be desired, and Asamoah has been a role player in his time with the team.

Have those players made important contributions to the team? Yes. But would the Vikings have ultimately been better off by staying put and drafting Hamilton two spots before he eventually went? You can make a strong case that they would be.

Vikings waive wide receiver Daylen Baldwin

The Minnesota Vikings waived wide receiver Daylin Baldwin on Monday. The move comes after a flurry of UDFA signings by the team.

The Minnesota Vikings waived wide receiver Daylin Baldwin on Monday. The move comes after a flurry of UDFA signings by the team. The Vikings brought in a total of three wide receivers who went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Baldwin went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. During the 2021 season at Michigan, he caught just 17 passes for 256 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Despite the lack of production, Baldwin had a size that teams thought they could work with. He would sign with the Cleveland Browns practice squad for the 2022 season before being waived and picked up by the Vikings in 2023.

He would stay on the Vikings practice squad and be waived and picked up several times before being released again on Monday. He is a former teammate of new franchise leader J.J. McCarthy so they could keep tabs on him as a camop body if an injury were to occur.

Giving McCarthy a familiar face may help his transition to the NFL, but outside of that, his role isn’t expected to be much if he is brought back again.

Zulgad: Time is running out for Vikings’ 2022 draft class to prove it wasn’t a bust

Time is running out for Vikings’ 2022 draft class as it looks to find it’s identity within the current state of the franchise.

There is no more misguided project involving the NFL draft — and that is saying something — than the immediate attempt to assign overall grades to each team’s selections. A process that takes several years to play itself out is assigned a collective letter mark hours after all the names have been called.

The latest example of the futility accompanying this assignment comes from the Minnesota Vikings’ 2022 draft. Chad Reuter of NFL.com and Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News gave the Vikings A-minus grades. ESPN’s Mel Kiper, the Washington Post’s Mark Maske, and Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports handed out B-minuses. Rob Rang of Fox Sports wasn’t so kind, giving the Vikings a C-plus grade, and Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated handed out a D-minus.

Orr’s negativity has proven to be well-founded and might not be strong enough. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first draft as the Vikings’ general manager could be headed for an F, depending on how the remaining class members do this season. This concerns those who know how important this month’s draft will be in shaping the future of the Vikings’ roster.

Adofo-Mensah’s defenders will point out that he had only been on the job for a few months before that draft and that the current front office structure wasn’t as set then. That doesn’t excuse the fact that Adofo-Mensah not only traded back with Detroit to go from 12 to 32 in the first round but then missed (at least for now) on three of his first four picks.

Here’s a look at the Vikings’ 10-player draft class from 2022:

Round 1 (32): Lewis Cine, S
Round 2 (42): Andrew Booth Jr., CB
Round 2 (59): Ed Ingram, G
Round 3 (66): Brian Asamoah, LB
Round 4 (118): Akayleb Evans, CB
Round 5 (165): Esezi Otomewo, DT
Round 5 (169): Ty Chandler, RB
Round 6 (184): Vederian Lowe, OL
Round 6 (191): Jalen Nailor, WR
Round 7 (227): Nick Muse, TE

Cine, taken with the last pick of the opening round, has only played in two games and been in for 10 defensive snaps in his first two seasons. Cine suffered a compound fracture in his left leg early in his rookie season but declared himself ready to go during offseason workouts last spring.

But he only played in seven regular-season games, despite the fact that defensive coordinator Brian Flores often employed three safeties simultaneously, including 2020 sixth-round pick Josh Metellus.

It wasn’t much better with Booth and Asamoah, who were expected to step into prominent roles last season. Booth played in all 17 games and got a chance on defense. Still, it appears the Vikings will head into offseason workouts with 2023 third-round selection Mekhi Blackmon and free agent addition Shaq Griffin as the outside corners and Byron Murphy Jr. inside in the nickel.

Asamoah only played 36 snaps on defense last season, and while he has appeared in 29 games over two years, he has yet to get a start. The starting inside linebackers are Ivan Pace Jr., an undrafted free agent who excelled as a rookie last season, and free agent signee Blake Cashman.

Ingram struggled at right guard in his first year but started all 18 games, including the playoff loss to the Giants, and showed improvement in starting 15 games in 2023. The fact that Ingram is the most successful player from this group isn’t a positive.

Evans has shown promise in his first two seasons but dealt with concussion issues as a rookie and was benched in a Dec. 24 game against Detroit last year at U.S. Bank Stadium. He returned to start in the final two games of the season, but the decision to sign Griffin likely means Evans will find himself on the sideline when the Vikings play their opener.

Of the Vikings’ final five picks, Otomewo and Lowe are no longer with the team, Nailor has dealt with injuries and spent three stints on injured reserve last season, and Muse has played two snaps on offense in 12 games.

Chandler likely will serve as the backup to free agent running back Aaron Jones, who joined the Vikings after being released by the Packers. The Vikings were so hesitant to turn to Chandler as their starter last season that they spent much of the year with the struggling Alexander Mattison as their top back and didn’t turn over that job to Chandler until the final four games. Mattison was released this offseason.

If you have wondered why the Vikings don’t have more depth, this is why. Adofo-Mensah and Co., turned out two players the coaching staff currently trusts (Ingram and Chandler) and six that remain on the roster but with uncertain roles.

The offseason and training camp could be the last chance for guys like Cine, Booth, and Asamoah to prove that the generous grades so many gave the Vikings’ draft class in 2022 were warranted. The problem is the clock is ticking, and some might believe it’s already run out.