2022 NFL draft – Page 6 – Syndication Server

PFF: Geno Smith deal in the running for best offseason signing

That makes Smith’s contract arguably the best bargain on the market so far.

Pro Football Focus has released a list of the best signings so far in the NFL’s 2023 free agency period. One of the items that made the list was the Seahawks and their super team-friendly deal with quarterback Geno Smith.

PFF was projecting that Smith’s contract would be a legit three years, $105 million. While that’s the total potential value, Smith would have to reach all his incentives three years in a row to actually reach that amount. In truth, Geno’s new deal is for only $25 million per season and he only got $40 million guaranteed, whereas PFF had projected $72.5 million guaranteed.

That gap makes Smith’s contract arguably the best bargain on the market in 2023. Here’s what they had to say about the deal.

“This deal obviously got done before free agency even began, but it will be in the running for the signing of the offseason. The league has been devoid of any true mid-tier contracts at quarterback — as evidenced by the Daniel Jones deal above and the Derek Carr deal below — but this contract legitimately fits that description for a quality starting quarterback… We underestimated the lack of leverage Geno Smith had in negotiations, with roughly $17 million in career earnings to date and a flooded quarterback market this offseason potentially limiting his options, and Seattle took full advantage.”

The lack of leverage for Smith was indeed an often overlooked point during the negotiation phase. Seattle’s No. 5 overall pick was the heaviest part, but Smith’s age (he’s 32), the QB market and his small sample size of strong play all weighed against him – helping Seattle score a massive win before free agency began.

Smith’s sudden ascension, pair with the team’s surprise success in the 2022 NFL draft have put them in position to become a contender. Another strong offseason will make them legitimately dangerous.

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Grading the Buffalo Bills 2022 draft class

Grading the #Bills 2022 draft class (via @jdiloro):

The 2023 NFL Draft is coming up quickly, with teams making their selections in just over a month. The dizzying amount of mock drafts has given fans an opportunity to see the numerous possibilities for their team’s draft slot.

Before we dive into some draft evaluations for this upcoming year, it’s essential to see how teams did with their 2022 selections. The Bills had some success with their 2022 draft class, as a few players contributed to Buffalo’s 13-3 season.

Here’s how Bills Wire grades the 2022 class on their rookie contributions in 2022:

Broncos Buster: How the Seahawks won the Russell Wilson trade 1 year ago

Let’s ride!

Part of what makes the NFL the most unstoppable force in American media is the unpredictability each new year brings, and nothing was a bigger shock last season than the fates of the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks.

One year ago today, the Seahawks shocked the NFL world by trading franchise quarterback and Seattle sports icon Russell Wilson to the Broncos. Years of rumored frustration between Wilson and the Seahawks came to fruition, as the quarterback who helped Seattle win its only Super Bowl left the Emerald City to join the team he helped defeat in the big game.

At the time, this felt like a slam dunk for Denver. The consensus in the media – as well as most of us here at Seahawks Wire, including myself – was Seattle got smoked by the Broncos. It appeared Denver finally found a quarterback to lead their talented roster, while the Seahawks were clearly engaging in a full blown rebuild.

Oh, how wrong we all were. In this case, I have no problem admitting it.

What seemed to be a win for the Broncos quickly materialized into Seattle winning one of the most laughably lopsided trades in NFL history. Right from game one, the Russell Wilson era was off to an inauspicious start as Denver lost the Monday Night Football opener to the Seahawks, 17-16. Wilson looked off the entire game, and in the most crucial moment, the Broncos took the ball out of his hands and attempted a 64-yard field goal for the win…

…In an open air stadium at sea level. It went about as well as you’d expect.

From there, things only went from bad to worse. Denver fielded a completely inert offense as Wilson had by far the worst season of his career. The quarterback who used to be seen as a perennial MVP candidate suffered a cataclysmic, potentially legacy altering, reputational meltdown – both as a player and as a person. Wilson sadly became a punchline last season, and the conversation about him is if he can return to form under his new head coach Sean Payton.

Meanwhile, the grass couldn’t look any greener in Seattle. With the Broncos’ first round pick last year, the Seahawks selected Charles Cross who looks like a franchise caliber left tackle. As for the players Seattle got in the trade, Noah Fant and Shelby Harris were productive starters. Drew Lock never saw the field, but that’s a positive because Geno Smith remarkably produced one of the best seasons a Seahawks quarterback has ever had.

Now Seattle is picking in the top 10 again, thanks to Denver’s abysmal 5-12 season. Because of this trade, the Seahawks will have the No. 5 overall pick, as well as 6th pick in the second round (No. 37 overall) from the Broncos. Seattle has a unique opportunity with quality draft capital to supplement their outstanding draft last year to help potentially catapult them back into contention.

Granted, this is only after one year. Fortunes can change just as quickly in the opposite direction for each team. But as of right now, there is a clear winner in this trade.

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How did NFL.com rank the NFC East’s 2022 draft classes?

It was a banner year for the NFC East.

The 2022 NFL season will be remembered as the resurgence of the NFC East. All four teams finished with at least a .500 record, and three teams made the playoffs. The Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC and came close to winning their second Super Bowl in five seasons.

The NFC East had three of the final four teams remaining in the NFC playoffs.

The Dallas Cowboys finished with a 12-5 record despite quarterback Dak Prescott missing several games early in the season. However, the season’s big story was the turnaround of the New York Giants.

The previously terrible Giants finished 9-7-1 and won a playoff game. The Washington Commanders had control of a playoff berth until a late-season collapse prevented the NFC East from becoming the first division in NFL history to have every team make the playoffs.

Is the NFC East on track to return to its previous glory? Or was 2022 an aberration?

If the NFC “Beast” returns to its previous glory, it will need the 2022 rookie class to be the future of the division. How did each’s rookie class fare in 2022?

Nick Shook from NFL.com ranked each of the NFC East’s 2022 rookie classes, and no one received higher than a B-.

What about the Commanders?

Grading the Broncos’ 2022 draft class one year later

Do you agree with our early grade for the Broncos’ 2022 draft class?

As the 2023 NFL draft looms on the horizon, Broncos Wire is taking a look back at the Denver Broncos’ 2022 draft class. Who made a difference? Who do the Broncos need to see more from going forward?

Saints’ 2022 rookie class gets B-minus grade from NFL.com one year later

The Saints’ 2022 rookie draft class received a B-minus grade from NFL.com one year later, tying for best marks in the NFC South:

It’s tough to get a read on the New Orleans Saints’ rookie class a year later. Many of their 2022 draft picks missed large chunks of the season with injuries which makes them unknown quantities going into 2023.

But we found an even-keeled take from NFL.com’s Nick Shook, who credited the Saints for hitting big on Chris Olave (saying he “should have received more attention in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race than he did”) while getting solid production out of Alontae Taylor and Rashid Shaheed. It’s enough for the team to earn a B-minus grade despite having gotten no snaps out of their late-round picks D’Marco Jackson (due to injury) and Jordan Jackson (due to underwhelming practice reps).

And as Shook observed, a lot hinges on the Saints’ other first rounder, writing: “Injuries curtailed Trevor Penning’s rookie year, reducing him to a sixth-lineman role before making a start in the final game of the season. The Northern Iowa product needs more time on an NFL gridiron for proper evaluation.”

If Penning can stay healthy in 2023 and meet the high expectations the Saints have set for him, he can do a lot to singlehandedly raise the team’s draft grade. But that feels like a big “if” given the time he missed with foot injuries to start and end his season. He has a lot to prove.

One interesting wrinkle from Shook’s analysis is the consideration given to undrafted free agents, and that’s an area the Saints continue to do well. He pointed to Lewis Kidd as a competent backup along the offensive line, but the real diamond in the rough here is Rashid Shaheed, who totaled 1,058 all-purpose yards as a receiver, runner, and returner on special teams.

Elsewhere around the NFC South: the Atlanta Falcons were also graded a B-minus, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers received a C-plus and the Carolina Panthers brought up the rear with a C-minus,

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4 second-year Saints who are looking to make a splash in 2023

Smoke Monday and D’Marco Jackson are just some of the second-year New Orleans Saints players who are looking to make a splash in 2023:

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine is here, and so much attention is being paid to the upcoming rookie class that it’s easy to overlook the players that came before them. And the New Orleans Saints’ list of second-year pros has a lot to offer. We’re making an effort to look past the obvious big names like first-round picks Chris Olave and Trevor Penning, for whom expectations are already high, and instead highlighting some guys who either got a raw deal with injuries or who are better positioned to make plays now than they were last summer.

With that in mind, here are some of the second-year Saints we’re eager to see on the practice field:

Daniel Jeremiah is ‘bullish’ on Sam Howell

Daniel Jeremiah was a big fan of Sam Howell coming out of North Carolina.

Two years ago, when analysts looked ahead to the 2022 NFL draft, many projected North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell as a first-round pick. Some considered Howell a top-10 pick, and others even believed he could be the No. 1 overall selection.

Unfortunately for Howell, he lost a ton of talent at UNC, as running backs Javonte Williams and Michael Carter and wide receivers Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome all departed for the NFL after the 2021 season.

In Howell’s first game in 2021 vs. Virginia Tech, he struggled. At that point, many wrote Howell off. Throughout the rest of the season, behind a struggling offensive line and with young playmakers, Howell improved. Howell wasn’t necessarily playing for his NFL future but to give the Tar Heels the best chance to win. He ran the ball more and often took more chances. It led to some mixed results on film.

Howell slid in the draft, which was not a surprise, but no one expected him to last until the first pick of the fifth round, including NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah.

Jeremiah conducted his annual conference call ahead of the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine last week and answered questions from reporters concerning all 32 NFL teams. Jeremiah received a question about Howell and here is his response:

Now, I’m curious, because I’m going back to look it up because I know — so Howell ended up — that was a shocker to me how late he went in the draft, so I’m looking up to see where I had him. He was my 48th player in last year’s draft, so I thought it was — I thought it was a bargain of all bargains that they got him where they did.

When I go back through my notes with him last year, thick, sturdy. He has quick feet. He can drive the ball. He is a physical runner. Love the toughness. Just locks on at times.

I thought he was a starting-caliber quarterback, so I’m not surprised that here we are a year later and he is going to be their starter. I didn’t envision that it would have been available to them as late in the draft as it was.

But I’m bullish on him. I think he has a chance to be a good player. I think we’ll see. I think the league missed on that one allowing him to fall as far as they did.

That’s a glowing review from arguably the most respected NFL draft analyst today. Remember, Jeremiah isn’t just a talking ahead; he’s worked in multiple NFL front offices.

While Jeremiah doesn’t guarantee success for Howell, he does believe he has the tools to succeed and is not surprised he is expected to start in 2023. With new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, and talent at running back and wide receiver, Howell will have the opportunity to succeed next season.

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NFL.com ranks Jets with top rookie class of 2022

The 2023 NFL Draft is only a couple of months away, and with the 2022 season in the rearview mirror, folks across the media have been looking back at the season, including NFL.com, which recently ranked the rookie classes for each team from this past season. The Jets did a pretty good job in last year’s draft, to say the least.

The Jets were ranked No. 1 among all the rookie draft classes for the 2022 season and were the only team to receive an “A” grade. The Lions and Seahawks each received an “A-“. Not bad for having no picks in the second half of the draft — all seven picks came within the first 117 selections plus undrafted free agent Zonovan Knight.

NFL.com draft analyst Eric Edholm mentioned that the Jets’ picks look “extremely promising after one year.” It certainly helps that the Jets boast the Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year in Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner.

The Jets were armed with draft-pick munitions, making seven picks in the first 117 selections, including four in the first 36 picks, and called it a draft. The good news is that most of their early decisions look extremely promising after one year.

Top-10 picks Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson were two of the best rookies at their respective positions, with each taking home a Rookie of the Year honor, and it didn’t hurt that they pushed each other in some strong training camp battles. Gardner looks like a star and a rare shutdown corner. Wilson could be the Jets’ WR1 for years to come, proving to be excellent despite subpar QB play after the Jets struck out on trading for Tyreek Hill.

Breece Hall was on a path toward being an Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite prior to his ACL injury. Assuming he returns to full health, the state of the Jets’ running game appears strong. The nice addition of undrafted rookie Zonovan Knight only bolsters the position further.

Jermaine Johnson II and Michael Clemons had steady reserve roles as rookies on a deep Jets D-line, but each flashed on defense and blocked a punt that resulted in a score. Their arrows are up. Max Mitchell struggled in his early snaps before blood clots ended his season. Jeremy Ruckert figures to get more chances eventually with his athletic profile but showed little in Year 1.

These were the grades for each team in the AFC East:

No. 1 New York Jets – A
No. 15 Buffalo Bills – C+
No. 24 New England Patriots – C
No. 28 Miami Dolphins – C-

Steelers 2022 rookie class ranked 6th-best in NFL

The Steelers got big performances from its 2022 NFL draft class.

It seems that every season, NFL teams rely more and more on rookies to contribute in their first year. This is the same for the Pittsburgh Steelers and no other season exemplifies that like the 2022 rookie class.

NFL.com ranked all 32 rookie classes and has the Steelers group of rookies at No. 6 overall. This group was led by quarterback Kenny Pickett and wide receiver George Pickens who are the future of the Steelers offense.

The Steelers also saw defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal step up into a prominent role in the Steelers defensive line rotation. Down the stretch, linebacker Mark Robinson and tight end Connor Heyward both played key roles and could each be starters in 2023. In fact. five of the Steelers six picks are on the roster and could all be in the starting lineup next season. This doesn’t even take into consideration how good undrafted free-agent running back Jaylen Warren was.

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